Titans Should Trade These 3 Players Before Deadline According to PFF's Brad Spielberger
The Tennessee Titans have sat at a crossroads since a seven-game losing streak ended their 2022 season with no playoff birth. The offseason presented two paths, a focus towards the future or a last dance with their veteran players. Sitting at 2-4 at the bye, the Titans are faced with the decision they can't escape once again.
Will they be sellers at the deadline or cling to the fading dream of contention with a team led by Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry? At this time, the Titans only have a first, second, fourth and three seventh round picks in 2024. With where the roster is, they could certainly use more.
According to Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger, the Titans should be moving veterans for picks immediately and here are the three trades suggested.
DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City for a 2024 3rd Round Pick
This makes sense for both sides. First, the Titans got a top-100 pick in this year's draft that they desperately need. Hopkins came to Tennessee because he thought he could win, or at least that's what he said. If that's the case, the Titans owe it to Hopkins and it would help themselves down the road as well.
For Kansas City this would bolster their young receiver core with a legitimate weapon. Hopkins may not be in his prime, but as he showed in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, he can still be a force.
The Titans paid Hopkins in mostly signing bonus for the year and his salary is just over $1 million making this financially possible as well.
Kevin Byard to Philadelphia for a 2025 3rd
Some Titans fan may wince at seeing this simply because of the previous history with the Eagles, but this would make sense for the Titans as well. In the offseason, Byard's team and the Titans haggled over his salary before he ultimately took a pay cut.
Byard is in his thirties now and likely wouldn't want to stick through a rebuild anyways. With Byard's salary restructure this offseason, his salary is only $4 million making it feasible for Philadelphia to take it.
The Eagles need help in their secondary and Byard was born in Philadelphia so if he leaves the Titans, at least he would be going home to contend for a title and that should give Titans fans some solace.
Kristian Fulton to Pittsburgh for a 2025 5th
If I am the Titans, I am surely happy to get anything back for Fulton with his level of play through six weeks. In Week 6, Fulton got benched for Tre Avery for a period of the game and head coach Mike Vrabel seemed comfortable with Avery out there.
Fulton is a free agent after the season and likely won't return. The Titans may hope to get a compensatory pick in 2025 based on Fulton signing with a new team during the upcoming free agency period, but the Titans' own signings this offseason could cancel that out and with Fulton's play, his next contract may not warrant eligibility in the compensatory system.
Securing what could be viewed as a compensatory pick in 2025 now on a player you are positive will be leaving anyways and that you voluntarily replaced in your most recent game is a slam dunk.
The NFL's trade deadline is October 31 and the Titans will have just a few days after their game against the Atlanta Falcons to decide where they want to go, but if they are able to get this kind of return on any of these players, they will have to consider saying yes.
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