For the first time this season, the Tennessee Titans get to spend a Sunday without playing a game. With the bye week here and the NFL trade deadline just two days away, the focus in Nashville has shifted from the field to the phones.
The biggest name hanging over the Titans right now is Calvin Ridley. Adam Schefter reported yesterday that Ridley could be had for a sixth-round pick, and Tom Pelissero later added that he believes Ridley is likely to be traded.
That tracks with where things have gone for the veteran receiver, who has slipped out of Tennessee’s offensive picture and no longer fits the direction of the rebuild. Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike have already started to pass him by, and the Titans have more than one reason to move him.
A team like the Kansas City Chiefs, among others, could easily absorb that kind of price to add a receiver before the postseason. At this point, Ridley looks like the clearest bet on the board to be dealt.
Tony Pollard, though, appears headed the other way. Schefter said yesterday that the Titans “are not interested” in moving Pollard, and that lines up with the sense that Tennessee is dug in here.
A desperate team could still come calling for running back help, especially if Jonathan Taylor stays in Indianapolis, but even then the return would likely need to beat the previously reported fourth-round value for Pollard. It’s tough to see a 29-year old back in the final year of his contract generating much more than that.
Short of a surprise turn, Pollard should still be in Tennessee after November 10.
The rest of the roster doesn’t look nearly as active on the rumor front. S Amani Hooker is not available, as far as anyone knows, and CB Alontae Taylor has only become more important after his solid Week 8 performance and CB Marcus Harris’ ankle injury.
LB Cody Barton could draw interest for a mid-to-late draft pick, but the Titans don’t seem eager to strip down the defense. Jacob Martin has also come up on the defensive line, yet with Simmons gone, Tennessee would be better served keeping its sack leader for the rest of the season.
The Jeffery Simmons trade showed that nothing is off the table, but right now, the expectation is that the Titans are mostly done making noise.
In Other News...
Tony Pollard Still Gives Titans One Trade Deadline Dilemma
As the trade deadline approaches, Tony Pollard has become one of the more interesting names hanging around the Titans roster, even if the current plan is to keep him in Nashville. Adam Schefter reported that Tennessee is not actively looking to move the running back, which fits the teams broader tendency to listen without rushing into a deal when a player still has value to the roster.
Pollards situation still leaves the Titans with a familiar kind of decision: hold onto a useful veteran for the stretch run, or consider moving him if an offer becomes too good to pass up. With free agency looming and injuries around the league creating possible demand at running back, Tennessee may still hear from teams hoping to pry him loose before the deadline, even if the asking price remains high. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Brian Thomas Jr Decision Fans Wont Ignore
With the trade deadline approaching, the rumor mill is starting to pick up around the AFC South, and the Jaguars have one of the names drawing attention. Brian Thomas Jr. has been mentioned in the same breath as a handful of other players who could factor into deadline chatter, a list that also includes veterans and established playmakers from around the league as teams weigh whether to add, subtract or stand pat.
For Tennessee, any movement involving Jacksonville matters because the division race is always shaped by what happens inside it, not just outside it. The Colts are reportedly holding off on any Daniel Jones discussions until after their next game, which is another reminder that these talks can move slowly before they move fast, and the same could be true for the Jaguars as the deadline nears and teams sort through interest in players like Thomas, Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley. [Read more 🡒]