We’re approximately two weeks away from the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 10). The1-6 Tennessee Titans could be sellers. GM Mike Borgonzi could certainly use additional draft capital as he continues rebuilding a young roster. ESPN’s Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler recently published an article listing 25 players around the NFL as candidates to be traded.
The following three Titans made the list. We’ve paired our reactive analysis to each player with snippets of ESPN’s thoughts.
DE Jermaine Johnson II
Trading Jermaine Johnson II
would make sense. The veteran pass rusher is on an expiring contract and would probably be useful to a playoff contender. The Titans acquired Johnson via trade in the offseason in exchange for T’Vondre Sweat. That makes the optics of trading him less than ideal, but rebuilding teams should always be interested in getting draft picks for veterans on expiring deals. “Teams in the market for an edge rusher believe Johnson could be available at the right price,” Fowler wrote.
RB Tony Pollard
Running back Tony Pollard also fits the criteria of being a useful veteran on an expiring contract. Earlier this season, Borgonzi apparently declined interest in trading Pollard. We’re not entirely sure we’re buying that. What does complicate the situation is how much more difficult his departure would make it to evaluate Cam Ward and the offense. “Several teams could use a running back, and Pollard is an attractive fallback plan if the Colts stand pat on [Jonathan] Taylor,” Fowler noted.
CB Alontae Taylor
Alontae Taylor makes an appearance after the Titans benched him in consecutive weeks. The optics here are brutal, with Taylor, a Tennessee native, having signed a three-year, $58 million contract in free agency this past offseason. His bloated contract probably makes it extremely difficult for Borgonzi to trade him. The Titans need to focus their energy on getting him to play better in this scheme. “Taylor is not an easy player to trade because of his contract, which guarantees his entire 2027 salary of $20.5 million,” Fowler wrote.
