The Tennessee Titans have a new general manager in Ran Carthon, but what can the team expect from the 41-year-old executive?
Carthon, who grew up in a football family, is bringing a ton of knowledge and experience as a former running back and talent evaluator of 15 years. He’s well-respected around the league and is considered a rising star.
Per MMQB’s Albert Breer, Carthon’s philosophy isn’t that different from head coach Mike Vrabel’s in that he prioritizes toughness in players, which fits Tennessee’s desired identity.
But Breer also notes that Carthon will challenge Vrabel, which is important if the Titans want him to bring a much-needed fresh voice to the franchise.
3 things on new Titans GM Ran Carthon …
1) Grew up in Parcells football family, which Mike Vrabel, Bill Belichick’s old edge rusher, is adjacent to.
2) Prioritizes toughness in players. Titans’ identity won’t change.
3) Will challenge Vrabel, like Vrabel does others.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 18, 2023
While challenging Vrabel is important, Carthon is also known as a great collaborator, something owner Amy Adams Strunk stressed when talking about the search for a new general manager.
From Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky:
Carthon has a reputation as being an excellent collaborator, a quality that Amy Adams Strunk surely likes in the replacement she chose for Jon Robinson.
I spoke with three people who know Carthon and all three pointed to his ability to head up teamwork as a strong suit.
As far as finding players and building relationships with them is concerned, Carthon has been lauded in those two areas as well, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
Ran Carthon has been seen by NFL people as rising star to run his own team for years. Consistently heard about special connection & respect he builds with players + talent evaluation skills.
Titans at crucial juncture. Carthon gets to direct roster in his & Mike Vrabel vision: https://t.co/rzxggRAWha
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 17, 2023
When it comes to the draft, Carthon’s responsibilities with the 49ers were to focus more on the later rounds, where he and San Francisco found success since he came aboard in 2017, according to The Athletic’s David Lombardi.
Of course, Carthon will now be tasked with a much broader scope, but his ability to find some gems in the later rounds is certainly a major plus.
The lower rounds are the scouting department’s rounds. That’s where their operation shines. And Ran Carthon operated that part of the 49ers’ machine. The results indisputably suggest he did a great job
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 17, 2023
When going down the list, it’s clear Carthon checks all the big boxes for the Titans and is the right man for this job. Let’s hope that translates to success under his watch.
