Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon didn’t do themselves any favors on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft.
The team traded up to select quarterback Will Levis in the second round, and made what was perhaps a more head-scratching move when they drafted running back Tyjae Spears in the third round.
While I can live with the pick of Levis, there is no justification for taking Spears when the Titans had a monumentally bigger need at wide receiver.
Vrabel had to face the music shortly after the Titans made the decision to pass on a wide receiver on Day 2, and his answers were not acceptable.
“It’s the same thing that Ran discussed. It’s taking a look at our board and seeing where things are,” Vrabel said. “We know we have needs, we come into each phase of player acquisition with needs, and it’s certainly something that we’re going to continue to target. What the roster looks like today and what it’s going to look like at the first part of September is probably a little different.”
When asked what the plan is moving forward, Vrabel mentioned how there have been plenty of players drafted in every round who have had success in the NFL in the past.
“There’s been players throughout the history of the NFL draft that have contributed somewhat large success at every round,” Vrabel said. “We want to take a look at the board, see where things are, try to improve our football team, and I am going to speak for myself: I’m confident we did that tonight.”
To his credit, Paul Kuharsky pressed Vrabel further and asked him if the team was truly dedicated to the passing game given what has and is currently transpiring at wide receiver. Here’s Vrabel’s answer:
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “We want to be able to throw the ball efficiently, be able to throw the ball down the field, be able to create ‘X’ plays and I’m confident that we’ll continue to try and work on that and we’ll do it.”
Mike Vrabel on WR plan. #titans pic.twitter.com/DhJKTTuVU5
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) April 29, 2023
When asked for his take on the matter, Carthon backed up Vrabel with a similar answer, while also aptly saying the team is “rolling the dice.”
“Rolling the dice, playing the board,” Carthon said. “That’s what we’re doing. We’re going to take the best-available player in the fifth round. We hope that it’s a receiver because we’re going to continue to address our needs. If we take a receiver in the fifth round, it’s a player that we feel can contribute to our team.
“Like coach said, it’s players that have come into this league that have performed at high levels in all rounds of the draft. So, we don’t look at it as a fifth-round guy that’s not going to be able to come in here and contribute. Everybody that we bring here will have the opportunity to earn it on the grass.”
Ran Carthon endorses Mike Vrabel’s fifth-round miracle pick plan for improving the #Titans at WR.
Vrabel basically said there are big hits at every round at every position any year. pic.twitter.com/QtcgfUATFM
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) April 29, 2023
Yikes.
The Titans are “rolling the dice” alright. There’s no better definition of that than what the Titans’ current plan at wide receiver appears to be, which is depending on a late-round pick to help solve their need.
