NASHVILLE – Titans General Manager Ran Carthon held a pre-draft press conference on Monday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, just three days before this week's NFL Draft.
The Titans are scheduled to pick 11th overall in the first round, and they currently have six picks overall.
Here's a look at the biggest nuggets from today's presser:
-Carthon said "everybody is being nosey" when asked about phone calls or texts he may or may not be getting in the days leading up to the draft. "Everybody is trying to figure out what everyone is doing, and where you could possibly go," Carthon said. "Whether those scenarios truly come into shape, who knows? We'll probably err on the side of saying no."
-Carthon said he had a conversation with quarterback Ryan Tannehill back in February. "Ryan knows where he stands with us," Carthon said of Tannehill, "and that is really all that matters to me." Carthon said the team is evaluating the quarterbacks in this year's draft just like it is players at every position. "It is our job to do due diligence at every position," Carthon said. "It is not an indictment on Ryan, or anybody on this roster."
-Over the weekend, rumors were rampant involving running back Derrick Henry. Carthon said he has not received any calls about a trade for Henry. Carthon said he's talked to Henry, as well as Henry's agent. Carthon said he also talked to a fan at a recent event about Henry. "I was taking a picture," Carthon said, "and I had my arm around a lady, taking a picture, and she leans in: 'You better not trade Derrick.' She scared the hell out of me, because it came from a motherly, authoritative place. I was like, yes ma'am."
-Carthon said he also talked to safety Kevin Byard 2 ½ weeks ago, and he's remained in contact with Byard's rep. "When that report came out that he asked to be released, or traded," Carthon said of Byard, "that simply wasn't true. Yes, we did ask him for a pay cut, that was correct. But at the same time, all of our dealings are with the players, and our players know where we stand with them."
-Carthon joked he woke up in the middle of the night recently thinking about the draft. "There was a night last week I woke up at 3:43 in the morning and was like: Who the hell is going to be there at 11?," Carthon said. "Just working through that in my head."
-Carthon said the Titans want to come away with an impact player in the first round, "a player that is going to come in and contribute to (your team) immediately."
-Asked about the areas of needs for the Titans, Carthon replied: "Good football players. We are always looking to add good football players, guys that add versatility and explosiveness to the team. Guys than can score with the football, and guys that can take the football away. … We need to continue to add quality players and people to our ball club."
-Asked about the strengths of the draft, Carthon mentioned receiver, offensive line and quarterback. Carthon didn't bite when asked how many players the team has a first-round grade on.
-Carthon was asked to give a Cliffs Notes version on the team's most recent free agent acquisitions – receiver Chris Moore, tight end Trevon Wesco and linebacker Ben Niemann.
His answer is below:
