NASHVILLE – It's been a wild week in Titans land.
The team parted ways with Ran Carthon, and it's now in the process of finding his replacement. Interviews for the next general manager are in full swing.
Legendary broadcaster Mike Keith left the team for the University of Tennessee, and a big void has been left with his departure.
A lot of you have shared your thoughts in recent days, and I've posted many of your submissions in this space.
Let's dive in and check the pulse…
Here's the link to submit questions: CLICK HERE.
David Copelin from Bowie, Maryland
Question: I don't understand the firing of Ran Carthon. The players he brought in were great contributors (mostly Pollard and Ridley) to the team overall. Why we have the record we have is due to poor QB play/ talent. Levis nor the back up is not QB1 ready.....That should not have been on Carthon, right?
Jim: I never looked at it as it was all Ran's fault. I don't think anyone really believes that. But it's sometimes the way the business works when the record is 9-25 in two seasons. Mike Vrabel lost his job by losing 18 of his last 24 games. In both cases, I know there was more in play with the decisions, but results matter.
Jack Walker from Calabasas, California
Question: Hey Jim. Saw the Carthon news and read the Brinker quotes. It sounds good. I agree. We need a long term plan and that might mean 5-12 next year. Big mistake bringing in all these expensive one year or two year veteran deals. This is also a business decision. I'm not the biggest fan of Shedeur Sanders but we do need the hype train to pull into Nashville. New stadium soon... Gotta keep fans happy and judging by the looks of social media, folks really want a franchise QB this year whether it's Sanders, Ward, JJ Mac, Allar etc... just a few things, retire Big Jeff as a Titan in a few years and then an upstairs office, re-sign NWI, no more veteran free agent $$ deals, which means no Higgins, go young, develop a team. To reiterate, I watch social media... If we sign a Rodgers or run Levis back out again, we're going to lose the fan base. We need a fresh new franchise QB.
Jim: Thanks for chiming in, Jack. QB is the biggest question mark of the offseason, once this GM job is filled.
Jim Williams from Lubbock, Texas
Question: Hi Jim. I for one agree with the decision to part ways with Ran Carthon. The roster has really deteriorated in the two years he has been the GM. Ran let some of the best players on the team walk away in free agency and replaced them with lesser talents. He spent a record amount of guaranteed dollars for free agents and the result was the worst record in the league. He really put the money in the wrong place. The one decision that stands out for me was when he let Chris Hubbard go. Granted, Hubbard wasn't the best right tackle in the league and he signed with the 49ers practice squad, but he would have been fairly cheap to sign and would have been better than anyone the Titans had out there in 2024. Hopefully, Chad Brinker will find a good GM and the Titans can really begin to rebuild a quality team for next year. There's no way to go but up now. Titan up! Thanks, Jim.
Jim: I liked Hubbard myself, Jim. Was surprised the team didn't bring him back. But you're right, there's nowhere to go but up from here.
Anthony Anthamatten from Springfield, Illinois
Question: Jim. As a long time Titans fan, I want to offer my thanks and appreciation to Mike Keith for all the years he called our games. His "Touchdown Titans!" or the way he called the "Music City Miracle" were priceless. Those will be big shoes to fill for the next Voice of the Titans.
On a personal note, my wife and I met Mike at an event. You could not ask for a nicer, friendlier ambassador of our team.
I am sure Amy was as deflated as the fans when she heard this news. Ms. Adams-Strunk was great when she said, "Mike Keith is going into the Titans ring of honor first chance we get." Congratulations Mike Keith. We will miss your voice every Sunday win or lose.
P.S. I would tell Mike I will listen to him call a Vols game, but I am from Memphis.... I'll be listening to the Tigers roar on the west side of this state.
Best wishes Mike Keith
Jim: Mike will be missed. He's a consummate professional, and a great guy.
Jesse Shepherd from Montclair, New Jersey
Question: Hey Jim, what do you think about maybe signing Dan Marino to add some competition to the qb room? He might not have the freshest legs, but his accuracy is unquestionable as long as the o-line can keep a clean pocket. Maybe he can take us to the promised land and get that superbowl win that's eluded him and this team for all these years. I'm worried that's a better idea than drafting Ward or Sanders 1st overall.
Jim: Dan Marino is 63, Jesse…
Rob Haye from Ontario, Canada
Question: Jim, first and foremost, a big shout out to you for putting up with all us disgruntled titans fans and allowing us a forum to vent our views, whether they be good / bad or ugly.
I tried talking to my better half each week, but she just says "FIND ANOTHER TEAM' lol.
So now to the meat and potatoes, what a dysfunctional organization we seem to be quickly becoming, Carthon get's 2 years and he becomes the mercy kill for a disaster of a season ? So now the next guy comes in, and if things don't go any better, he just fires Callahan and says he wasn't my guy. And the wheels on the bus go round and round.
No offence, but these senior Exec's sound every bit like CEO's who give the same speeches, after they don't hit the targets they set out, BLAH BLAH BLAH. they are all in CYA mode.
If this team had a half way decent QB this year, they would have done much better as they had the offensive weapons available, so is Callahan saying, he wasn't my guy, I didn't pick him in the draft, and I just gave him his shot and it didn't work out, to bad so sad ?
This is truly going to be an interesting FA period followed by draft, as there are really NO, got to have QB's in the draft, and lets face it, go back the last 20 years, how many QB's have we gone through and drafted that haven't panned out, so its not like we have a solid franchise who can develop a QB based on our track record.
Please keep your hands and feet inside at all times, as it is truly going to be a wild ride....
Jim: I hear ya, Rob.
Jacob Sain from Fayetteville, Tennessee
Question: Hey Jim. What a week. I know there will be lots of opinions and rants about decisions made, but I'm not interested in trying to figure out if firing Carthon was the right or wrong move. My primary concern is the seeming lack of transparency and consistency from the Titans' top brass, going back to the discord between Vrabel and Jon Robinson.
The local media are buzzing about what the responsibilities and authority of the new GM will be. The latest statement seemed quite similar to what the job description was when Carthon was initially hired. My question is simply who will actually be in charge once the new GM is hired? Burke Nihill thinks it will be Chad Brinker. "Chad will be the final authority on all football matters, including the roster." But the NFL might be under a different impression. Their investigation led them to conclude that the new GM for the Titans will have final roster say. Which is it? And are we actually maintaining the same long-term course we were previously, just without Carthon? Titans fans are in desperate need for some clarity.
Thanks, as always, for what you do.
Jim: I think the front office has been very transparent about this move. Chad Brinker will break ties on the 53-man roster between the head coach and GM, who will build the roster. The person with the "final say" is different all over the NFL – sometimes it's the owner, sometimes it's the GM, sometimes it's the head coach. When a new GM is hired, there will be a press conference and more questions will be answered.
Tyler Ebert from Hanover, Pennsylvania
Question: Happy New Year Jim! Thanks again for all that you do for us Titans fans. This will mostly be an opinion submission: For me, I believe there are 2 routes that we should take to rebuild this team - Draft Sanders at #1, or trade #1 for a haul and load up on talent. Here's my thought process...
Sanders option - He is the most NFL ready QB and fits what Cally wants at the position. To follow up on that, I believe the next pick should be one of the top WR's. Yes we need oline help but, pairing a franchise QB with an elite rookie WR talent could go a long way to turning this thing around (See Burrow and Chase selections in Cincy). In this scenario, I believe the oline would primarily be built in free agency while drafting a couple later round developmental prospects. Additionally, the pick is not Ward given he is very raw and eerily similar to Levis (turnover prone, strong arm, plays "hero ball" too often)..... that's a hard pass for me.
Trade back scenario: We have a ton of needs and Brinker's comments to be a developmental team via the draft, makes this option extremely viable. So, we trade #1 for a later 1st and additional picks (remember, we currently do not have a 3rd). In this scenario, we load up on young talent throughout the roster, potentially draft a late round QB prospect, grab a FA "bridge" QB, and spend some money to shore up the right side of the oline.
I won't comment on the other moves (Ran firing) and just hope/pray that we can finally get some consistency from the top to the bottom. This team gives Wisenhunt vibes right now and it's not good.... Win-lose-draw, I will stand by this team and keep a level of optimism for our future.
Jim: Appreciate it, Tyler.
Jeremy Rodriguez from Winchester, California
Question: Well Jim, I definitely didn't think AAS would shut the door on Ran this early. I am not sure what she is looking for. He has drafted fairly well, brought in good veteran players and supported this team as well as one could. He was behind the 8 ball because of AAS and JRob. Then she vetoed the Henry trade which would have given the Titans draft capital. Instead, we walks into Baltimore with no competition. I am not sure what to say about this one. Guess we will see who is next up. Let's try to TITAN UP this organization.
Jim: Hopefully we'll have a new GM soon, Jeremy.
Howard Turner from Atlanta, Georgia
Question: Happy New Year to the Visor! May this year make all your previous ones jealous!!
I have been unable to comment this season as I waited with bated breath for a turning point in our season #ItNeverCame
I prefer more positive ramblings, alas this is not that #NowIMustVent
Our beloved franchise is a mockery due to a combination of play on the field and to the recent front office moves. Why are we making rash misguided changes year after year? First JRob axed, Ran hired, Vrabel axed, Cally hired, now Ran axed and the trend leads to Cally in a hot seat year and on the proverbial chopping block very soon. With a new stadium looming, we have no identity. No standard can be established; no tangible expectations from the fanbase. What can we expect moving forward? I feel Miss Amy by firing Ran is trying to convey that she wants to win, instead it makes the franchise look even more chaotic and discombobulated #Clueless #NoDirection
Yes, QB was an issue all season. Yes, Ran drafted Levis and brought in Rudolph. Yes, the struggles lead me to question the "Qb Whisperer" we hired to shape the signal callers on the roster. I can't figure why not keep both HC and GM and give them a clean shot at a non Levis year? Whether we decide to draft a QB early, late or bring in a veteran and it flops, it will tell us everything we need to know. A full pivot from both guys makes more sense then. This win-loss record does not belong to the GM alone, but he is the fall guy. It was clear all season that our offense and special teams execution were the reason for our embarrassing output. Malik is traded and is immediately brought up to speed by LaFleur to spank us. Is that on the GM for dealing him away or the HC for not maximizing his potential? We never saw that Malik in Nashville! #HowSway?!
Our problem wasn't a talent issue. Ran Carthon brought solid FA talent to the team (including a thousand yard rusher and receiver) as well as a very solid draft class this year filled with long term foundational contributors. I am confident he was capable of repeating if not improving on that haul with the 1st overall pick this year. The talent was in the building, but the team never showed up. I'm not implying by any means that all his moves were acceptable, but starting all over seems like a drastic overreaction destroying any potential cohesion that could have come from a prove it or lose it year. How do we expect to build and grow anything glorious if we don't step back and give it a little space to sprout? You gotta build the foundation first and let the roots grow down before anything can grow up. Our brain trust isn't proven to be patient enough and I'm unsure as to how patient the fanbase will be year after year. Will players want to waste good years coming to our quagmire? Hopefully we hire a replacement who becomes a steady hand to stabilize the franchise and set a standard much like Ozzie Newsome or Howie Roseman have done over many years making Nashville a desirable place to play and fan. This concludes my vent. #ADesperatelyHopefulFan
Beggin the front office to #TitanUp #Pleeeeaase!
Jim: Been a while since I got one of these, Howard.
Robert Andrews from Levittown, Pennsylvania
Question: Hey Jim, so after reading multiple articles and every speculation from different sources on whom the next GM could be. I feel like it should boil down to two people either the Eagles assistant GM or the Chiefs assistant GM. Both climbed up the ladder on winning teams. Now will they accept the job or be willing to work for the titans is another thing. But something has to be done in the front office because reading an article about the titans rather draft play makers then sign them I felt was far fetched because I feel you need to do both in the NFL as you can see from winning teams. We are years away from being competitive and I think that will be a big factor in who our next GM is. I stand by my titans 10000% but if we don't hire someone good in the offices our team will always be the same. We need someone who can do our front office like Howie does for the eagles. We traded AJ brown away for next to nothing. We didn't even try to make a competitive offer to Henry and traded dhop for next to nothing. Now I get all aspects of do they wanna stay or aging but no one wants to stay when we don't have a quarterback or even a offensive line to protect our quarterback. Now I'm hoping for a miracle this off-season and I'll always have faith that no matter what we're going to be contenders until proven wrong. But I just hope for the best off-season we can have and I'm excited for what the off season had because I don't think it can get much worse then the past 2 years. Sorry for ranting just hope they are smart with some of our players and restructuring contracts and the picks in the draft and all the new additions to come.
Jim: Thanks for chiming in, Robert. In-person interviews with GM candidates start today.
Mike Good from Madison, Alabama
Question: Jim, Not a question, just a comment. I've been a season ticket holder since the 2011 season. As a man looking outside not from within, the owner certainly has the right to make decisions in what they believe are in the best interest of the Titans organization. But I consider letting Ran go an over-reaction! Ran Carthon needed more time to clean-up what Jon Robinson left him with. For example, the struggles the O-Line has experienced the last few seasons is something left over from JR. It was never going to be fixed over-night. Afterall, sometimes you need to let player contracts run their course before the opportunity to upgrade presents itself. Going back and looking at the Free Agent market and our Draft position coming into the 2024 season, I think Ran did everything he could to turn the 2023 roster over from that 6-11 season. In closing, I'd like to wish Ran good luck in his next endeavor. The man knows what he is doing.
Jim: Thanks for taking the time, Mike. Ran's a good man, there's no doubt about that.
Patrick McManus from Charlotte, North Carolina
Question: Been a long time reader and a big fan of yours. Because of this, I would like to formally apply for the Titans GM position through your weekly mailbag. From what it sounds like, it will be more of an assistant GM role, with Chad Brinker overseeing my decisions. I am ok with this, at least for the first year while I get my feet wet. I would love to tell you how I will fix the team in one year, but I don't want to post it on here, so Brinker can't just use my great ideas. I won't ask for much, but I will need a relocation allowance to Nashville from Charlotte, and I would also like to be included on your secret Tommy Bahama sponsorship.
I am available at the Titans earliest convivence for an interview.
Look forward to answering your questions at my introductory press conference.
Jim: Good one, Patrick.
Have a great week everyone!
