We’ve seen plenty of speculation and rumors involving the Tennessee Titans over the course of the 2023 offseason, and a radio host in California recently added to the list.
After San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch and CEO Jed York all at least hinted that Brock Purdy is the leader in the clubhouse for the starting job over Trey Lance, Larry Krueger of 95.7 The Game speculated on a trade between San Fran and Tennessee.
He has the Titans dealing Malik Willis to the Niners for Trey Lance, with the two teams also swapping picks.
Based on what I’ve heard from Shanahan, Lynch, and York, I expect Trey Lance will be traded during the #NFLDraft2023. My guess is he’ll be dealt to the Titans for Malik Willis and a pick swap that gives the 49ers a day 1-2 pick as well. With that pick they’ll fill a major roster…
— Larry Krueger (@sportslarryk) March 31, 2023
Speculation about the Titans possibly trading for Lance has been a thing since former Niners exec Ran Carthon took over Tennessee’s general manager job. There hasn’t been any reports the Titans are interested, though.
As far as the actual idea is concerned, it’s not a bad one, but the Titans’ willingness to do it will depend on how they feel about both quarterbacks, and what the swap of picks would involve.
While Lance was a No. 3 overall pick and Willis a third-rounder, you could argue that the futures of both players are almost equally murky. If the Titans feel that way, this trade wouldn’t make much sense.
Willis had a very rocky rookie campaign, but that was to be expected for the Liberty product, who was never supposed to see the field in Year 1 but did because of injury. He was also playing on one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
It remains unclear what the Titans really think of Willis and if he’s still in their future plans. And, no, I don’t think the insertion of Josh Dobbs over Willis at the end of last year signified that they gave up on him, as Dobbs simply gave the Titans the best chance to win at that very moment.
Lance is an intriguing player who could be the long-term solution the Titans need, but the jury is still very much out on him after making two lackluster starts in 2022 before suffering a serious, season-ending injury.
During Lance’s lost season, Purdy came out of nowhere, played well, and helped take the Niners to the NFC Championship Game, making him the favorite to start in 2023.
However, shoulder surgery has put his status for the start of the upcoming season in doubt.
Carthon knows more about Lance than most and it’s possible he sees enough there to make a trade like this, especially with him not being married to Willis, who was drafted by Jon Robinson.
Having Willis in Lance’s place would give the Niners another potential option at quarterback, along with Sam Darnold, in case things don’t work out with Purdy for whatever reason.
I tend to believe the Niners will hang on to Lance until it’s clear Purdy will be ready for the start of the season, but never say never.
