Here’s what I believe to be a fair reading of the Titans over the past six-or-so months: They replaced one general manager with another, who may be a little more willing to side with Mike Vrabel on the coach’s vision for personnel and the state of the team.
And so, after the draft, we acted like there may be nothing to see here—a long-term rebuilding plan unfolding when the team selected quarterback Will Levis in the second round, which would seem to have jibed with the organization’s overall ethos at the end of the Jon Robinson regime as well (which, you’ll remember, involved the trading of A.J. Brown for a younger, cheaper replacement and an eye toward the future).
But the real Titans arrived Sunday night, breaking up a summer weekend by nabbing DeAndre Hopkins, a 31-year-old wide receiver. Whether or not this actually pays dividends remains to be seen. Some receivers such as Hopkins age gracefully and some, as the Titans know full well after trading a second-round pick for Julio Jones, have a quieter twilight. That we have no way of knowing.
