The Tennessee Titans have once again become one of the more interesting teams in the NFL. The AFC South franchise reached the AFC Championship Game last season before managing to retain both quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry this offseason. With this tandem signing long-term deals with the franchise, Titans general manager Jon Robinson has kept things quite interesting in Tennessee since his arrival back in 2016. Robinson has remained quite active on a variety of different levels pretty much since his first day on the job in Nashville while signing free agents, making trades and maneuvering his way through several NFL Drafts with tact and poise.
Coming as absolutely no surprise, Robinson has already executed the five best trades in Titans history as it stands today with more than a few of such moves coming in his first go-round with the organization. Remaining one of the more active front office executives in the entire league over the course of the last handful of seasons, Robinson has typically hit the nail right on the head in regards to the moves that he has made for the Titans.
1. 2016 No. 1 Overall Pick / Future NFL Draft Picks (Los Angeles Rams)
After the 2015-16 campaign, the Tennessee Titans owned the worst record in the entire NFL, which “earned” the AFC South franchise the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. However, the Titans didn't need a quarterback at the time, thanks to the presence of current Las Vegas Raiders signal caller Marcus Mariota, so Tennessee never actually made such a selection. Instead, general manager Jon Robinson traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams, who selected former Cal quarterback Jared Goff to kick off the 2016 NFL Draft. In all, the teams swapped a slew of future NFL Draft picks as a result of the deal with the Titans ultimately securing running back Derrick Henry, wide receiver Corey Davis, tight end Jonnu Smith and offensive tackle Jack Conklin with some of those picks that came over from Los Angeles.
2. QB Ryan Tannehill / Future NFL Draft Picks (Miami Dolphins)
With the Tennessee Titans not entirely sold on the oft-injured Marcus Mariota heading into last season as he was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, general manager Jon Robinson was it again en route to acquiring fellow quarterback Ryan Tannehill from the Miami Dolphins. With the Titans only parting ways with a 2019 seventh-round pick and a 2020 fourth-round pick, the former Dolphins starter in Tannehill ultimately became Tennessee's go-to guy under center with the AFC South franchise going all the way to the AFC Championship Game under his direction. Tannehill then inked a four-year free agent contract this offseason, which saw Tennessee agree pay him just shy of $120 million. Of course, such a pact also cements Tannehill as the team's bonafide starter under center for the foreseeable future.
3. RB DeMarco Murray / Future NFL Draft Picks (Philadelphia Eagles)
Although it eventually became the “Derrick Henry Show” in Nashville, the Tennessee Titans initially got things moving in the right direction by acquiring veteran running back DeMarco Murray from the Philadelphia Eagles before Henry's rookie season in the NFL back in 2016-17. With the two franchise's also exchanging fourth-round picks as a result of the deal surrounding Murray, this move from Titans general manager Jon Robinson would soon become the catalyst for the franchise's significant turn-around in the years to come. With the team showing that it was ready to contend not only in the AFC South but in the AFC as a whole as well, the Titans continued to go all-in after acquiring Murray while the longtime Dallas Cowboys rusher also served as a veteran presence in the locker room for Tennessee — something that became invaluable for an up-and-coming team on the rise. Even though this move is often forgotten as Murray retired shortly after arriving in Tennessee, this trade's long-term value can not be underestimated for those that follow the Titans.
4. OL Dennis Kelly / WR Dorial Green-Beckham (Philadelphia Eagles)
Just re-signing with the team this offseason, former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Dennis Kelly has become quite the valuable asset for general manager Jon Robinson. With the teams previously swapping Kelly and troubled wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, the Eagles didn't seem to know what they had at the time of Kelly's arrival in Tennessee. Since his first go-round with the Titans back in 2016-17, Kelly has served as primary backup along the offensive front while being plugged into several different positions over the years. With several Titans starting offensive lineman being forced to the sideline at various times over the course of the last several seasons, Kelly has become one of the team's most important pieces as Tennesse obviously relies heavily on its rushing attack led by Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry.
5. LB Rashaan Evans / Future NFL Draft Picks (Baltimore Ravens)
The Tennessee Titans originally selected starting middle linebacker Rashaan Evans with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the Titans were forced to trade up a few spots before successfully selecting the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout at No. 22 overall. Initially securing the No. 25 overall pick, the Titans traded up by way of sending a few picks to the Baltimore Ravens, who moved back to No. 25. While the selection of Evans was a solid pick at the time, the former collegiate standout has evolved into one of the best middle linebackers in the league today as the Titans standout has become a staple of the team's defense, a unit that has received some pretty high praise over the course of the last few seasons. A well-rounded player that can do a little bit of everything, Evans made more than a few key plays for the Titans last season while his presence in the middle of defensive was one of the main reasons for Tennessee's success in 2019-20. Titans general manager Jon Robinson loves him some NFL Draft capital and has been known to go after the players that he covets with Evans quickly becoming one of the better picks for Tennessee in recent memory.
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