The Tennessee Titans held their team together at last season’s NFL trade deadline. Despite Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry trade rumors, the team kept its roster intact to try and compete last season and in 2023. Well, last season, Mike Vrabel’s squad went 2-8 after the deadline and missed the playoffs. This year, the Titans have started 2-4 and are currently in last place in the AFC South. It is officially time for Tennessee to make some moves, so here are two early Titans trade candidates before the 2023 NFL deadline on October 31.

Before we jump into the names — and you can probably guess what those names are — we need to set the stage and explain why the Titans need to be sellers at the 2023 NFL trade deadline.

The record speaks for itself, and with the Jacksonville Jaguars starting to pull away in the division, the playoffs are nearly out of the question six weeks into the season. Additionally, the Titans were an above-average (not very good or great) NFL team with Tannehill, Henry, AJ Brown, and the stellar offensive line in their primes.

Now, Brown, Taylor Lewan, and Ben Jones are gone. And at 35 and 29, respectively, Tannehill and Henry are no longer at the peak of their powers.

That said, the Titans’ quarterback and running back still have value on the trade market, which is why it is time to thank them for the memories, make a deal, and start truly rebuilding.

QB Ryan Tannehill

Week 6 was not an ideal time for QB Ryan Tannehill to pick up a high ankle sprain in terms of his trade value. The veteran signal-caller wasn’t bringing back a first or even a second-round pick to begin with, but if his injury heals quickly, he could get a Day 2 selection for the team.

Here’s the thing. We all know who and what Tannehill is. He’s an excellent game manager if he has the personnel around him to succeed. He had that in 2019-21, but it’s no longer the case. The QB can still help a talented roster, it’s just that the Titans' roster isn’t ready for primetime right now.

A Ryan Tannehill trade is only going to happen in a perfect storm, and that storm may not have happened yet. The New York Jets seem to be fine with Zach Wilson moving forward and the rest of the teams with QB issues (Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, New York Giants) are either content with their backups for one reason or another or they are fine tanking and grabbing a new passer in the draft.

It would likely take an unexpected situation with a contender to make this deal happen. Maybe Deshaun Watson’s injury continues to get worse or Geno Smith continues to struggle for the Seattle Seahawks. Outside of that, it will take a major injury to a top contender to move Tannehill.

But if anyone is interested, it’s time to take the deal. The Titans are in the unique situation of having two young quarterback prospects in Malik Willis and Will Levis. It’s time to let these two try their luck under center and look toward the future. They’ll get that opportunity while Tannehill is out, but the team should still look to get something back for their starting QB if they can.

RB Derrick Henry

While Tannehill’s best days are absolutely behind him, there is still some serious gas in the tank for Derrick Henry ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

The All-Pro back has 425 yards on 98 carries this season, which works out to 4.3 yards per carry. That number is right around where he’s been the past two seasons and ranks 18th in the league, 15th among qualified running backs, and 13th among backs with 50 or more attempts.

If you consider how those numbers could improve with a better overall offense and offensive line, a team that trades for Henry could easily be getting a top-10 back for the remainder of the season.

Plus, like the Titans need to give more reps to their young QBs, it seems like they really found something in Tyjae Spears, and he could use more action as well.

The only real question now is, are there teams that would be willing to give up a second-round pick and maybe even a young player in a Derrick Henry trade?

If the answer is yes, the Titans need to pull the trigger. And with the 2023 NFL trade deadline looming, there are several teams that might give Tennessee what it wants. If the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, or Philadelphia Eagles legitimately make a run at Henry, he should be in a new uniform come November 1.