Jon

Robinson

Robinson will work hand-in-hand with general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan as the Dolphins careen towards a self inflicted rebuild, with the former likely playing a massive role in the direction of the franchise in the coming NFL Draft. The first order of business for the incoming front office will be finding their next quarterback after it was made evident that Tua Tagovailoa will no longer be the face of franchise moving forward.

Robinson spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons away from football following a bumpy end to his 2016-2022 stint as the Titans general manager. Robinson infamously jettisoned star WR A.J. Brown in the 2022 offseason, but ill-fated early-round draft picks and questionable veteran WR acquisitions also loom large in his rearview. Perhaps Robinson has refined his processes during his time away from the game.

Per Schefter, there will be other candidates as well. Robinson will be in New York this coming week with Riddick on deck for the following week. Robinson spent seven years as the Titans’ GM, going 66-48 with four playoff appearances. He only had one losing season in Tennessee but fizzled out at the end of his tenure with two one-and-done postseason berths followed by a 7-10 campaign. Riddick worked his way up the ranks in Washington and Philadelphia, achieving the title of Director of Pro Personnel in both organizations. He currently works as an analyst for ESPN but has been eying a return to football for a while.

Vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden will lead the team’s player personnel for the remainder of the season. The Titans earned playoff berths in four of the past five seasons with Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel building a roster designed to play old-school, conservative, tough-nosed football. Last year the Titans entered the NFL postseason as the AFC’s No. 1 seed. They were dispatched by the Bengals in the Divisional Round. Robinson’s dismissal comes days after the Titans were dominated by their former No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown, who was traded to the Eagles this offseason. Robinson presided over the Titans’ disastrous first-round selection of Isaiah Wilson, who is no longer on the team. He also traded for Julio Jones -- an ill-fated move from the start. Signing an aged Robert Woods, coming off a catastrophic knee injury, was among Robinson’s questionable moves in recent years. Whoever gets the Titans’ GM job in 2023 will have the unenviable task of preparing for the offense’s post-Derrick Henry future.

“I am proud to say that Jon and Mike [Vrabel] will be leading our football team for years to come,” said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk following the organization’s extensions with both. The Titans have posted winning seasons in each of the six years since Robinson’s arrival in 2016, becoming one of only two teams – the Chiefs being the other – which have produced a winning record in each of the past six seasons.

It’s a reward for the ex-Bucs and Patriots executive’s excellent first year on the job. It’s also a reminder of the Titans’ mysterious power structure at the top. There’s been a vacuum since longtime owner Bud Adams’ death in 2013.

He said the exactly same thing last offseason, and he meant it. Tennessee was extremely active both before and during the 2016 draft, landing DeMarco Murray, getting a king’s ransom for the No. 1 pick, and moving back up to land standout rookie RT Jack Conklin. Picking from the five spot this year, which he acquired via trade, Robinson does not have as much leverage, but he has proven willing to wheel and deal early in his tenure.

Appearing on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville on Monday, Titans GM Jon Robinson revealed he never offered the No. 18 pick for Cooks, the second of two first-rounders the Titans own. The No. 5 selection is via the Rams. If Tennessee truly offered a swap of first-rounders that high in the draft in addition to a three, it’s surprising New Orleans didn’t bite at that proposal over the Patriots’ No. 32 pick and a third it ultimately accepted in exchange for Cooks last Friday. This would indicate the Titans remain in the market for a playmaking outside receiver.

Most teams in the top-10 apparently want to move back, but you have to find a trade partner. Titans GM Jon Robinson might have one, and he sits in a good spot just ahead of the Jets at No. 6. Teams may be looking to jump ahead of New York possibly for a quarterback, and No. 5 could be a landing spot for the Browns looking to come up from 12th overall. Tennessee doesn’t currently own a second-round pick, and word is they want one or more of them for Friday.

Sitting just ahead of the Jets, the Titans could be in a prime spot if the Browns decide to pass on UNC QB Mitchell Trubisky at No. 1 overall. Any team which covets Trubisky will want to jump New York to ensure they land him, and that gives Tennessee more leverage than some of the other teams looking to move down. The Titans are likely looking to recoup the second-round pick they traded away last year.