When the Titans were on the clock with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the consensus in their draft room was that wide receiver Carnell Tate was the player to pick.
Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler said today that the team’s decision-makers were all on board with the kind of contribution they thought they could expect from Tate.
“At the end of the day with Carnell,” Ziegler said, “we just had a very good, consensus vision on what he is going to do, where he is going to play, how he is going to fit in and what he is going to bring to this team. We feel we are really getting a complete three-down player. . . . He was a clear guy for us to take and we are really excited about it.”
Tate is a big-play receiver who averaged 17.2 yards per catch and scored nine touchdowns last season at Ohio State. The Titans hope he and Cam Ward are making big plays together for years to come.
The Titans’ offensive line is not a finished product, even with the draft and free agency in the rear-view mirror.
Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler said today that the offensive line is still an area of the team where the Titans think they can add players with the potential to play.
“There’s a level of competition that’s still going to be taking place there,” Ziegler said. “Whether it’s offensive line or other positions, we’ll continue to look to improve. Free agency is over and the draft is over, but there’s still an element of different areas of the team we will continue to add competition to. Offensive line will be one of those positions, along with some others. We’re going to give those guys an opportunity, they have the opportunity this spring, to prove themselves and earn the trust of the offensive staff, and have an opportunity to secure a role, but we’re also going to bring competition in, and if we can improve a position we’ll improve it.”
The Titans additions to the offensive line this offseason included center Austin Schlottman, guard Cordell Volson and tackle Austin Deculus in free agency, and guard Fernando Carmona and center Pat Coogan in the draft. More could be coming.
“We’re excited about the group that we have,” Ziegler said. “But understand that we’re going to look to bring competition in.”
ESPN won’t comment on whether it will be reviewing the reporting of former ESPN (and The Athletic) reporter Dianna Russini, given the photos published last week of Russini with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel in March 2020. That won’t stop others from reviewing her reporting as to matters relating to Vrabel’s team at the time.
As it relates to the 2021 trade that sent receiver Julio Jones from the Falcons to the Titans, it’s fair to wonder whether the reporting was calculated to help Tennessee secure the player under the most favorable terms.
Tony Farmer, who has been extensively covering the situation on Twitter, has found another report that objectively merits scrutiny.
As Farmer notes, Russini reported — only four days after the March 2020 photos reportedly were taken — that the Titans were “not interested” in quarterback Tom Brady, and that they were instead focused on extending the contract of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who had been named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2019.
While this item lacks the potential strategic benefits to the Titans of the Julio Jones reporting, it’s another bread crumb on a trail that people are now examining. And it’s fair to question whether the Titans were simply putting a positive P.R. spin on the possibility that the Brady had said “no thanks” to the Titans before the Titans created the impression that they were saying “no thanks” to Brady.
Although the 2020 negotiating window had not yet opened, rampant Brady tampering was happening. Teams were talking to him (and about him) before the official window for talking to him (or about him) had opened. It’s not unreasonable to think that, by March 15, he had crossed Tennessee off the list.
For now, it’s another piece of a puzzle that spans at least six years. And it underscores the reality that the NFL insider game isn’t about gumshoe reporting. It’s about leveraging the right relationships in order to be in position to be handed key pieces information, sometimes in ways that potentially benefit the source.
This latest nugget also helps explain ESPN’s relative silence regarding the entire story. ESPN largely ignored it until it had no choice but to cover it. While some have suggested it’s a result of the NFL’s recent acquisition of a 10-percent stake in ESPN, it’s possible ESPN doesn’t want to face the question of what it knew, and when it knew it.
The Titans picked up a pair of players on Thursday night, selecting receiver Carnell Tate out of Ohio State at No. 4 overall before trading back into the first round to select defensive end Kendrick Faulk out of Auburn at No. 31.
After making the picks, General Manager Mike Borgonzi shared his excitement about the two players.
“Carnell Tate, we thought he was the best receiver in the draft,” Borgonzi said, via the team’s website. “And then coming back up and getting Keldric Faulk, who really fits this defense. I mean, long, can play outside, inside. Looking back to some of [Robert] Saleh’s defenses, too, it reminded me a little bit of [Arik] Armstead when he had him there in San Francisco. So, really excited about adding these two guys here tonight. Great character guys, too.”
When it comes to Tate in particular, the Titans are excited about the statue of the 6-foot-2, 192-pound wideout.
“Well, he’s a bigger, vertical guy. The route running, very efficient, his route running,” Borgonzi said. “I thought he had exceptional ball skills to be able to track the footballs, catch radius downfield. I think he’s going to be a great fit in this offense. And you know, he’s 20 years old last year playing at Ohio State. He’s a young kid.
“But Tate has the ability to play big downfield. That’s the one thing, all these contested catches downfield, his ability to go up and catch the football, contort his body in certain ways. I think it’s going to be great for Cam [Ward].”
The Titans went offense at No. 4 in round one. That had to be a hard thing for coach Robert Saleh to do.
He ultimately got a defensive player by trading back into the first round.
The Patriots had traded No. 31 to the Bills, who traded No. 31 to the Titans. Who took Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk.
He’s a guy who could get plenty of one-on-one opportunities, given that defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons continues to be a dominant player.
To get pick No. 31, the Titans gave up pick No. 35, No. 66, and No. 101. They got back pick No. 69 and No. 165.
