Titans say losses didn't cause Kevin Byard trade. Mike Vrabel, Derrick Henry explain why.
Amani Hooker summed up the Tennessee Titans' feelings following Monday's move to trade All Pro safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles about as succinctly and accurately as he could've.
"Obviously it sucks losing a guy like that," Hooker said Tuesday.
There really isn't another way to put it from the players' perspective. Byard was as respected as anyone could be in the Titans' locker room. The way he approached football helped define how the Titans do things. And now, with the Titans sitting in last place in the AFC South at 2-4, the likelihood other veterans will be traded are inescapable.
Even Hooker, Byard's running mate at safety for the last half-decade, acknowledges that possibility.
"I’m sure there’s concerns. No one’s feeling good right now," Hooker said. "But talking with guys today, guys are ready to get to work. Guys are prepared to go out here and get a win versus Atlanta. No matter what happens, we’re going to come to work and show up."
The Titans host the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS). It'll be their first game without Byard since 2015, and their first of 11 in a row to end the 2023 campaign on a high note after a sour start. Titans coach Mike Vrabel said he doesn't believe the Titans' dismal start had any bearing on the decision to trade Byard, nor does he think a loss against the Falcons would inform the team's choices about whether to make more trades before the deadline on Oct. 31.
The move, Vrabel says, was an attempt to do what's best for the Titans' roster "now and in the long run." But Vrabel also admitted the Titans can't have it both ways. Even if the goal of the trade was to help the team as much in the present as it will in the future, it's tough to foresee that happening, and Vrabel admits it.
"We’re not going to sit there and think that we’re going to replace Kevin Byard today when we go down there and that’s nobody’s intention," Vrabel said. "We made a decision that we understand will be clearly second-guessed. These things aren’t easy. We’re trying to look at what draft capital we have and try to come up with a solution for it."
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Are more trades coming?
Vrabel didn't answer directly when asked if the Byard trade signals the Titans are "open for business" ahead of the deadline. Instead, he said he and general manager Ran Carthon will "always look at opportunities to strengthen the roster," be that with players or draft capital.
The Titans have no shortage of veterans who could be difference-makers for contenders if they choose to be sellers at the deadline. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, defensive lineman Denico Autry, cornerback Kristian Fulton, defensive tackle Teair Tart, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, center Aaron Brewer and seven other players who've started at least one game this year are in the final years of their contracts.
But no player figures to be involved in more trade rumors than running back Derrick Henry. Also in the final year of his contract and just a few months shy of his 30th birthday, Henry's bruising style and track record in the postseason could be alluring to any number of teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
As for Henry, he doesn't think about those types of things.
"Until I’m told different I’m focused on winning and beating the Falcons," Henry said. "I’m here at work ready to go practice and focus on beating the Falcons."
Henry doesn't look at the Byard trade as the front office giving up on the season. He doesn't think his teammates will either. Hooker said he still believes the Titans can win the Super Bowl this year. He points out how the Titans started 2-4 in 2019 and still advanced to the AFC Championship game.
That team, of course, had Byard playing at the top of his game. There also was A.J. Brown, Jurrell Casey, Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones, Jack Conklin and a whole host of other contributors who would start on this year's team in their 2019 form.
This year's Titans have talent, too. But Byard was one of the brightest.
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"I think he’s one of the greatest Titans to play," Henry said of Byard. "I think his play and what he’s done in the community and how he treats everybody in the building and around here, I think it speaks for itself. He’ll definitely be remembered around here and the impact he had on everybody around here, I think he’s been great."
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nickusss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans say losses didn't cause Kevin Byard trade. Here's their reasons
