The Tennessee Titans' search for a new General Manager is officially underway. The team is conducting their first interviews for the position today with some of the top candidates inside the organization.

Vice President of Player Personnel and Interim GM Ryan Cowden and Director of Player Personnel Monti Ossenfort are both expected to receive interviews with Titans ownership today.

The #Titans will interview their top in-house candidates VP of Player Personnel and interim GM Ryan Cowden and Director of Player Personnel Monti Ossenfort today for their vacant GM job, sources say. Both have been prime candidates in other buildings, now get a shot in their own.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2023

Cowden and Ossenfort have both been heavily sought after for jobs around the league in recent years.

Back in 2018, Cowden interviewed to be the GM of the Carolina Panthers. He did not get the job, but did receive a promotion with the Titans that boosted him to VP of Player Personnel. Cowden would then receive interviews from the Washington Football Team and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, and most recently the New York Giants last offseason.

Ossenfort as a similar story. He has been the Director of Player Personnel for just three seasons, and already interviewed for four General Manager positions. Last offseason, Ossenfort interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Chicago Bears. He was a finalist for the Bears' job before they hired Ryan Poles from Kansas City.

It has also been reported that the Arizona Cardinals have requested permission to interview Ossenfort for their current job vacancy this offseason.

After meeting with internals Adrian Wilson & Quentin Harris, Cardinals are reaching out to the following (so far):

Ian Cunningham, Bears assistant GM
Ran Carthon, 49ers Director of Pro Personnel
Adam Peters, 49ers assistant GM
Monti Ossenfort, Titans Director of Player Personnel

— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) January 9, 2023

After all that opportunity, the job is finally open in Tennessee and the two executives will have a chance to reach the top of the ladder.

While both Cowden and Ossenfort are highly qualified for the job and have familiarity with the staff around them, it may be in Tennessee's best interest to reach outside the organization to find their replacement for Jon Robinson.

The Titans need change, not just tweaks to their roster or staff. Tennessee needs to make serious changes to their roster construction and organizational philosophy. The best way to do that is by bringing in a bright mind from a successfully run organization around the league and have them implement this new way of thinking to the current roster and coach.

Mike Vrabel is all about collaboration, and ever since the firing, there has been an overwhelming sense that he and Jon Robinson did not see eye-to-eye on a couple major decision that were made over the final years of Robinson's tenure. It's possible they had some philosophical differences.

What would that mean for Vrabel's collaboration with one of Robinson's right-hand guys?

The Titans need to spread their wings and look to the NFL teams that have sustained success over the last 5-10 years. Those are the teams you want to hire your coaches and executives from. Bring in someone without any personal connection to this roster and give them the keys to work jointly with Vrabel at building a new identity of Titans football and get back to Super Bowl contention.

Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com-USA TODAY NETWORK