After months of negotiations, speculation, and rumors, the Tennessee Titans came through in a big way this week, signing star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to a four-year contract extension worth $94 million with $66 million guaranteed.

Titans GM Ran Carthon said that extending Simmons would be one of his top priorities when he was hired by Tennessee in January, and Carthon walked the walk during this process.

After hearing from Simmons and his agent Paul DeRousselle in the days since the signing, one thing has been made clear. Ran Carthon handled himself like true pro in his first big deal as Titans' GM.

The way Carthon managed negotiations with Simmons is a polar opposite of what Titans fans saw play out between Jon Robinson and A.J. Brown last offseason. 

Carthon opened a line of communication shortly after being hired, maintained that communicative relationship throughout the entire process, established a strong relationship with the player, made respectful initial offers, and showed a willingness to negotiate.

Simmons' agent, Paul DeRousselle, appeared on 104.5 The Zone on Monday to discuss the details of how the new deal went down. Here's what he had to say about his relationship with Carthon and how it was working with him:

"Within two days of Ran getting hired, he hit me up and sent me a text," DeRousselle told Blaine and Mickey earlier this week. "Ran made it very apparent from the beginning that Jeff was a priority. They sent the first offer to us at the Pro Bowl, and it wasn't a little boy offer. There hadn't been a time between the date of the first offer until when the deal ultimately got done that Ran and I probably didn't go two days without talking in some way, shape, or form. We were in constant contact throughout the entire two month process of getting the deal done. Ran was great to work with."

DeRousselle added that both sides probably felt like they could have done a bit better, but ultimately, that was the sign of a fair negotiation. "That's a sign of a good deal when both sides give a little and, you know, hopefully in a couple of years we'll do it again," DeRousselle said.

Simmons' extension truly feels like a win for both parties. Jeff gets his bag and the Titans lock up their elite defensive tackle for the foreseeable future. The plan was always for Simmons to stay in Tennessee, and after saying it would be a priority this offseason, the franchise put up the money to back their claim.

During his press conference for Titans media on Wednesday, Simmons said that he was a little unsure of what things would look like after the Titans fired Jon Robinson in December. Without a GM in place, it was hard to plan for his future, but Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk assured Simmons that the Titans would "take care of him," and from the moment he met Ran Carthon, he had no doubts about his future.

"I didn't really know at the beginning because we didn't have a GM in place, but when I first met Ran, you know, our first conversation was it. I sat down and talked with him, and some of the stuff he told me it was like, I would be here in Tennessee. And I will say Ran kept his word. He's a man of his word," said Simmons.

This is exactly what you want to hear about your new General Manager if you're a Tennessee Titans fan. Jon Robinson was low-balling A.J. Brown, had no communication with the player or his agent, and made Brown feel betrayed by the organization. Ran Carthon is building strong relationships with good-faith negotiating, open communication, and developing a reputation as a "man of his word."

That kind of thing could go a long way in the future as word begins to spread to players about how Carthon and the Titans conducted their business this offseason. 

The entire process of coming to a deal was handled perfectly by Carthon, Chad Brinker, Amy Adams Strunk, and all other parties involved. DeRousselle got his client a great deal, and Simmons gets to stay in the city he loves long-term.