The NFL trade deadline is just under two weeks away, and the Tennessee Titans are 1-6 after losing a game to the Cleveland Browns they absolutely should have won. One more game remains before the deadline, on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, and then comes the bye week.

That puts Tennessee right back in a familiar spot: deciding how much it wants to sell.

This would be the fourth straight season as a deadline seller if the trigger is pulled to make any moves. Former GM Ran Carthon sent Kevin Byard out in 2023. In 2024, DeAndre Hopkins went to the Kansas City Chiefs. Then in 2025, the Titans moved cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. before the deadline (shipping a potential bad apple to the Big Apple). At the deadline itself, they traded Roger McCreary and edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones. Jones was tied for third on the team with 4.5 sacks despite playing only nine games, because the Ravens took him.

So is this a one-player sale like 2023 and 2024, or a fire sale like a year ago?

What the A to Z Sports trade simulator says about the Titans

The A to Z Sports NFL trade simulator is a lot of fun to play around with, and it gives every player a trade value. That number factors in position value, performance grade, contract control, contract surplus, age, and track record.

Jeffery Simmons tops the Titans’ list at just under 2,300 points. For context, Tennessee’s draft pick, currently projected 2nd overall, is worth 2,627 points. Straight up, Simmons is worth the 4th pick in the draft on the simulator.

Next come Carnell Tate (just under 1,400), Keldric Faulk (679), JC Latham (558), and Anthony Hill Jr. (423). None of them are going anywhere. Three are rookies, and Latham is becoming a linchpin at right tackle.

It’s also tough to move free agents signed to anything longer than one or two years. Jones was easy to deal last year because he was on a one-year contract. Baltimore got an expiring deal, and the Titans had nothing long-term invested.

The realistic sellable pieces

Tony Adams is a name to watch. He’s the third safety behind Amani Hooker and Kevin Winston Jr., he has history with Robert Saleh from their time with the Jets, and he’s a cheap, four-year veteran on a one-year deal. But the return is small. The simulator pegs him around a 2027 fifth-round pick, or maybe a 2028 fourth.

Jacob Martin fits the profile of what contenders want for a playoff push: a serviceable 30-year-old edge rusher with veteran depth value. He has one more year left after this one, and he’d probably fetch a sixth-round pick.

Cedric Gray is the most intriguing option to me. He has landed in this coaching staff’s doghouse over a ‘lack of communication’ ability from his linebacker spot. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley recently discussed significant growth, however, he could still work his way out of it, but I’m not sure he’s in their plans. Gray owns the sixth-highest trade value on the roster, which translates to a late third- or early fourth-round pick. That’s exactly where Tennessee drafted him, 101st overall out of North Carolina in 2024. If somebody offers a pick within 10 slots of that, the Titans should listen. Hill is worth the investment, and Cody Barton is there to help him in the locker room and the film room.

Why Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley stay put

Everyone will bring up Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley. I don’t think the Titans will move them, but for opposite reasons.

Each is worth roughly a sixth-round pick. Ridley’s contract carries a big 2027 number, and I don’t see a team taking that on for a receiver who hasn’t produced and missed the Week 7 loss to the Browns with a hip injury. I expect the Titans to cut him after the season, which makes that number easy to escape.

Pollard just piled up over 150 yards from scrimmage against Cleveland, including over 120 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Yes, he’s on an expiring deal. Yes, his stock looks great right now. But people know what Pollard is. He did the same thing to the Browns last year in the Cleveland snow.

More importantly, this offense can’t function without him. Tyjae Spears has been unproductive and missed Week 7 with a knee injury. Michael Carter is spelling the third-down role. Rookie Nick Singleton has been inactive because the staff doesn’t trust the Penn State product in pass protection, nor should it, with Kalel Mullings or Julius Chestnut active for special teams instead.

Internally, the Titans are still evaluating Cam Ward. He has 10 games to prove he should be the starter in the new stadium next season. If you want a fair evaluation, Pollard has to be part of the equation.

The Jeffery Simmons question

Simmons is the most tradable Titan, and he’s worth at least two first-round picks. The Chicago Bears could use a defensive tackle, and they’re projected to pick 25th, worth 1,230 points. Pair that with next year’s first, and the simulator still comes up a little light. A few weeks back, I had four Jeffery Simmons trade packages, including the Bears for two firsts and a fourth round pick. The Carolina Panthers, picking exactly 16th, get there with two firsts. That’s a little rich, actually. The New York Giants, a team in a weird spot but a division up for grabs, pick 13th. This price would likely be a first, second, and a third (split across the next two drafts).

But I don’t think two firsts pry Simmons loose. I know that exceeds the precedent for players like him. Still, Simmons means more to this organization than any defensive tackle meant to his team before a trade, which says something about the Titans and about Simmons.

As for Alontae Taylor, he’ll be a popular trade topic after his benching. His three-year, $58 million deal includes $42 million guaranteed. Who takes that on for a player who has struggled?

Fans love to yell, “Trade the guy, he stinks.” The irony is that it assumes someone else wants the stinky player. . . but that’s how fandom works sometimes.