It has been a busy Tuesday for GM Ran Carthon and the Tennessee Titans. After signing linebacker Luke Gifford to a two-year contract on Tuesday morning, the Titans followed up with a series of impact signings that all have one thing in common.

Inside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill, and defensive end Arden Key (the latest addition to the Titans' roster), are all players that Ran Carthon both scouted and helped acquire during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.

With three former 49ers on their way to Nashville, there's no denying that Carthon is strategically targeting players he is familiar with in free agency. 

Evaluating free agents was a really big part of Carthon's role as the Director of Player/Pro Personnel in San Francisco. Carthon would scout the impending free agent class, evaluate which players could be successful in the Niners' schemes, and then put the player in front of GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan, who would make final decisions.

It's reasonable to think that Carthon's goals for the Titans' future look a lot like what he helped build in San Francisco. The 49ers have made the NFC Championship Game in three of the last four seasons by playing a very particular and sustainable brand of football, and that organization has become a well-oiled machine that drafts, evaluates, and make transactions to support their style of play.

Carthon said it himself in his introductory press conference. It's not about finding talent, it's about finding the right talent for Mike Vrabel and for what the Titans are trying to do as a unit.

So why is Carthon assembling a roster filled with former 49ers? Because he knows what they're capable of. He has had unique experiences watching these guys train, practice, and play. He has seen each of them in a locker room and knows how they carry themselves in meetings.

The Titans have a GM that knows what he wants, is operating in harmony with the head coach, and is acquiring players that he knows will fit his vision, even if they may be underrated by the rest of the league.

Key signed with the 49ers in 2021 on a one-year deal making just over $1 million. It was then that he posted a career-high 6.5 sacks before heading off to Jacksonville for a season.

Brunskill was playing in the AAF for the San Diego Fleet when the 49ers found him in 2019. Since then, Brunskill has started 42 NFL games, primarily at right guard, and very quietly did not allow a single sack or penalty in 2022.

Then there's Al-Shaair, who is flying under the radar because he missed significant time in 2022 with a torn MCL in his right knee. Let's not forget his 2021 season though, when Al-Shaair had 102 tackles and nine tackles for loss .

Ran might be running back his Greatest Hits playlist of all his favorite underrated talents from San Francisco, but that should be celebrated. There's a reason these guys were productive with the Niners, and Carthon should have a really good idea of how to get the most out of them in Tennessee.

The Titans are slowly but surely chipping away at their needs, and doing so without paying top dollar.

Image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports