6 Jon Robinson events that made the Tennessee Titans a Super Bowl contender
The Tennessee Titans are one game away from the Super Bowl. That's not something I thought I'd be writing when Tennessee started the season 2-4 and benched quarterback Marcus Mariota. But here we are. The Titans are in this position for a lot of reasons. But it can mostly be attributed to general manager Jon […]
The Tennessee Titans are one game away from the Super Bowl.
That's not something I thought I'd be writing when Tennessee started the season 2-4 and benched quarterback Marcus Mariota.
But here we are.
The Titans are in this position for a lot of reasons. But it can mostly be attributed to general manager Jon Robinson.
Six decisions that Robinson has made, dating back to the winter he was hired, set the stage for the Titans' 2019 Super Bowl run.
1. Trading for Demarco Murray/drafting Derrick Henry
After going 3-13 in 2015, it's safe to say the Titans didn't have much of an identity (aside from "throw the ball to Delanie Walker").
No wide receiver on the roster had more than 550 receiving yards. No running back rushed for more than 520 yards.
That kind of offensive output isn't a recipe for success.
So one of the first things Robinson did after taking over as the Titans' GM in 2016 was to trade for running back Demarco Murray, who was coming off a rough 2015 season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Robinson then drafted Heisman Trophy winning running back Derrick Henry in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Suddenly the Titans went from having no running game to having a one-two punch with loads of potential.
Murray helped carry Tennessee's offense in 2016, rushing for over 1,200 yards. Henry waited in the shadows until Murray's retirement after the 2017 season.
Henry has since become one of the best offensive players in the league. Without Henry on the roster, it's safe to say the Titans wouldn't be playing in Kansas City on Sunday.
Image via Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Second event that made Titans a Super Bowl contender —>>>
2. Draft trade with Rams
Jon Robinson's first draft with the Titans was exciting to say the least.
Tennessee had the first overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Robinson took advantage of a Rams team that was in need of a quarterback and made a deal that netted the Titans some extra draft picks (including a first round pick in 2017).
With those picks (JRob also traded up with Cleveland in 2016), the Titans added Jack Conklin, Derrick Henry, Austin Johnson, Jonnu Smith and Corey Davis.
All of those players have seen significant action for the Titans since the 2016 draft. And they've all played a key part in the Titans' 2019 playoff run.
Image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Third event that made Titans a Super Bowl contender —>>>
3. Firing Mike Mularkey after winning a playoff game
In Mike Mularkey's first full season as the Titans' head coach, the team went 9-7 and missed the playoffs.
In Mularkey's second season, the Titans again went 9-7. But they seemingly took a step forward after winning playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jon Robinson and the front office, however, felt that like Mularkey had hit his ceiling as a head coach.
They were right.
It's not often that a NFL head coach wins a playoff game and gets fired, but that's what happened to Mularkey, which led to the hiring of Mike Vrabel.
Mularkey and the exotic smashmouth offense were out the door, and in the door was Vrabel, full of energy and fresh ideas.
The Titans' went 9-7 in each of Vrabel's first two seasons at the helm, but it's been obvious during this playoff run that Tennessee is turning the corner. Vrabel gives the team the juice the Titans were missing under Mularkey.
Robinson's decision to cut ties with Mularkey when he did proved to be brilliant. Had Robinson gave Mularkey another year, it's possible that Tennessee would've regressed and had a much steeper hill to climb to get back to the playoffs and make a run.
The Titans aren't in the position they're in today if they don't move on from Mularkey in early 2018.
Image via Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Fourth event that made Titans a Super Bowl contender —>>>
4. Handing out contract extensions
Jon Robinson has handed out some big contract extensions during his time as the Titans' general manager.
Jurrell Casey, Taylor Lewan and Kevin Byard all received lucrative extensions thanks to Robinson (Kenny Vaccaro also signed a not-quite-as-lucrative extension recently with the Titans).
To some, this might just seem like a GM keeping the best players on his roster. And while that's true, that's not the only reason this is important.
Robinson's extensions created a sense of trust among the players. If players perform well, they'll be rewarded financially. The Titans don't have players wondering if they'll get paid for playing at the highest level. Robinson has demonstrated by his actions that if a player proves their worth, they'll get an extension.
This will also help the Titans attract players in the future. Front office reputations spread around the league. It's obvious the Titans, however, have a good reputation.
Image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Fifth event that made Titans a Super Bowl contender —>>>
5. Trading for Ryan Tannehill
The Miami Dolphins gave Ryan Tannehill a massive extension in early 2015.
Then after the 2018 season, they decided he wasn't their guy. So they traded him to the Titans in a deal where the Dolphins are still paying most of his contract.
One man's washed up quarterback is another man's playoff savior.
The Titans added Tannehill as insurance. Mariota was always going to be the Titans' guy in 2019. The insurance was mostly in case Mariota was injured during the season (as has often been the case in the past).
However, after the Titans' dreadful 2-4 start, Mike Vrabel decided it was time for a change.
Tannehill took over in the Titans' loss to the Denver Broncos in week six and never looked back.
From there, the Titans went 7-5 and secured the No. 6 seed in the playoffs.
And now they're playing the Chiefs for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.
Without dealing for Tannehill, the Titans probably finish with a 6-10ish record (or worse).
Robinson's decision to trade for Tannehill saved the Titans season before we even knew it needed to be saved.
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Sixth event that made Titans a Super Bowl contender —>>>
6. The 2019 draft class
The final JRob event that's been critical to the Titans' playoff run is the 2019 draft class.
I'm not sure there's been a more efficient draft class than Tennessee's in 2019 (that's subjective, of course).
The Titans raised some eyebrows when they used the No. 19 overall pick to select injured defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons — an early first round talent who tore his ACL in prior to the draft.
Simmons only missed five games (insane, I know) during the regular season. He joined the team in October and immediately made an impact along the Titans' defensive line.
AJ Brown, the Titans' second round pick, has been better than Tennessee could've imagined.
Selecting a wide receiver in the second round is always a gamble. There have been a litany of wide receivers selected in the early rounds of the draft that end up being complete busts.
Brown, however, is the real deal. In his rookie season — six games of which were spent with an ineffective Marcus Mariota at quarterback — Brown caught 52 passes for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns.
I think everyone knew Brown had talent, but no one was expecting that kind of output (it's the first 1,000 yard season for a Tennessee wide receiver since Kendall Wright in 2013).
The Titans' other selections in the 2019 draft — Nate Davis, Amani Hooker, David Long Jr. (Deandre Walker was placed on IR) — have also had a big impact on Tennessee this season.
Without the 2019 draft class, I can't see the Titans beating New England and Baltimore.
All of these moves by Robinson have led to this moment for the Titans.
Perhaps they'll lead the Titans to a Super Bowl win in a couple of weeks.
Image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
