INDIANAPOLIS — The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of building up a roster that has suffered from prolonged mismanagement across several front office regimes. Former general manager Ran Carthon (2023-2024), one of the central figures in the last four seasons of the club’s public (and private) struggles, had thoughts about the state of the team after another 3-14 finish in an appearance on The Buck Reising Show on 104.5 The Zone.

The team traded away nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, Carthon’s 2024 second-round pick, on Thursday during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

There are many fair criticisms of Ran Carthon

Carthon understands that criticism is a part of the business.

13 players were drafted during his two offseasons running the show. Just a year removed from Carthon’s firing, seven of those 13 remain with the team. Quarterback Will Levis, picked in the second round of 2023’s draft, had one of the most public on-field crash outs any player at his position has had in recent memory. Sweat and corner Jarvis Brownlee were both traded to the New York Jets within the last calendar year.

Guard Peter Skoronski, linebacker Cedric Gray, and offensive tackle JC Latham have all become ascending players since Carthon brought them to Tennessee. His free-agent acquisitions as Titans GM, however, were disastrous.

Former coach Mike Vrabel was more involved in those signings during the 2023 offseason that included the likes of failed left tackle Andre Dillard. With Carthon fully at the helm in 2024, the team handed out a league-high $290+ million in contracts on 12 players including a nightmare sign-and-trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Only three of those 12 players, including Sneed, remain on the roster with less than certain futures.

Where Carthon takes issue with the narratives around his firing are the criticisms that became less than professional.

“I knew making every decision that we made, it wasn’t gonna be popular, and some were gonna work, some weren’t gonna work,” said Carthon. “That comes with the territory. However, again, criticize that, but when you attack me personally, that’s why I have a problem, because, because of the nature of the position, we’re taught that we have to rise above it. We’re not allowed to speak our mind. You’re criticizing me personally, but I can’t respond to you personally. But if I do, then all of a sudden, like I’m this big bad wolf type of person. So it was one of those deals where it was a tough line to kind of stay above board sometimes, especially when the attacks were personal. But here’s the thing now, Buck, it’s all fair game now.”

Featured Image: USA TODAY Sports.