Titans players most likely to be traded next after sending WR DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs
NASHVILLE – Sitting at 1-5, the Tennessee Titans have waved the white flag and begun trading away assets ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Tennessee sent veteran and future Hall of Fame wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday morning. Just a few hours later, inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV was […]
NASHVILLE – Sitting at 1-5, the Tennessee Titans have waved the white flag and begun trading away assets ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Tennessee sent veteran and future Hall of Fame wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday morning. Just a few hours later, inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV was sent to the Seattle Seahawks.
With precedent set and the Titans clearly open for business, who could be next up to get shipped off from Tennessee’s roster? Per A to Z Sports and 104.5 The Zone’s Buck Reising, the Titans don’t have any intentions of trading away star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. But that does not mean there are not more deals coming.
Here are some of the players who I believe could be next up behind Hopkins and Jones and traded before the NFL trade deadline.
1. S Quandre Diggs
I’m willing to make a prediction right now that safety Quandre Diggs is going to be dealt before the NFL trade deadline.
The Titans took a flyer on Diggs in the offseason, signing him to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum base salary of $1.21 million.
That deal has turned out to be a favorable one for Tennessee. Diggs has been a starter in Dennard Wilson’s defense and played well. He's a veteran with playoff experience and a history of being available. That's attractive to any contender that is looking to bolster the secondary, especially with how cheap it would be to acquire him (both in salary and draft capital).
DeAndre Hopkins and Ernest Jones IV were on expiring contracts and set to be free agents in 2025. The Titans are looking to the future. Diggs is not a part of those future plans.
2. OLB Arden Key
While not on an expiring deal, I'm throwing outside linebacker Arden Key into the category of "if the Titans can get something for value for him, they'll take it."
Key is likely to be cut in the offseason with his base salary set to increase to $6.5 million in 2025. None of that money is guaranteed, which essentially puts him on an expiring contract in the organization's eyes.
Tennessee is thin at outside linebacker, and perhaps that's what ultimately deters them from making this trade. But if someone that needs help rushing the passer comes calling about Arden Key, I think the Titans play ball.
It would open up opportunities for second-year players Caleb Murphy and Ali Gaye as well as rookie Jaylen Harrell and Khalid Duke (PS) to step up on defense.
3. OLB Harold Landry III
If the Titans aren't looking to move Jeffery Simmons at the deadline, they probably won't be looking to move outside linebacker Harold Landry III either. Landry is an attractive addition for contenders that need to improve on the edge, but his longterm contract control could be something Tennessee wants to keep around.
Landry is owed a base salary of $17.5 million in 2025 and 2026, giving a potential buyer (or the Titans) options to keep him around as a core defender of the future. With four sacks in six games, there's no doubt Landry is valuable.
The Titans could probably land a Day 2 draft pick (2nd or 3rd rounder) for Landry. Ran Carthon and Tennessee's front office is trying to stock up. But will they find this move worth it?
Grading the Titans-Chiefs trade of DeAndre Hopkins compared to other NFL wide receiver deals
Grading the Titans-Chiefs trade of WR DeAndre Hopkins.
