Tag: Chad Brinker

Chad Brinker wants Titans to ‘draft, develop, and retain’ in roster rebuild

The Tennessee Titans have a new front office and a new philosophy under Chad Brinker and Mike Borgonzi.

The Tennessee Titans went out and made a splash during the 2024 offseason and fell flat. After a disappointing 3-14 season, major changes have taken place and a philosophical change appears to be on the horizon.

With new general manager Mike Borgonzi coming over from Kansas City and pairing with president of football operations Chad Brinker, who spent time in Green Bay, the way the Titans are built moving forward will likely change. Both come from NFL backgrounds that show that stability and the draft are the cornerstones of success in the league.

In an interview with ESPN reporter Turron Davenport, Brinker and Borgonzi outlined the franchise’s ideology moving forward.

Those comments were echoed by Brinker during the interview when he talked about the importance of the draft and building a roster.

“It’s the draft, develop, retain, vision, philosophy that requires patience over, discipline, thought and action,” Brinker told ESPN. “It’s been proven. It’s everything that I believe. It’s what I grew up in this business. That’s all that I know.”

This is indeed the philosophy that both Green Bay and Kansas City have employed and led to tremendous consistent success for these franchises. Teams that draft well can use free agency to optimize their roster, not build it. For Titans fans, this may not readily offer them the instant gratification they seek, but it is a great way to establish long-term success.

With the offseason already underway and the staff and front office starting the college all-star circuit in the coming days, the search for the foundational pieces needed to put this philosophy in motion is rolling along. You can get your first look at the East-West Shrine Game on January 30.

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Titans’ Chad Brinker outlines new organizational structure

The Tennessee Titans’ Chad Brinker held the introductory press conference with new general manager Mike Borgonzi and outlined the power structure.

The Tennessee Titans held an introductory press conference for new general manager Mike Borgonzi on Wednesday morning where the team unveiled their new organizational structure.

The distribution of responsibilities amongst the front office within the organization has become a hot topic with fans on social media since the team kicked-off their search after firing Ran Carthon. Today, some of those questions were finally answered and there is a distinct path in place to spearhead the rebuild. 

President of football operations will have the final say on all organizational issues, although it seems like that will be more of a final sign-off capacity and not construction efforts. Borgonzi will be in-charge of drafting and developing a plan that will lead them to making productive decisions in free agency instead of flash. 

The biggest take away from this is the hands-off approach owner Amy Adams Strunk is taking with the organization. Her absence from the introductory press conference and the linear chain-of-command formation being employed backs that up.

As that post from X outlined, there is a concrete structure in place and the front office can now begin attacking the offseason and filling some of the voids that plagued the Titans throughout 2024. Tennessee has roughly $55 million in salary cap space and will be looking for a generational talent at the top of the 2025 NFL draft, which is a good starting point. 

Now, it’s time for the talk to end and the work to begin, the fans are watching. 

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Titans’ Chad Brinker, Mike Borgonzi open to options with top pick

Both Chad Brinker and Mike Borgonzi agree that the Tennessee Titans are open to offers with their number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Late last week, the Tennessee Titans hired Mike Borgonzi as the team’s new general manager, replacing the vacancy left by Ran Carthon’s firing earlier this month. Earlier today, Borgonzi addressed the media for the first time since his hiring after Chad Brinker had a meeting with the press that wasn’t recorded or streamed anywhere.

One thing that both Brinker and Borgonzi discussed and agreed upon is that they are open to options with regard to their first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“We have to have discipline in the draft and the process,” Borgonzi said. “Draft picks are our biggest form of currency, so when there’s opportunities to trade back and collect more picks, we’re going to do that. That’s always the goal, to get as many picks in the top 100 as you can.”

However, you’ll also notice on that tweet that Brinker indicated that the Titans “can’t pass on a generational talent, and won’t do that” with the number one pick.

So, the Titans want to amass draft picks. The goal is to increase the number of top 100 picks they have over the next three years. But they also won’t pass on a player they deem to have “generational talent.” In 2025, no players come to mind who have that kind of talent outside of Travis Hunter, at least, in this writer’s opinion.

Titans’ next GM will likely enter job with handcuffs already on

It seems that Tennessee Titans president of football operations, Chad Brinker, is the real head honcho, regardless of who is hired as GM.

Tennessee Titans president of football operations, Chad Brinker, has been tasked with finding a new general manager after the team decided to part ways with Ran Carthon after just two seasons.

The team that won six games in Carthon’s first season as GM saw half as many wins in his second year, which is what Amy Adams Strunk cited as the reason for his departure.

Brinker joined the Titans in 2023 as Carthon’s assistant general manager and was promoted to his current position at the conclusion of the 2023 season. This happened in the same breath (almost) as the firing of Mike Vrabel while Carthon remained on as general manager.

Brinker and Carthon seemed to have a relationship that was tighter than ever, Brinker even saying that they “clicked right away” and were very much on the same page.

So, what happened in 2024 to change all of that? Brian Callahan became the head coach and Will Levis became the starting quarterback. And remember: Brinker helped draft Levis in 2023 and certainly had a hand in Callahan’s hiring.

But Carthon took all the heat for all of 2024’s failures, and the Titans’ messaging has become muddied and unclear.

And it appears that Brinker will have the final say in all personnel decisions going forward, so what kind of power is a new general manager really going to have? It’s so muddied that even the NFL took its time to approve the Titans’ job posting.

This is because the Titans want to give Brinker the “tie-breaking vote” between Callahan and the new general manager when it comes to personnel decisions.

From the outside looking in, it appears that Brinker has all of the power with player personnel for the Titans and that whoever comes in as general manager will simply be a face. The way this is being handled by the organization is not going to pan out well because who wants that job? No one wants to be the person to come in, have no power, and then be the scapegoat when it all falls apart.

The Titans must do better. And if the GM is going to have actual power, they need to make very clear where those lines are and what responsibilities they actually have.

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Titans clarify football structure after promoting Carthon, Brinker

On Wednesday, the Titans revealed the structure of decision-making moving forward.

The Tennessee Titans announced a trio of moves on Wednesday, with two of them giving clarity as to the structure in which the Titans will operate.

On top of making the Brian Callahan hiring official, the Titans also promoted general manager Ran Carthon by adding executive vice president to his job title, and assistant general manager Chad Brinker is now the president of football operations, a brand new position in Nashville.

Here’s an explanation of what the new title means for Carthon, per the team:

As Executive Vice President/General Manager, Carthon’s duties will expand to include all areas that impact the football team: roster control, team activities and personnel decisions including draft and free agency acquisitions, oversight of Callahan and his coaching staff, scouting, sports medicine, and player engagement.

And here’s an explanation for what Brinker’s role will include:

As President of Football Operations, a new role for the organization, Brinker will provide executive leadership and support for the entire football side of the organization. His day-to-day responsibilities will include direct oversight of the football departments that address salary cap management; analytics and strategy; communications and information systems; and team operations including security, video, equipment, and grounds. Brinker will also continue to provide scouting evaluations of top talent in both college and the NFL.

“Over the past year, Ran has impressed me and our staff with his innovative approach to roster building,” Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said. “Ran’s exceptional reputation around the league as a talent evaluator and culture builder was a clear competitive advantage during last year’s free agency and draft process, as well as our recent search for a head coach. Simply put, Ran Carthon makes the Tennessee Titans a destination for the league’s top talent. By expanding his role to include full roster control and oversight of the coaching staff, our organization will now benefit more completely from Ran’s unique ability to build and lead a championship-caliber football team.”

“This is not my father’s NFL,” Adams Strunk added. “As our league continues to evolve in areas like analytics, sports science, and technology, football organizations have become more complex and multifaceted. I want our football operation to be at the forefront of the NFL as teams continue to find new competitive advantages. In this new role, Chad will blend his executive experience with his strengths in football and scouting to ensure our football operation continues to innovate and grow as new opportunities emerge. Chad’s oversight of these areas will allow Ran to focus his full attention and energy on building and leading a championship football team.”

So, the Titans are officially handing the keys to the car to Carthon who, along with Brinker and his analytics model, will ensure that this team takes a more modern and innovative approach moving forward.

That’s significant because the Titans were one of the last teams in the NFL to embrace analytics before Carthon arrived. Now, they’re trying to be at the forefront.

As for Callahan, the Titans will officially announce him in a press conference set to take place on Thursday at 1 p.m. CST .

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Titans’ Ran Carthon, Mike Vrabel talk WR situation, Day 3 picks, more

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and GM Ran Carthon talked their Day 3 picks, the situation at wide receiver, and more.

After the Tennessee Titans culminated the 2023 NFL draft with a total of three selections on Day 3, head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon met with the media to discuss the picks, and the class as a whole.

Tennessee added offensive tackles Peter Skoronski (Round 1) and Jaelyn Duncan (Round 6), quarterback Will Levis (Round 2), running back Tyjae Spears (Round 3), tight end Josh Whyle (Round 5), and wideout Colton Dowell (Round 7).

The obvious trend with this group is that every player is an offensive one. As much as we aren’t happy with the direction at wide receiver, at least Carthon and Vrabel went heavy on the side of the ball that needed the most help.

Carthon said taking all offensive players didn’t dawn on him until after the draft was done.

Along with Carthon and Vrabel, assistant general manager Chad Brinker spoke to the media for the first time since coming aboard this offseason. Check out what each had to say below about several topics below.

Titans assistant GM Chad Brinker ‘on another level’ with analytics

Titans assistant GM Chad Brinker has quite the impressive resumé when it comes to analytics.

Former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson wasn’t big on analytics during his tenure in Nashville, but new general manager Ran Carthon appears set to have a different approach.

Back in January, Carthon talked about his use of analytics while with the San Francisco 49ers and made it clear they would play a part when the team is evaluating players.

Another example of the team’s intent to use analytics more was the hiring of assistant general manager Chad Brinker, who came to Tennessee after 13 years with the Green Bay Packers.

According to Carthon, Brinker is “on another level” with analytics and has even created his own model.

“[Brinker is] a guy that Green Bay thought enough of to pay for him to get his executive MBA from Northwestern,” Carthon revealed to the Official Titans Podcast. “So, not only does he go and get his executive MBA, but through the course of getting the MBA he meets with some guys that are in the tech space and he creates his own AI model for injuries and cap studies.

“So he figures out a way to create these models that he owns the IP (intellectual property) for, and so wherever he goes he can bring that IP with him,” Carthon added. “And, again, it allows us to grow in a space that we’re trying to evolve to, which is in the analytics department… I have an understanding of analytics because coming from where I’m coming from, but he’s on another level than I am, and so that’s an area where he’s going to be a strength to our organization.”

Brinker wore different hats during his 13 years in Green Bay, doing everything from scouting players to working on the salary cap.

So, not only will Brinker bring his expertise of analytics to Nashville, he’ll also be someone Tennessee can rely on as it tries to navigate a tight salary cap situation this offseason.

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Titans’ Ran Carthon talks hiring Chad Brinker as assistant GM

The Titans made the hire of assistant GM Chad Brinker official on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Titans made the hire of assistant general manager Chad Brinker official on Tuesday, and along with it released a statement from general manager Ran Carthon.

Brinker comes over from the Green Bay Packers, where he served as the team’s personnel/football administration executive for the past two seasons.

“Chad brings a unique skill set to our franchise,” Carthon said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “He has touched every facet of the personnel department – working in pro personnel, college scouting, cap management and analytics. We are excited to add his knowledge and experience to our evolving personnel group.”

Here’s more on Brinker, per the Packers’ official website:

Chad Brinker enters his 13th season with the Packers and second as personnel/football administration executive. He was promoted to his current position on Jan. 22, 2021, after spending three seasons as assistant director of pro scouting/salary cap analyst. Brinker originally came to Green Bay as a scouting assistant in January 2010 before spending six seasons (2012-17) as a pro scout.

As both his bio and Carthon highlight, Brinker brings a wealth of different experiences to the position, but the one that jumps out at me the most is his past salary cap analyst role, which will be helpful for the cash-strapped Titans.

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Titans hiring Chad Brinker as assistant general manager

The Titans are hiring Packers executive Chad Brinker as their new assistant GM.

Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon has reportedly found his right-hand man, with the team set to hire Green Bay Packers executive Chad Brinker as the assistant general manager.

The news comes from MMQB’s Albert Breer. Brinker previously held the title of personnel/football administration executive with the Packers for the last two seasons, spending 13 with the franchise in total.

Here’s more on him from his bio on the Packers’ official site:

Chad Brinker enters his 13th season with the Packers and second as personnel/football administration executive. He was promoted to his current position on Jan. 22, 2021, after spending three seasons as assistant director of pro scouting/salary cap analyst. Brinker originally came to Green Bay as a scouting assistant in January 2010 before spending six seasons (2012-17) as a pro scout.

It appears Brinker has a diverse background, but his ability to figure out the salary cap in particular will come in handy with Tennessee needing to free up money this offseason.

Brinker played college ball at Ohio before entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2003 with the New York Jets. He never played in a regular season contest, though.

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Packers losing personnel executive Chad Brinker to Titans

A key member of Brian Gutekunst’s front office is leaving Green Bay to join the Titans as assistant GM.

Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers are losing personnel executive Chad Brinker to the Tennessee Titans. According to Albert Breer of MMQB.com, the Titans are hiring Brinker as the team’s new assistant general manager under first-year general manager Ron Carthon.

Brinker spent 13 seasons with the Packers. His official title over the last two seasons was personnel/football administration executive. Before his promotion in 2021, Brinker was the assistant director of pro scouting/salary cap analyst. He also spent six seasons as a pro scout (2012-17).

His roles included scouting NFL rosters, free agency and transactions while also helping the planning of the salary cap. He also has previous experience on the college scouting side, giving him the full breadth of knowledge required for a jump into a bigger executive role.

From the Packers: “Brinker helps direct the Packers’ pro personnel department, which develops and executes the team’s strategy for unrestricted free agency and the undrafted free agent process while also conducting year-round analysis of talent on other NFL rosters. His scope of work also includes scouting future opponents, managing free-agent visits and tryouts and monitoring NFL transactions…Brinker also works with Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst and Executive Vice President/Director of Football Operations Russ Ball to incorporate long-range planning processes in areas such as player contract research and negotiation, salary-cap administration, roster management and the day-to-day operations of the player personnel department.”

Brinker, 42, played in the NFL with the New York Jets.

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