The Tennessee Titans have put together a great deal of success as of late, and a lot of the credit for that goes to some players who made a statement last year.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry immediately come to mind.
But putting a team together, making things gel and delivering a polished final product on the field has a lot to do with management and coaching.
Titans general manager Jon Robinson knows how to play his cards right, and he’s received his deserved recognition for it, too.
When Patrick Daugherty of Rotoworld released his list of the top NFL general managers, he had Robinson just outside the top 10 at No. 11, ahead of the likes of the Baltimore Ravens’ Eric DeCosta, the Dallas Cowboys’ Stephen and Jerry Jones and the Atlanta Falcons’ Thomas Dimitroff.
Here’s what Daugherty had to say about Robinson and his ranking.
Jon Robinson’s rosters have never won more than nine games. They’ve also never won fewer. The man in the middle got a whole lot closer to the top in 2019. Robinson reclamation project Ryan Tannehill lit the fuse for a powder keg finish, guiding the Titans to a 7-3 record as a mid-season replacement. Robinson draft picks Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown carried the offense. Robinson hire Mike Vrabel whipped the defense into a top-10 unit. The Titans still don’t have the deepest or most talented roster. Tannehill is, at best, a stop gap. The defense’s whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Big draft decisions and free agent signings like Corey Davis and Malcolm Butler have not provided the expected return on investment. But Robinson has done something every good general manager does: Lay the foundation to overcome mistakes and shortcomings. It should surprise no one if Robinson eventually assembles a group capable of reaching the Super Bowl.
Recently, a piece by The Athletic that polled 30 agents showed that Robinson received a vote for being one of the most trusted general managers in the sport, which is an important quality to have when trying to bring in free agents.
Robinson has a stellar draft history overall, and his decision to trade for Ryan Tannehill in 2019 turned out to be the catalyst that saved the Titans’ season.
Of course, Robinson hasn’t been perfect — no general manager is — but he has done far more good than bad during his tenure in Nashville.
The biggest knock is that this franchise hasn’t been able to get over the 9-7 hump, but even then the Titans have two playoff appearances and three postseason wins in the last four years.
While Robinson certainly makes a good enough case to be in the top 10, he’ll be a lock in 2021 if the Titans can post a double-digit-win season and make the playoffs once again in 2020.
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