Tennessee Titans Send Top Pick In Draft To Los Angeles Rams In Blockbuster Deal

The first major trade of the 2016 NFL Draft took place Wednesday, when the Tennessee Titans agreed to trade the top overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams.

Titans Send Top Pick To Rams

In addition to the first pick, the Rams also acquired the Titans’ fourth round pick (No. 113) and sixth round pick (No. 177).  In return, the Titans received the Rams’ first rounder (No. 15), two second round picks (No. 43 and No. 45), and third rounder (No. 76).  Tennessee will also get LA’s first and third round picks in 2017.

Titans’ general manager Jon Robinson said in a statement on the team’s website, “Being able to acquire six players in the top 76 this year, along with next year when you factor that into it — I am assuming five in the top three rounds — that is 11 players that we can add to this football team that should not only increase our depth, but give us good quality players at all those positions,’’

“In the end we thought it was a decision that was best for this football team. It made sense for us to do it, and that’s why we moved on it. We talked to several teams about the pick. There was interest in the pick, and in the end we thought this was the option that made the most sense for us…We think we can really bolster this roster with the picks that we now have.”

With the Rams relocating to Los Angeles, the team will look to draft it’s new face of the franchise with the top pick.  It is widely assumed that they will look at upgrading the quarterback position.  The Rams have dealt with two years of inconsistent play at quarterback since former QB Sam Bradford missed 2014 due to a torn ACL, and then the team traded him to the Eagles in March 2015.  In the past two seasons the Rams have had Nick Foles (acquired in the Bradford trade), Case Keenum, Austin Davis, and Shaun Hill run the offense.  Only Foles remains on the roster and he was benched twice last season.

The top two quarterback prospects are California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, although there have been conflicting reports on which one the Rams prefer.  Reports say that the Rams agreed to the deal two weeks ahead of the draft in so they can take time to evaluate both prospects and determine who the better fit is for coach Jeff Fisher‘s offense.

“In order to make a move of this magnitude you have to have a good trade partner,” Fisher said in a statement. “We appreciate working with the Titans on an opportunity that can benefit both organizations.”

Goff had a 161.3 efficiency rating in 2015 and completed 65.5% of his passes at Cal last season, throwing for 4,719 yards and 42 touchdowns.  He also threw 13 interceptions in 13 games.  At NDSU, Wentz posted an efficiency rating of 152.3 after completing 62.5% of his pass attempts.  He had 17 passing touchdowns and only four interceptions in eight games.  he missed eight weeks after suffering a broken wrist.

The Titans were in an awkward spot at No. 1, they don’t have to draft a quarterback, left tackle, or have a real need for a pass rusher.  If the Titans were to stay, they likely would have selected left tackle, Laremy Tunsil from Ole Miss, and move Taylor Lewan to right tackle.

At No. 15, look for Tennessee to either provide quarterback Marcus Mariota with a new receiving target or address the dire need for a defensive back.  Possible options could be receiver Laquon Treadwell, also from Ole Miss, or cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III from Florida.

Robinson hinted at the possibility of more trades in the near future, citing “ammunition” to move back into the top 10.

Per the AP, “I would say this doesn’t really knock us out of moving back up. It doesn’t mean we’re going to,” Robinson said. “It gives us options. Much like a play call sheet on game days, you want to have your full play sheet that you can call plays from. We want to have the same thing with the draft. We want to have multiple options and multiple plays, if you will, that we can go to to make this football team better.”

“My phone it’s still working,” Robinson said. “Feel free to call.”

The 2016 NFL Draft will begin on April 28 and run until April 30.  It will be hosted at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for the second year in a row.