The Tennessee Titans have veteran defenders that contending teams could use. Which proposals from the A to Z Sports Trade Simulator make sense for Tennessee?
The Tennessee Titans are in a spot where they should be listening to some trade offers for their defensive veterans. With Cam Ward still developing at quarterback, Tennessee needs to add future draft capital and get young players on the field.
Ideally, it can do both without hurting the 2026 team, but at this point, this is about the future.
On the latest episode of 13 Personnel, Austin Stanley , Easton Freeze , and I had me play general manager for three NFL teams. I used the A to Z Sports Trade Simulator to build three Titans trade proposals involving the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The goal was to see what the market could look like for a Tennessee defense that has more depth in some spots than others.
Playing the role of Steelers general manager Omar Khan , I started with linebacker Cedric Gray . In the simulator, Gray has the third-highest trade value on the Titans roster. That shouldn't be a surprise. He piled up more than 160 tackles in 2025 as a former fourth-round pick, and he is still on a cheap rookie contract.
In return, Pittsburgh sends Tennessee its 2027 third-round pick via Dallas and offensive tackle Dylan Cook . Gray isn't playing nearly as much this season with Anthony Hill Jr. and Cody Barton ahead of him, so his value has dipped a bit.
Even so, the Titans would come out ahead of the fourth-round pick they spent on him. Cook started at left tackle for the Steelers in 2025, and at worst he is a quality swing tackle. He could also become a cheaper option at left tackle with Dan Moore Jr. after 2026.
Freeze did not hide his frustration with how Gray is being used. He spent time at Titans headquarters this week trying to find a football reason for the split with Barton, and he said he couldn't find one. Freeze believes Gray is simply the better player. Still, if the coaching staff is truly out on him, Freeze said the return is too good to ignore.
Stanley agreed.
"This is a fantastic return. I would do this in a heartbeat if I were the Titans," Stanley said.
If you don't like the thought of trading away Gray, there was another linebacker hypothetical on the table. This one aimed to get Gray on the field.
The second trade attacks the same problem from the other direction. As Rams GM Les Snead , I asked for Cody Barton . The Rams' second level isn't very good right now, and Barton would give them a solid, experienced linebacker.
Tennessee gets cornerback Josh Wallace in return. Wallace is a third-year player out of Michigan who has seen real snaps this season and can line up both outside and in the slot. He picked off a pass against the Denver Broncos, albeit in a loss, and he has played well wherever the Rams have asked him to align. The Titans' secondary needs depth.
On top of that, the deal clears the way for Gray and saves $4.2 million. Freeze pointed out that money is the one thing Tennessee has plenty of. He sees this as Barton's last year with the Titans, though, so it comes down to getting something now versus nothing later. He also believes Hill and Gray are ready to take on the leadership role.
"So I'm in on this. I'm not ecstatic about it, but I do like it," Freeze said.
The Steelers and Rams trades can't both happen. Freeze said he would still take Wallace over the third-round pick from Pittsburgh.
"I really would because I think Cedric is a part of the future of this team. Cody is not," Freeze said.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Tennessee Titans Mock Trade: Controversial decision to ship off former breakout star for OL solution and a 2027 NFL Draft pick
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