Fired GM Jon Robinson couldn't take Titans from good to great

By Ben Arthur
Published

A.J. Brown poured it on the Titans.

There was his 40-yard touchdown reception, immediately after having a 40-yard touchdown reversed. And there was his 29-yard touchdown catch; an unbelievable end-zone grab against smothering coverage, where he managed to put his hands out over the cornerback's shoulder at the last minute to make the catch. For the Eagles star receiver, it was the highlight of a day in which he had eight receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

Brown had wanted to be a Titan for life. But this past spring, after extension talks went awry, he was traded to the Eagles, who gave him the kind of deal he wanted as a No. 1 receiver: four years for $100 million, including $57 million guaranteed. And he proceeded to give Tennessee a taste — no, a mouthful — of what it gave up.

It's almost fitting that that would be Jon Robinson's last game as the Titans general manager.

The latter part of Robinson's six-plus years leading Tennessee's personnel moves were defined by big misses — like not paying Brown — leading to his shocking in-season termination Tuesday.

"I am proud of what we have accomplished in my eight seasons of ownership, but I believe there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met," Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement.

Robinson had been given a multi-year extension just 10 months ago (along with coach Mike Vrabel), a sign of Strunk's belief in him. Alongside Vrabel, Robinson guided the Titans to six straight winning seasons, including back-to-back AFC South titles, an AFC Championship game appearance in 2019 and a No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC last season. He was on track for a seventh straight winning season and a third consecutive division title. Robinson played an integral role in changing the culture of a franchise that used to be a joke. He drafted franchise cornerstones like Derrick Henry, Kevin Byard and Jeffery Simmons.

But some of his recent personnel moves — a handful of which have been significant — have held the team back. Tennessee maintained a good team, but has fallen short of greatness, reinforced by its blowout loss Sunday to the Eagles, one of the Super Bowl favorites.
Robinson had a disastrous 2020 draft. The Titans' first-round pick that year, offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, was a massive distraction on and off the field. He played just four snaps before getting traded after his rookie season, cementing his status as arguably the biggest bust in NFL history. Wilson is not currently on a team.

Of the six players drafted that year, only three are still on Tennessee's roster, including just one starter: cornerback Kristian Fulton.

Cornerback Caleb Farley, the Titans' top pick in 2021, also hasn't panned out. Robinson gambled on his upside despite an injury history that scared other teams. But Farley has played just 12 games, spent two stints on injured reserve and there is no evidence he can be a starter.

Dillon Radunz, a 2021 second-round selection expected to be the starting right tackle, has been a backup playing primarily guard.

There was the big swing in the 2021 offseason on acquiring seven-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones, too, with the thought that the Falcons legend would help lift the Titans into Super Bowl contention. But he played just 10 games due to a lingering hamstring injury — which also plagued the end of his tenure in Atlanta — and was released in March.

Outside linebacker Bud Dupree has played well in spurts, but it would be a stretch to say he's lived up to the expectations of his five-year, $82.5 million free-agent deal signed in March 2021, with seven sacks in 19 appearances. Veteran wide receiver Robert Woods, acquired in the spring, has underwhelmed in a season he's needed to perform like a No. 1 receiver.

What we see from the Titans, especially on offense, is a team lacking the talent to compete with the NFL's best. We see a struggling offensive line that can't adequately block for Henry or pass protect for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. We see one of the NFL's worst wide receiver rooms. We see inconsistent cornerback play. That's largely Robinson's fault.

Brown's dominance Sunday — the Titans' homegrown star traded away and stomping the team that shaped him — was a symbolic punctuation of Robinson's failures.

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Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.