What Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon said about Ryan Tannehill trade rumors

Ryan Tannehill and every player on the Tennessee Titans roster are under evaluation, general manager Ran Carthon said Monday during his pre-NFL draft news conference.

Carthon's comments comes a day after ESPN reported Tannehill was available on the trade market ahead of this week's NFL draft.

"With Ryan and his respective position, I think the same thing can be said for every position," Carthon said. "It’s our job to do due diligence at every position. Everywhere we look to improve. It’s not an indictment on Ryan or anyone else on this roster. We have to evaluate everyone. We know where we can make ourselves better and give ourselves the best option of putting the best 53 on the field."

The Titans own the No. 11 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday and ends Saturday.

Carthon said he and Tannehill had a conversation in February that outlined exactly where the franchise stands with with quarterback. Carthon did not provide details of those conversations.

"Just to let you guys in, Ryan and I had a conversation back in February that was between Ryan and I and between Ryan and our organization," Carthon said. "Ryan knows where he stands with us. That’s really all I have to say."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on "SportsCenter" on Sunday that he's heard Tannehill "could be, or is" available as a trade piece for quarterback-needy teams. Fowler went on to say that if the Titans move on from Tannehill, they would "need a replacement" as he's talked to people around the league who would be surprised if 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis was named the Titans' starting quarterback for 2023.

"We have financial flexibility to make moves if we need to," Carthon said. "If you’re trading a player, no matter what their salary is, it’s really up to the team that’s trading for them and their comfort level."

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The Titans acquired Tannehill in a trade with the Miami Dolphins in 2019. After six games as a reserve, Tannehill took over as the Titans' starter for the final 10 games of the year and helped lead the Titans to a playoff berth, winning the AP Comeback Player of the Year award. He didn't miss a start in 2020 or 2021, leading the Titans to AFC South titles both years, but injuries kept Tannehill out of five games in 2022 as the Titans missed the playoffs for the first time since Tannehill got to Nashville.

Tannehill will turns 35 in July and has one year remaining on his contract. The Titans owe Tannehill $27 million this season and would save all that money against the salary cap if they trade or release him after June 1. If the Titans make the decision to trade Tannehill before that time, they'll only save $17.8 million against the salary cap with an $18.8 million dead cap penalty.

Willis and Tannehill are the only quarterbacks on the Titans roster. Throughout the buildup to this year's draft, the Titans have been at the center of speculation regarding whether they're in the market to trade up for one of the four passers projected to be picked in the top 10. Other quarterback-needy teams picking ahead of the Titans include the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and potentially the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons.

Carthon visited Will Levis at Kentucky's pro day and CJ Stroud at Ohio State's pro day, but he did not attend Alabama (QB Bryce Young) or Florida (Anthony Richardson) during his draft prep.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans to trade Ryan Tannehill? What Ran Carthon said