Many different feelings were floating around the Tennessee Titans locker room Wednesday after the team traded both wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Ernest Jones.
Of the two deals, the Jones trade may have been the biggest shock. Having only acquired him in September, Jones appeared to seamlessly settle into the defense and make an impact. He also fit in well next to linebacker Kenneth Murray and solidified the inside linebacker position.
Count Murray as a player who was a little surprised by the move.
.@Titans LB @KennethMurray in the locker room on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/zQdtRdeSog
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) October 23, 2024
“It’s unfortunate,” he said. “I’m definitely sad about it. I feel like that’s my dawg, my sidekick, whatever you want to call it. He’s a great person, great teammate, he’s definitely going to be missed.”
Football is a business and the move with Jones could just be a business deal, but it was also a move that seemed to come from nowhere. Jones was slated to be a free agent at the end of the season. If he wasn’t in the plan moving forward, then the deal makes some sense, but it will impact the defense.
Murray and Jones did mesh well together and it will be interesting to watch how this position moves forward in 2024. With rookie Cedric Gray appearing to be close to a return from his stint on injured reserve, does this move signal that the team believes he is the long-term solution? At this point, nothing is certain.
Linebacker Jerome Baker was also acquired in the trade, he is an experienced starter and has flashed explosive ability in the past. If he is fully healthy and can pick up the defense, he could help pick up the slack. But like Jones, he will be a free agent at the end of 2024, and is a larger question mark in the system with 11 games remaining.
Tune in Sunday for the Titans’ Week 8 battle with the Detroit Lions to see how they fill the void left by the Jones trade.