The Tennessee Titans’ fanbase was hit with a brick by the news that wide receiver A.J. Brown had been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for pick Nos. 18 and 101 in the 2022 NFL draft.
As you’d imagine, this move has received a ton of backlash from the fans who waited countless years for a legitimate superstar wide receiver like Brown.
And just like Titans fans, the players aren’t happy, either.
Both safety Kevin Byard and defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons took to Twitter after the trade was announced to express their shock and frustration with the stunning deal that nobody saw coming, especially after pre-draft reports about the contract situation seemed to be positive.
— Kevin Byard (@KevinByard) April 29, 2022
Congrats my brotha! I’m still sick tho https://t.co/4ZluAviRlo
— Kevin Byard (@KevinByard) April 29, 2022
Wait this bet not be true
— Jeffery Simmons (@GrindSimmons94) April 29, 2022
This is undoubtedly a hard deal to swallow for anybody involved with the Titans’ organization. All we can do now is put faith in the front office that they flip these picks into bona fide game-changers.
Tennessee will enter Day 2 with pick Nos. 35, 69 and 90, which it acquired in a trade with the New York Jets that saw the Titans send the No. 26 overall pick, as well as the No. 101 overall selection they received in the Brown trade with Philly.
That gives the team a ton of flexibility to make more moves, or to stick and pick three more potential impact players in Rounds 2 and 3. The Titans also have two picks apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, giving them nine remaining in total.
Nonetheless, this trade hurts and it’s not even something the team captains are pretending to hide — nor should they.