Looking at A.J. Brown and the Tennessee Titans’ breakup – Tennessee Titans Weblog

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Extensive receiver A.J. Brown walked off the sector together with his head down, in shock, because the Cincinnati Bengals celebrated their 19-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans within the divisional spherical of the playoffs final season.

It was the final time Brown would go away Nissan Stadium as a member of the Titans. Brown’s departure to the Philadelphia Eagles by way of a commerce Thursday is one thing not many would have predicted at season’s finish.

Not basic supervisor Jon Robinson. Not coach Mike Vrabel.

On draft night time, the Titans moved Brown for the 18th and 101st total picks. They finally used the 18th choose on Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks.

How did a participant Vrabel mentioned “would not be traded so long as he was the top coach” go from franchise cornerstone to Philadelphia?

Like many breakups, the break up between Brown and the Titans is difficult. Issues began to unravel when Brown refused to participate in voluntary offseason actions and mentioned he wasn’t going to set foot on a discipline till he had a contract extension.

There are at all times two sides to a narrative.

Brown’s aspect

Brown was getting into the ultimate yr of his rookie contract, which was set to pay him round $four million. Despite the fact that his 869 receiving yards final season have been a profession low, they accounted for 23% of the Titans’ receiving yards.

Brown watched the receiver market explode this offseason.

• Brown’s agent, Tory Dandy, received issues began by negotiating a three-year deal value $60 million, with $40 million assured, for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin and a three-year, $60 million contract extension for Los Angeles Chargers receiver Mike Williams.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Arizona Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk to a four-year, $72 million cope with $37 million assured.
• D.J. Moore and the Carolina Panthers settled on a three-year, $61.884 million extension that included $41.61 million assured.
• Receiver Davante Adams orchestrated a commerce from the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders and signed a five-year, $141.25 million contract.
• The Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, who promptly signed him to a four-year, $120 million extension making him the highest-paid receiver in NFL historical past.
• The Buffalo Bills adopted go well with and signed All-Professional broad receiver Stefon Diggs to a four-year, $104 million contract extension with $70 million assured.

Brown noticed the motion and wished to be paid like one of many prime receivers within the NFL.

“I wished my work to be appreciated. That is just about it,” Brown mentioned when he was launched as an Eagle. “I am one of many prime guys within the league. I am assured in how I play and what I deliver to the desk.”

Brown advised ESPN the deal the Titans supplied him averaged $16 million per season with incentives that may have pushed the annual common to $20 million.

“This wasn’t my fault,” Brown advised ESPN. “I wished to remain, however the deal they supplied was a low provide. The deal they supplied wasn’t even $20 million a yr. I might have stayed in the event that they supplied me $22 million”

Brown added he does not have “any dangerous blood” with the Titans and thanked them for drafting him to get his profession began.

Titans’ aspect

The Titans and Brown’s camp had began preliminary contract negotiations on an extension on the mix in early March. Robinson revealed a timeline on the proprietor’s conferences later within the month.

“Proper now, we’re simply making an attempt to get by this free-agency interval, seeing the place we have landed cap-wise,” Robinson mentioned.

Robinson gushed about Brown’s work ethic and mentioned the fourth-year receiver is “about what they’re about.” Vrabel complimented Brown for creating as an individual and a father.

Negotiations have been going nicely — in response to sources in Brown’s camp and inside the Titans. The doubtless candy spot was going to be within the $20 million per season vary.

Then, beginning with Kirk, the market exploded. Brown’s camp made it clear a brand new deal was the one means he’d be on the sector for offseason actions.

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The demand motivated the Titans to expedite their course of, in response to a workforce supply. The Titans supplied Brown an extension that averaged $20 million per season with out incentives, a workforce supply mentioned.

The workforce believed it was truthful as a result of it had the next common wage than Kirk and was in keeping with Moore, Godwin and Williams at $20 million yearly. The counteroffer from Brown’s workforce was a mean increased than $25 million and $80 million in ensures.

“I handled the representatives there,” Robinson mentioned after the primary day of the draft. “Went backwards and forwards actually during the last two to a few weeks and simply realized that the hole was actually too far for us to bridge.”

Brown requested a commerce and lower off all contact with the Titans — together with his broad receiver coach and others on the employees — three weeks earlier than the draft, in response to a workforce supply. The Eagles had been monitoring the state of affairs and noticed their alternative.

“There have been a pair [of] groups that referred to as, and I might say they confirmed probably the most curiosity,” Robinson mentioned of draft day. “The commerce factor form of manifested itself from them and actually began engaged on that in all probability within the final 18, 20 hours and got here collectively fairly shortly this afternoon.”

Brown received the deal he wished, agreeing to a four year, $100 million contract with $57.2 million in ensures.

Eagles GM weighs in

On draft day, the commerce was contingent upon Brown agreeing to a contract extension. Eagles basic supervisor Howie Roseman referred to as his quarterback, Jalen Hurts, to ask if he may put an excellent phrase in to assist seal the deal and pace up the method.

The 2 have a friendship, and Hurts tried to recruit Brown out of highschool to affix him at Alabama earlier than Brown ended up staying in-state at Ole Miss.

Brown mentioned in his information convention that he and Hurts talked earlier within the day, however Brown went quiet as the choice received nearer as a result of he was making an attempt to maintain feelings out of it.

“We have been simply form of making an attempt to steadiness ending that, and if we did not end that, ensuring we additionally received the correct gamers,” Roseman mentioned. “For us, A.J. Brown was anyone that we had studied popping out and spent a whole lot of time on, and we had a whole lot of love for A.J. Brown in that draft.”

The deal got here all the way down to the wire. Roseman and Brown’s camp struck a deal throughout choose 15. It wanted to get completed by choose 18 when the Eagles have been on the clock. Roseman was seen coming out and in of the draft room main as much as the choose, ducking into a non-public room down the corridor, clearly engaged on a deal.

“The toughest half was making an attempt to steadiness all of it and the timing that was occurring and making an attempt to be truthful to the Titans as nicely,” Roseman mentioned. “Clearly, they needed to make a choose and get on the clock if we have been going to make this commerce.

“Lots of credit score to A.J. and his brokers for getting this deal completed as nicely as a result of this wasn’t like we had weeks to do. It actually form of took place shortly right here.”

What it means for Tannehill

Shedding Brown means quarterback Ryan Tannehill is now with out his No. 1 goal since taking up because the beginning quarterback in Week 7 of the 2019 season.

Of their three years collectively, Brown has had at the very least 1,00zero receiving yards (together with playoffs) and has led the Titans in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

“Professionally, it harm,” Tannehill mentioned of Brown. “He is a prime goal, heck of a soccer participant that made large performs for us constantly during the last three years. Personally, it harm. A.J. is an effective good friend. Not having the ability to see him every day goes to be laborious. I am pleased to see him get what he wished.”

It’s no shock the Titans drafted Burks, who is similar form of sturdy, yards-after-catch receiver as Brown.

“The extra we frolicked with Treylon and watched the movie and dug into it, we felt that he did a whole lot of issues bodily that we like and for that place,” Robinson mentioned.

On the mix, Burks mentioned he studied and utilized a whole lot of elements from Brown’s sport to his personal. Burks will now get the chance to point out what he is discovered towards Brown.

The Titans journey to Lincoln Monetary Area to face the Eagles this season. Though they will not be on the sector on the similar time, Burks can present why he is a participant the Titans are relying on to assist proceed their bodily passing sport, whereas Brown will look to point out Tennessee what they misplaced by buying and selling him.

ESPN Philadelphia Eagles reporter Tim McManus contributed to this report.