NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Early in his courtship with his now wife Ran Carthon told her his dream was to be a NFL general manager. Heather Carthon told him at the time he was crazy, but three months into his new role as G.M. of the Titans that dream is very much a reality.
Carthon has hit the ground running. He’s re-signed the team’s top defensive player Jeffery Simmons, navigated his first free agency period, and, just last weekend, completed his first NFL Draft as the man making the calls at the center of the war room table.
“Three months in it’s everything I thought it was going to be,” Carthon told Newschannel 5 during a sit-down interview at the team’s practice facility.“ Great mentors have talked to me about what this job entails, so I had a really good idea of what was coming. And then I’ll never forget walking through the combine with (assistant G.M.) Chad (Brinker) and running into Scott Pioli and he shared something that Coach Parcells told him that you’re going to get hit with three to five things a day that you aren’t planning for. So you brace for those moments, but it’s all been enjoyable.”
Carthon got some immediate cache with Titans fans by making good on his initial promise to re-sign Simmons.
On his first day on the job, he said that a contract extension for the All-Pro defensive tackle was his top priority. Two months later he made good on that promise, signing Simmons to a four-year, $94 million deal.
“My first couple days in the building Jeffery and I were in my office and we met,” Carthon said. “I gave him my word that he was priority no. 1 and that we were going to get it done. And I’m a man of my word so I wanted to make sure I made that happen. Jeffery’s a cornerstone of our defense. One of our leaders on this team. Showing the commitment to a player of his stature should hopefully send the message to the players in our locker room that we’re going to draft, develop and take care of our own.”
The hope is that the team’s new rookie class will fit that mold. The Titans had six draft picks headlined by the selection of Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski with the 11th overall pick.
But Carthon made his biggest waves during draft weekend when he trade up in the second round to select former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, a top prospect who was still on the board at pick no. 33.
That move only further fueled speculation that the Titans may be looking to move on from Ryan Tannehill at the quarterback position. Tannehill is 35 years old and entering the final season on his contract, so sooner or later it seems likely Levis will get the opportunity to replace him as the team’s starter.
“You can want what you want for Will, but Will determines whether he’s going to be the starting quarterback now or in the future,” Carthon said. “Ryan’s here, Malik’s here, and they’ll probably feel otherwise about that. And they’ll have a say in that because they’ll have the chance to compete on the grass.”
Competition is a constant theme preached by Carthon and the Titans. They want to have multiple talented players at each position to improve depth and field the best possible 53-man roster.
The biggest question mark remains the wide receiver position. It was the team’s biggest need entering the Draft and remains so after the Titans took just one – Colton Dowell of UT Martin – in the seventh round.
“I understand whatever frustration (people have) over addressing that position,” Carthon said. “You know, felt we should’ve done it in the first, second, third round, whatever. But you have free agency first, then the draft, and now you have this whole separate other way of player acquisition. We don’t have to have our roster set to 53 until September.
After a whirlwind first three months on the job, Carthon can finally take a step back and take a deep breath. He needs to buy a house, move his family to Nashville and pick a high school for his youngest daughter.
But he also knows the job of building this roster is far from over if the Titans are going to get back into the playoff mix next season.
“There won’t be any predictions,” Carthon said. “But our number one goal is to field a competitive, tough team that not only this organization, but the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee can be proud of. And I think once we get that core group of guys – 60-some odd guys when you include the practice squad – we’ll put the best product on the field.”
