The 1-5 Tennessee Titans are embracing the tank and could trade star pass rusher Harold Landry in the coming weeks. After parting ways with Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season, first-year head coach Brian Callahan decided to see what Will Levis could do after an up-and-down rookie season. Unfortunately, the second-round pick crashed and burned, continuing to make head-scratching decisions while losing all of his positive playmaking ability. With the season effectively over, the team already sent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs and linebacker Ernest Jones to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Titans are trying to get younger, and Harold Landry might be the next player to leave via trade. A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Boston College product established himself as a consistent pass-rushing threat, recording 45.5 sacks throughout his career including four through the first six games of the season. While the pass rusher is technically under contract for two more seasons, he doesn’t have any guarantees beyond 2024 and the rebuilding Titans could send the 28-year-old to a contender like the Kansas City Chiefs or Baltimore Ravens.
Chiefs, Ravens Could Trade For Titans Harold Landry
The Kansas City Chiefs are the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team, but that doesn’t mean this roster is perfect. While they addressed their biggest need with the DeAndre Hopkins trade, the reigning Super Bowl champions should still address their pass rush. Kansas City has just 10 sacks through their first six games, the fourth-fewest in the league. While having their bye week naturally impacts this ranking, the fact remains that their 1.6 sacks per game is one of the lowest ranks in the NFL. Looking around the league, Harold Landry might be the best trade option out there.
Chris Jones remains an elite defensive tackle, recording three sacks through six games and entering Week 8 with an impressive 89.2 PFF grade. The edge defenders, however, need to start pulling their weight. George Karlaftis is the only adequate starter on the team, as Mike Danna is nothing more than a solid depth piece and former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah can’t shake the ‘bust’ label. Adding Harold Landry via trade would give the Chiefs three players capable of taking down the quarterback on every snap, which you need when you share a conference with Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow.
Baltimore’s Quest For A Title
After an 0-2 start, the Baltimore Ravens pulled together five straight wins and now look like the hottest team in football. While this roster rightly deserves that praise, they could still benefit from a Harold Landry trade. After losing Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, Baltimore trusted their homegrown talent to step up and replace the departed veteran. Kyle Van Noy is playing out of his mind and former first-round pick Odafe Oweh is having a nice season, but this could use another player capable of collapsing the pocket.
Head coach John Harbaugh loves to rotate his edge defenders to keep everyone fresh throughout the grueling 17-game season. Right now, Van Noy and Oweh are the only players with more than two sacks, and that must change if this team wants to stay this dominant into January. A Harold Landry trade could be just what the doctor ordered, as the former second-round pick will give Baltimore four dangerous pass rushers, including defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. An offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link, and there’s a good chance one of those four beats their man on every single snap.
Main Photo: Denny Simmons – USA Today Sports
