NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After a 1-6 start, the struggling Tennessee Titans could be thinking about the future already.
They fired their coach, Brian Callahan, six games into the season, and the offense is last in points per game (13.7). They promoted senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy to interim head coach, but his debut ended up in a 31-13 loss to their previous coach in Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots.
Despite the Nov. 4 trade deadline looming, McCoy's focus remains on the Indianapolis Colts (6-1), who have the best record in the NFL, for Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS).
"We're not worrying about down the road," McCoy said. "It's about this week. That's the number one thing. Everything else will take care of itself down the road, but ... our focus right now is going to Indy and finding a way to win the game."
It's no stretch to imagine that the Titans could be looking to move players at the deadline. After all, president of team operations Chad Brinker said he wants to make 12 draft picks in the top 100 over the next three years.
The most immediate way to reach that number would be to trade some of the players on the roster who have value to a contending team, so here are four candidates that would make sense for a team looking to improve their roster down the stretch:
Jeffery Simmons, DT
Although it's unlikely, Simmons has to be mentioned because he would fetch the biggest return in a trade. Simmons has been a disruptive presence up front for the Titans. Before suffering a hamstring injury in the second quarter against the Patriots, Simmons generated 23 pressures and 4.5 sacks, tied with Byron Murphy II for the most sacks among defensive tackles.
Simmons, 28, is one of the few players left over from the Titans teams that won back-to-back AFC South division titles in 2020 and 2021, and he has two more years remaining from a four-year, $94 million extension he signed in 2023. If there's a contender that has significant space to absorb Simmons' contract and is looking for an instant impact player, they'd be wise to reach out.
However, trading Simmons, who is week-to-week with his injury per McCoy, would be a significant loss for the Titans.
"Jeff is our best player and makes plays that others can't make because of his God-given ability," defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said. "If he's not able to go, you got to have players step up, and we're going to have to have a lot of people step up going forward and just be the best version of themself. You can't replace Jeff Simmons. He's played as a best three technique as anyone in the National Football League this year."
Tennessee would hope that whatever draft haul it gets in return would be used to select a player who reaches Simmons' level of success.
Arden Key, OLB
The emergence of edge defenders Jihad Ward and Dre'Mont Jones has helped offset Key's absence over the last two weeks. Key is nursing a quad injury that has kept him out of practice over that stretch, but he returned Thursday in a limited capacity. Before the injury, he was part of a rotation that included Jones, Ward and rookie Oluwafemi Oladejo -- who was placed on injured reserve earlier this month.
Any team looking to help their pass rush could use Key, but as a situational rusher. Key is mostly effective on passing downs and has 1.5 sacks in five games. He'll bring high energy to whoever acquires him. Key is in the final season of a three-year, $21 million deal he signed in 2023.
Calvin Ridley, WR
There's no denying Ridley's talent. At 30 years old, he still has the speed to run by defenders and the quickness to get open on intermediate routes. There's occasional drops from Ridley, but he's always a threat to opposing defenses. Ridley has become one of Cam Ward's favorite targets, but the rookie quarterback registered his two highest completion percentage outings over the last two weeks with Ridley mostly missing from the lineup.
Ridley hasn't practiced since suffering a hamstring injury after playing six snaps in the Titans' 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. For the year, he has 16 receptions for 290 yards. Ridley has two more years left on a four-year, $92 million deal he signed in 2024. Any team trading for him could get out of the contract if they elect to after this season, but it would cost them a $13 million cap hit.
Roger McCreary, CB
McCreary is the youngest of the players mentioned and has already been shopped by the Titans, according to a league source. The fourth-year corner is playing on his final season of his rookie contract and doesn't seem to fit the team's future plans. The Titans have gone with more three-safety looks this season, which reduced snaps for McCreary -- who solely plays nickel corner. McCreary's snaps are down to 57% through seven games as opposed to 69% last season.
"He's a smaller man that's playing in the box a little bit," Wilson said. "So the thought process was to get bigger bodies in there to be able to help'em on first and second down versus the run. It has nothing to do with Roger. He's in on critical pass situations, third downs, all that stuff."
Those numbers could drop more as rookie defensive back Kevin Winston Jr. gets involved in the sub packages. McCreary has one interception and 18 tackles this season. If a team needs a solid nickel defender, McCreary fits the bill.