NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three years removed from Jon Robinson’s tenure as Titans’ general manager, his fingerprints on the team’s roster continued to fade with Monday’s release/injured of 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks, acquired as part of the trade of A.J. Brown.
Eleven of the 91 players currently on the Titans roster date back to Robinson:
- Jeffery Simmons, first rounder, 2019
- Amani Hooker, fourth rounder, 2019
- Morgan Cox, veteran free agent, 2021
- Mason Kinsey, undrafted rookie free agent, 2021
- Corey Levin, waiver claim, 2021
- Roger McCreary, second rounder, 2022
- Chig Okonkwo, fourth rounder, 2022
- Julius Chestnut, undrafted rookie, 2022
- Thomas Odukoya, undrafted rookie, 2022
- Andrew Rupcich, undrafted free agent, 2022
- Mike Brown, in-season free agent, 2022
That’s not a lot, but it’s not about the number as much as it is about the lack of high-level starters or star power.
From Robinson’s last three dates, in which he had 23 total picks and 11 picks in the top three rounds, the Titans have one player remaining – McCreary. And of his seven first-round picks, only Jeffery Simmons got a second contract.
The Titans have been a terrible team at finding receiver talent in the draft, and Robinson hit a massive home run when the Titans took Brown 51st in the second round in 2019. The franchise got just three years out of him and rather than fight through a difficult contract impasse, Robinson dealt him to Philadelphia during the 2022 draft in exchange for the 18th pick, which they spent on Burks and the 101st pick in the third round.
The Titans packaged their original first-round pick, No. 26, with 101 and came out with picks that yielded McCreary, Nicholas Petite-Frere and Kyle Philips.
Brown vs. Burks, McCreary, Petit-Frere and Philips has been totally lopsided, a super star for a constantly injured receiver who caught one TD, a quality nickelback, an offensive lineman who steadily got worse and a slot receiver who struggled more than Burks to stay on the field.
Stats since the #Titans traded AJ Brown in 2022 to the #Eagles for the No. 18 pick in 2022 (Treylon Burks) and a the No. 101 pick in the third round.
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) July 28, 2025
They packaged No. 26 and 101 for picks that turned into Roger McCreary (35th), Nicholas Petit-Frere (69th) and Kyle Philips… pic.twitter.com/Mol9WxR33D
If Burks clears waivers, he reverts to the Titans' IR list. Since his contract is fully guaranteed, they can't negotiate out of any of it based on the duration of his rehabilitation.
The team could terminate him once he's healthy, hoping he signs elsewhere, as new salary would offset a portion of the $2.7 million base salary they owe him.
