Everything Tennessee Titans Coach Mike Vrabel Said About Trading Kevin Byard

The Tennessee Titans traded long-time safety Kevin Byard on Monday and on Tuesday head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about the move and his relationship with Byard.

The Tennessee Titans made a tough decision on Monday to part ways with veteran safety Kevin Byard in a trade sending him to the Philadelphia Eagles for draft picks and Terrell Edmunds. At a press conference on Tuesday head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about the deal and his relationship with Byard.

Vrabel started things out with a statement on Byard and his time with the Titans before taking questions about the move.

"Just want to thank Kevin," Vrabel said. "His family, I think that personal relationship I have with Kevin, goes well beyond football. We know that there is a business side of this and sometimes you have to make tough decisions. This certainly was one of them."

"Ran and I try to continue to grow the team and continue to do what we think is going to be best now and in the long run to add to our roster, strengthen our roster. This was an opportunity to do that."

"Again, just cant thank Kevin enough for the personal relationship and what he's meant to this organization, on the field, off the field. These things are never easy, but hopefully if you handle them with class, integrity, respect and honesty, hopefully it works out for everybody." 

While the personal relationship needs to be acknowledged and Byard's thanks needed to be given, Vrabel immediately began answering questions about the trade and timeline that it all took place on.

"With all these things that we do and these transactions, things are going to remain in house. Took some calls. That's how things transpire and you continue to talk, finally able to get a deal done."

Vrabel also acknowledged the fact that the team is now worse without Byard out there, but that restocking draft picks had to happen.

"You can't have it both ways," Vrabel explained. "Ultimately,  do what we think is in the best interest of the football. Not one person is going to replace Kevin, we know that. Excited to add Terrell (Edmunds), excited to take a look at Elijah (Molden) and some of the pieces that we have there. We're not going to sit there and think we're going to replace Kevin Byard today when we go down there (to practice), it's nobody's intention."

"We made a decision, clearly it will be second-guessed. These things aren't easy. We're trying to look at what draft capital we have and try to come up for a solution for it."

While the need for draft picks is valid, that is tough to sell to a locker room of veterans who want to win after you traded away a two-time All-Pro. Vrabel spoke about his message to the team as well.

"We have a job to do and I understand, I have a job, everybody else has a job and need to do that. That's what we've always done, we'll compete. I am sure everyone has their own personal feelings on it just like I do, but we ask whether they agree with it or disagree with is, they respect it."

One of the realities here is the Titans are 2-4 and need to look ahead, so obtaining picks does make a ton of sense when they had limited draft capital for 2024, but curiously, Vrabel said the record didn't factor in to the Byard trade.

"It didn't," Vrabel declared. "Not in my mind. focused on the Falcons and where we need to go."

That answer makes it sound like this was a football decision more than a team-building decision. Like the Titans believe they can be just as good or bad on defense without Byard. Interesting comment for sure.

The Titans will have a chance to prove it though when they take on the Falcons on Sunday.

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