My Two Cents: It's a Hard Goodbye to Kevin Byard, But It Needed to Be Done

The Tennessee Titans made the first step in their rebuild on Monday, trading popular veteran safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles. It's hard to say goodbye to such a popular player, but rebuilds are hard and personal. This is just the first step, which makes it tough for big-hearted Titans fans.

Tom Brew | Oct 24, 2023

My Two Cents: It's a Hard Goodbye to Kevin Byard, But It Needed to Be Done /

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Tennessee Titans

NASHVILLE — Kevin Byard is 30 years old, and he's been a terrific safety for the Tennessee Titans for eight years. Been an even better man, too.

And that will never go away.

What did go away on Monday, though, was his spot on the Titans' roster. In the first step in rookie general manager Ran Carthon's rebuild — which is much needed by the way, and not up for debate — Byard was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

In return, Tennessee gets a fifth- and sixth-round pick in 2024, plus safety Terrell Edmunds, a 2018 first-round pick who has generally underachieved in his five years and is on an expiring contract.

Byard is so beloved in this community that Monday was a hard day for a lot of fans. There are thousands of No. 31 jerseys throughout middle Tennessee, worn by adults and kids alike. He's a local-ish kid, a former star at Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro, and he's a man of the people. His local charity work is unprecedented, and he's been honored for it often.

And every honor is well deserved.

But this, my friends, is football. And, Titans fans, your team is in a bit of a mess right now. We talked about this being a year of transition, and with the Byard trade, that transition has started.

And it starts with saying goodbye.

"I want to thank Kevin and (his wife) Clarke for what they have meant to the Titans family and our community," Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement Monday night. "Kevin has been a model of leadership on and off the field, always setting such a wonderful example for teammates and others to follow. His phenomenal play and tireless charitable efforts have earned him a special and lasting place in our hearts.

"Kevin will always be a Titan, and we wish him well this year and in the years to come."

There is plenty of truth to that. Byard is a two-time former All-Pro, but those days are behind him. The Eagles, in win-now mode, think he can still help them this year, and they're probably right.

But the Titans are probably a few years away — at best — from winning again, and Byard will be done by then. This is about the rebuild, and doing it as quickly as possible. The Titans need draft capital for that.

There was a lot of teeth-gnashing Monday that the Titans should have gotten more for Byard. It's foolish thinking, though. Carthon, I've been told, is in serious sell mode now, and he's been talking to teams all across the league.

And this is the best deal he could get.

To be honest, it is a good deal for both teams. Byard was owned more than $14 million next year, so the trade now gives the Titans even more room to work with in the offseason. They now have nearly $100 million of cap space, and can be aggressive players in free agency.

That is a very good thing.

Gaining more draft capital is one thing, but the cap space is really where it's at. The Titans have a lot of holes, and this is their way to start to fill them. It is a good deal, it really is.

Byard is simply a casualty.

"I haven't known Kevin long, but I have gained a great deal of respect for him as a player and as a person," Carthon said in a statement from the team. "I want to thank him for his professionalism both on and off the field and what he gave to this team on a daily basis. He is the definition of a pro's pro. I wish him all the best."

Byard has had 27 career interceptions with the Titans, but none this year. He's a well-respected team captain and he's also been that guy who's stood up after every game – win or lose — and answered every question. He's a stand-up guy who has always played hard, and always wanted to win.

He's been a Titan, true and true. And everyone knows that. And it's more than just being a good safety. He's a leader, too, and as good of a locker room presence as you'll ever see.

"I want to thank Kevin for what he means to me personally and to this team," Titans Coach Mike Vrabel said in a statement. "When I arrived, he helped carry a new message into the locker room and establish the mindset and work ethic we were trying to instill throughout the team.

"His play on the field speaks for itself. An intelligent and athletic player, he has led the secondary and helped us win a lot of games. Kevin and Clarke and the kids mean a great deal to me, and I wish them success in all that is in front of them."

This is just the start for Carthon and the Titans. Edmunds plays safety, too, the No. 28 overall pick in 2018 NFL Draft — four spots ahead of Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson and seven ahead of running back Nick Chubb — and he will play this season for Tennessee. He spent four years in Pittsburgh before signing with the Eagles this offseason.

He's on a one-year deal, so the Titans aren't on the hook for anything beyond this year. They'll see what he can do, and take it from there.

This is much more about the picks and a cap space that it is about Edmunds.

To be honest, it's more about Byard for today. Let's have a nice goodbye, and give Byard a big thank you for all he's done for eight years.

But this big fix is real, and there's a lot of work to be done. Byard is part of the Titans' past, and he's been a part of a present that's going nowhere in 2023.

He was never going to be part of the Titans' future — not with his hefty price tag — so it's time to move on.

It's said. But it's also reality. And now we wait for the next shoe to drop.

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