Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk knew exactly what she wanted in her next general manager, and she didn’t stop searching until she found someone who checked all the boxes.
The Titans are expected to hire San Francisco 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon as their next general manager, sources close to the situation confirmed to Scene sister publication the Nashville Post.
"We want someone who is an exceptional talent evaluator, exceptional at roster building and someone who is an excellent decision maker,” Adams Strunk said last week.
Carthon certainly fits the bill. He helped assemble one of the most complete rosters from top to bottom in San Francisco, which had the third-most Pro Bowl selections this season (six) and 24 Pro Bowl selections since he joined the team. San Francisco has also appeared in a Super Bowl (2019) and an NFC Championship game (2021) during his tenure.
Carthon joined the 49ers as their director of pro personnel, where he spent the past six seasons running the team’s pro scouting department as well as overseeing free agency, trades and waiver claims.
Some of SF’s notable moves under Carthon include acquiring Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams, Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, signing former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman and trading former Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Carthon had his first interview with the Titans on Friday and his second interview on Tuesday. News of his hiring broke just hours later. Carthon interviewed for GM positions with the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers last season.
The 49ers will receive compensatory third-round draft picks in 2023 and 2024 under the Rooney Rule for helping to develop minority coaches and GMs.
Tennessee also interviewed Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Cardinals VP of player personnel Quentin Harris, Browns VP of player personnel Glenn Cook and Bills senior director of pro scouting Malik Boyd, plus internal candidates Ryan Cowden, VP of player personnel, and former director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort, who was named the GM of the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.
Deciding the future of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, tackle Taylor Lewan, linebacker Bud Dupree and receiver Robert Woods, plus jumping in on contract negotiations with Jeffery Simmons, David Long and Nate Davis are among the items on Carthon’s lengthy to-do list.
This article first ran via our sister publication, the Nashville Post. Follow Michael Gallagher on Twitter at @MGsports_.
