Titans' Jarvis Brownlee replacement just exposed Mike Borgonzi's biggest mistake
The Tennessee Titans are 1-6 following Sunday's 31-13 beatdown by Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots in Week 7. With the team struggling so badly, every move made by general manager Mike Borgonzi during the offseason and season is understandably being scrutinized. In a year littered with misses, arguably the most peculiar was the in-season trade of cornerback Jarvis Brownlee.
The Titans are a rebuilding roster that requires young talent. That made their decision to trade a starting-caliber sophomore cornerback in exchange for a late-round pick swap more puzzling. Making matters worse, his replacement Jalyn Armour-Davis is playing terribly.
Armour-Davis was acquired by Borgonzi when the Titans claimed him off waivers. Borgonzi inherited Brownlee from the previous regime and promptly traded away a good-performing player for nothing. It raises questions about the Titans' priorities when attempting to build out this roster.
Titans CB Jalyn Armour-Davis keeps exposing Mike Borgonzi's Jarvis Brownlee mistake
Armour-Davis was a liability against the Patriots both as a coverage defender and as a tackler. Pro Football Focus credited Armour-Davis with two missed tackles on Sunday. There's plenty of blame to go around as the Patriots rushed for nearly 200 yards, with Rhamondre Stevenson and Drake Maye torching the defense on the ground.
It was Armour-Davis who immediately stepped into the starting lineup following Brownlee's dismissal. He's allowed nine receptions on 12 targets for a catch-rate allowed percentage of 75%. Armour-Davis is allowing an explosive 15.9 yards per catch as opposing quarterbacks enjoy a passer rating of 114.2 when targeting him.
Making matters worse, the struggling L'Jarius Sneed exited Sunday's defeat with a familiar quad injury that derailed his 2024 season. A more telling health update on Sneed hasn't arrived yet, but Armour-Davis functioned as the CB1 following his departure, with Darrell Baker Jr. entering the lineup.
Armour-Davis is playing terribly. Every lackluster snap he takes further exposes the Titans' decision to trade Brownlee. Borgonzi and Chad Brinker shouldn't live down that error in judgment anytime soon.
Steelers Listed as Fit for Two Big-Name WR Trade Candidates
The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been overly impressive, and despite a lackluster point differential, they currently sit atop the AFC North. A trade deadline boost could go a long way for Mike Tomlin’s team.
One could quibble with the semantics as to whether Pittsburgh is “all in” this season, but signing Aaron Rodgers isn’t exactly the move made with long-term thinking in mind. At 4-2 and with the rest of the division in peril, this might be the Steelers’ last best chance to make a deep run for a while.
That makes them a fascinating team at the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline, and an intriguing ESPN.com piece posted Oct. 22 lists Pittsburgh as a potential landing spot for a pair of big-name wideouts: Miami’s Jaylen Waddle and Las Vegas Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Steelers Listed as Potential Trade Fit for Jaylen Waddle, Jakobi Meyers
In a story outlining the 25 top trade candidates, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen listed both Waddle (No. 2) and Meyers (No. 5) among the top players who could have new addresses by mid-November.
Waddle is still a long shot. Fowler gave it a 10% chance that the Dolphins would actually move him before the deadline. Miami is circling the drain, and head coach Mike McDaniel is in major jeopardy of losing his job. However, Waddle just signed a three-year extension last year.
“This is a similar situation to (Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey) Hendrickson; the team does not plan to trade the player, but interest is there,” Fowler wrote. “While Miami could be tempted to trade players due to its 1-6 record, Waddle is a building block on offense, and he’s due $36.1 million in cash over 2025-26 — reasonable in today’s high-end receiver market.”
Meyers, on the other hand, feels far more likely to move. He needs a new deal and has already requested — and publicly confirmed multiple times — a trade.
“Multiple execs told me they believe Las Vegas is open to a deal but is not actively shopping him,” Fowler wrote. “Another, however, believes the Raiders would prefer to wait until after the season to make any sweeping changes, due in part to the presence of Pete Carroll. The type of offers that roll in over the next two weeks could determine the course of action here.”
Steelers’ Reported Plans for NFL Trade Deadline
Pittsburgh hasn’t typically made a big splash at the NFL trade deadline, but general manager Omar Khan isn’t against midseason additions. Just last year, the Steelers swung a trade for New York Jets receiver Mike Williams, who was largely a non-factor down the stretch.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Gerry Dulac believes Pittsburgh could take a similar path in 2025.
“I think if you see them go get a wide receiver, it’s gonna be the equivalent of Mike Williams, what they did last year,” Dulac said on 102.5 WDVE on Oct. 20, as transcribed by SteelersDepot.com.
” … I don’t think they’re ready to push any kind of button to say we need to get a second wide receiver, No. 2 wide receiver, because you’re seeing what they’re doing with all their different tight ends.”
Rodgers certainly has utilized Jonnu Smith (20 receptions), Pat Freiermuth (13) and Darnell Washington (nine) this season. Perhaps that’s sustainable, but adding someone like Meyers — a physical wideout who can serve as an intermediate option — would complement Metcalf and give Pittsburgh an added element to its offense.
