Unpacking what Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon said about Kevin Byard, NFL Draft QBs, more

Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon has thoughts.

In an article published on the Titans' official website, Carthon explained the thought processes behind the team's free agent signings but also gave brief answers about more pressing questions like what's going on with defensive stars Kevin Byard and Jeffery Simmons and why he's been spotted at the Pro Day workout of every projected first-round quarterback just one month before the NFL draft.

Here's a breakdown of the most important things Carthon said.

MOCK DRAFT:Tennessean NFL mock draft 3.0: Why Tennessee Titans trade down to land Day 1 starter

CLEAN SLATE?Can Andre Dillard go from Philadelphia Eagles frustration to Tennessee Titans starting left tackle?

QB RUMORS:As Lamar Jackson rumors swirl, what are Tennessee Titans' realistic quarterback options?

The Kevin Byard rumors are 'blatantly false'

During the first week of free agency, rumors swirled about veteran Titans safety Kevin Byard. Some claimed Byard requested his release from the Titans, others that the Titans asked Byard to take a pay cut. Carthon called the rumor about Byard and his representatives asking for a release "blatantly false" and said he wants Byard to remain a Titan.

Of course, this doesn't refute the possibility that Carthon did ask Byard to take a pay cut. Nor does it mean Carthon would've been wrong for gauging Byard's response. Carthon said at his introduction he wants to evaluate every inch of the roster. That includes cornerstone pieces like Byard every bit as much as it includes the players on the fringes.

If anything, Carthon's comments about Byard only make it seem more likely the safety will be back for his eighth season with the Titans this fall, undoubtedly a good thing for coach Mike Vrabel's defense.

Why is Carthon looking at so many quarterbacks?

Carthon's attended three Pro Days thus far: Alabama, Ohio State and Kentucky. He has plans to attend a fourth later this week at Florida. It's easy to see the trend line there; Alabama, Ohio State, Kentucky and Florida are the alma maters of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson, the four top-rated quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

"You have to do your due diligence on everybody," Carthon said in the article. "You look at each of those schools, and they have other draftable players that are of some interest to us. But again, you have to know what is going before you and what's being picked after you."

The "all these schools have other players we're interested in" line obviously makes sense for Alabama and Ohio State. It even makes sense for Florida, which in addition to being Carthon's alma mater has mid- and late-round offensive linemen and linebackers for the Titans to consider. It's a harder argument to make for Kentucky. Levis is the only Wildcat ranked in ESPN's top 100 prospects for 2023.

If Carthon wanted to see the greatest number of draftable prospects, he'd have gone to Georgia's or Michigan's Pro Days, too, and maybe he'd be going to Oklahoma's or Tennessee's Pro Day on the same day as Florida's. Clearly he's interested in this class of quarterbacks, though. How much that ends up coming into play over the next month could define the trajectory of the Titans for the next decade.

What's the latest with Jeffery Simmons?

Carthon recently saw (and hugged) Simmons at a team event. Carthon said Simmons is still working hard to recover from the ankle injury that nagged at him last season. Carthon didn't offer any further updates on Simmons' contract negotiations as the All Pro defensive tackle heads into the final year of his rookie deal.

The Titans can get away with not re-signing Simmons right away. They have the franchise tag at their disposal next year and could prolong extending him for essentially two years if they want. But Simmons has expressed interest in staying with the Titans long term and the Titans freed up plenty of cap space this offseason without making any big splash signings in free agency.

The money is there. The timing is right. Unless the Titans are actively shopping Simmons trying to move up in the draft, there isn't much of a reason to prolong this process.

Quick thoughts on the free agent signings

Carthon had the following to say about the Titans' six free agent signings:

• Carthon wants to start Andre Dillard out at left tackle and see if he can handle the role before exploring other positions for the former Philadelphia Eagle.
• Carthon calls linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair a "maniac on the grass" and a humble community activist and servant but is most impressed by how much he wants to be a leader.
• Outside linebacker Arden Key is "instant juice" who will be used with his hand in the dirt and as a stand-up rusher.
• Offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill was brought to Nashville to play all five positions and maximize the Titans' starting five.
• The Dallas Cowboys' special teams coordinator texted Carthon and called him a "dirty dog" for signing away linebacker Luke Gifford.
• Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting was signed to create more competition in the secondary and help motivate some of the younger players in the room to keep improving.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.