Will Mike Borgonzi or Chad Brinker possess control over Titans’ 53-man roster?

Who will have control over the Tennessee Titans’ 53-man roster?

The Tennessee Titans hired former Kansas City Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi as their new GM last week. Borgonzi is expected to be introduced to the media this week. When he makes his first appearance, we need clarification regarding who will possess final say on the 53-man roster, him or president of football operations Chad Brinker.

When owner Amy Adams Strunk fired Ran Carthon, she clarified that Brinker would oversee all football-related matters, including roster control. Together, Adams Strunk and Brinker then oversaw a quality hiring process. They identified 10 initial candidates and eventually appointed Borgonzi, the consensus top GM candidate around the league.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated dropped his Monday Morning Quarterback (MMB) article. SI reported some outstanding nuggets regarding the Titans’ process to appoint Borgonzi. “Borgonzi will oversee coaching, scouting, sports medicine, sports performance and player development, and have final say on the roster,” Breer writes.

That seems to clash with Adams Strunk’s initial statement. Perhaps Breer misspoke, meaning to write Brinker instead of Borgonzi. Or perhaps Borgonzi negotiated 53-man roster control into his contract. Local media should ensure we receive clarification at the introductory press conference.

Breer goes on to explain that Borgonzi and Brinker were the respective point men on separate trades involving L’Jarius Sneed and DeAndre Hopkins. Breer reports that the Titans came to view Borgonzi, laying out a clear plan for the franchise’s impending rebuild, while also involving himself in player development, sports science, and analytics.

One of the most notable in Breer’s article states that Borgonzi learned the Green Bay Packers’ grading scale under John Dorsey. Brinker embraces the same methodology from his time with the Packers. It’s clear that Green Bay’s grading scale and draft-and-develop strategy will have a massive impact on Tennessee’s strategy moving forward.

Brinker spent 45 minutes on the phone with Chiefs GM Brett Veach vetting Borgonzi, per Breer. Brinker went further, interviewing Chiefs staff members under Borgonzi. The Titans landed a top-shelf GM candidate, and insight into the hiring process offers more reason for hope.