The Tennessee Titans dropped another close game, losing 43-36 to the Cincinnati Bengals in an overtime thriller.

The Titans are now 1-5 in one-score games this season, and 1-7 on the year. Despite the loss, the Titans played arguably their best game of the year on a day where QB Cam Ward overcame not having WR Carnell Tate to produce the first 300-yard game of his career. 

That development is gonna make the upcoming trade deadline more interesting. Ward obviously needs all the help he can get, but we’ve also reached a point where the stock of some of the Titans’ likeliest trade candidates has never been higher.

It creates an internal dilemma where the team has to weigh the pros and cons of trading a key piece, especially offensively. Is the capital being offered more valuable than having someone who can help Ward develop?

That’s the answer Tennessee will have to answer when teams inevitably come calling ahead of next Tuesday’s deadline. I don’t believe the Titans will just give players away for the sake of getting something in return, but as we saw last week, everyone has a price.

With that said, let’s dive into which players we should be keeping our eyes on as the trade deadline draws near.

RB Tony Pollard

The Titans’ veteran running back is one of the more complicated trade candidates. Pollard has undoubtedly increased his value over the last two weeks, totaling 246 rushing yards and five touchdowns while averaging over five yards per carry.

That type of consistency out of the ground game makes life easier on the Titans’ young quarterback. Trading away someone like Pollard could make the Titans incredibly one-dimensional, especially with RB Tyjae Spears’ inability to stay on the field.

However, if the Titans can get an early day-three pick in return for a running back on an expiring contract, they absolutely have to consider it.

Before the recent breakout, I thought maybe Tennessee could get a late day-three pick in return. But with how the Memphis product is playing, it wouldn’t shock me if someone offered a fifth-round pick to secure a consistent ball carrier for an offense with championship aspirations.

I personally don’t think someone would realistically go to a fourth-round pick for a rental, but if someone does offer that, then that’s something that Tennessee should take without hesitation. Even if it requires sending something like a future sixth or seventh-round pick in return to seal the deal.

But considering how important Pollard is for Ward, I think it’ll take at least a fifth round pick to lure him away. 

S Amani Hooker 

Few have increased their stock as much as Hooker has of late. The veteran safety has already tied his career high of five interceptions through eight games (most in NFL), including three on Sunday against the Bengals. Hooker has also had a couple of close calls that could’ve increased that total even further.

The former Iowa standout still has two years left on his contract and could be someone teams consider a real investment rather than a rental.

At this rate, Hooker would likely fetch a fourth-round pick in return, and if it turns into a bidding war between multiple teams, you could even see a team possibly go as far as offering a conditional third-rounder to secure his services.

If that’s the case, again, Tennessee should jump all over it.

Additional candidates to watch for the Titans

CB Alontae Taylor is one of the Titans’ prized offseason additions that hasn’t panned out the way anybody hoped it would. But with CB Marcus Harris’ status unknown going forward after exiting with an ankle injury in Week 8, I believe Taylor ends up becoming more likely to stay than not.

DE Jacob Martin, the Titans' veteran pass rusher, has already set a new career high with 6.5 sacks through the team’s first eight games, including three against the Bengals today. Pass rushers are a premium come playoff time, so with his value being as high as it is, it wouldn’t shock me to see a team offer a mid-to-late day three pick to try to take him away.

WR Calvin Ridley makes sense for everyone involved. Ridley has fallen down the depth chart in Tennessee, so he may be better suited trying to help a playoff-caliber team that needs a veteran receiver to help stabilize their room. I don’t think this one would take much; a late day three pick could probably get it done. And if someone does offer that, Tennessee would be wise to take it.