Would Titans really consider releasing Kevin Byard?

As the Tennessee Titans try to navigate an offseason in which they need all the salary cap space they can get, one former NFL GM is saying the team will cut Kevin Byard if he doesn’t take a pay cut.

On his podcast, “The GM Shuffle”, former Cleveland Browns general manager Michael Lombardi said this about Byard and the Titans:

“[Byard is] a really a good player. [The Titans are] trying to get him to take a pay cut. If he doesn’t take a pay cut, they’re going to cut him,” Lombardi said.

It’s hard to fully distinguish if Lombardi has actual sources he’s hearing this from, or if this is simply speculation on his part. Either way, I don’t see this happening.

For starters, cutting Byard pre-June 1 would only save the Titans $5.9 million while also incurring a massive dead-cap charge of $13.6 million, which doesn’t make much sense financially, especially when you consider Byard is still playing at the top of his game.

Sure, the Titans could cut him post-June 1, which would save $14.1 million and leave only $5.5 million in dead money, but Tennessee wouldn’t be able to utilize that savings until June, well after free agency is over.

And, they’d probably look to trade Byard first, as he’d definitely have a market out there.

Adding to all that, cutting or trading Byard, who is one of the very best at his position in the NFL, would leave a gaping hole in the secondary that the Titans would then have to fill, further adding to a laundry list of needs.

At the end of the day, I think the Titans and Byard will re-work his deal in some form or fashion before it ever gets to the point of them parting with him.

Even if nothing happens on that end, I expect Byard in Nashville in 2023.