Are the Tennessee Titans in the market for a new GM

For the first time this season, a serious news outlet shares that Tennessee Titans GM Ruston Webster may not be as safe he thought. After months of owner Tommie Smith publicly supporting Webster and head coach Ken Whisenhunt, Smith has gone quiet these past few weeks.This is the report from CBS writer Jason La Canfora.

And while Titans ownership came forward a few weeks back and said its coach and general manager would be back, general manager Rustin Webster could be let go with the team potentially finishing dead-last in the NFL and the Titans losing nine straight games going into the finale. Webster has had a long tenure with the club -- while coach Ken Whisenhunt is completing his first year there on a very lucrative contract -- and the team has holes all over its roster and has continued to have a void at quarterback. Titans personnel exec Lake Dawson, who has interviewed for GM jobs in the past, would be a possible internal candidate if a move were made.

Lake Dawson has been hyped for several years and has been a hot commodity in the NFL, so it will be interesting if Tommie Smith decides to promote internally rather than looking outside. Dawson could be a great hire because he is familiar with what the roster has (or doesn't have). Hopefully if the Titans can find someone who can make solid draft choices like Ruston Webster did, but someone who knows how to find free agents that actually pan out.

The Titans are entering a crucial year for the franchise. Potentially the next GM or Webster, will have to figure out whether or not they have a QB that can win in Zach Mettenberger. If the decide not, they have to decide on whether or not they want to take the huge risk of drafting Jameis Winston, and if not, then what is the plan?

On top of that they will need to figure out what to do with the big cap number that the Titans will have entering this offseason. Bad free agent signings could put the Titans in another Levitre-type situation, and could really hurt the team for the next three years.

Either way, Tommie Smith has a huge decision after his first season as owner went about as poorly as anyone could have imagined.