Titans' GM: Many teams had interest in Mettenberger before drafting QBs

The Tennessee Titans' decision to release backup quarterback Zach Mettenberger this week was mildly surprising, as it was widely assumed he had some trade value.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson confirmed to Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official website that Mettenberger drew interest from several teams, but explained that the Titans weren't able to reach a trade agreement with any of them because of how the draft unfolded.

"There were a lot of teams we touched base with over the course of the draft weekend that had interest in Zach, and a lot of those teams ended up selecting quarterbacks at some point in the draft," Robinson said. "For whatever reason those discussions never really manifested, or culminated into anything."

The San Diego Chargers claimed Mettenberger on waivers. Two other teams, the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals, reportedly put in claims for the former sixth-round pick.

Robinson explained that the Titans wanted to move on from Mettenberger now, as opposed to later in the offseason, as a favor to him.

"Just trying to be fair to Zach and allow him to get started, get a fresh start, and go compete somewhere for a spot and playing time," Robinson said. "Having Marcus (Mariota) here kind of afforded us that option to do it sooner rather than later and really give Zach and his young career a chance to grow in a new system, a new environment."