Sources: Titans want Vince Young trade

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The Tennessee Titans intend to try to trade quarterback Vince Young rather than release him, according to league sources.

Young is due a $4.25 million roster bonus 10 days after the start of the league year, whenever there's a new collective bargaining agreement. It originally had been thought Young was due the bonus March 10.

Thus, from the moment the new CBA is signed, Tennessee will have a 10-day window in which to trade Young and his contract that calls for $8.5 million in base salary during the 2011 season.

Another team would have to be willing to take on Young's contract -- or be willing to restructure it. The Titans can release Young starting Feb. 7 but they do not have plans to do that now.

Young is 30-17 in five NFL seasons, but only 13-14 against teams finishing a season .500 or better. He's also battled questions about his work ethic, leadership and injuries. He suffered a season-ending thumb injury on his right hand Nov. 21, tossed his shoulder pads into the stands and told off former coach Jeff Fisher in front of the team before storming out of the locker room.

In an interview with ESPN earlier this month, Young said he considers himself an elite NFL quarterback.

"I'm going to go into the organization, the team, and compete. That's all I can do, and let them make their own decision after that," Young said. "Definitely I am a starting quarterback, an elite quarterback in the NFL. I want to go ahead and start. But like it always is, the coaches have the last word."

Meanwhile, the Titans are also searching for a replacement for Fisher, with whom the club parted ways last week after 16 seasons.

The team interviewed offensive line coach Mike Munchak on Monday for the head coaching job. League sources said Munchak had a stellar interview and is the current front-runner.

Linebackers coach Dave McGinnis is on tap, too, but McGinnis balked at becoming the Titans' defensive coordinator. Tennessee will interview offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger on Tuesday.

The Titans also will interview former Cowboys assistant coach Ray Sherman on Thursday, a source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

The search is being handled by Titans executive vice president Steve Underwood and general manager Mike Reinfeldt, with owner Bud Adams making the final decision, and the general manager said they have a long list of potential candidates they planned to trim down by Monday.

Reinfeldt calls prior head-coaching experience a good thing but noted Fisher was defensive coordinator when promoted in 1994.

The Titans insist their only deadline for a new coach is "as long as it takes." The personnel department under Reinfeldt and the 13 assistants under contract for 2011 are handling the preparation for the combine in late February. The new coach will have the option to keep those assistants, or not, if he wishes.

Adam Schefter is ESPN's NFL Insider. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Adam Schefter

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• ESPN NFL Insider
• Joined ESPN in 2009
• Former president of the Pro Football Writers of America and the author of four books