Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward BIGGEST GOALS as Tennessee Titans TRAINING CAMP Nears & Titans Get PERFECT Offseason Grade

Starting point is 00:00:00 Cam Ward's number one goal at Tennessee Titans training camp should be to get better. And your number one goal is to let him do it. I'll explain why on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland Titans. fans. Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by Kaushi for a limited time.

Starting point is 00:00:41 Download the Kalshi app. Use the code locked on to get $10 when you trade 10. Koushi trade on anything. On today's show, we're going to talk about how the Tennessee Titans got an A plus offseason grade. And I'm going to tell you why I don't necessarily agree. But we're also going to begin the 2026 Lock on Titans training camp preview series where I go position by position Every single player on the team tell you who's a roster lock, who's on the roster bubble, and who's a long shot to make the roster. We're going to start with the quarterback position. I'm going to tell you why I still don't believe Willevis is going to make this team,

Starting point is 00:01:19 but we're going to start with Cam Ward's goals for training camp. And again, number one on the list of goals for Cam Ward at Tennessee Titans training camp is simply to get better. get better at football. And I think that Cam Ward has a unique opportunity to exponentially get better at football during this training camp and it involves the entire all season in general

Starting point is 00:01:48 but the coaching that Cam Ward is about to get from Brian Dable and Shay Tierney and that coaching staff will be the best quarterback coaching Cam Ward has ever received in his life. Think about the level of difference between Nichols, Brian Callahan, and Shea Tierney, and Brian Dable.

Starting point is 00:02:17 Again, I keep bringing it up because it's so hilarious. Brian Callahan couldn't even get a coordinator position after getting fired from being a head coach. That's how far he had to fall to get a job back in the NFL. Brian Dable got fired as a head coach and literally got head coach interviews and got hired to be an offensive coordinator where it is clear that the plan is for him

Starting point is 00:02:40 to not be around for a long time. Brian Dable has truly developed, hands-on been in the Patriot System with Tom Brady, Alabama with Jalen Hertz and Tuatoga Viloa, Josh Allen, Jackson Dart, Darts, year for getting someone else in the middle as well. But like, Brian Daible is truly one of the best quarterback coaches in the world.

Starting point is 00:03:11 Brian Daibble was one of the best offensive system coaches in the world. Up there with the best offensive coordinators in the NFL, the best head coach play callers in the NFL, the best offensive minds in college football. as well. Like if you took like the top 50 or 60 offensive minds and coaches in the world, Brian Callahan is one of them. Or Brian Daible is one of them. Brian Callahan is not. Do you see what I mean? So the level of coaching that is about to change for Cam Ward cannot be overstated. It can't. And that is going to allow him to get better. He's just going to have way better coaching, way better understanding,

Starting point is 00:04:03 way better answers pre-snap for what he's seeing. And the system that Brian Dable runs, the Earhart Perkins system that I've talked about, and I did a Tick-Tac Titans film breakdown on, which people seem to really enjoy. Go check that out if you want to learn more. I did a Robert Salah video on his defense too, so you can understand what they like to do schematically on offensive defense with the new coaches.

Starting point is 00:04:25 But like the system that he's in is going to challenge him mentally to understand the why and the rhyme and the reason and how to attack everything that he sees pre-snap. He's going to have all of the answers and he's going to have all the tools he needs. But the process of learning all of that will not be easy. And he's already had some struggles and OTAs. There are going to be bad days in training camp. Cam is going to have bad days. The learning that he is about to do the increase in attention to detail, the fiery expectations of Brian Dable compared to a Brian Callahan,

Starting point is 00:05:07 it's just going to be night and day. And there will be, Cam can handle it. Cam wants to be coached. I don't think it's going to be hard for Cam as a person, but there will be struggles as a football player as he learns. Again, you've got to crack a couple eggs to make an omel. And Cam is going to have to crack a lot of eggs. and that comes back to the point I made of,

Starting point is 00:05:31 we have to let him. I already got a taste of it in OTAs. I'm going to do everything in my power to personally not be guilty of what I'm about to say. We can't ride the roller coaster. He's going to have bad practices. I want Cam Ward to have bad practices. I want him to struggle.

Starting point is 00:05:56 You have to fail to. succeed. It is not football. It is life. You must learn from your mistakes. You must put your hand on the hot stove to learn to not touch hot stuff. You got to cut yourself with a knife a few times before you learn. That is how life works as you learn from your mistakes. So please, I am imploring the fan base. Do not freak out when Cam Ward has bad practices. Look, could he have bad practices? And then it turns out he's not good, yes. Yes. But most of the people who are good also had bad practices. Because failing is part of learning and succeeding. So I'm just saying, Cam Ward's number one job is just get better and develop and it's going to be hard.

Starting point is 00:06:48 And our number one job is to let him do that and not overreact to each individual practice. I am going to react to every practice. That is. what I do. This is my job. I am going to react to every practice and tell you, Cam through three interceptions. It wasn't a good practice. But we're not going to overreact and take that next step to Cam Ward, bad practice, bum, bust, bad, be sad, confidence shaking. Like, we don't have to do that. We don't have to do that. And I'm not going to do it. I refuse. The only thing that can make me think that Cam Ward is not going to football is football games. Real football games.

Starting point is 00:07:36 Not these practices. Now, if he's bad in every training camp practice and all the joint practices, if he's bad the whole time, then yes, fine, we'll have a different conversation. But I'm just saying there's going to be ups and downs here as he develops, which is the only thing he really needs to do is get better at football with proper coaching and proper weapons and an environment where he can actually get better. That's his focus. And we got to let him grow. We got to, okay? We can't helicopter parent.

Starting point is 00:08:05 If you helicopter parent and you don't let your kid make any mistakes ever, when they get out on their own, they're going to be lost. And I'm not going to act like the way that I was raised was perfect. My parents are far from perfect. I can tell you that. Certainly not.

Starting point is 00:08:22 Anywhere close to perfect. But they let me learn. And then when I got on my own, I was independent. I could make mistakes and get, back up and make the right decisions and no right from wrong and budget and, you know, all of these little decisions that we have to make. Cam Ward's not going to get any better if they insulate it. It's better for Cam Ward to get punished in training camp and make it as hard as possible.

Starting point is 00:08:47 A thousand gravity. That's what I want Cam Ward to do. Now, outside of that, master your playbook. You're not going to be able to develop properly if you're mentally behind where you're have to be. Master the playbook. And I have no doubt that Cam Ward is, you know, Shea Tierney was talking about how Cam Ward will text him at 5 in the morning about certain plays and certain looks and certain things in the playbook. And I have no doubt that Cam Ward's going to master his playbook. But it is required. It is a summer goal from summer school.

Starting point is 00:09:20 And finally, just build chemistry with your teammates, be a leader, the off-field aspects, the locker room aspects that are so critical to forming a culture, building a football team, winning football games. If your quarterback isn't the right guy at the heart of that, you got no shard. That's the second time I've done that in a couple of shows.

Starting point is 00:09:39 But you have no shot. If your heart isn't good. So that's where we're at with Cam Ward. Develop. Just get better at football. Master your playbook and gain chemistry with your teammates and be a leader.

Starting point is 00:09:55 And we've got to let him go through the process of growing up. He is a lock to make the roster but now let's talk more about who's a lock, who's on the bubble, and who's a long shot. Do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by Indeed. When workplace chaos hits and you need the right hire, Indeed, sponsor jobs helps you connect, uh, employers connect with candidates who match specific needs like skills, certifications, location. So less time gets spent searching and more time get spent

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Starting point is 00:11:01 Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support my show by saying that you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast turns, conditions apply. Need to hire. That's a job for Indeed. Sponsored jobs. Let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Again, we're going to talk about how the Tennessee Titans got an A plus grade and they're getting some love from all over the NFL for their all season.

Starting point is 00:11:46 but we're starting the 2026, Locked on Titans, Training Camp Preview Series with quarterback. We talked about Cam Ward's training camp goals. He is a lot to make the roster, obviously. But Mitch Trubisky is also a lock to make this roster. And not only is he a lock to make the roster,

Starting point is 00:12:03 in my opinion, Mitch Trubisky is a lock to be the backup quarterback. Will Levis is not going to be the backup. He's not better than Mitch Trubisky. Mitch Trubisky knows the system better. Mitch Trubisky is a more consistent, player that can win you a football game of Cam Ward, were to get hurt.

Starting point is 00:12:20 Mitch Trubisky is also going to be more focused on developing Cam Ward and less focused on developing his own career. Mitch Trubisky knows who he is at this point in his career. He is a backup. He is not going to get a starting opportunity ever again for a team that's actually trying to win anything. The only time he would get a starting opportunity is if the starting quarterback got hurt and he was going to get an opportunity to start for most of the season.

Starting point is 00:12:45 but otherwise Mitch Trubisky's never going to be considered the number one quarterback on a team ever again in the NFL. And he knows that and he's okay with that. And he is aware and comfortable in his role and what he's going to be in the NFL going forward and that creates a different level of hospitality. That creates a different level of, hey, Cam, I saw that.

Starting point is 00:13:13 Is Will Levis going to, A, see something that Cam Ward doesn't see? B, be willing to help him with that? Is that going to be the case? Really? Hey, Cam, man, I think, really think that's going to be open. Is Will going to do that, or is he going to save that little tidbit and see if he can do better than Cam Ward? See, Will Levis's motivation right now is to be.

Starting point is 00:13:43 be a better player than Cam Ward. Maybe not Cam Ward directly. I mean, probably Cam Ward because he's like, I'm going to be better than you. But just generally speaking, don't make it Cam Ward, you know, make it Jackson Dart or make it Tyler Shuck or any other young quarterback in the NFL around Will Levis's age. They're all going to say, hey, I've got to be better than these other guys around my age. Mitch Trubisky is like, hey, how can I help Cam Ward be better than those guys at his age? How can I help Cam Ward get better? Do you see the difference there. So to me, Trisky is not just locked on the roster.

Starting point is 00:14:20 Trubisky is locked to be the backup quarterback because that is what it's all about. It's the same thing I said about Levis last year and it's the same reason that I don't have Will Levis as a roster lock. I have him on the roster bubble. And as a matter of fact, as I said in my

Starting point is 00:14:36 recent 53-man roster prediction, I don't think Will Levis is going to make it. And at some point, you have to go through like, okay, if you do that, what's the end game? How does it play out when it gets to its final stage? Say they keep Will Levis on the team. What's the end game?

Starting point is 00:15:03 Maybe we could trade them, right? Quarterbacks get injured, maybe we could trade them. Well, why do teams trade for quarterbacks in the middle of the season? Like the Bengals traded for Joe Flacco last year from the Browns, remember? Why do teams do that? Because they think it could save their first. season. If Will Levis doesn't play well enough in the preseason to get somebody to trade for him at roster cut down time period, why do we believe that a team would say, oh, we need a season

Starting point is 00:15:40 saving trade to get a quarterback in here to hold down the fort until our injured starter comes back. Will Levis. Will Levis is the guy who's going to be able to do that. Why would we believe that that would be available. If Will Levis isn't good enough for somebody to trade a conditional seventh round pick for him during cutdown weekend, why do we think teams are going to be willing to trade for Willis and think that he can be some kind of season saver stopgap guy?

Starting point is 00:16:14 What are the odds of that? So again, you could keep Will Levis on the roster with the idea that he's trade fodder, but I just don't buy it. And would you rather keep Will Levis when he's going to be a free agent after the year and he's going to be QB3, which is inactive on game days? He's not even going to be active on game days unless Cam gets hurt

Starting point is 00:16:40 or Trubisky gets hurt somehow. He's going to be playing scout team quarterback. Would you rather have Levis or Xavier Restrepo? Bryce Oliver A ninth offensive lineman An extra tight in An extra edge rusher Do you see what I'm saying?

Starting point is 00:17:05 Like at some point You just have to be like The juice isn't going to be worth to squeeze here We can have Hendon Hooker Who has a more versatile skill set than Will Levis Because he's more mobile So when we play a mobile quarterback Henn and Hooker can give you a...

Starting point is 00:17:24 I think Will Levis would be a better look for Gino Smith. But like Jackson Dart, let's get Hendon Hooker in there. So, I guess I'm to the point where we could say Levis is on the roster bubble and you could start to make the arguments of, well, if Cam goes down early in the year for some reason, they are better off putting Levis out there.

Starting point is 00:17:51 But why? What do you think is going to happen? Again, let's talk about the end. game. Will Levis is a free agent at the end of the year. Even if he plays decent, the Titans are losing him for nothing. And do you think, do you think

Starting point is 00:18:05 that Will Levis is going to play so well that he's going to get a big enough contract to get the Titans a comp pick? The Titans are probably going to spend in free agency next year too so they wouldn't even get a comp pick anyway. It would be canceled out

Starting point is 00:18:22 by their own spend. I just don't see a path that leads to the Titans get proper value or good value out of Will Levis, whether that's as a player or as a trade option or a comp pick as a free agent leave. I just don't see any path.

Starting point is 00:18:49 So why have him on the team? What are we doing? Especially if he doesn't play good during the preseason then why are we keeping him around to do what? This will be Will Levis's last year with the Titans no matter what happens. So just cut date, man. Unless he goes nuclear in the preseason,

Starting point is 00:19:11 which here's the thing, you don't even have to play that game. If he goes nuclear in the preseason and plays awesome and is trade worthy, then he'll be traded as roster cutdowns are happening. And you won't have to keep him on the roster anyway. You might have to keep him on the roster for a deal. day or two as guys clear waivers and then they execute the trade. But you would know that. So, and if I'm the Titans, I'm not doing that anyway. I'm not sacrificing guys.

Starting point is 00:19:36 I want to keep on the roster to hold Will Levis to get a seventh round pickback. I'm not doing that anyway. So anyways, that's where I'm at with that. Hendon Hooker is a long shot. He's not making this team. There is no world where Hendon Hooker makes the roster. He probably stays on the practice squad, which is what I want to see, that would be great. That's fun. But making the 53, he's a long shot, it ain't happening. So, Trubiski's goals

Starting point is 00:20:04 in training camp is to help develop Cam Ward and stay healthy. It's all you got to do. It's all I need from you. Levis is to play his absolute best. Be more consistent. He has great throws, but he has awful throws too. So be more consistent. Henn and Hooker is

Starting point is 00:20:20 take coaching. Be versatile. Whatever the coaches want you to do, do that. because that's how you're going to get on the scout team. But with that being said, again, the Titans have been getting a lot of love here recently with their offseason overall, whether it be one of my co-workers here at Locked-on

Starting point is 00:20:38 or her co-worker over at NFL.com seems like people are pretty high on the Titans off-season, but I'll be honest with you, little too rich of a great for me. Fans, let's cap off today's edition of Locked on Titans. Again, we started our 2026, Locked on Titans training camp

Starting point is 00:21:18 preview series with the quarterback spot, went through all four. Now, I want to talk about some love the Tennessee Titans are beginning because I've seen some recent things that were just incredibly positive for the Tennessee Titans. And honestly, it was hard to believe. Before I tell you what they are, though, do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans. Your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year around, always for free. Make sure you get subscribe.

Starting point is 00:21:46 Stay subscribed. Again, it's your team. Speaking of every day, you guys got to join the Locked on Titans Every Day or Club. You're going to get commercial free versions of the podcast in your favorite podcast app. You're going to get added to a Locked on Titans Every Day or group chat with me and a bunch of other everydayers.

Starting point is 00:22:02 You're also going to get early access to Titans' content, not only here on Locked on Titans, but my film channel, Tick Tech Titans. I'm going to be doing some live film breakdowns throughout the season as well that I think you guys are going to enjoy for my members. So make sure you join the Locked on Titans every day or club. now. But with that being said, again, A-plus,

Starting point is 00:22:24 off-season grade from NFL.com for the Tennessee Titans. A-plus, there were only two teams in these rankings. They got an A-plus grade, and it was the Titans, and it was the Giants. And these rankings, again, come from

Starting point is 00:22:41 NFL.com. Matt Okada is the guy who made the rankings gave the Titans. and A-plus, again, the highest in the AFC, called hiring Robert Salah, acquiring double-digit defenders through free agency and trade, drafting Carnell Tate, all of their standout moves.

Starting point is 00:23:02 I like all of those. I would add new uniforms, standout moves for sure. But he talked about Tennessee's all season is his favorite across the entire league, several impactful signings, notable trades to rebuild the defense in Sala's image. The biggest wins were in the draft, though. They took Carnell Tate, Kaldrick Fall, Anthony Hill. Extension for Jeffrey Simmons, he said,

Starting point is 00:23:29 getting Cam Ward a number one wide receiver was my highest priority fix for Tennessee early in the offseason. Tate was a perfect solution. He and Robinson should form an excellent one-two punch for Ward. All the moves to build a defensive roster fitted to Sala scheme, helped round out an excellent all season, one which I think will have the Titans competing for the ASC South Crown

Starting point is 00:23:52 sooner than expected. He wasn't the only one. His co-worker at NFL.com, my girl Michelle Majuk, who does Locked on NFL with me, she is super high on the Tennessee Titans all season and all the changes that they've made.

Starting point is 00:24:07 I want to play this clip from Michelle's new show, Locked on NFL Big Board. You guys should check it out. But again, incredibly hot on the Tennessee tight. Another team, I think, is looking up for the future is the Tennessee Titans, who also finished three and 14 last year. Offense really, really, really bad in the first year with Cam Ward as their starting quarterback. Defense below average, had some good performances, a lot of bad performances. But we'll start here on the offense. I'll say Cam Ward,

Starting point is 00:24:37 he did look better towards the end of the year. The last four games of the season, he had multiple passing touchdowns in four of those last five games. I should say, but all of his numbers were looking much better as we look at the last month of his rookie year. So he was growing. And we have to keep seeing that. Reports coming out of camp aren't glowing, but we have to wait and see what he can do in his second year.

Starting point is 00:25:02 They have given him weapons actually this year. Because in his rookie year, I mean, Chigacanquo led this team in receptions and receiving yards. His top wide receivers were the fourth round rookies and Alec AOMiner and Shamir Deka. So he wasn't working with much at all. But this year, they've actually focused on just making sure they can get, they can see improvement out of Cam Ward. They gave him a great play caller in Brian Davel. They used their fourth overall pick on Cardinal Tate, who love as a wide receiver prospect.

Starting point is 00:25:34 They pay for Wandae Robinson to come in from free agency. They get Calvin Ridley back, who was injured for most of last season, to still go with the young wide receivers. I like Alec A minor. I like Shamir Dike. Those are guys that should be role players, not starting wide receivers at this time in their career. So they're still there. This offense could look so much better than it did last season.

Starting point is 00:25:59 And I will say three of the four quarterbacks drafted number one overall from 2020 to 2024. Well, Cam Ward was the number one overall pick in 2025. Those three of those four quarterbacks, their win total increased by at least six games in their second season from their rookie season. Kayla Williams saw five wins the rookie year, 11 wins in the second year. Trevor Lawrence went from three wins to nine wins. Joe Burrow went from two wins to 10 wins.

Starting point is 00:26:26 So it has happened quite often with these number one overall players going to really bad teams, but then succeeding and getting more wins in their second year. And I love to hire Robert Sala for head coach, but to fix up their defense, right? And Salah knows how to work with a less than stellar roster on defense. Just look at the 49ers last year with all the injuries. He still kept them performing well.

Starting point is 00:26:53 And they made a lot of moves to try to get better on defenses too. So I think the Titans, they could be sneaky good this year. It's hard to push them up too high. So 27 is where I'm going to put them in and feel good about it. I think they can keep climbing as their younger guys continue to grow. experience and hey, they're not last in their division in my rankings. Yeah, me and Michelle both aren't very high on the Indianapolis courts. Love doing locked on NFL with Michelle, one of the best, always so knowledgeable and so learned.

Starting point is 00:27:25 I learned so much from Michelle all the time. But I mean, everything she said right there is correct. And again, the point is it's not just us hyping up the Titans all season. It's people around the NFL, people who cover the NFL, people who work for the NFL, looking at the Titans and saying, man, everything they have done has been incredible. Now, my personal opinion is A plus is just a little bit too high. I can't say it's an A plus. I think the offensive line being in the state that it's in, it's an A minus for me.

Starting point is 00:28:03 I can't do an A or an A plus looking at the offensive line. That's me personally. but maybe the higher of Carmen Bracillo will help cancel my concerns out and it'll elevate the talent. And then Carmen Bracillo plus this line is a good offensive line. He certainly made things look good in New York last year. Although I think the Giants had a little bit more talent on the offensive line than the Titans did or the Titans do right now.

Starting point is 00:28:27 But either way, we'll see how things work out. But people around the NFL very high on the Titans. Training Camp preview series continues tomorrow. We're going to look at running back. I think we're going to look at Tide End. We'll do offensive line, wide receiver. We'll do wide receiver tomorrow. It's always fun talking about this group.

Starting point is 00:28:42 But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland. And this was Locked on Titans.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward BIGGEST GOALS as Tennessee Titans TRAINING CAMP Nears & Titans Get PERFECT Offseason Grade

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