Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans CHAMPIONSHIP PIECES in Place with Cam Ward & Jeffery Simmons, But Still FAR AWAY

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Tennessee Titans must address some key spots. If they want to be Super Bowl contenders, again, I'll tell you what those spots are, how they address them, and why I think Cam Ward checks the biggest box at quarterback on today's edition of Locked on Titan. 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 on today's show.

Starting point is 00:00:38 We are going to talk about the Super Bowl checklist. What key spots do teams need to have fixed before they can be a Super Bowl contender? This list was inspired by Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Network who put out a couple of key spots that he thinks every Super Bowl contender has to have filled. Number one on that list is quarterback, obviously. then three offensive playmakers, three good offensive linemen, two pass rushers, three defensive playmakers, and I'm going to add a good coach and good offensive play caller onto that list as well. I think all of those things are absolutely necessary to be a Super Bowl contender.

Starting point is 00:01:21 So what do the Titans have checked on that list? I think it's more than maybe you would think, but they still have a long way to go. Now, the number one box that has to be checked on that list is quarterback. And I know that you could say it's still up in the air. Cam Ward's rookie season statistically was up and down. Now they're changing coaches. Will the O-line support him? We can't know for certain that Cam Ward is going to be a Super Bowl-worthy quarterback or not,

Starting point is 00:01:50 but I got to tell you, I believe that he is. I believe that that box is checked. From the work ethic on all-field demeanor, the talent that we saw on the field on the film last year, the throws that he's able to make, the electric ability that sets him apart from standard quarterbacks in the league where he can play make and turn nothing into something. That sort of special innate ability combined with the work ethic

Starting point is 00:02:14 and the personality and the leadership. I think Cam Ward is one of them ones that is good enough to win a Super Bowl. Jalen Hertz won a Super Bowl and Nick Foles won a Super Bowl and Peyton Manning as a corpse. and his last year with the Broncos won a Super Bowl and, you know, we just saw Sam Donald win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks. These are good quarterbacks.

Starting point is 00:02:35 I'm not saying that they're bad. You've got to be a better, you know, top half of the lead quarterback to win. But I'm just saying Cam Ward doesn't have to turn into Patrick Mahomes for him to be good enough for the Titans to win a Super Bowl with him at quarterback if they build a strong roster like we saw in Seattle like we saw with Philadelphia. Like that should be the path forward for the Titans.

Starting point is 00:02:55 And I think Cam Ward, already from what I've seen throughout his career. I think he is good enough. If you put Cam Ward in year two, year three, year four on last year Seahawks team, on the Eagles team that won the Super Bowl, you know, I think that Cam Ward would be able to do just as well, or good enough for those teams to still do what they want to do. I have that much belief in Cam Ward that he could be a top half of the NFL

Starting point is 00:03:22 quarterback, a top 10, top 12 quarterback in the NFL. So I know that it's technically still a question mark, and if that's how you want to play it, sure. But I think the Titans do have the quarterback box checked. I do. If you're looking at the Super Bowl checklist that has quarterback at the top, I think the Titans check.

Starting point is 00:03:43 Check that box. We have a quarterback we can win a Super Bowl with. I believe that. I really do. Now, after that, staying on offense, three offensive playmakers. You've got to have three championship.

Starting point is 00:03:55 championship worthy offensive playmakers if you're going to be a championship worthy team and we know that the Titans do not have that. We may have the quarterback in place but they do not have three championship level offensive playmakers. That is an unchecked box. Now I'll say this.

Starting point is 00:04:17 If you have one, two, three, and I would love for you guys to play along with me down in the comments on YouTube, hit me up on social media if you're listening to the podcast, hit me up in the Locked on Titans Every Dayer group chat by everydayers out there shout out to you guys but I think Cardinal Tate

Starting point is 00:04:33 does check one of those boxes now the question becomes is he three, two, or one right now after that OTA performance from Carnell Tate we're all thinking he's number one right Carnell Tate's going to be

Starting point is 00:04:47 an elite number one wide receiver him and Cam Ward together for the next decade dominating the league championship runs playoff games, all that. That's what we're all dreaming about right now, right? But even if Cardinal Tate is number two on that list, that would be a good thing for the Titans, right?

Starting point is 00:05:10 Right? I mean, in theory, if Carnot Tate can be that good of a player. And let's just say that Carnell Tate doesn't turn into the Hall of Fame number one wide receiver that, you know, we're all dreaming and hoping from, what if he just turns into a good, solid number two wide receiver, like a Devante Smith from the Eagles, like a T. Higgins from the Bengals. Right? Wouldn't that still be a good outcome?

Starting point is 00:05:35 If you had somebody better than Carnell Tate? Right? So, Cornell Tate's going to fill one of those spots. It's just about which one of those spots. And I think if he feels, if he feels number one, I have skepticism that that'll be good enough.

Starting point is 00:05:55 If he fills number two, I think they're in a great spot. If it's number three, the Titans are cooking. with gas and have one of the best rosters in the NFL. But Tate is going to fill one of those spots, so I'm comfortable saying that they have one of their championship level offensive playmakers.

Starting point is 00:06:11 And Tate better be that. He was a top five wide receiver in the draft. He should be a championship level contributor. Maybe not right now this moment as a rookie, but that should be the expectation. Now, the next two spots are blank right now, and I think there's at least a chance there's a chance

Starting point is 00:06:32 Gunner Helm could fill one of those spots I think if Gunner Helm fills number three you could win a Super Bowl the best version of Gunner Helm if Gunner Helm comes out and plays the way that I think he's going to play this year there is a chance to me that Gunner Helm is your number three

Starting point is 00:06:51 so let's say you add Tate a really good running back and then helm at three Tate turns into an elite wide receiver. You have a really, really good number two wide receiver and helmet number three. Maybe you get yourself an elite running back. You have Tate, elite running back, Gunner helmet three. I think all of those combinations could be possibilities for the Titans. But I think what the best combination, and look, some of you are what, what about DK? I don't know that he

Starting point is 00:07:22 could ever be on that level. I think that's very, like, it's already enough to think that Gunner Helm could become one of those to think that Helm and DK and Tate would be the three championship level contributors on offensive weaponry. I just think that's unrealistic. Wondale and Ridley, prime Calvin Ridley in Atlanta.

Starting point is 00:07:43 If it was Cornell Tate, prime Calvin Ridley, and then a gunner helm in year three, year four, that might be the answer, but not now. And Wondale Robinson is a very good player. But I don't believe that Wondale Robinson is a Super Bowl

Starting point is 00:07:58 were the number three offensive playmaker. Like, I don't, I don't think that's the case. He would be a number four in my mind. I feel the same about Ridley or D.K. or I.O. potential. Like, I don't think that they have the potential to fill those spots. It's Tate and Helm. And all the running backs, it's not going to be Spears or Pollard. Maybe Nick Singleton.

Starting point is 00:08:20 Maybe Nick Singleton is number three. But again, I'm trying to be somewhat realistic about what could happen here. Tate's going to fill one of those spots. In a perfect world, in a perfect world, again, the three spots would be alpha number one wide receiver, whether the Titans get that in the draft next year, like a Cam Coleman, a Jeremiah Smith, something like that, or whether that's Tate, a number two wide receiver,

Starting point is 00:08:49 whether that somebody the Titans ad who's not on the team right now, or whether that's Tate with an alpha in front of them. and then that third spot to be filled by a tight end like Gunner Helm or a really, really good running back. That's the elite setup in my opinion. Cam Ward at quarterback, alpha wide receiver, wide receiver 2,

Starting point is 00:09:08 and then a tight end or running back as your third playmaker. That's the perfect setup. And I think the Titans, Tate can fill one of those wide receiver roles. Cam Ward can play the quarterback role. They just need to see, can Gunner Helm take that third spot? And then they need to add, you know, If you can't, they need to add two.

Starting point is 00:09:27 But if you can, then they need to add one more wide receiver playmaker, in my opinion, for their offense to have a chance to be Super Bowl ready. But hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's D.K., maybe it's I-O. You know, maybe Wondale, I should give him more credit. I just, you know, if we're being realistic, I think a lot of these spots are, if the Titans fill them,

Starting point is 00:09:46 they're going to end up being filled by guys who are not on the roster right now, who the Titans get high in the draft, right? That's got to be the expectation. So with the offensive weapons out of the way, it's time to dive into the trenches where the Titans are really missing some bodies. Do want to let you know that today's episode

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Starting point is 00:11:39 and I'm going to add coach and offensive play caller in there because I think those spots are absolutely critical as well. Again, Cam Ward fills the quarterback spot. I feel confident in that, in my opinion. Cardinal Tate fills one offensive playmaker spot. But outside of that, I think two of the offensive playmaker spots are still blank. We move to the offensive line where, again, I think the Titans are as far away at offensive line as they are about any place, quite honestly.

Starting point is 00:12:07 If you need three good offensive linemen, I think the Titans only have one that we can know for sure right now. Now, before we get into it, do want to thank you again for making Locked on Titans, your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed.

Starting point is 00:12:27 Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an everydayer, you need to be one. locked in to the number one Tennessee Titans podcast in the world. Locked on Titans.

Starting point is 00:12:42 With that being said, though, Peter Skoransky. If the Titans need three good offensive linemen to win a Super Bowl, right now we know for certain that they have won. And they have Peter Skoronsky. It's the same thing. Maybe Gunnar Helm turns into one of the three offensive playmakers that you need.

Starting point is 00:13:01 Maybe. Maybe J.C. Lathor turns into one of these good offense. offensive linemen. That's what the Titans need. That would be the best path forward. But right now, I can't say that J.C. Latham is a good offensive lineman. I don't know. He had a terrible first half of the year. And of course, the injury was in there. Of course, that's a fact. He was much better in the second half of the season. I get him credit for that. But he's had basically one good half of a season in his NFL career. And I need to see more than that. I need to see much more than that.

Starting point is 00:13:37 we need to see a full season of J.C. Latham being a good football player before we could say they have P and they have Latham and they need one more good offensive line. But isn't that the perfect outcome? Isn't that the outcome that the Tennessee Titans need, right? If they're going to turn into a Super Bowl contender with this group, with this Cam Ward-led prime era, J.C. Latham is going to have to turn into a good player and a borderline great player, if we're honest. That's what they need.

Starting point is 00:14:06 a bully right tackle. So if you have Pete, one of the best guards in the entire NFL, and Latham becomes one of the better right tackles, a top 10. He doesn't have to be top 5, top 3, best in the league, but top 10, right tackle in the NFL,

Starting point is 00:14:23 who's going to be the final spot? Now, is that player on the roster? Is it Carmona? Is it Coogan? I don't think so. I think that that player, that third good, offensive lineman, that's going to come in the draft. And it needs to be the left tackle. Whoever the Titans' left tackle of the future is,

Starting point is 00:14:47 that needs to be their three good offensive linemen. You have left tackle of the future, Jordan Seton, Trevor Goosby, just saying, just saying, maybe. Could make sense next year. Titans could be in range. But if you had a stud left tackle as the left tackle of the future solidified.

Starting point is 00:15:11 Day one starter in the draft, great player, awesome. That's what they need. It's what they need next. You have Latham, locking it down on the right-hand side, takes a big step forward in his third year, really good player,

Starting point is 00:15:27 holds down that side, we're great there. And then you have Pete, patrol in the middle. If you have a decent center, and then just you're finding Nate Davises and Fernando Carmonas and Jackson Slaters and, you know, all kinds of guys in that ilk. You could make that work for half a decade. That works fine. That's very serviceable.

Starting point is 00:15:57 That's the group. Stud left tackle, stud right tackle, one stud guard, fill in the rest. That's how you built. Not everybody can be in all. You're not going to have five pro bowl offensive linemen. There's going to be value in some spots. There's going to be late round picks in some spots and cheap veterans in some spots. Like, that's the way that you build it out.

Starting point is 00:16:19 That's how you budget an NFL roster. Not everybody can be a highly paid stud. They don't have to be. But if you have that, I think you could be in a pretty good spot. I think that could work for the Titans. But finding the left tackle of the future, that's a big question mark, right? Lathen, that's a big question mark, right?

Starting point is 00:16:44 And that's at offensive tackle. That's not where you want question marks, which is why the Titans feel further away. But again, if some of these things just kind of fell into place, Helm takes a step forward, Latham takes a step forward. The Titans get their left tackle of the future at pick number 11 next year. They trade up to six and get them, whatever.

Starting point is 00:17:06 You know what I mean? Like, now it's like, okay, the offense has less holes than you think. They just need a couple of players to take steps forward, of course, and a couple of things to break their way. But, you know, they're on their way. Some boxes are checked at least. Now, you get to, you get to the pass rush

Starting point is 00:17:29 stay in the trenches over on defense, Jeffrey Simmons. He's the best interior defensive line. in the entire NFL, boxes check. So what I like is the Titans at least have a box checked in all of these spots. I think quarterback is checked. They have Cornell Tate and one of the three offensive playmakers. They have Pete in one of the offensive linemen.

Starting point is 00:17:51 They have Jeffrey Simmons in the pass rush. Check, check, check. At least there's something to build on here rather than nothing. But I don't think that the second spot is filled yet. John Franklin Myers is a really good player, but he's not a Super Bowl level number two rusher. The Broncos last year had Nick Benito and Zach Allen. Those were their top two rushers.

Starting point is 00:18:23 John Franklin Myers was fantastic last year. Third most sacks of any interior defensive lineman in the NFL, but he benefited from having those top two rushers in place and him being the third. You know what I mean? So I think that John Franklin Myers would be a great third pass rusher on a championship team

Starting point is 00:18:42 like he was for the Broncos last year who were a championship level team and I think would have gone to the Super Bowl of Bo Nix didn't break his freaking ankle after the Bills game or during the Bills game. But I don't think that and I have been consistent. Jermaine Johnson is not that level of player.

Starting point is 00:18:59 He's never going to be a top two championship level pass rusher on a, a championship level team. Could Femmy be that? I have my doubts. I see him in Jermaine Johnson very similarly. Quite frankly, I think they're always going to be like a number

Starting point is 00:19:13 three rusher, number four rusher, an effort cleanup sack guy. Like I always saw Bud Dupre when he was with the Titans, even though he was paid to be an alpha. Now, Keldrick Falk, I think that there is a path for Keldrick Falk to be that

Starting point is 00:19:31 number two rush. Like if Keldrick Fulk hits his maximum potential. He is a championship level number two pass rusher. Collapsing the edge, inside, outside versatility. He is. He could be that. Now, is that most likely? No. I think the most likely way to fill this is like we were talking about with left tackle. Let's say they get a Dylan Stewart, a Colin Simmons, whoever else is at the top of the draft next year as a pass rusher and the Titans have a top 10 pick or 11 or 12 and then move up to get one of these elite elite elite alpha edge rusher

Starting point is 00:20:12 next year, and then Jeff is number one and that alpha young edge rusher is number two, and then John Franklin Myers is a three and Keldrick Folk is a four and Jermaine Johnson is a five and Femmy as a and now like the Titans are just going to absolutely destroy anyone all over the place and that can be Super Bowl worthy. If you had an alpha

Starting point is 00:20:33 edge rusher with Jeffrey Simmons right now, that's super bowl worthy on the defensive line and the pass rush. That would be good enough. With Jermaine Johnson and Femmy and Fulke and then John Franklin Myers and Jeff and then if you have like a Will Anderson

Starting point is 00:20:50 Jr. A Miles Garrett, you know what I mean? The guy like that on this team right now that would be the best defensive line in the entire NFL period. So that's a route you could go to. but I think it's going to be solved by an alpha edge rusher in the draft or Keldrick Falk taking a massive leap from day one, which we talked about earlier this week as well when we talked about him and Femmy.

Starting point is 00:21:17 So those are the two paths. Now, I'll say this. The spot where I think it's possible the Titans have zero answers is defensive playmaker, and I'll explain why. All right, we talked about championship checkers. boxes, quarterback, offensive playmakers, O-line, pass rush. Now we've got to do defensive playmakers, and again, I am not certain that the Tennessee Titans have any of those boxes checked.

Starting point is 00:21:52 Before we dive into it, though, I do want to thank you again for making the Locked-on Titans your first listen each and every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. If you want to be a true everydayer, you've got to join the Locked-on Titans every day or club. Hit the link down below in the description. You're going to get commercial-free versions of the podcast.

Starting point is 00:22:11 in your favorite podcast app. You're going to get added to the Locked on Titans group chat with me and a bunch of other Locked on Titans Every Dayers. Again, you want to be a true Locked on Titans every day or join the Locked on Titans Every Dayer Club now. But on defense, three defensive playmakers is what Daniel Jeremiah says that you need to win a championship.

Starting point is 00:22:36 And maybe I'm misinterpreting this. but he had two good pass rushers and three defensive playmakers. To me, that's the back seven of the defense. We're not talking about the pass rush, the defensive line. Those guys are not the defensive playmakers that he's talking about. To me, that's the back seven of the defense. Linebacker, safety, cornerbacks. So that's what I'm looking at there.

Starting point is 00:23:01 And the only player that I feel confident saying could potentially have a spot filled right now. If you wanted to argue, Tyler, the Titans do have one of their defensive playmakers in the back seven and his name is Cedric Gray. I would hear that. But when we're talking about a championship level defensive playmaker, is Cedric Gray that yet?

Starting point is 00:23:41 I think it's still a question mark. I feel certain that Jeffrey Simmons is a championship level pass rush. I feel certain that Peter Skoransky is a championship level good offensive lineman. I feel certain that Cornell Tate is going to be good enough to be a top three championship worthy offensive weapon. and I certainly feel good enough

Starting point is 00:24:12 that Cam Ward will be good enough to check that box. But I do not feel certain that Cedric Gray is that guy. The thing about linebacker is it's a volume position. If you play all the games and you're constantly out there and healthy, you're going to rack up a lot of tackles.

Starting point is 00:24:31 To me, you could have a lot of tackles and it not mean that you're one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Like, that's those two, things aren't exactly the same to me. The production doesn't always match the impact with linebacker. It's on the opposite side, but similarly to like offensive line and defensive line. Sometimes guys' stats are worse than what their actual impact is. To me, linebacker is the flip of that.

Starting point is 00:25:03 Sometimes the stats are better than what the actual impact is. And I think those two things are probably connected together, right? but again, I think Cedric Gray could fill one of those spots, but I'm not certain that he fills one of those spots like I am with the other guys that we've talked about and the other groupings.

Starting point is 00:25:24 Now, if Cedric Gray feels one of those spots, I think Kevin Winston could fill one of those spots. Now, it's a question mark. I can't sit here and tell you that it is full, but I think Kevin Winston can be a championship-level playmaker and impact player at safety, at big nickel, at dime linebacker, over the middle of the field,

Starting point is 00:25:46 blitzing into the backfield, filling in the run game. Like, I am a believer in Kevin Winston, and I think he has at least the potential to be one of those guys. Now, I think realistically, Titans probably need to fill two of those spots with guys off the roster. They probably need two more guys in the secondary.

Starting point is 00:26:10 but if Winston could take one of those spots and Cedric Gray could take one of those spots and then the Titans could get a true number one lockdown cornerback maybe Anthony Hill and Cedric Gray take two spots and Kevin Winston's in the back end I think you need one of those spots to be a cornerback though like a true cornerback and maybe Alante Taylor

Starting point is 00:26:32 in this new role where he's outside all the time maybe but I think if if Alante Taylor took one of these spots. I think it's because the Titans drafted a really, really good outside cornerback and Alante Taylor got to move inside to the slot and be more impactful nonstop

Starting point is 00:26:50 and then Kevin Winston is over the top of things. So Gray and Taylor and Winston all on the interior, run in the middle of the field. That would be a possibility. But I think what it most likely will look like is Cedric Gray, Kevin Winston

Starting point is 00:27:06 and a number one corner. That's probably the most realistic path. and that includes gray taking the next step this year. Winston becoming a superstar. The Titans getting another top cornerback in the draft at some point in the next two or three years. And then by 2030, which we talked about where the Titans get their Super Bowl, now they're Super Bowl ready. So that's where I'm at with the defensive playmakers.

Starting point is 00:27:29 It could go either way. I think you could make the argument that they don't have any of those positions filled right now. But we'll see. Let me know how you guys feel about that. I know that'll be a touch controversial. but I want to add in coach and play call it because if you don't have a coach who gives you an advantage week to week

Starting point is 00:27:47 by knowing the rules, set up, game management, decision making, challenges, all that different stuff. If you don't have a coach that's giving you a tactical advantage, you're not going to win. And that could be even outside game management

Starting point is 00:28:02 schematically. Like Robert Sala gives the Titans an incredible defensive schematic advantage. so I think that could check that box. He has at least the capabilities of checking that box. Play caller, Brian Dable obviously has the ability to check that box.

Starting point is 00:28:18 But I don't think, I think that you could have a great roster in the NFL. But if you don't have coaches that give you a tactical advantage week to week, you're not going to maximize your potential and be a Super Bowl worthy team. Just point blank period.

Starting point is 00:28:35 Look at how rosters in the NFL change a little bit, but the impact players usually stay the same year over year for the most part. But coaches change, and then teams totally change overnight. Bears, Jags, Patriots. We just saw do that. The reason that stuff happens is because coaching matters. So there's that.

Starting point is 00:28:57 So quarterback, three offensive playmakers, three offensive linemen, two pass rushers, three defensive playmakers. I add in coach an offensive play caller. I think the Titans have the quarterback. to do it. They have one offensive playmaker, one O-Lignment, one pass-rusher, no defensive playmakers that can fit

Starting point is 00:29:14 the bill, and they have a coach and a playcholder that at least have a chance. So we will see. But again, very curious to know how far along you think the Titans are. That's going to do it for me today, though, folks. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this

Starting point is 00:29:29 was Locked on Titans.

Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans CHAMPIONSHIP PIECES in Place with Cam Ward & Jeffery Simmons, But Still FAR AWAY

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