Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans ROOKIE MINI-CAMP PREVIEW: Cam Ward TIME TO SHINE, Draft Pick Progress & UDFA Shots

Starting point is 00:00:00 Tennessee Titans rookie mini camp kicks off on Friday and it's Cam Ward's time to shine. I'll break it down 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 the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. You could turn any TV into your Xbox, no console needed. Head to amazon.com slash fire TVLockedOn to learn more.

Starting point is 00:00:46 On today's show, we are going to preview Tennessee Titans Rookie Mini-Camp. I'm going to tell you why it's Cam Ward's time to shine. We're going to talk about some of the Titans draft picks and how they should progress, and we'll discuss some undrafted free agents who have a major opportunity. Before we get into all of it, do want to thank you 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, stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my every dayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. If you aren't an every dayer, you need to be one.

Starting point is 00:01:28 I'm going to be breaking down what happens at rookie mini camp over the weekend on Sunday night, Monday show. And then the Titans schedule officially drops next week. You aren't going to want to miss any of the schedule reaction that I'm going to be putting out. But with that being said, we do got to talk about rookie mini camp taking place this weekend. The Tennessee Titans kick off. I wouldn't say they're kicking off their off season activities.

Starting point is 00:01:49 The off season program has already begun. We're seeing veteran players like Ligeria Snead and J.C. Latham and you know, a lot of the younger guys Sebastian Joseph Day, a whole bunch of different veteran players are already at the Tennessee Titans facility. They're doing some on-field strength and conditioning stuff, not doing any like field work per se, but they're doing conditioning, pushing sleds, tug of war, lifting, meetings, all of that different stuff. But then on Friday, on the 9th, the rookies finally join the party and the rookies have the

Starting point is 00:02:26 opportunity to get their attention, to get their feet wet, to get into the building, to work on the field, do different things like that. And anytime that we're talking about the rookies, we start the conversation with Cam Ward because this is Cam Ward's time to shine. Quite honestly. Look, there are a lot of questions that we're going to have about Cam Ward going forward, what he can be, what he can do, and the answers to those questions are going to come on the football field.

Starting point is 00:02:55 They're going to come in games when it's time to actually perform and the outcome matters. That is the nature of the beast. But there are a lot of boxes that Cam Ward can check at Rookie Minicamp for things that we want to see. Are they the end all be all? Am I going to see stuff at Rookie Minicamp that confirms to me 100% that Cam Ward's going to be the guy that we hope he is? No, none of that's possible. But one of the most important things about Cam Ward is his leadership. That is one of the number one things that led the Tennessee Titans to drafting Cam Ward is he is a leader. He went to Incarnate Word. He goes to Washington State. He goes to Miami. And every single step, he's a leader of the football team. Immediately garners buy-in. So that

Starting point is 00:03:47 should be the case now, right? That's what we drafted. That's part of the reason. So I want to see Cam Ward interact with his teammates. I want to see Cam Ward be that leader. I want to see Cam Ward have that swagger and carry himself with that aura out on the field. I want to look out on the field and watch the highlight tapes and watch the little videos and watch all the different things. And I want to be able to instantly notice that Cam Ward is him. I want to see that and it should be noticeable right away. Right away. Also, there are other things that we may not be able to know about, but that Cam Ward absolutely should be hitting out of the park right now. The playbook.

Starting point is 00:04:39 Cam Ward has been talking about the playbook since before he even got drafted. He said, I'm just ready to be on a team and get my playbook. He came off the private jet for his press conference. When the Titans brought him in after he was drafted to do the press conference and hand him the number one Jersey and Warren Moon was there. When the Titans did that, when he got off the private jet, what did Cam Ward have in his hand? His playbook. Now, will we hear about how well Cam Ward's doing with the playbook,

Starting point is 00:05:08 where he's at, all of that? Will we hear about that? Probably not. We'll probably not have that answer until we get to watch football games. But behind the scenes, that is something 100% where these rookie mini-camps matter a ton. Is Cam Ward locked in with his playbook? camps matter a ton. Is Cam Ward locked in with this playbook? Is he more locked in with the playbook than all of his other teammates? He should be as the quarterback. Also, I only say this because I have PTSD from Tralen Burks, but just be in good shape. Don't like be hitting the inhaler outside the locker room. Don't have to leave early because you're out of shape and you can't hack it. I'm not expecting that to be an issue, but remember, trailing berks,

Starting point is 00:05:50 it was a sign. I said it was a sign at the time. Nobody believed me. Everybody said I was being negative and just worrying too much, but it was a bad sign. Okay. Looking back now. So just don't do anything like that, Cam Ward. Just be in shape, be ready to go, be prepared, know the playbook, be a leader. And at the end of the day, have fun. Be yourself. This is about developing chemistry with your teammates. This is about getting comfortable at your new job.

Starting point is 00:06:22 This is a training program. You ever worked at a new job? You're in training for a little bit. That's what this is. So I just want to see Cam Ward be prepared again with the playbook, being in shape, and then be yourself. Be the guy we drafted number one overall. Be that guy.

Starting point is 00:06:40 Have fun. Build chemistry with your teammates. Be the leader. Be the guy that everyone's the leader, be the guy that everyone's drawn to, be the guy that when they throw on the little videos and the tapes, it's instantly noticeable that you're that guy. If Kamwar does that, rookie mini camp is an absolute success. And then next week, when we get into OTAs, when we get into mandatory mini camp in June, that's when we'll kind of be able to tell how far along is he with these things that he needs to be on top of right now. So this is the first step for Cam Ward towards being the Tennessee Titans starting quarterback, number one quarterback from day one.

Starting point is 00:07:27 And he's got to pass some of these tests to give the Titans confidence that they made the right decision. And again, being prepared and being yourself, the guy who we thought we were drafted, that's the only boxes that Cam Ward needs to check during rookie mini camp, these two weekend days, but very excited to break it all down with you guys on next week's first show. Over the weekend, we get Cam Ward. We're going to get Cam Ward videos of Cam Ward and Titans gear throwing

Starting point is 00:07:57 footballs. I mean, couldn't get more hype than that folks. Now let's talk about the rest of the draft picks. than that, folks. Now, let's talk about the rest of the draft picks. Today's episode is brought to you by the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Did you know that your Fire TV is also an Xbox? You can turn any TV into your gaming and entertainment hub with Fire TV Stick 4K devices, no console required. Just grab your paired controller, subscribe or sign into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with EA Play included and you're ready to go. You can dive into

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Starting point is 00:09:04 available on select devices, including Fire TV Stick 4K 2nd Gen, Fire TV Stick 4K Max 1st and 2nd Gen, and Fire TV Q 3rd Gen. Titans fans. Let's continue today's rookie mini camp preview edition of the locked on Titans podcast. We talked about Cam Ward and why it's his time to shine and needs to check a couple of boxes out there in rookie mini camp, but now I want to move to the rest of the draft picks for the Tennessee Titans and what the expectations for them are going to be before we do 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 00:10:03 Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. So we have to start at wide receiver and something that I'm going to be looking for, whether it be rookie mini camp, OTAs, training camp, preseason, doesn't matter. Who has the best connection with Cam Ward? Now out of the gate, you look at the four big receiving options that are rookies. You have Elec, Io Manor, you have Chim Dike, you have Xavier Restrepo, you have Gunnar Helm. Out of those four options, of course Rest Restrepo and undrafted free agent, but he, I feel like he deserves to be mentioned in this group with the draft picks,

Starting point is 00:10:49 because he was essentially the Titans 10th draft pick. There's no way that they weren't going to go out and get Xavier Restrepo when Cam Ward asked for him. Like that's not the case. So obviously you could immediately say, well, it's going to be Xavier Restrepo. He has the connection with Cam Ward. He has the chemistry, the history. That makes the most sense, but it doesn't always work out that way. It's not always that easy. So it's easy to say that that's the answer.

Starting point is 00:11:18 But at the end of the day, we don't know. We don't know who is going gonna have that connection with Cam Moore. And I think I've talked about Ellic Iomaner. I think he is a guy who could be the number three wide receiver for the Titans this year in snaps because he can be that big physical X receiver on the boundary. It would allow Calvin Ridley or Tyler Lockett

Starting point is 00:11:40 to be able to work in the slot, be able to work in the Z. I don't think that the Titans have a great option outside of IOManner. Van Jefferson maybe could do a little bit of that. Traylon Burks is somebody that you can't count on. So I think that IOManner has as good of a chance as anybody to create that connection with Cam Ward, especially, let's be honest.

Starting point is 00:11:59 We talk about some of Cam Ward's deficiencies in college. We talk about some of the things that need to improve for Cam Ward in college, it was his deep and outside accuracy. Throwing the ball deep 20 yards downfield and to the boundaries outside of the hashes was just the worst part of Cam Ward's game outside of the reckless decision-making. There's just no way around it. That is an area where he was not good deep and outside. So a guy like Io Manor who can win deep and outside, that could be someone who's very, very helpful to Cam Ward.

Starting point is 00:12:39 That could allow him to create a chemistry. I think Gunnar Helm has a great opportunity to create chemistry. I think Gunnar Helm, the Titans fourth round tight end out of Texas, will be the Titans number one tight end. We talked about it on our roster battles episodes the last two days. We talked about it won the offensive one. That's what I started with looking at tight end. I think Gunnar Helm will be the Tennessee Titans tight end one this year in snaps play. So developing that chemistry early on, even if it's a rookie mini camp and there's no defense and it's routes on air, which my understanding is for rookie mini camp, you can have offensive players playing pseudo defense walkthrough level stuff.

Starting point is 00:13:20 You can have other offensive guys doing that. You can't have the defense versus the offense. That's not allowed. Can't do that. But even in bird dog walkthrough, full speed, routes on air, seven on seven on air, no defense, even in all of those circumstances, are you at the right depth? Are you breaking off the route on time? Do you know where I want you to be? Are you going to be able to sit down in the zone? Are you going to be able to simulate that? Are you going to understand that? Are we going to have the awareness? Like, there are so many questions

Starting point is 00:13:56 and so many, excuse me, so many areas where Cam Ward can begin to build chemistry. Maybe it's two of them. Maybe it's three, maybe it's all four. Who knows? But I want to see one of these weapons. Elec Iomaner, Chim Dike, Xavier Restrepo, Gunner Helm. I want to see one of them emerge and hear those reports of, yeah, this guy in Cam Ward had a great connection all weekend long.

Starting point is 00:14:21 That's what I want to hear from one of those four guys. Also, Kevin Winston, is he participating? Again, we talked about him on yesterday's show. I think Kevin Winston is the Titan safety three when he's ready to rock, but he tore his ACL in week two or week three, whatever college football is a week zero.

Starting point is 00:14:43 So it's very hard to know when is when, but in the second game of the year, Kevin Winston tore his ACL. He ran his pro day 40 yard dash though, five months after tearing his ACL. So if he can run a 40 yard dash and run four or five one at that. And that was in March. We're talking about the middle of May. Is Kevin Winston able to go? What's his progress? When's he able to be cleared for full on field work for training camp? When's that going to happen? Is it going to happen in rookie mini camp?

Starting point is 00:15:19 Is it going to be something that maybe happens at mandatory mini camp a month from now in June? That's something that I'm looking for. Kevin Winston, when is he going to be something that maybe happens at mandatory mini camp a month from now in June? That's something that I'm looking for. Kevin Winston, when is he going to be able to get on the field full go? I don't think it's going to be rookie mini camp, but I would like to be surprised with Femi Oladejo. It is a little bit different for me because this is a developmental guy. So I don't have high expectations for Femi. Just be out there and look the part. Just be a big, huge, strong dude

Starting point is 00:15:52 who works really, really hard. Get your work in with the outside linebackers. You're a full-time outside linebacker edge rusher now. Get used to it. Get comfortable and just start working on that development plan. Because again, with being a former off- ball linebacker who didn't even get a full season of edge work at UCLA, it is a real project. So my expectations are low early on, just get your feet wet, stay healthy, be in shape, be ready to go and lock in for that development plan. My expectations otherwise are pretty low for Femi out of the gate.

Starting point is 00:16:29 Jackson Slater, what position is he going to be working at? Is he going to be working at center? Is he going to be working at guard? Is he going to do both? That's a very interesting question for me because Jackson Slater is someone who I think could make this roster. I think it's an uphill battle for him with all the depth and what the Titans want to accomplish on the offensive line this year.

Starting point is 00:16:51 I think the Tennessee Titans want no young players on the offensive line this year. Like we are not relying on any unproven players. If we're going to go to backups, we're going to go to guys who have starting experience in the NFL. And at the end of the day, that's not Jackson Slater. So I'm curious to see what position Slater is working at. And he's working primarily center. I think that gives them a better opportunity to make the roster.

Starting point is 00:17:15 But Jackson Slater is a guy who I'm just very curious how he's used and what the expectations are for him early on. He's a sixth round pick needs to add weight, super athletic offensive lineman. But again, I just don't think the Titans are going to have much patience this year for young offensive lineman. I think that's something they're going to want to avoid. And with that in mind, I think it could be maybe an uphill climb for Jackson Slater, Marcus Harris.

Starting point is 00:17:41 Uh, at cornerback, I'll talk about him when I talk about the undrafted guys, because quite frankly, he shouldn't have any advantage on any of those guys. So Cal L Mullings. Are they going to have him returning? Chim Dike, are they going to have him returning? Will Cal L Mullings do punt and kickoff return? Will Chim Dike do punt return and kickoff return? That's what I want to see. How are these roles going to be played? Will Kal-El Mullings do punt and kickoff return? Will Chim Dike do punt return and kickoff return? That's what I want to see.

Starting point is 00:18:09 How are these rookies going to be used with the returns? Who's going to get opportunities to try what? I would try just about everybody at everything, ask things, stand, but it's definitely going to be interesting to see who kind of takes that step. Who's the guy who takes that step forward as a returner out of those two, Dike and Mullins, who both have the ability? That's what I want to see who kind of takes that step. Who's the guy who takes that step forward as a returner out of those two DK and Mullins who both have the ability. That's what I want to see. But let's talk about the undrafted free agents who have a major opportunity for the Titans this year. Do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by Linkedinjobs. As a small

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Starting point is 00:20:01 We've talked about cam ward and it'd be in his time to shine and why there are some boxes. I want to see cam ward check at this rookie mini camp preview. We've talked about Cam Ward and it being his time to shine and why there are some boxes. I want to see Cam Ward check at this rookie mini camp. Talked about the Titans draft picks and what a progression for them would look like. Now I want to look at the undrafted free agents. And again, I think there are some undrafted free agents with serious opportunity to make this roster and we start on the interior defensive line. I talked about it at the end of yesterday's show, but I hate the Tennessee Titans, interior defensive line depth.

Starting point is 00:20:29 All they have is Keandre Coburn is a backup nose tackle who I'm not that high on anyway, but he's a babysitter to Vondre Sweat so he can stay around. But Abdullah Anderson is the other veteran guy. Wasn't very high on him last year. And then it's a bunch of undrafted free agent guys, Cam Horsley, Philip Bleedy, uh, Isaiah Rakeys, Devante O'Malley. It's going to be one of those guys. Which one of those players. Sets themselves up to get that sixth interior defensive line roster spot.

Starting point is 00:20:59 I personally think the Titans need to go outside the organization to add more guys to that group. But in this rookie mini camp, when it's just the rookies out on the field, which one of those guys looks like someone who could take that step up and take advantage of the opportunity. We're going to get a good idea based on who's in shape, especially with the interior defensive line, who's in shape, who's prepared, who could go through the gauntlet of the rookie mini camp.

Starting point is 00:21:23 That's going to be something that, that tells a big tale for the Titans interior defensive line. Any of those guys have a great chance to find themselves a role on this roster because the group is just so, so bad. You move backwards to linebacker David get up Cabenda. I still cannot figure out how to say his name. David get a Benda. Sometimes some of the names, the genius silent.

Starting point is 00:21:46 I don't know, but he's a linebacker out of Texas. And I just think he is a physical, physical player. He's willing to absolutely hit you. And with the Titans, young linebackers that we talked about on yesterday's defensive position battle episode, we talked about Otis Reese, Cedric Gray, James Williams, which one of these young linebackers is going to ascend and take that second starting linebacker spot? Well, maybe it's David Gabenda from Texas. Maybe that's the guy who takes the step up and makes the move.

Starting point is 00:22:18 I don't think that Cedric Gray, James Williams, or Otis Reese, I don't think that any of them are so good that they can't be replaced by an undrafted free agent who really steps up and make a play. We saw Jack Gibbons do this recently. It can happen. So that's really a spot where one of the undrafted free agents has a real chance. And I'm talking about starting just to make the roster in general. I think Gabenda has a great chance to make the roster because outside of the three young linebackers and then Cody Barton, what do the Titans have at linebacker that would prevent that? Curtis Jacobs? That's it. It's literally the only other linebacker on the team. So some teams keep six linebackers and if the Titans want to be really good on special teams, Gabenda has a chance to be a guy who can help them there.

Starting point is 00:23:08 So why not maybe just keep six linebackers and he's just the sixth one by default. You look into the secondary. I mentioned Marcus Harris earlier. I'm not super high on Marcus Harris. So you have Marcus Harris, you have Jermari Harris, you have Garnett Hollis, you have Jalen Kimber, you have Clarence Lewis, you have Virgil Lemons, you have Davion Ross. I mean, that is one,

Starting point is 00:23:30 two, three, four, five, six, seven undrafted free agent cornerbacks. Who's going to step up? Who's going to make a name for themselves? Who's going to make a play? Who's going to set themselves apart? Special teams is obviously going to be absolutely critical, but we're going to see in rookie camp, one of these guys is going to be like, Oh, I noticed him. Oh, that guy stood out. I'm just curious who is going to be the guy to step up. Marcus Harris has the advantage because he's a draft pick, but guys,

Starting point is 00:23:58 we're talking about sixth round pick here. We see sixth round picks get cut all the time and not make rosters. It's happened with the Titans a million times over the last five to six years. It's no guarantee that your sixth and seventh round guys are going to make the roster. And honestly, it's not some big travesty. If it doesn't happen, the Titans had nine draft picks, probably only three of them at max are going to be good players for maybe you get four good players, four starters and a draft you cooked. So there's nine players.

Starting point is 00:24:32 If even half of those guys make the roster, I think you did a pretty good job. So anyway, that's something to watch. And then like I mentioned before, Chim DK, Kal-El Mullins, as returners, very, very interested to see who gets that opportunity, who takes advantage of it. But those are the undrafted free agents, I think have a great opportunity to make the roster. Those are the draft picks and how I want to see them progress. Cam Ward's Time to Shine.

Starting point is 00:25:03 That's a full rookieookie Minicamp preview. Hope you guys enjoyed. Again, I'll be back next week to break down everything that happened over the weekend at Rookie Minicamp. We're getting ready for the schedule release. We got OTAs at the end of May, beginning of June, mandatory Minicamp, training camp right around the corner. Again, if you aren't an Every Dayer, you need to be one.

Starting point is 00:25:23 Get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day, 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.

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Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans ROOKIE MINI-CAMP PREVIEW: Cam Ward TIME TO SHINE, Draft Pick Progress & UDFA Shots

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