Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - TITANS SQUAD SHOW: Jackson Slater faces CRUCIAL summer and other players with important offseason

Episode Date: June 6, 2026

Training camp is around the corner, and several Titans are entering a make-or-break summer. With key position groups still up for grabs, who will solidify their spot on the roster? Plus, ESPN’s latest FPI rankings have Tennessee sitting at 27th overall. Is that fair or foul? We debate that and more in this week’s episode of the Titans Squad Show. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Square If you’re starting a business, or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at https://square.com/go/LockedOnNFL. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COMto get started — Play Your Game. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are a number of Titans players who are set to have a crucial summer ahead of them. Which ones are make or break that's next on the Titans Squad show? Yeah, I'll give you a hint on mine. He's somewhat of a, I guess, controversial player when it comes down to it. And B-Hop's hot take this week is a hot take for show. Titan up. It's the Titans squad. Everything Tennessee Titans every week.

Covering all the big hits and game teams. changing plays from the heart of Music City the way only the locked on podcast network can. Squad up. The Titan Squad Show starts now. And welcome to the Titans Squad Show. I'm your host, Julian Minnesone, joined by Kayla Anderson and Brad Hopkins. We got a lot to talk to about today when it comes to the Tennessee Titans. Of course, B. Hop's going to give his hop take later in the show. We're looking forward to that. The Titans ranked 27th in the football power index, according to ESPN's data and analytics. is that fair or foul for a Titans team that has high expectations coming into 2026? But I wanted to start with some of the offseason talk.

And, you know, on this show guys or even on Tuesdays with Tyler's in the show, we talk about players who are set to have big seasons, players who need to have a productive 2026 to establish themselves as pillars of the franchise. But that starts with the offseason. And so I want to know from you guys, is there a player who has a make or break summer ahead of them? And that could be whether it be their spot solidifying it in their roles on the depth chart, whether it could be making the team all together, or whether it would be proven they still have something in the tank. Who is that for you and why?

Kayla, I'll start with you. Yeah, I'm going to go with the player who in 2024, I think we all just were waiting for him to turn the switch on. And unfortunately, the injuries kind of plagued that in terms of like his momentum moving forward in the quarterback position. And you guys could probably guess, we're talking about Will Levis. I can't even tell you how many discussions we had even going into that 2024 season when he showed some of those flashes in 2023, because there's no doubt about it that we talk about his physical attributes as a guy that has those traits. He just hasn't been able to put that all together. And then in 2024, it just, it all traveled so quickly.

And then it was like moving on from him as the starter and drafting Cam Ward, obviously. So I think this is huge for him this summer, guys, because A, he has got back healthy. And we know that the shoulder was something that had been really plaguing him even during that 2024 season. I remember he's speaking to us about it in the locker room. And then he decided to get that surgery, which ended last year for him. Well, now there are no excuses. Football is the only thing he needs to worry about and to improve on.

And I would say if he's serious about his future in the NFL, whether that be a backup or eventually a starter, you know, like a Malik Willis situation, that's in his hands. And I think it just comes down to how bad does he want it, guys? Because I think Will Levis has that competitive nature in him and he loves the game. But I also think he has let his mind kind of be his biggest, what's it called, enemy sometimes. And I think like if he's grown as a quarterback and even as a person, like he's had to get over that. So I don't know where he'll be this summer,

but I think it's an crucial, crucial summer for Will Levis if he is very serious about having a career as a quarterback in this league. So it's on him, guys. I mean, I know there's a crowded room in the Tennessee Titans point of view, and he's probably not going to be there, but he can still make an impression on other teams this summer. Yeah, you know, Kayla, I think there are a ton of quarterbacks that get out to a slope start, right?

Sam Darno got to a slowstone. Indiana Jones got out to a slope star. Gino Smith got to a slow start. And I think this year, Will Evans, along with Cam Ward, are probably going to get the best coaching that they've ever received as players in national football.

So my hope for him would be for him to beat out Mitchell Trivista. We already know what Mitchie Wistice. I mean, he's not going to get any better. I think he's feet. But as a quality backup, a good guy to be able to get in there and hold the line of down,

while we wait for the start to heal up or, you know, the team to make some sort of strides for the teacher. It is what it is. But I would hope that he had a better year just even being in a backup role. So in that way, you can need to create draft equity for this team and go on and prove that he's actually a good quality quarterback for somebody else, or at least for his own to just be, you know, better than what he started, because I think he inherited a situation of ugly. He really didn't have pieces around him. They're going to make him better. And the coaching didn't help me, so I I agree with you there. But I got two-part answer to that.

Are the free agents set to start this year? Germain Johnson, he's set to be a free agent next year. Cordell-Balson. You set to be a free agent this year. I mean, coming off the bench, Solomon Thomas is set to be a free agent. So if the question is pertaining to those players that like want to stick around and sign another deal with the title, these players need to show up. Well, there's no things going to be rounds, right, to take a hockey term.

But if the question is pertaining to players that need to step up and make a difference, You know, those players to me are like, you know, the ones that are unproven. I mean, yeah, there's a player that obviously was injured during his rookie season. He needs to show this new staff what he's able to do. I understand he's still a rookie, so it's not like his deal is going to make him, like, up in the front of guys that are going to be gone next year because he costs so much. That's one guy once he step up. Jason Latham, you know, he needs to show this staff,

then you don't have to look for another right tackle in the draft anytime soon. You know, it seemed to show some improvement, but if protection is an issue this year, best believe that they're going to be looking at the little more closely. And one more name, I guess I would say, Dan Moore has a big contract for 2028. If he struggles, then there won't be any trade partners

and the Titans would still have his number against the cap to deal with so they can't cut him. But, you know, and also looking at the interior guys, Cordill valson, Austin, Slotman, you know, if they get beat out by 50-and-six-round picks Fernando Carmona and Pat Coogan, then it's safe to say it's. probably curtains for those guys. No, yeah, that's a good point, Bhop, considering the

offensive line at the start of the year didn't play so well. And they showed some promise in the back end of the season. I mean, the sack numbers were down. The running game was much improved when they simplified a lot of things. But so far it wasn't enough of a sample size to me to say, hey, we're okay here. Not to mention, you know, the 40%, 40% two spots of the offensive line still really needs to get solidified. So that's for sure. And I'm I'm going to stay on that side of the ball, guys. And when I think of players who need to have a crucial summer, I'm thinking of young guys who need to establish themselves as pillars.

And I think Jackson Slater, you could probably throw him into that mix because he will compete for that right guard position. Will it be him? Will it be Cordell Volson, who may not be the long term like Bhop was mentioning, but it's a band-aid for now. Fernando Carmona, is he going to be the guy? And so when you're Jackson Slater's position, competing for that spot and showing and proving that you can win that spot, I think is going to be crucial this summer for your future, I guess, here in Nashville. So that's number one. The other two are on the other side of the ball, Femio Ladejo, like Bhop said, just because where you picked him, second round pick, you're expecting an impact starter right away.

And he's a little bit of a project because of the position change. and now you're going to go through a defensive scheme change on top of the fact that he hasn't been out there at OTAs either. And so what kind of question is that with the health that he was dealing with last year? The position change, maybe body changes too. And so just relative to where he was picked as a second round pick that you have a lot to prove to potentially be a starter in this league. And I'll go with Kevin Winston on that front as well, the third round pick from last year also. I mean, Kevin Winston had first round potential, was plagued with injuries, but we've all seen what he could do in the small sample size. So can you prove it at the very

least if you're those two guys, Femmy and Kevin, that you can be available to where you can grow and show some promise that you can be a foundational piece here in Nashville. What's interesting about those two guys that you just mentioned, Borgonzi drafted them. Right. And usually when we speak of these type of players, it's usually like year two, Borges drafted them. The head coach is in, you know, is still here, whatever. Like this again is a kind of weird situation because you have two guys at Borganzi drafted. And let's just say this too. These are two guys that there were questions about. Femi in terms of can he, you know, can he be a project that is actually.

fixed in the end when it comes from converting from a linebacker to more of an edge position and where you want him to be getting to the quarterback. And as for Winston, it was just like the injury stop. He hasn't played a lot of ball. So those were two question marks when Borgo like draft those guys. But now you also have just a brand new staff. And so it will be interesting where I think Femi, I think it can benefit him being in this solid defense because it's, it's less thinking and more just like doing and just like attacking. And I do feel like Femi could, you know, feed off of that and that fits him because it's less thinking.

But at the same time, I don't know exactly the plans Sala has for those two players that he wasn't a part of at all when it came to bringing them to Tennessee. Yeah, Femi is an interesting one just because it's like, if, you know, Sala was talking about how much he wants his defensive line to rotate. You know, if you're, if you're playing four plays and the defensive line, you aren't doing it right. But with a second round pick in Femi, are you okay with just him being a depth rotational piece? Or when you draft somebody that high and use that kind of capital, do you want him to be more than that?

Are we, I guess, expecting too much out of a guy so early that's a project that, you know, we're not going to know what his final form is even this year. So I guess that's probably the big question when it comes to Fembe. It is crucial summer. We have to see at least some sort of, was the juice worth to squeeze on that when it comes to him? Well, for the most part, I mean, six games, it's never enough sample size to see what a guy is able to do, especially in his first year. But, you know, when you do get in a lineup, and if you're healthy, I mean, you determine how many snaps you get. Because if you're out there being disruptive, if you're out there wreaking havoc and doing your job and living up to that potential as the 50-second draft last year, you're not coming on the field.

You're obviously outperforming whoever's in front of you unless that guy in free was like cleaning all full level. It is what it is. You know, you just got buried on a death chart. But in the end, pressure was a problem last year. And I think that just him being injured was the one thing that kept him out of that rotation. No excuses this year. I mean, potentially anyway. You mentioned Julian, he's not in the lineup right now as far as the OTA is concerned.

He was healthy enough to be in practice in December last year. So just kind of wondering where he's at this year. I don't think it's a mental thing. I think he wants to be out there because he wants to. Nobody wants to be looked at as potential wasted pick. And I say wasted pick because if you're in the top two or three picks in a draft, of all the couple hundred kids that are trying to get on a roster, you should be one that makes it.

You know what I mean? So no one would look back and say, have any question marks as to what the Titans did, especially Mike Borganzi, who's drafted so well over the past couple of seasons. Yeah, Mike Bell put with the rotation, Femi will get to watch and learn as well, which could be a big thing, especially with some of the dogs that Robert Sal has brought over. You mentioned in Beehop, Jermaine Johnson, and, you know, John Franklin Meyer is getting signed in the interior, the defensive line, just being able to learn from guys who have done it before, certainly will help somebody like Femiola Dejo.

Okay, on the other side of the break, we're going to talk about the football power index rankings, according to ESPN. The Titans ranked lower than maybe I thought. Is it fair or foul? That's next here on the Titan Squat Show. Don't go anywhere. Support for today's episode comes from Square,

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So ESPN came out with their preseason football power index rankings. And for those who don't know what that is, it's basically like a computer-based rating prediction system. Measures Team Strength. Rehov's already shaking his head. Measures Team Strength. forecast like their future like games and season outcomes. It's based on, you know, a myriad of things from the schedule to coaching changes to returning

starters. It's for football data nerds. And the Titans are 27th on that list, which, you know, ranks near the bottom in the NFL. For context, the Rams are one, the Bills are two, Ravens three, Seahawks, four, Niners are fifth. The interesting one, at least on this list, outside of the, Titans is the Patriots are 14th, which is the lowest that a team that went to the Super Bowl ever was in the FPI index the following preseason. So let me ask you this.

And I'll start with you, B. Hop, as you're taking a sip of water, getting ready to whack some poetic about some of this. He said, me, me, me, me, the 27th. Is that fair or foul? And not maybe just just from a data perspective, but just from, I look at this more of, wow, they think the Titans are going to be ranked that low despite a lot of the changes that we are excited about on this show. Yeah, you know, the ESPN Power Football Index is like, it's like Daniel Breezy reading the Doppler report, you know what I mean? The radar kind of shows the story from. You don't know which way that thing's going. You know what I mean? It's going to be raining in your area. You know, just kind of hope it is. At the end of the day, if the drop of rain don't fall in that spot,

what are you going to say? You're going to blame her for it? No, she's just a meteorologist. not taking any shots as deep. Breezy, you don't like you. Anyway, I mean, okay, so to validate what they're saying, I mean, our best option offensively outside of quarterback, of course, is who Carnal Tate just because of the vertical threat, you know? Looks good in shorts, but still relatively improvement, so we just don't know.

Calvin Riddley had 1,000 yards in 17 games in 2024, but he only played in seven games last year. I mean, he's 31 years old. Not saying he's old, but he's peak, say, the least. How about that? You know, the Titans were 29th in the league in place. points too. So that's probably something else that the ESPN Power Index is taking into consideration. Pass rush and secondary. Roll them all together, right? You know, they,

they weren't necessarily addressed aggressively. They were addressed somewhat through the drafting free agency, but those players aren't coming here with monster identities. You know, we didn't get Miles Garrett. You know what I mean? You know, so John Franklin Meyer and sure, third and sacks on a really good defense. Jeffrey Simmons is still one of the most dominant insured defenders in the national football league. So there's that. But, you know, while we can see some improvement on this on paper basically, we still just don't know what to expect until the season starts. I think that that probably makes it more fair than anything else.

Because at this point, we're just being really optimistic and feel good about the changes that have taken place. But the rest of the nation doesn't realize that, especially ESPN. Yeah. It's such a national thing, right? I mean, we've been talking about this year after year when it comes to, there's just markets, guys, that do not. get the respect or the benefit of the doubt. And if they do, it takes them a while to get that.

I do truly feel like when Mike Brable was here and they did start to win and Derek was here, Derek Henry and Ryan Tanna Hill was here and they had that pocket of success, you did start to feel like the national media was a little bit more like, hey, we're interested in the Titans, you know, like there's stuff to talk about and they're they're kind of doing it now a little bit more often in terms of winning. And then that quickly dissipated and everything went back to them doubting, you know, that market and whatever. I will say this too, Brad. There is a lot of unknowns and there is a lot of newness here. And when you look at the quarterback position, which means so much, I feel like when they do rankings or when they do anything based on teams,

it really sometimes is based on what comes first in terms of the quarterback. And what is the quarterback success level? How many years have they been there? What have they proven? And I think, and you guys know me, I'm Cam Ward's biggest fan, but Cam Ward still has a lot to prove. And Cam Ward on top of it, guys, was probably one of the least talked about number one overall picks when it comes. to a quarterback. We just have to say that. Like he was not talked about a lot. There wasn't a lot of coverage on him. It's unfortunate. And I hope he proves everybody wrong when it's all said and done.

But I think they also look at that position too and be like, well, what does Cam Ward done yet? And by the way, he wasn't really that high of a, you know, publicized first overall pick anyway. Right. I think this kind of goes into. to the argument we had on the show earlier this week, Bhop, with Tyler, when we were doing, Caleb, we were doing a quarterback coach duo rankings, according to Sports Illustrated, and Robert Sala and Cam Ward were like 25th or something on that list or around the ranking that they are here in the FPI, more or less. And a lot of the reason I think we kind of deduced the reasoning for that was because Robert Sala, relatively unproven as a head coach,

Great defensive coordinator so far. His defenses have been awesome. But obviously the results weren't there with the Jets. We hope that that turns around here in Nashville. Cam Ward, like you just mentioned, unproven quarterback, had some flashes. Some statistics were there. He's projected to have a great leap in year two, but unproven still, as is a lot of the young pieces on this roster.

And so I don't look at it as foul because there isn't nothing, there wasn't anything to let us know they should be at least higher than it is. right now. They are ahead of the Raiders, which I agree with. They're ahead of the Cardinals, which I agree with, the Browns, the Jets, the Dolphins. I think all of those teams, they're behind the Titans and whatever kind of ranking you want to put together with FPI or data or just power rankings in general. But, you know, there are there are reasons to why they aren't higher on that list. And so, like, I'm looking at the Giants at 23 on this, four spots ahead of the Titans. similar young team had similar records last year, but they have a head coach who's won before.

They have Harbaugh. They have Harbaugh. And that probably factors into some of this kind of off-season talk and all of that. Let's just pump the brakes, though, for a little bit. I think 27 is a great way to sneak up on some people. Yeah. You know what I mean? If all of a sudden ESPN's FPI were recognizing the Titans in the top 15,

some of them say, there are some noticeable changes going on in Nashville, and then the expectation raises, right? I think at 27, people are like, eh, we just don't know yet. So we just, you know, until they prove otherwise, we'll just put them in the same category that they were in when they picked forth to the draft last year. And that's great, because we want to be able to sneak up on some people. By mid-season, you know, we're going to know obviously what this team actually is.

It's not like you can have turnarounds, but for the most part, an identity will be established. And we want to have some wins, some pelts on the wall, before they realize just how actually good we are. Yeah. Now, and as we've seen in this league, guys, with the Bears, the Patriots last year, too, the Jaguars, you could turn things around rather quickly. And I mean, it would not surprise me if the Titans, I'm not saying to go into a Super Bowl next year,

like the Patriots did one year jump. But I do think that they could take some steps forward that we finally seeing, hey, this team is starting to compete and get in the hunt for a lot of, you know, maybe a wild card in another year. or two or something like that. I think that's totally realistic for this team. Is it okay for media to well-wish this team? Is it cool? I mean, look, this is what I say, Brad. We're supposed to be unbiased, right? But it is not fun to cover a bad team. No. It is not. I do not like going into a locker room and asking them the same things of why something

didn't work out and them giving us the same upset answers as to why it didn't work out. It's more fun when a team wins. So while I'm not necessarily a Titans fan, I don't wish poorly for the Titans. That's what I'll say. Go ahead, Kevin. I just to say, Brad, I think I might be like the craziest example of this. I've been in eight markets.

And I've covered so many teams, so many college, so many pros. People ask me all the time. People ask me here if I'm a Titans fan. And I'm like, I'm not a Titans fan. But I am invested still in the organization because I did so much, I grew so much in the game of football in Nashville with the Titans. And I grew such a love for the NFL here that I feel, you know, it's part of me, part of me now to like root for them to have success or just want to see the organization do well.

And of course, I have the Cammore tie there too. But it's awkward like to talk about sometimes. because it's like people don't understand. But I think like Julian said, when you are in different markets and you cover teams, you just want them to be successful because, like, you want those young men to do well. You want those athletes that you cover to do well. Like I kind of root for them, you know, as individuals as well. Yeah, you know what?

Y'all can be unbiased all you want to. I'm biased. I'm going to be biased. Because, yeah, at the end of the day, when I'm standing there, you know, talking to these guys, and they're asking me questions about doing the job that they're doing right now. I mean, I have to give my thoughts about it. You know what I mean? And hopefully my thoughts make them better.

So at the end, I want them to be, like you said, Julian, the best version of themselves, simply because, you know, I think getting questions asked of me when I'm out in public about why we suck. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? It's not like, I mean, I don't think that you guys don't get those questions. but whether I'm at the store or the gym or just hanging out somewhere, man, hop, what's up with your Titans? It's always my Titans. Yeah.

You know, especially from people that are fans of other teams. That's the way I get posed to the question. So I have to answer them in the same way that I'm being asked the question. Well, this is what's going on. And this is what needs to be fixed. This is what's working well. So that's the way I'm going to always approach it. No, totally makes sense.

Totally makes it. Hey, it's more fun. when the Titans are winning. That's for sure. I'll say that. The job is more fun when the Titans are 100%. So on the other side of the break, Bhop's going to give his hot take of the week. We're looking forward to that. That's next year on the Titan Squad Show. Don't go anywhere. Get your daily Titans fix completely ad free by joining the everyday or club today. Start your seven day free trial right now and get closer to your team without the interruptions. Click the link in the show notes or go to the website right there on your screen. If you're with us on YouTube and if not, it's

Lockedonpodcast.com slash everydayer. Once again, that's locked on podcast.com slash everydayer to get your Titans fix. All right. Now, let's see. Time for another edition of Bhop's hop take. Behop, I'll give you the floor. Take it away. Okay, here's my hop take. If the spurs don't win tonight, the Knicks will have their first championship since 1973. And guess what? Tennessee can't help preserve the Alamo this time. It is what it is. Now, that actually is true. I can't wait for the game to go on. The Titans failed to win a single game in the AFC South last year.

Not one, okay? So this is my hop take. The Titans will win every divisional game at home this year. I think Robert Salon knows the importance of those games, especially with the count for two. And he's going to make sure that they're ready when the Texans, with the Colts, and when the Jags come to Nissan, particularly this year because it's the last time that those

three teams will get to play in the old stadium. So let's send them out with a bang. Titans fans, tighten up. I like that, Biham. So if you're saying they're going to win at three, that's at least three wins. Yes. Do you think the buck stops at three in the division this year? No, no, no. It's a road game. Okay. So I've already done my, you want to see my pre-do. Okay. Do you guys want me to go through my, my AFC South records? Yeah, go for it. Because Bill Lekis and I, we're actually doing the AFC South on the end zone Sunday morning, which is obviously my other gig that I do for Sirius XM. So here's my Titans' breakdown of the schedule.

And you tell me if you agree. Week one, they host the Jets. That's a W. Yep. Week two, they're on the road at, or actually, they actually host the Eagles. I'm kind of giving the Eagles the edge on that, defending NFC champs. you get it. I mean, in the East, I get it.

You know, they're a tough team to be hard out. I think Mackay Lemon, it's not going to be a good replacement for AJ Brown, but they got other weapons like Sequan Park. It might be hard to bring the run, but still, you know, Devonthe Smith will pick up where AJ Brown left off if it's not Mackay Lemon. So I got one-on-one going into week three. At the Giants, not necessarily seeing this one, because I don't think it's easy for Robert Sala and Brian Dable,

the exact revenge on their former teams all in the same year. So I'm going to say the road's a little tougher. Jackson Dart and company, they get it done. So that's one and two right now for the Titans hitting in the week four. The Baltimore Ravens, another team on the road. That's a loss. Lamar Jackson got a lot to prove. Declan Doyle seems to really be making some strides and connecting with him.

They're speaking highly of them. Might be a situation. Here's our first divisional game at home. It's got to be a W. You know, first time we matched up against these guys this year, division arrival in your building. Robert knows the deal. What's going on?

That's a W for the time. So I think we're at what, two and three right now? He's heading into week. Heading into week six on the road at Indianapolis, that's a loss. We haven't had much luck in Lucas Oilfield. It is what it is at this point. So now we go at home against the Browns. We can't.

You're like James Hardin and a meme. Exactly. Cincinnati Bengals. That's a loss. You know, because it's on the road, Joe Burrow, you know, Dexter Lawrence is a new guy in town. He might make it harder on his interior alignment. I hope not, but that's probably going to be the situation,

especially at home and Titans can't hear. At home against the Jags, what did I just say? It's a W. Got to win that one. Especially coming out of a bye week, we had time to rest up. We know that the AFC chance from last, AFC South Champs from last year. It doesn't matter.

I got a loss at the Dallas Cowboys. It gets kind of ugly on the road. You know, it's going to be obviously a dramatic situation. But four before, four and four before the, by week and five and four after that this kind of set them up a little bit for a little disappointment it's a loss jacksonville on the road probably a loss they're really good in their own building they split the season for the first time since 2023 though so that's caveat uh they beat the commanders at home in week 13 you know janey dan is supposed to be healthy whatever it doesn't matter on the road at the road at the road at the road at the road at the road at the road it's probably a loss pittsburgh steelers durer's Road whooping to close out Nissan Stadium. Titans get a W. Send Aaron Rogers backpacking. And it'll probably be a loss on the road against Houston in Houston to end the season. So I've got them at 8 and 9 this year just by going through the games game by game.

It's interesting when you were saying too about the, because when you first said it, I was like, oh, that's a lofty goal to get, you know, the AFC South teams at home. But when you spoke about it in terms of like coming off the biweek and like stuff like that, I'm like, yeah, actually that is definitely doable. And the Colts are such an interesting team too because the Colts are always in the mix, I feel like in the AFC South because their line is always good, right? It's just the quarterback position has been a little bit questionable. But with Daniel Jones back, I think we're questioning, can he duplicate what he did to start

the year because he was mind-blowing to start the year and then he got hurt and look what happened to the Colts, right? So it's like a team like that is also a little bit of a mystery this year where they'll be at that point when they face the Titans at home. What is it? They've won one. Seven and ten, sorry. Seven and tens. Yeah. So they've won one divisional game in the last two years if you're the Titans. And that was the game against Houston, 24, technically, right? The 2024-25 season. I remember we talked about on the show some of the, like, what's the baseline for a record this year? But I think for the division, you got to win at least two or three of those. Yeah.

You have to. You can't go one in five or oh and six again because that, if you want to compete at the top of the league, guys, you got to start competing in your division first, you know? And how much that sets you up for success. That's less work you have to do outside of the division. to just to compete. And it's not like the AFC South is the NFC West or the NFC North where the upper echelon teams in those divisions are all playoff teams. You know, the AFC South had two teams in the playoffs this past year.

I would say Jacksonville was probably a surprise to a lot of us. And but it's not like any team has a real stranglehold on it every single year. Like, DJ Stroud's still trying to prove that he's the guy. Trevor Lawrence will see what they do with the first place schedule. And the Colts quarterback situation, I mean, they've been trying to figure it out since Andrew Luck left. And so, like, if you look at least the quarterback situations, I'd rather have Cam Ward than any of those potential situations, quite honestly.

Yeah, that's a good point. I mean, you guys want, go ahead, right. I'm just going to say real quick, real quick. Kailen, I'll give it back to you. Do you guys want to know the other three records, or the other teams in the division? Yeah. Yeah.

We do have a changing of AFC-South chance. It's the Houston Texans. I got them at 11 and 6. Their schedule is favorable for them. I got Indianapolis Colts finishing at 8 and 9. And I got the Jags finishing at 8 and 9. The loss of Trevor of Travis E.TN is going to be big for them because they don't have anybody running the football. I know they were talking about Brian Thomas running the offense through him, whatever else. But his numbers, even with who's their monster defense, their edge rusher? Tramon Walker. Trayvon Walker. He didn't have like a stellar league last year either, though. So I think the rest of the division catches up to them, and they aren't the champions that they were in the F.C. South last year. So I think that they're eight and nine, culture eight and nine,

and the Texans take the division at eight, 11, and six. I, going back to Gillian's point, too, with these teams, I mean, what makes it so weird is that all of these question marks that these teams have, and there's other things on the team. obviously each team has question marks in several different positions. But really, the quarterback position is bizarre. Like, it's very bizarre because you would think by now, Trevor Lawrence is sign sealed, deliver, you know,

he's the guy. We expected him to be that generational talent that everyone spoke about when they drafted him. And then C.J. Stroud, you know, high, high draft pick. Maybe wasn't expected to do as much as he did his rookie year, but we're all like, whoa, we're a believer now on C.J. Strowd, and then he kind of went backwards. And then you mentioned the Colts. Like they took a chance on Anthony Richardson, and that blew up in their face and then

had to go get Daniel Jones that I don't know if it was luck last year, how he started it, but, you know, he couldn't finish the year. So it's really weird that every single quarterback has a big question mark in different ways in the AFC South. And that could really determine a lot. And I'll tell you this. I'd rather be the question mark with Cam to say, at least you have the guy. guy just needs to prove that he's worth the number one pick. That's for sure. I wrote it down,

Bhop. I have your your your your predictions here. I'm going to stick that up here. I do like that. But seven and ten, even though that would be the Titans finishing last again, seven and ten. I think these fans would take it considering you are more competitive at least. And that's part of what we would like to see. Just like you said, three divisional wins coming from no division of wins last year. Come on, man. That's noticeable improvement right there. Yeah, that would be that indeed. All right, on the other side of the break, we're going to take some comments and questions from you here in our Titans talk segment.

That's next here in the Titans Squad Show. Patty Boy 2-7 asks B. Hop. He said, hey, Brad, have you had any encounters with Brandon Crenshaw Dixon? And do you think he's the swing tackle and possibly starter in the future? Brandon Crenshaw Dixon was a swing tackle this past season, the night's depth rotational piece for the offensive line. What do you think about the young player, Bhop? I did get a chance to look at him from the practices that I was able to see him at,

6-7-3-16. That's a big boy. And Howard decided to look at it. He moves like 6-7-3-16. Swing tackle, maybe not. Right tackle? Yeah, for sure. I think he can definitely compete at that spot. What I feel comfortable for him backing up Dan more, probably not. It just doesn't seem to have the footwork, you know. And when you're dealing with leverage, sometimes he takes. tends to stand tall. You know what I mean? It's easier for guys to get on EQ you that way.

Now, this is saying this about a guy that was an undrafted player from last year. It doesn't mean he can't get better coaching this year. Can't mean that Carmon can't, you know, breathe some life into this cat and give him a different trajectory. So I think it's up in the air right now. I think depth is still going to be an issue. We're just going to hope that the guys that are in there right now stay healthy, especially once they win the starting jobs. But for the most part, I think that a swing tackle probably not back up and right tackle behind JC that might be the move hey Brad real quick too a question for you in terms of the line and I know you get to spend a little bit more time now with the team and everything having the role of doing the sidelines some this year

do you feel like the nastiness of the line right that we've talked about before of that personality and I know not every guy is going to be like that but do you feel like that you feel or can you identify right now, like, if they have that? So Peter's definitely got it. Yeah. And what's the first thing that Jeffrey said about here? He's strong. I know strong.

And he said that. And it's well-placed, too. I would love for Fernando Carmona to get into the lineup because he just seems like a bar room brawler. You know what I mean? He just seems like he will blush you over the head with a bottle and keep it moving. Yeah. He just seems like that guy.

And Pat Cuckin kind of plays with an edge. smart guy, not always in the right spot, but definitely someone is smart enough to understand what defenses are trying to do against him. So I like him in the lineup. As far as the nastiness, the identity, I don't see it consistently across the board. You know what I mean?

But that kind of comes from the confidence of wins. You know what I mean? And you can definitely tell, I guess what gives you that kind of identity is when you look across the line of scrimage and you see these guys looking at you like this, oh my God. You know what I mean?

That guy's funny. I'm about to give you our dog. You know what I mean? So until we have that perception about us. And that will reflect in the run game. That'll reflect in keeping Cam protected. You know, you can't get to them. That means guys up front are doing their job. And if they're just brazen holes in the line of scrimmage

and Tony Pollard and Tocke's spears are just skirting through and Cam Ward for him in the mix too, then that means that they're dominating up front. And we've seen them take over ball games early when they commit to the run. So I think that that's also going to help them. It's hard to be aggressive and nasty pass blocking because in Aitly you're backpedaling. You know what I'm saying? And it's just hard to just kind of establish that, you know, except when you have your hand in the dirt and you're firing off the line scrimmage, you're hitting the guy in the teeth.

That comes from a good run, run game, play action balance. So hopefully Brian Dayball will establish more of that and we can have some success. I wanted to address a question that that, who was it? It was awake, awaken to the eternal. He said, how the Raiders beating the Titans, okay. And I'm gonna tell you how. This is how I'm gonna tell you.

Now, I just said that I'm supporting this team, right? So I don't want this to happen. But this is my notes. First off, you got two back-to-back, number one overall picks facing off each other, right? That's if Mendoza starts. Now here's the caveat. If Kurt Cousins is starting,

that means that the Raiders are bawling out. That means that they've had no reason to go to Fernando Fernando Mendoza, which means they're winning down games. Okay? And that's going to make the road a tougher environment. Now, on the flip side, what if they've had to go to Fernando? That damn fan base out there to see Fernando Mendoza in a lineup, they are going to be ravenous. Yeah. They are going to be rooting like insanely.

And I've seen Raiders fans up close and personal. They're crazy. They're nuts. Right. So if Fernando, their first round pick is in the lineup, they're going to do everything that they possibly can to make this an unbelievably tough environment for the titan to win. And if he's not in the lineup, that's only because the Raiders are winning with Kirk Cousins, which makes it a lose-lose situation for the Titans.

Right. Well, Wicked to the Eternal also asked, is this team taking a step forward this year? And I would refer to our previous segment. Behop, you have them at 7 and 10, which would record-wise and competitively be a step forward, even if they do lose to the Raiders, like you're talking about. Yeah. Thank you. The Jaggs, they have dropped down a little bit.

What, they went? 12 games last year, you know, and won the division? No, no, it ain't happening this year. Since they're going to be tough, why? Because they've got one of the best defenses, not the AFC something. The damn national football league. They've got some nastiness on that side. You know what I mean?

Danil Hunter's still playing at a high level. Obviously, they re-signed Will Anderson. Well, I believe so. Those guys can play. Exactly. Those cats can play. So it's going to be hard to beat them. I do have us beating them here.

You know, that's a caveat. There you go. And the Colts. I know, Kayla, what you're talking about with Danny Dimes or Indiana Jones, however you want to call him. But when that cat was healthy, man, it took overtime to beat him the one game before he got hurt. And he won more. They went like six straight or something like that.

So the cat understood ball. He was playing at an extremely high level. And I don't think that if he's healthy, it won't be hard for them to kind of realize that. But eight and nine for them is still, I think, better than what they did or maybe tied what they did last year. but Jim Bob Cooter and Shane Steichen, they love them some Daniel Jones, and I think that they're going to probably employ him and a guy that has been a rushing title leader in the past,

Jonathan Taylor, man. So the Colts are no slouch. So 7 and 10, noticeable improvement. Yeah, and to clarify, I Wigan the Eternal wanted to make sure, is team speed also taking a step forward, team speed on those sides of the ball, whether it be personnel that they've brought in,

you know, whether it be offensively, defensively. I think the skill position players, I do like what Carnell Tate brings over the top. You know, obviously Wondell Robinson has proven to be like a target merchant there. I think offensively they'll play much faster under Dave. Bhop, you've seen it in a practice how quickly they get up to the line of scrimmage now compared to what they do with Brian Callahan. So at least on that side of the book, I'm not worried, I don't think defensively with these guys. I think I think it's the offense that I would like to see more, more fast-pacist.

more speed out of some of these guys. You know what affects team speed is knowing what you're doing, being able to play fast because you recognize through consistency what's required, what you're doing, you don't have to think about it anymore. Like when something is still a little bit boring to you, there's a slight hesitancy in what you're doing, right? Because you're still thinking about what it is you need to be doing. But when you're just simply reacting because you know because it's already second nature

to you, that's when a team can get up to the line stream to go fast. recognize the front and a secondary and go fast, making decisions immediate, that kind of thing. You know what I mean? But it's going to take a minute for them to get comfortable to be able to play fast. So team speed is different than just out and out, like individual speed.

Sure, we've got vertical threats. We've got, you know, underneath route threats. We've got secondary players that can play. Cordell Flott. I think it's going to be a nice addition. Alante Taylor's going to be a nice addition. They'll allow the defense to play faster, especially if they're taking away their section of the field

and that pass rush to get home, they'll be playing faster on defense. but it's really just being comfortable with what we're doing to be able to keep that pace. Well, and we're saying that, Brad, on both sides of the ball, remember you have two guys running the show that are brand new, that are bringing a brand new playbook into this locker room. Even for vets that have been here, this is new for them. So I think, like, it doesn't just happen right out of the gates.

Like, you hope it will happen, like, no pun intended, faster than not. But it is going to be something that it's an adjustment for even the vets that are now on this team. I understand it. Real quick, I know we're right up against it, but also to your point, Kayla, them calling plays that aren't so foreign to what we're already able to do. You know what I'm saying?

Don't ask them to reinvent the weird. You know, kind of obviously, I think Cam Ward will have some sort of input, some sort of influence in what he does, what he does well. And so they'll kind of tie into that so that way they don't have Cam out there thinking so much, let him do some things that are already familiar with him, you know, what he's able to do.

And Brian DeBal already kind of has, has an idea of what Cam work can do and what he's capable of doing. So I think he's going to start creating, you know, science problems for Cam to do when he gets the line of scrimmage. Yeah. We have about a minute left. I wanted to get one more question in. Jeffrey Mullins, 2110 says, what's the chance we sign another cornerback, maybe Kenny Moore?

Kayla, you've talked about how thin this cornerback room could be. Yeah, look, guys, it's been a concern of mine for a while. And I know that they signed guys. I know that. But I feel like if the more than merrier in that spot and the history of keeping guys healthy has not been great either in terms of that cornerback room, I mean, I wouldn't be completely opposed to it, right? I don't know where they land salary cap wise right now, but I do feel like they still have some money. Yeah. And Kenny Moore was a guy who actually picked off Cam Ward last year in the Indianapolis Colts game.

I remember that. six at Nissan Stadium. And we've talked about how the cornerback room, if there was any position group that you could see one of these undrafted free agent guys potentially make a spot on the roster, it is at cornerback, whether it be like Latrell McCutcheon or Bishop Fitzgerald, one of these, you know, secondary guys who you could throw in the mix

because it does feel like there's some room to add some more bodies there. So only time will tell on that from that's what the offseason is for. I wanted to thank you guys for joining us here on the Titan Squad show. make sure to like, comment, subscribe, wherever you get your podcast. Catch us here live on YouTube twice a week and check out the Locked on Titans Podcasts every day with Tyler Rowland as well. But for now, I'm Julian Minneso and that's Kayla Anderson and Brad Hopkins. We'll see you guys next week.