Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - TITANS SQUAD SHOW: Joint Practice REACTION, Cam Ward FACES 49ers in BATTLE in the Bay

Episode Date: August 11, 2026

The Titans are in the Bay Area for a joint practice against the San Francisco 49ers. We dive into the big moments from practice, including how second-year QB Cam Ward handled San Francisco's defensive pressure and if the right guard position is closer to being solidified. We also highlight what's at stake in the upcoming preseason game at Levi's Stadium. 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! FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. KALSHI For a limited time,Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10. Square Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/lockedonnfl! #squarepod Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONfor $20 off your first purchase. 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. 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.

And things got chippy at practice today between the Titans and 49ers. Why that might be a good thing before the Titans first preseason game. So a lot of positives from the Titans and, of course, from the Niners, a team that's supposed to compete in the NFC this year. So I think it's a fast start for the Titans and joint practice, and I can't wait to talk about. And what everybody always wants to ask, how's Cam Lord? I can't even talk right now because I'm so crazy,

interested in what happened with practice. How did Cam Ward fair against another team for the first time in training camp? There we go. We'll get to it. Tighten up. It's the Titan Squad. Everything Tennessee Titans every week covering all the big hits and game 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 Minnesota, joined by Kayla Anderson, Brad Hopkins. Got a jam-pack show for you today. An important one is the Titans.

We're on the practice field against another team other than themselves today in the Bay Area against the San Francisco 49ers before they play them at Levi Stadium on Thursday. We're going to talk about it all, the offensive line, the defensive line, the chippiness in practice. What does Cam Ward need to show before that preseason game and in that preseason game? and plus Bhop, who is out there, his thoughts on the joint practice as well. Now, I wanted to remind you for a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code locked on to get $10 when you trade $10. So Bhop, you were out there today. What did you think?

Yeah. You know, very professional. I'll say that from the very beginning when the guys were warming up. Of course, whenever you see your teammates that you've been going up against in practice in different color uniforms and you're not. collectively wearing the same color it really does kind of like start to show the identity of this team so when the offense and defense for the Titans took the field and they're all wearing the same colors they knew what the objective was right it was to compete it was to be physical it was to execute and do all the

things that you need to do to get yourself ready for the for the upcoming season so you know you mentioned the chippiness I'll take that just because this is a physical team that they're practicing against anyone to be able to match that physicality and And particularly up front, they made it a point to say, hey, look, we're not going to get pushed around today. And so we didn't see a couple of ejections. There were a couple of guys that started a practice that didn't finish practice and for throwing punches or whatever. But at the end of the day, I think that the tone was set by the big boys on both sides of the football.

You know, saw Big Jeff getting to a couple of scrums, didn't get ejected for practice or anything like that. But still, I thought for them to travel all this distance to kind of put together. the type of practice that did feature guys that were really ready to get after it and establish themselves and put markers on this team. I was very well impressed with what they did today. Kayla, I want to get your perspective on this because you bring an interesting one is that you cover the Titans for such a long time and still do on this show, but also you're in Northern California now, pretty Niners adjacent from where you do your radio show. Did you expect this physical nature of practice. Was there a little bit of ump maybe because Robert Sala was coming back

to the old stomping grounds? What did you make of that whole thing? Yeah, I love it. And this is why I think, you know, eventually we'll go to just more joint practices, although I'm not 100% for that, but I do like joint practices because I do feel like teams get to choose like the teams they're going up against. And usually it's because there's some sort of connection. They either played on a staff with that person that's the head coach now, or they used to be here like Robert Sala and last year and he's got so many players that love him. Obviously, Shanahan and him have a really close relationship. So I wasn't, I told my co-host on my radio show today, I said, do not be surprised if this gets chippy at the jump. I go, A, because both teams just want to see a

new opponent at this point. They don't want to see their own, you know, own guys, don't want to go up against their own guys anymore. But also there's a little bit of pride when you come to an organization like the 49ers. Like they're very well thought of. Like they've always been a model organization. And I think the Titans want to show they are on the right path to getting to a respected organization. And they want to do things professionally. And Sala has got everything kind of going in that direction. Like it's going to take a minute. But I think that was like what they want to do. They wanted to come here and prove like you're not going to bully us around just because

you're the Niners. Like we're going to come right back at you. And I thought that's what they did when the defense for the Niners was coming on strong. And those first, you know, 15 minutes or so, they pushed right back and said, no, you're not going to bully us. So I liked what I saw from the response from the Titans, at least from that standpoint early. Yeah. Bhop, a lot was made at least from the notes.

and the reports I saw through practice about the Titans Red Zone defense today. I don't know how much of a look that you got at that, but how much of that do you also take with a grain of salt, considering Kyle Shanahan knows the defensive system that Robert Sala likes to run too. Yeah, I understand that, but from the Titan, are you talking about from the Titan defensive standpoint? Yeah, Titan defense perspective, because it seemed like that from what I was reading that the Niners offense kind of had their way with the Red Zone offense a little bit.

Just in the middle of the field, there were a couple of situations where Dejohn Stribling was making plays, you know. But also there were a couple of plays that I thought the defense definitely got the pressure there and could have gotten a sack, but they let the play continue. So then it looked like it was a bigger play than it actually was. For a lot of that, I saw a couple of turnovers in the reds over situations that the defense got their hands on a couple of balls too. So it kind of went, you know, 50, you know, 50, 50, 6 of 1⁄2 doesn't have another of that kind of deal. sure there was some plays made by the Niners, Brock Purdy's a hell of a quarterback. I saw even Mac Jones bragging about the fact

that he hadn't thrown any incompletions all day, whatever. But the point was, you know, they were all competing. There were a couple of instances where Big Jeff Cook definitely got his hands on the quarterback and created sacks. Same thing you would say, as well, Jermaine Johnson, getting held quite often to make sure that they didn't complete the drives, like, you know, they were doing that.

So, you know, while there might have been a conversation about the is taking advantage of the Titans in some form or fashion defensively. I definitely saw the Titans have their opportunity to put quarterbacks on the ground to make big stops. Cody Barton was flying around all over the field. I saw him break down, break up a couple of screenplays in that. So like I said, it was it was very intense. It was very physical. But to Kayla's point earlier, there's a lot of familiarity with these guys.

I mean, there were dudes that have played together on different teams. And despite all of the chippiness that we saw during practice, when it was over, you thought it was like a family reunion. You know what I mean? So these guys are like, you know, happy to see each other. And that's from the coaching staff, too. You know, so there were guys that were just, there was a lot of hugging, a lot of brotherline, there was a lot of love out there in the football field.

Kayla, you know what I'm talking about? I mean, I love this. That's what I love to see. And that's why I like joint practices when you get to kind of go up against a team you do have respect for. Like when it's game time or practice time, I should say, you're going to be. heated in moments and you're going to give that other team your best shot. That's what the coaches want. I think at one point, Brad, in the beginning, when I saw all of the scuffling that was happening in the first 15 minutes, I saw a side note from one of the Niners reporters like that

Shanahan and Solow were just sitting there, you know, cutting it up, just watching it all right. We're pretty much just like, yeah. We're cool with this. Yeah, but you know what, though? There were a couple of instances, like you're talking about Kayla, why? We were looking at each other like, this thing might be over sooner than it's, you know, because they weren't getting work done. Yes. It seemed like every five minutes, man,

somebody was like, you know, I'm going to tell you who was getting into it a lot. Number five, Elk I, you manner, they were starting from the beginning of practice to the end of practice. And this cat here, man, he doesn't mind getting physical. I love his brain of football, and it wasn't like him just picking on Alante, Taylor, like in practice?

This guy took it out to the West Coast man and was getting after with a couple of dudes. Him and Jones, number 25, Kimmel's first. Oh, here it is right here. He must feel comfortable out there in Northern California because he was obviously physical at Stanford. And he told Kayla and I last year at camp that I actually prefer blocking and get physical with guys. He was not lying. Yeah.

Brad, I have a quick question for you. I also was keeping up with the play-by-plays of what was going on. Did you see a little bit of that meanness coming out of J.C. Latham in a good way? I am so glad you asked that. He's got ownership. He's owning that side of the ball. Now, admittedly, they went into this as an offensive line with the intention of establishing the line of scrimmage.

they weren't going to get pushed around and they wanted to get in there and mix it up. I saw J.C. on a number of occasions, you know, yelling that dudes on the other side talking about, get off my empty field, just like, this is my place. I mean, he was coming to play. And same with Dan.

I saw Dan pancakeing folks before he had to take a break. Even Osteedeculous was out there. Just getting after with some folks. So you don't want to be, you don't want to, you don't want to mispractice time because of fighting and whatever, you know, but just the fact that they were playing with the kind of physicality that you know

it's going to take to win ball games and they wanted the Niners to respect them. I'll take that. Now you got to be smart. You can't put your team in the pickle. Like you would have hated to lose a guy like Jeffrey Simmons to either suspension or, you know, injury, you know, at the end of the day, this is the brand of football that we play now.

You know, I mean, Robert Sala has, is, you know, he's talking about all gas, no break. That's, that's the real deal. And you can't play that brand of football just being tentative and hesitant and just kind of waiting for that other guy that hit you first. Nah, man, these guys are like, they're bringing the fight first. And I'll take that. Let's just say that. Well, one thing that is good to hear about that offensive line and how combatant they

are at least in this joint practice is that when germane johnson the edge guy with the before the pads came on said hey the offensive line isn't going to want to know what's hit them and it seemed like not just today but during the joint or the uh padded practices leading up to this discrimmage that the offensive line has responded in a way relative to maybe some of our expectations that they have been for the most part pretty solid on that front and standing up for themselves and stuff like that i don't know if i just thought of the line wasn't going to be listening to all this stuff yeah yeah it's like being said, Kayla, you know, you can't just keep poking the bear and just have him stay there hibernating. No, this bear woke up, man. And the thing is, they understand the dialogue that's

been surrounding them for the past couple of few years. And they're tired of it. I mean, I think that when you go back to them drafting Peter Skoranski, we saw from the very beginning just what kind of impression that he was having on this offense, the accountability factor. Then they bring in JC. He plays a year at left. They move him more. over the right, just to really see, you know, trying to spread, I guess, spread out the talent and then maybe buy someone that they could put it left tackle. You know, Dan had, you know, he maybe had his issues early on. I thought that he finished the season a lot better than he started the season. And you're starting to see him pick up where he left off last year in this first, you know,

in these first few weeks of them getting together. So we're starting to see it develop. I thought that, you know, Austin Slotman has been a tremendous acquisition in the middle there. And, It just leaves right guard to kind of be figured out a little bit. And we've seen Carmona in it, right guard, you know, most of the day, working with the ones today. And aside for a couple of few mental errors, the kids showed up. You know what I mean? So it's going to be interesting to see how this thing shakes out.

But the big body is up front. They definitely have taken to heart what has been said about them. And they're going to make sure that they're not the reason why this team doesn't win. And we'll talk about the offensive line and that right guard position. coming up after the break. We are going to get to Cam Ward and what we would like to see out of Cam Ward based on what we saw today

and also going into that first preseason game against the Niners. That's next year in the Titan Squad show. Don't go anywhere. Matt Derry here from the Lockdown Lions podcast. You know, life insurance is one of those things. You don't really think about until you have a reason to. For me, it really hit home when my father passed away

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The hard part usually isn't deciding what you want to attend. It's actually getting the tickets between long wait times. Confusing checkout processes and surprise fees. Buying tickets can sometimes feel harder than. it should. That's why so many fans are tuning in a game time. The app is built to make buying tickets simple with upfront pricing, seat views before you buy, and exclusive saving opportunities to help you get to the events you want without the usual hassle. And there's just something about being live, whether it's that crowd reaction or the energy in the building, especially for

those who listen to our show who live in Nashville, Music City, we know that all too well. Take the guess we're going to bind tickets to every type of event with Game Time. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download the game time app today. All right, guys. So Cam Ward, I think over the last couple of days, especially when the offense has looked better in camp. It seems like he's gotten to command of the offense. It seems like the decision making has gotten a lot quicker. Kayla, I'll start with you on this. What would you like to see out of Cam in that first preseason?

game in Santa Clara this week. Yeah, and I thought some of the stuff, I just really love, like, how Cam collects himself so immediately, like listening to him after practice today. And he immediately had things he wants to work on. And that starts, you know, Thursday, obviously, with a real game. He said he's excited to have those types of reps that are live. for me some of some of the working over the middle and i think he said even fred warner after practice came up to him and kind of gave him some tips when it came to that and kind of executing over the middle

being more efficient um i think i heard the word elite execution at some point like he'll get there that's not going to happen in thursday's game but i think continuing to build that chemistry and also timing with some of these wide receivers and especially a guy like Carmel Tate. I know he feels like it's getting to the point where they're starting to get on the same page, but now these are real live reps in a game that you can continue to build on that. And I think that right now is really important for Cam to just continue to build that chemistry and the timing with his receivers.

Biav, what do you want to see at a QB1 when he takes the field? Well, I do like his vision. There's been many times that he's actually looking at a receiver, peripherally and that's where he's going to go with the ball, but he doesn't want to give the defense any indicator. That's where he's going. But when you do that, then you've got to deliver the right ball. You know, there have been times where maybe it was a little, you know, out of range or it would have been an acrobatic catch that the quarterback needed to make. But I do like the fact that he already understands the progression of where he needs to go with the football,

reading one, two, three, and it's out, you know. So I will say the practice that we saw today wasn't as crisp as the ones that we've seen in Nashville. And that's to be expected. Why? Because you're going against another defense, not the one that you, you know, basically go to the cafeteria with after practice,

you know what I mean? So, you know, the newness of it all going up against different personnel, trying to figure out what actually the defense is trying to do against you that's different than what Robert has been doing against him typically over the past couple of weeks, you know? So,

but I will say that, you know, staying out of the negative down in distances has been super important. because that's what makes it almost impossible to continue to dry when you're dealing with third and double digits. And that comes from not only incompletions, but it comes from just holding on to the football and just not being accurate with what you're doing

and understanding where you need to go with it. So I think he's been smart and quick in getting the ball out of his hands with that release. But I just want to see him basically take the next step and saying, hey, look, I understand specifically what you're trying to do against me. I have a countermeasure for that. And I'm ready to implement that instantaneously. So in that way, my decision-making the horns with the football aren't a liability.

I don't want to see him backpedaling it in the pocket anymore. And I understand when the quarterback's clock starts to really start to get louder in their head, they want to do something with the ball. But just, okay, the line hasn't been as problematic as it has been in the past. So you can stay there a couple of extra seconds in the pocket and just deliver a nice accurate ball rather than thinking that you need to develop something. sooner than you need to. I have a quick question real quick, guys.

So I read in the notes, Red wants to get in on this conversation too. He loves me. Red loves the answer. Yeah, I read in the notes that Camp had a, what was going to look like was going to be a touchdown to Iow Manor, but it looks like the DB made a good play. I was curious, Brad, is, did you see that in real time? Like, what did that all play out like? I think that that was in the Red Zone.

if I was backpedaling to his right, backpedal into his right, but he wasn't looking at Alec to make sure that the defense didn't make a break on it, but there was really nowhere else to go with the football. Okay. So you've got to give coverage, a little bit of credit there, you know. But I also thought that Austin, it wasn't Austin. It was Brandon Crenshaw Dixon that was getting, no, Zach Thomas. Zach was getting a little bit of pressure, which it seemed like it was going to be a sack,

But Zach sat down at the last minute, but it was too late for him to think he was safe, so he started spinning out to his right. So it was just one of those situations where he could have probably stayed in the pocket and maybe delivered that accurate ball and the one to Ellick sooner in the cadence than later. But, you know, there was some good coverage. You know, they were doing, they were doing a good. Hey, this is a play a playoff caliber team that they practiced against you. You know what I mean?

So the fact that they were able to compete. and do some of the things that you would want a good team to do, especially for a team that won three games last year. You know what I mean? So I wasn't mad at what they were doing at all, pretty much. And Cam's performance, I thought, was, you know, obviously he wants to improve, wants to be the best version of himself, and he's tracking towards that.

Could he have been better today? Yes, but I was definitely pleased with his performance overall. Yeah, and Behov, I wanted to piggyback off that. Like, you mentioned maybe it wasn't as clean as the last couple of days in Nashville, I always go back to, if I took like my grandma to practice, right, who doesn't know a lick of football,

would she be able to tell who the starting quarterback is going to be? Like, would she be able to look at the three jerseys and say, hey, number one is the starter? Did you still feel that way today? Because I think for the last couple of days, Cam has looked at it. He looks, there's a gap between him and then the other two guys in Trubisky and Levis to me.

When in past training camps, that quarterback position, it wasn't as drastic. Without question. And that starts with the relationship to Dave's and he have already to this point. Sure. You know, we've heard him speak just about that relationship and how they are symbiotically the same person just with an age difference, right? Because they'll go fiery.

And Ramona and I talked to Brian this morning just talking with him. And he acknowledged that. He acknowledged the fact that he can get on Cam. He can say something. some of the things that are called tough coaching and cams going to respond to it not in a way of sulking or mad because you know the language wasn't you know so nice you know i mean that they're holding each other accountable you know i mean i think that he knows what he can put on cams plate as well and he trusts that he can be able to go out there to do it you know so he's

such a professional at this point going into year two just the way that he is getting the receivers in the building at 5 30 in the morning the fact that they're doing so many things together even off the field that create that chemistry that is necessary for them to win. There's undoubtedly a distance between Cam and anybody else on that roster when it comes to playing quarterback. Yeah, not that it was a competition to begin with. I'm just saying you want him to look for it. I know what you're saying.

Mr. Chubisky is a veteran. You know, he probably knows at this point more football overall than Cam does. But in this situation, this is Cam's offense, not even the thought about it. The one thing that he doesn't do, which I applaud him on. is he doesn't show frustration when things don't necessarily go away. You touched on that, Kayla, you alluded to the fact that when he takes the podium, he understands exactly how his demeanor, you know, all these things, right? He doesn't let that go when he's in practice, too.

You might, you know, throw a pick or something. And it's not like. Right, right. Most of those don't get in the way. Exactly. Yeah. I can say that about everybody. Right.

You know, Kim did say at the podium, too, that he was the one talking some smack to Fred Warner throughout practice. He wanted Fred's best. But it was Brian Dable who said, hey, man, settle it down. And Cam's like, he knows I'm hard-headed. Sure. And Brian told us that too. Graham said to tell him, hey, stop joining with Jeffrey and M-Cats. Get back in the hole and let's go.

But I understand the fiery competitor at him, you know, but, you're making a little harder on the guys because they're trying to block for you. It's just not what you want to do is go pick off Jeffrey Simmons, you know, every five minutes in practice. and start giving them motivation to want to get to your butt. You know what I mean? Because at the end of the day, you know, he's wearing a red jersey,

so he can't be hit. You know what I mean? To a lion, basically. But the lion's not wearing red jerseys and we're trying to keep his butt out of the backfield, you know what I mean? So you're just making it harder on it, just running it. But it also makes practice more competitive. Yeah.

And I will say this, like the big guys, we were talking today at the practice, and the question was asked, do you think working against our, defense has prepared you for what you saw today, 1,000 percent. There's not a dude on that football field. That's 98. Yeah. And they see that capital basis.

And so with that, iron does sharpen iron. You know what I'm saying? So the fact that we're going up against a super competitive defense in our own backyard, I'm not going to say it makes Sundays easier, but it's going to make us a lot more competitive because they're not facing the near the competition on a regular basis that they are every flipping, day. Can I go back to one thing in the red zone question? Of course you can't do it. I thought about this. So just from what I've heard over here and from people that are covering the Niners like boots on the ground. So this is actually what they're saying is Brock Pretty's best camp that he's ever had. So when we were talking about the Red Zone too specifically, I think like you can't

really look too much into that because first of all, I think Brock is certainly having one of his best training camps ever. Also, you're looking at, you know, this defense that is newer for the Titans, right? So they're still, this is still newer for them in situations when they're just taking on this new team for the first time. But this team is not new offensively. The Niners have like kind of everything in place that they've had. And they have a quarterback that has been really good and efficient in the red zone in the past. Yeah. And a top five probably coached. in the league and Kyle Shanahan, who that's kind of his M.O. You know what I mean? Yeah.

It would be weird if it wasn't that way. Yeah. In a way, you know. George had the day off too. T.M.C. had the day off. So they weren't, you know, working with hitting on all cylinders with the guys that are out there. But like I said, Deshaat's dribbling, was making plays. And you can talk to this, Caleb, Debo's Daniels out there making them plays. Dude, because they write out, like you said, they don't have enough running backs back there. so they actually put him back there several times. And he was wanting to prove something too.

He didn't just come here to be like, oh, yeah, I'm just going to have fun. Like, he wants to contribute. And right now with Pierce All Out, he's going to have a bigger role. And I will say this real quick, Julian. Brock Purdy said he's that guy. He's a player. He's, I think, easily in the top, definitely top 10. top eight, top seven might be a part of the discussion that doesn't get you, you know,

laughed out of the bar, you know what I mean? But the cat can play. He is, he is that guy. And the thing is, I saw him like even in two-minute situations. He's barking out there to get guys set, get going, he wants to go fast. He's definitely taking ownership. You would never, ever, ever guess that this cat was the last player taken in his draft. Yeah. Certainly we'll help get the Titans better, and they'll see them again on Thursday out there in Santa Clara. We did want to talk about the O-line in that right guard position.

That's next year on the Titan Squad show. Don't go in. Support for today's episode comes from Indeed, sponsor jobs. When workplace chaos hits and you need the right hire, Indeed, sponsor jobs helps connect employers with candidates who match specific needs like skills, certifications, and location.

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Spend less time searching, more time, actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes, less stress, less time, more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job. job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast, terms and conditions apply. Need to hire. This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. So Behoff, when the unofficial depth chart came out before they made the trip,

they had Cordell Bolson right there at right guard and then Fernando Carmona, the rookie, right behind him. They had Jackson Slater as the backup left guard. behind Peter Skoranski. However, I will say all those three guys have been working throughout the right guard position. Do you feel that it's that way right now where Volson's probably the guy and then Carmona is kind of looming given the kind of practices he's had recently? No? Still Volson? No, no. Carmona has earned his way to working with him. Okay. Okay, got you. Definitely has earned his opportunity to work with the ones, working alongside of J.C. in Austin, you know.

Cordell had his issues in the Friday scrimmage. I think that maybe he was on the ground way too often, and that's what made them feel comfortable to make the decision to kind of, you know, they didn't demote him. I mean, who knows? I think, you know, we've heard Robert, we've heard Brian talk about them mixing up the lineup just to see how things go. but it kind of is an indicator when you got a rook in your first joint practice starting out. You know what I mean?

It just says some things. And the fact, and this is one comment that Ramon made this morning is like, well, maybe they're putting Cordell with the twos to kind of spread out the, you know, like get a veteran working with the twos and not so many young players. You know what I mean? I said, well, that's a, I'm not saying it's a dumb thing. but you're losing out the opportunity of working with the ones because Carmona is definitely, you know, like I said, there's a couple instances where he might have, you know, like misjudged his snap count, maybe it was a little bit late, but at the end of the day, him getting more direct for crucial.

And he already plays with that level of intensity that you want to see from a young player, you know what I mean? Because, you know, there was no fear. There wasn't, you know, in attendance in his game. I mean, guys, I mean, first off, he's. a nasty player. He doesn't have been missing that on the offensive line, good hop. And that's what you want.

You want dudes that you're not sure if he's going to pat you in the back or throat choppy. You know what I mean? That's the kind of guy you want, and that's who he is in innately. So I just think that right now there's a little bit of an indicator to see Carmona in the lineup early.

I know there was a question being concerned about, is that something to be concerned about? Peter was a rook when he got baptized. J.C. was a rook when he got baptized. I mean, I know what it is like. I started since I was a rookie. And my rookie year was nothing compared to my team years as a titan.

You know what I mean? So sometimes that progression is necessary, and you've got to take your lumps along with the growth. You know what I mean? So, you know, we'll see how this plant turns out. Because obviously this is the first joint practice with Seattle to work against, where it's to work against before we actually get into the regular season.

And we'll see just how fast his development actually is. But at this point, early on, it might be Carmona's job to lose. That's interesting because, you know, whoever wins the job out of the three guys, Carmona Slater or Bolson, you're not going to be able to say the other two didn't at least get their shot either because they've been rotating all of those guys pretty frequently.

And to your point, Bhop, and Kayla, you could attest to this because you covered the Titans way before I got to Nashville. it seemed like the offensive line has been missing that nastiness, that combatant kind of player that like Behoff said on the show weeks ago, hey, if the defensive line and the quarterback are chirping on each other, you have a guy that steps in and says, no, no, no, you're dealing with me. And it seems like from the scouting report that we got on Carmona when he was drafted, there was some extracurricular stuff, the physicality, but the physicality and that combatant nature, physical nature was there.

You know, and to bring, to talk about that in the nastiness, Julian, and hopefully JC will continue to build his confidence back up, which is seeming that he is doing that because I do believe he is one of those guys that can be that. But I'm sure Brad can attest to this. Like to have a couple guys like that is not a bad thing. And to be able to kind of do what you're doing as Carmona is doing early on and he's kind of building up his confidence because now he's taking. reps with the ones. And then maybe he can showcase a little bit more of that nastiness here down the

road. But it's also great for the competition factor because I also remember the last few years, we were concerned about the damn depth in some of these positions on the line. I mean, there wasn't even good depth that you could say, even the starter, there was questions about him. But then when the starter went out, it's like, oh, God, are we really going to put that guy in? but at least you have some guys that are really trying to make this a competition. So whoever wins it should win it, but then you know maybe you have that next guy up mentality that you truly have a little bit of faith in the situation of the backups. Because you all know how it gets in the NFL and nobody's ever healthy and there's always

been issues on the offensive line. We hope there's not, but there usually is going to be bumps and bruises along the way. Well, we don't have a power grid next to our facility. No, thank goodness. But, Kayla, I'm going to take you back. Do you remember those couple camps ago when Big Jeff was talking about? They can't block me. They can't block me.

Yes. He's not saying it as much nowadays. He's now, when Peter Scrantz, he gets the bag, well-deserved, Jeff, man. You know what I mean? He's definitely, you know what I'm saying? What do you say about Pete when Pete got in the building, Kayla? He said, I'm strong, and I know strong. He's right.

He said like 16 times in the same sentence. Well, Shlopman and Carmona to that point, I've stood up to him in camp on multiple occasions, too. Like, I think that's something that earns disrespect. You know? I mean, that's a big deal. First off, Ramon Fawson and I looked at each other, and we both said he might be the most unblockable guy

in the National Football League. And we weren't joking because he took on double teams today from the Niners. He took on Big Trent Williams today in double teams with the Niners. And my man, the red sleeves, that man is an out and out monster. You know what I mean? I'm so glad he's wearing the powder blue because it would be ugly otherwise, you know? And to see him go up against stuff, you mentioned Slotman

and the Root Carmona and even getting into it with JC, that just shows you these cats, man, they're not going to be embarrassed or be the butt of jokes anymore. You know what I mean? So the Titans fans are hesitant and that's what you should be. You know, I just can't wait to see, you know, the run game because Brian Daibault loves to run that down football. When the run game takes effect and it starts bringing dudes down in the box

because they can't slow down the rush, the next thing you know, there's a couple big plays made over the top because now it's been play action and they're dealing in manageable down in distance. And it's often to stay on the field for seven, eight, nine plays and putting some points on the board. And the run game has looked good the last couple of days in camp too, especially the practices here in Nashville of late. We're going to answer some questions and comments on the other side of the break from the live chat.

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be suitable for all investors cali products are not available in all jurisdictions prices values and available markets may differ from those mentioned for more information see calshy.com slash regulatory Kayla had a dip out but bee hop and I will finish out this final segment bee hop somebody's asking about the offensive line right right here awaken to the eternal I asked what's with the coaching staff hesitancy and will not recognize the O-line's deficiency. Do you agree that there's a deficiency? No. That's all.

Next question. How about this? If Carmona starts the season, is this a good thing or should that worry us? Meaning, I assume they mean probably about him being a rookie starting so early, beating out a veteran like Bolson. Is that a better question? I like that question. It doesn't show near as much pessimism. And I actually addressed his question, you know,

during our first or second segment. I mean, typically you want more experienced players that understand the lay of the land to be in the lineup. But when you're developing, when you draft, you develop and you retain, that's the formula to put together a good team. And we've seen in other positions where youngsters have stepped into roles that otherwise veterans would have

and they've done pretty well for themselves. And I think that that might be a situation that we're dealing with here with the line. Because Carmona, while he's a, I think it's a fourth round pick, fifth round pick. I mean, it wasn't a high pick. Yeah, it's a middle round. He still has a lot of the intangibles that you want from an interior guy and can grow alongside of the same players that he's been drafted next to. I mean, I think Austin Slotman has done tremendous job.

I really didn't have much thoughts about him when he came, I thought he might be more of an issue than anything. I was thinking maybe Pat Cooke is going to end up being a starter or something like that. I was wrong. I was wrong at the leverage, the decency, the strength of which Swatman plays at. I mean, this guy and also having familiarity with Brian Dayball's offense. You know what I mean? So he was a tremendous gift to me, you know what I mean?

And then to have Armona play at a level where you can see growth, that's what you want. I mean, we've been in camp now for what, two weeks? three weeks or something like that. And to put the pads on and start playing in the trenches to kind of football, the brand of football that is synonymous with what Brian likes to put on the field and what we know wins ball games, I think that that's, you know, part of the growth. That's part of what you want to see from young players. But is this by all means done?

Absolutely not. There's still competition. There's still players that they want to see. As a matter of fact, Mike Borganzi said, I'm not done putting together this offensive the line. So who's to say that somebody else down the road here as camps are starting to come to a close might pique the interest of some of the scouts and they become available and they're on our roster for depth. You know what I mean? But I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing to have rooks in the lineup because this team has definitely been dealing with that for the past few years.

Yeah, don't you want draft picks to hit? You know, wouldn't you like that if you're in? And also, it's not like, oh, whoever wins the job, it's like, oh, we gave it to them because that's out of the three guys who weren't very good. This is the guy that was the best out of the three. No, it's a competition. Whoever's gonna get it is taking a stranglehold of it. That's how it's gonna be working here over the next couple of weeks.

75, Dan Moore has shown dramatic improvement in my opinion. Sure. Peter Skoranski got paid for a reason. I already mentioned how Austin Slotman and me has been a surprise. As a matter of fact, I was on the original Titans podcast with Taylor Zarzer and mentioned the fact that Slotman has impressed

Trust me. Right tackle Jay C. Latham is just a he's he's playing at a different level. He's healthy. He's no longer in the training room. He's been given 100% clearance. And he's playing with a level of intensity that, I mean, I love seeing from a guy trying to prove his value already. Right guard is the only question mark. Okay. And they'll figure that out. They'll figure out which one of those guys is the best guy that deserves to play in that spot. And I think that we'll have a more improved offensive line. Also, one thing that helps playing offensive line is decision-making in the back-in, the situations that you put your offense in, in other words, play calling, right, and balancing the offense. One thing that also helps is avoiding the negative plays, jumping off sides, holding. You know, the things that obviously put you in negative down in distances that make it almost insurmountable to be able to continue a drive. They're starting to put that stuff in the rear view because they're more comfortable with what they're doing. Maybe it's just Brian's teaching of the offense. Maybe it's not putting so much on their play and just allowing them to go out there and play football. But it's a lot of situations that also have an effect or influence on how the big bias play up from.

So I think that there is a connection being made in a shorter period of time that allows me to think that we've got something to work with to say the least. No, absolutely. Paddy Boy 2-7. What are your thoughts on the starters playing more in the preseason games? Good move or too risky. Robert Salas said today that the starters are going to get more than a series. They're going to get some time out there this week. Yeah, because this is a new, this is a new situation for them. Yeah. I can see if Dave's had been here four or five years and, you know, the system had already been established. And this wasn't Cam going into year two of being a professional and learning yet his second art. offense, right? There's a lot of nuances in chemistry and cohesion that have to be established before you can feel comfortable getting into a regular season. So that does mean more work in the preseason. So I understand what you're saying. The risk being, anytime you step on the football field, you can get hurt. You know, that's just part of it. Right. And no one wants to go into a season limping. So I understand that. But you've also got to develop the calluses that allow you to be able to get through those type situations.

You know what I mean? It's like when you look weights, heavy weights, and you do this consecutively, you start to get these little nubs all in your palms. You know what I mean? And why is that? Because these are the things that deter you from getting hurt. You know what I mean? It's where the tough skin starts to form. And it creates a bear, a layer, a barrier, basically, between you and the bar. And that's the same thing that playing in risky type situations, like playing your starters more often. And that's what they're going. Now, sure, is there a risk to it? Sure, there is. But you're hoping that the players are smart enough to take care of each other, especially during practice. And they're not doing things that, you know, allow them to overextend and therefore put yourself in a diabolical situation where you're not even able to compete. You know what I mean? Sure. And look, like if you're a team like the Niners, the Seahawks or the Bears who the Titans are going to face, like you have a track record of winning already, too. Like you're proven that the system gets you into the playoffs. The Titans going into a new. system have won three games in each of the last two years, they need, I think, the extra game reps. On top of finding out who is going to get some of those final roster spots, there are auditions for that, too, these preseason games. 100%. And I love what you just brought up, the fact that they're playing against three of the NFC's best.

Yeah. The Niners, the Seahawks, the world champions, and the bears who won 12 games last year behind Ben Jones and Caleb Williams. So they're getting some good work against a super competitive conference that won the Super Bowl last year. How many teams do you think

are right now in line to win the Super Bowl on the AFC side? How many would you say? On the AFC? Baltimore, Baltimore. Maybe Baltimore? I don't know if I'll give what's the guy, Declan. I don't know if I'll give

Declan a Super Bowl in his first year calling plays, that'd be very lofty. You know what I mean? Kansas City, maybe. You know what I mean? Yeah, it depends on the home's health. Denver bonus, maybe. Okay, but let me tell you some of these out there.

The Bears. Did they win? 100%. Cannibalism happening in the north. That's probably what we'll keep them out. The Rams. Absolutely. They're the best to win.

The Super Bowl defending champion, Seahawks. Another team that's nasty. If the Niners are healthy, come on, man. Don't trip. Don't trip. Oh, and I think the Cowboys fixed their defense. Yeah.

And the offense was never a problem and hasn't been for years. You know what I mean? So that's another team you've got to be really aware of Philadelphia. Are you kidding me? I'm going out by six or seven teams that can legitimately win it. So what I'm saying is by comparison, there's some nasty teams on the NFC side, and that's all that the Titans have been working with in the preseason, getting them ready for an AFC schedule.

No, indeed. And they'll get that first test, the preseason game against the Niners, Levi Stadium this week. That's on Thursday. Shameless plug, you can watch it on News 2 as well. But for now, I'm Julian Minnensohn. That's Brad Hopkins. We'll see you on game day.