Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - TITANS SQUAD SHOW: O-Line expected to DOMINATE, Cam Ward CONFIDENCE & preseason finale plans

Episode Date: August 19, 2025

The Tennessee Titans offensive and defensive lines are both in the top 5 of ESPN's position group rankings. We discuss if both units will live up to expectations. We also debate if Cam Ward is ready for week one as the preseason finale approaches. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Yahoo FantasyPresented by YahooFantasy #YahooPartner. Play Now at yahoofantasy.com/lockedonnflRugiet150,000 men have made the switch →https://Rugiet.com/LOCKEDONNFLUse code LOCKEDONNFL to get 15% off your order!BetterhelpThis episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Your well-being is worth it. Visit BetterHelp.com/lockedonnfl today to get 10% off your first month. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get $150 in BONUS BETS when your first $5 BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnfl for 50% off your first year.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)

I'm Julian Minnesone. Can the Titans have a top five offensive line? I can answer that question, but maybe there's someone better who can. I'm Brad Hopkins. It's homecoming for the Titans this week. The first time Cam Ward gets to get rolled out in Nissan Stadium in a preseason game. And I'm Tyler Rowland, and I'm here to tell you that Cam Ward played much better than what you're going to hear from the national media this week. Tighten up. It's the Titans Squad. Sponsored by Game Time. 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 Minnison, alongside former two-time Pro Bowler Brad Hopkins and Locked-on Titans host Tyler Rowland Fellas. Titans win this past weekend. It's the first time we've seen each other, all of us, all three of us at least on a show. I know Bhop and I had the post game show this past weekend,

but all three of us since that win on Saturday. And we're heading into the final preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings this week at Nissan Stadium. Exciting stuff. How are we feeling about this? Tyler? I mean, I'm excited to get the preseason over with. You know, we've had our taste. Like, I'm all hyped up for football, you know, last couple of weeks.

Well, now I've seen two preseason games. All right, you know, I'm ready for the real thing now. So let's get through this last game here. No injuries. That's really what I want. Health in this final week. And then we can get ready for Denver. So I think we know what we need to know. The joint practices, I think we're the most important part of this kind of lead up to the regular season. And that's behind us. So now finishing touches on the final plan. Let's just stay healthy. You see, Tyler, that's the mentality that's going to lend to two preseason games in the near future. Because at the end of the day, for a couple of weeks, people are going to be like, hey, you know what? First off, I'm ready to play regular season prices to go ahead and see the real Jimmy's and Joe's out there getting accurate, right?

But even Cam Ward said as much, he's like, hey, you know, we're ready to see some real live action, meaning games that count. So I'm with you there, Tyler. You know, we've seen a lot of Cam Ward to this point. Obviously, I think he's getting better every week, which is what his goal is. But we're really not going to know what this team is like when we see their true capabilities. all the starters being on the football field with a game plan, really trying to win a ball game and establish themselves. So I'm ready to see that happen as well.

I think we all are there. Cam Ward speaking to him, two is seven, 42 yards this past weekend in that game against the Falcons played three series, an extra series than he was supposed to play as the play count was down. You know, my whole thing is, I want to get your guys' take on this, but a box score can be deceiving, right? You know, I think people are, these days are looking for the, oh, he went 14 of 18 for 150

and a touchdown in a preseason game when, you know, that's not, at least for a rookie quarterback, always going to be realistic and not necessarily what you're even looking for in a preseason game out of somebody like Cam Ward. Tyler, you mentioned you felt like he played better than a lot of maybe the national media are looking at than just looking at a box score at surface level. Please explain. You know, Julian, this goes to, a larger point that I try to make about how sports are discussed, especially online, it's easier to look at a box score and all you got to do is look at some numbers and say some numbers back and you can win your arguments. Oh, he did this, I'm right. You know what I mean?

It's much more difficult to go back and watch the tape, let alone to have access to it, let alone to understand it. I'm still, feel like a novice at times watching NFL tape with how complex it is. So it's like, it's much easier to read the box score and form a big opinion to fight with people online than it is to watch the film and actually figure out whether his throws were good, bad, smart, the right read. And I felt like he had one bad throw. The one bad throw was the out route to Elicio Manor to start the third drive. He sailed it. It was too high. But other than that, I thought there were more failures of the offense. We had another miscommunication between a young wide receiver and the quarterback on where to sit down with the ChimDK

hook across the middle of the field. We had a drop pass from Van Jefferson, which I'm sorry, I have a hard time looking at that any other way than a drop. Is it a tough catch? Yeah, all catches aren't equal difficulty. But Van Jefferson isn't one of the rookie receivers. He's a veteran. I think a veteran player should be asked to do a little bit more because they are a veteran.

I think that the first team defense had their struggles early, but overall for me, I thought Cam Ward was pretty decisive. He had less turnover-worthy plays than he had in his first game against Tampa Bay. I thought Cam played a cleaner game, another clean operation, from getting out of the huddle, getting to the line, no false starts, no illegal formation, no illegal motion. Guys aren't like running around like, no, go over here, go here. Like, it was clean.

So I thought Cam Ward had a cleaner, more professional game in game two than game one, but yet people are talking like he played poorly because you look at the numbers and they're not great. Well, J.C. did have that false start, but now is one of the things that can't address. Hey, that's not, you know, yeah, that's not Camp being like people lined up. But you're right. Well, claim the dress was basically have a negative place. Negative plays that shoot you in the foot and calls down in distances that are almost impossible to manage, right?

So he wants to limit those mistakes. But you're right, man. The optics matter. If you're one of those people that lives in Northern California and you don't give a rat's butt about Cam Ward and Tennessee Titans, and you're just going to look at the box score on ESPN or wherever you get your news and say, oh, two for seven, that's terrible. But you have to watch the games. Now, in defense of van a little bit, we didn't really see where that ball was playing. place because it was at our back, the camera's back, unless you were at the game to see

just how far away that ball actually was because it seems like when they went to the sideline to discuss it, there was enough blame between both of them to go around. You know how they always say if it hits the receiver's hands, it should be caught, especially nowadays with them damn sticky gloves. But if it was just at the fingertips, you know what I mean? It would have been a great catch either way. But then again, I think people were just looking at, you know, what that could have potentially turned into because that would have been six, 1,000%.

We're looking at it differently a little bit then. Exactly. But the thing is, you know, fellas, the grief that Van Jefferson is catching nowadays, I think that's a microcosm of how people feel about Cam Ward. They really want to see him succeed. They really want to see him do well. And they don't like seeing stuff that somehow takes away from that narrative, right? That he's actually this guy.

So I think you get the nail on the head, Tyler, when you're talking about basically people that didn't watch the plays, didn't watch the game at all, didn't watch, not one series and then they got up on Saturday morning and they said oh two for seven he's terrible and then just ran with that narrative yeah versus really watching the tape watching the flow watching his command of the offense watching him move around in and out of the pocket you know one thing folks I realized is that I went back and watched some of his Miami tape just to make sure in Washington state tape just to make sure that I had this dual threat quarterback pinned right

the kick and run he's not super fast but he's elusive how many yards is he rushed for this all this preseason zero you don't know why he's looking downfield he's standing in the pocket he's trying to be you know a quarterback that is well rounded and can work against coverage you know i mean so he's trying to work on his deficiencies versus going to the things that he knows he can do well you know i it's funny you guys mentioned the uh you know your guys points because i received a text from my buddy who lives in the northwest and is washington state band who said dude cam only went two for seven and i said well sometimes the box score doesn't tell the whole story you know the big thing to me

he's he hasn't he's avoided the catastrophic play i know he had the one that might have been picked off maybe in a regular season against tampa the one that hit the db in the hands there but other than that no interceptions he hasn't taken any sacks which is also a credit to the o line i know that's a low bar right but when you're a titans team that last year it felt like every time will levis dropped back something catastrophic was going to happen um you know i do i do think that is a step in the right direction. And you mentioned the drop, Tyler. You know, Coach Callahan talked about Cam taking the accountability for it because Cam suggested some of the blame should be placed on him. And this is what Coach Callahan had to say. I think there's a maturity in that. Most

quarterbacks learn that, you know, whether or not it is their fault or isn't their fault, their job is to always take the blame for it. I thought it was a nice throw. I thought Van had a chance to catch it. I think you can always nitpick it and, hey, if you took a little off, it might have been an easier. If you threw it six inches closer, there's always a place to be better. Ultimately, I'd like to see them both connect on that. You know, there really wasn't, it would have been a tough catch.

I think we can acknowledge it was a tough catch. But I would like to see it get connected, you know, both between him and Cam and Van. But I appreciate, you know, Cam's willingness to accept. that responsibility. He didn't shy away from it. He knows, he knows things that he can do better. And he never has a moment where accepting responsibility is hard for him. I think he understands the role and understands what it means to play quarterback. And that's part of it. You know, and there are forms of growth in different ways. It doesn't have to be on the field stuff either. I think him taking accountability shows the kind of leader he is, the kind of leader that

we've seen this entire off season. And to be honest, you know, my confidence in Cam hasn't wavered whether he is two for seven or five for eight like he was in the first game. I want to talk about accountability for Brian Callahan. Did you guys happen to check out Kurt Warner breaking down the film of Cam Ward's game against Atlanta? I found it incredibly educational. And a lot of that, he talked about the routes being run strangely at weird depths. He really criticized a few routes from Chim D.K. and the positioning of them,

saying it makes it harder on Cam Ward, and it brings me back to that throw that you talked about, Tampa Bay, where the near interception, Chigalcoa ran an out route at eight yards, and Elicayo Manor is running the nine route down the sideline, and the corner is able to just play both routes at the same time because Chigacqua's route depth is so deep. And we don't know what Brian Callahan is trying to accomplish,

but I found it very interesting that Kurt Warner was so critical of the design of the Tennessee Titan. offense and where guys are and how much space that'll give the quarterback. You know, that's higher level stuff than I'm able to know. We're talking about a former MVP quarterback. You know, it was educational for me to watch and learn. But if he's right about some of that stuff, some of these plays that don't work out, like his argument was,

Cam Orchard had more room to make that throw if the route is run properly and to take one of the defenders away. And then we talk about the route depth of Chick-a-conquo last week, and there is no hole for Cam because Chick's route is being run. So we don't know who's at fault. Is the player not running to the correct depth? And maybe it's not Brian Callahan. Maybe this is a young wide receiver, not running his route correctly.

We don't know. But I'm more concerned about the other things outside Cam Ward at this point, the design of the offense. Van Jefferson's a veteran coming in here. We know who Van Jefferson is. Like, he's not going to make that catch consistently. He's never been that type of guy in this league. He's not new. He's a vet, you know?

So it's like, I'm more worried about the stuff around. around Cam Ward at this point. Who's going to take accountability for that? Then I am Cam Ward taking accountability. He has checked like every box you could ask for early on from a rookie for like leadership and accountability and dedication and stuff like that. So at this point, I have more confidence in Cam Ward taking accountability for his mistakes than I do the things around him.

Well, let's see if we can't calm me nervous a little bit, Tyler. There's two words that come to mind, preseason. I know it's one word, but the point being, they're not game planning. You know what I'm saying? They're not running things that by design or design to, you know, take advantage of a defense. They're not doing things schematically. They're not trying to put so much stuff on tape that people get an idea of what your, what your tendencies are. They're just seeing what the roster looks like.

They're asking guys who go out there and compete, throw, block, run, catch, tackle. Just do the basics, right, and see who comes up most consistently. I think when you're working on a game plan during the week, you kind of work out those kinks that by Sunday, everything is smooth. You know what I mean? But when you've got so many moving parts, so many guys in and out of the lineup, some of which and most of which we're not even going to see in a couple of weeks, you know what I mean? I mean, at least you don't want them to because the starters will be out there. There's just all those little nuances that getting ready for a regular season game, that preparing yourself as if your life mattered, you know, in the whole grand scheme of things, it's just a different approach, is a different everything, a different atmosphere. fear. You're going to see a completely different change for the Tennessee Titans once the last cut is made after preseason.

And you start looking around that locker room. You start looking around the field. And so I remember those days, guys, when the regular season week would start. And you'd look around and it almost seemed like a ghost town because of all the bodies that weren't there anymore. Right. And we say, you know what? These are the fellas that I'm riding out with for 18 weeks. This is the club. We all made it in. We're all members. And now let's ride out. And with that. mindset, it comes a different focus, right? And I just worried, first I don't even even getting paid for this, you know, this is preseason. So when I think that the, when the chips really matter is when you start to see them really present the kind of offense, the kind of defense, that you can say, hey, look, this is who they really are. I know we'll dive into what we want to see from the team as a whole heading into that final preseason game. But for Cam Ward, the expectation is Callie says, you know, players are going to play on Friday. How much will depend on kind of the injury front and what they're dealing with at the end of the week

after these couple of a couple of had of practices that they have. But I would like to see Cam Ward play at least what he's been playing of these preseason games so far, two, three series. I just think the best thing for him is reps and seeing different defenses and different personnel on the other side. And as many of that as possible, as much as that as possible heading into the regular season is only going to help this guy, you know, I'll get the green running on week one. Yeah, 100%.

And, you know, like we talk about it, it really takes repetition for them to really feel comfortable with what they're doing, right? At the end of the day, you don't want to be thinking, you want to be reacting. You want to be just doing the things that you're trained yourself, your mind, your body to do. And that only comes with getting consistent opportunities. And he mentioned that, Cam mentioned that, opportunities, right? I mean, they're trying to see so many different people because they've got to make so many different decisions that ultimately, you know, you're not going to be able to get out there as much as you'd want. But when that regular season starts, when the preseason comes to an end and you're looking at the guys that are really trying to get themselves ready during the week for a tough battle on the weekend, that's exactly who the Tennessee Titans will be when you see them on the field. Yeah, I just, I don't expect anything more than what we've got so far.

So, you know, I can go into what I hope to see, what I want to see, what I think, you know, would help Cam Ward get ready for the regular season. But at this point, we know what Brian Callahan's going to do. We know what his plan is. You're right, Julie, and he'll get the two drives. Hopefully, three drives would mean, you know, because I want to see the offense has success. We're also focused on Cam Ward. It goes back to Brad's point earlier where it's like people are going to defend Cam Ward.

One of my favorite guys to follow on Twitter, big huge Titans fan, even tweeted it out this week at him. he goes. Somebody drops a barely drop. It was a great pass by Cam Ward. Cam Ward runs into a sack. It's the offensive line's fault. Titans lose because Cam throws a pick. It's the coach. I'm defending Cam Ward no matter what. And it's a joke

but at the end of the day that is how people are going to act. That no matter what happens we can't have honest discussions because the rush to defend Cam Ward and have no blame on him is going to be so high that at the end of the day that's a reality but I understand that because I am concerned about

all the other stuff. So I just want to see the offense have a little bit more success than they had in this game against the Atlanta Falcons. Let's put some points on the board. Let's get more than one first down. Let's try not having penalties for one drive. You know, like let's just not have penalties, have a successful drive where we don't shoot ourselves in the foot.

Just one good, no penalty scoring drive from the offense one time in the preseason. I get I expect too much, but I just don't think that's too much to ask. and I'm sorry, I know that it's the preseason and they're going to turn it on and we'll see who that. But I just, after last season and what we've seen so far, I'm skeptical that there's going to be some big difference between the clunky, penalty-ridden, offensive operation we see now

and then two weeks later in Denver, it's going to be different. Like, I just don't, I'm just concerned about it. So I want to see them prove it. Like, have one good drive with no penalties and score some points, one. Yeah, you got to start dialing it in. You got to start getting better closer to the performance that you're going to put on the regular season because this is your third preseason game.

The only thing I want to see those is I want to see the fans walking back across the pedestrian bridge with smiles on their faces because they're happy that the money they spent was well spent, right? That they're excited about their brand of football, that they're excited about the potential. Do you remember when Will Levis lost to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but it just was so close. And everybody was talking about, who, you know, I know it was a loss, but there was never a loss that felt so good. So many good throws. If it's something like that, you know what I'm saying, then, you know, it's okay. But at least it gives the impression that this team is improving, that they're developing,

that they're starting to get cohesive, and it also gives the fans a reason to come out. And it's ultimately what the Titans want. They want to give the fans a reason to come out there and fill that stadium up and just be raucous and help them with the energy that they know they're going to need week in and week out. We need some hope. We need some hope. wins or hope. That's all you sell in the NFL. Either you're a winning team and hey, we're winning this year. We got a shot or there's hope that we're becoming a winning team.

And right now the Titans are at the very bottom. And you're right, the climb up has to begin this year. And there needs to be some hope in the air for that to happen. Yeah, I'd like to see Cam we're getting the end zone at least once. I know it's not the end all, but I'd like to see him throw a touchdown one time. Maybe for the fans at Nissan Stadium that they're saving it for that. All right, on the other side of the break, we're going to talk about some offensive players who did their thing this past weekend, including two rookies, a tight end and a wide receiver who are climbing up on the radars of a lot of people. So we'll talk about that here as the Titan Squad show return.

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price, guarantee. All right, fellas, wanted to talk about two of the guys who shined this past weekend, Gunnard Helm and Ellick Iyo Manor, Gunner Helm, leading the team in receiving yards. He also had that touchdown where it seemed like the entire Falcons defense was draped all over him. And then Ellic Iyo Manor had a pretty good day as well, as I was looking up the official stats from the other day, two catches, 47 yards. What do your guys this take on? Are they rising faster than maybe you guys had anticipated? Because it seems to me that these 5 a.m. film sessions that they've had for the past whatever months are kind of showing itself now. He's got more reps with the rooks. I mean, that's just by nature. I mean, they're crumbing in together. They're developing a bond.

You know, they came in at the same time. That's the rookie class. You know what I mean? I think he said that Aymanor was a steal, didn't he? He thinks he stole him, which they may have. you know gunner he said what he always shows up and never complains i mean these are the way this is the way that he feels about you know his teammates the ones that he's had the most opportunity to work with because before the veterans showed up it was them you know i mean they were working with each other and they're developing some consistency it's the same reason why people want to see yestrepo get some opportunity why because we've seen the cam ward Xavier yestrepo uh connection in college and we want to see this highly productive receiver in college kind of bring some of the same wares to Tennessee, right?

Because of what? The already existing experience. So I think that's one thing. But then again, he also said he's a little biased Cam did. And, you know, you don't want to hear you quarterback say that. You know, like, you know, I'm biased for this guy that I like. You know, I'm trying to work you in, but I really like this guy over here.

You know, find the best available option. And I'm sure he will. He's being a professional, right? But at the end of the day, that's maybe more of his subconscious, that he does vibe with those guys, that he does almost present himself as more of a leader in that group. And that's one of the reasons why you see such productivity early on. But also, we don't see Tyler Lockett, Calvin Ridley, those kind of players in the

lineup as much. So you're going to see the repetition go to Ehrlich and obviously Gunner. But Gunner may be making a case for himself. I'm not saying we have a tight-in battle, but he keeps making plays out there and doing some of those things that, you know, make him a complete value to this offense, then you might see some opportunities taken away from Chig and give me to Gunner. Brad, I am saying we got a battle and I've been saying it since the draft. Gunner Helm should be tight end one and I think even if Chig Ocquo is a more accomplished statistical receiver this year, like Chick may have more catches and yards because he's a more explosive weapon, you know, generally speaking with this athleticism. But Gunner Helm presents

more versatility and you look at the Cincinnati Bengals offense, which Callahan just came from and you know he shares principles with what they want to do. They've used a Hayden Hearst. They've used a Mike Gaseki. The Bengals don't need, I guess, the smaller tight end all the time. A lot of their tight ends are bigger tight ends who are 6.5, 250. And while I think

Chig, again, is a more explosive receiving threat, he could have better stats this year in a perfect world, I think when we look at the snaps that Gunnardelm will have the most snaps of any tight end this year, not only because he can give you something as a receiver as we've seen, but also because he's just bigger

than Chigaconquo. And you look at the tape in the run game of the first couple preseason games, Chig is missing a couple of blocks and doing stuff that Chig has done his whole career. He's 6 foot 2, 230 pounds. Like, he's just not big enough to execute some of these blocks. And win consistently, and Gunner Helm is on his knees, but continuing to drive a down block and move a guy out of the hole on Tony Pollard's touchdown in the first game.

Like, Gunnorhelm is just 6'5-250, and he's not the best blocker in the world. He's not George Kittle, but that size difference and that mass-tip size, matters. It's a big man's game. I sit here at 5 foot 5 looking at Brad Hopkins like, yeah, it's a big man's game. No technique in the world in pass rush and no handwork with jujitsu will ever help me

beat Brad Hopkins to the quarterback. I'm done. It's over. You know what I mean? His arms are as long as my body is. It's done. So I just think Gunner Helm, it presents a more versatile skill set at tight end while also giving you what we saw as a receiver. And it's hard

to say that Chigaconkwo is If there's one tight end out on the field, because Brian Callahan, his baby blanket is three wide receiver. That's where he's most comfortable. That's where he wants to be when the chips are on the table. Gunner Helm needs to be the one tight end in that most consistently because he offers more versatility. And Cam Ward's a gunslinger. I don't think that Cam Ward's going to be pinpoint, accuracy, quarterback ball placement like Tom Brady. He's going to be running around, huck it, chuck it, play sandlot football. That's going to be his style.

And with that type of quarterback, I think having guys with a big catch rate. who can go up and get the ball and adjust in midair and get it over top of guys when it's maybe not perfectly placed to him. I think that's big for Cam Ward. So I think Gunnardhelm fits absolutely perfect and he'll have the most snaps of any tight end this year, in my opinion. Yeah, you know, it's interesting because I kind of reserved my judgment on Gunnardom because I was on the whole thing with Chig. It's Chig's job to lose, but he's making it really tough right now. I mean, the dude's size, his strength. I mean, he couldn't even see the football it looked like some guy's hand was draped right over his face.

And I think I would serve judgment on him because the sample size at Texas, I mean, he had the one good season at Texas, which was his last year. That was the only time he had over 200 receiving yards. And so that was kind of waiting and seeing, but he's making it very difficult to not see him as the tight end one of this team coming up at some point this coming season. Yeah, I mean, we might be getting wrapped up a little bit into tight end one, in tight-in two. They'll both play a lot.

They're both play a lot. The point I'm trying to make is I think we see a lot more offenses that feature two tight ends. Even though the chiefs have the great Travis Kelsey, they also have Noah Gray that makes plays. Do you remember before we got

Delaney Walker, he was basically side-sadled with Vernon Davis. That's what chick needs to be. Yeah, Frank Whitechick wasn't the best blocker. Aaron Kenny can block his butt off. You see what I'm saying? But was he used in an offense like Frank was to be able to be, you know, motioned out to the slot, do those kind of things that a more athletic tight-in can do. Jake may be viewed as like a big receiver, you know what I'm saying? And if you look at him in that vein, and then you look at Gunner as more of like your traditional in-line tight-end, there might be situations where both of those players might be on the field together and a 12 personnel, or depending on what the down. in distance, the circumstances are, you see one over the other because that play is designed

more so for that guy. So I don't think we should get into one or the other. I think it's one and the other. And think about the versatility that presents. You can send out 12 personnel and then you can align in a three wide receiver formation because Chicka Conco has wide receiver skills or you can split out both of them because Gunner Helm can be an isolated guy on one side of the field. So now both you come out in 12 personnel in the huddle, but you split out and you're five wide because both your tight ends, one is a big wide receiver and the other can take advantage of matchups because of his size and his contested ability. So you're right, Brad. I think they're going to play a lot. That's why I say Chig could have more catches and

yards, but Gunner could have the most snaps and the only way that that's possible with both of them play a lot. And at the end of the day, the Titans don't have a lot of explosive players and Chigacanquo is one. So they can't afford to phase him out like he's some tight end too. They have to use him. But I just think Gunner Helm, his versatility makes him more versatile you know at the end of the day to use in more situations how likely you think it is switching over to iomanner that he ends up getting a starting spot because you know you had iomanner have a good day van jefferson has the drop um and i know a lot of people are excited about iomanner because of what he did to travis hunter in college you know i don't almost 300 yards against

him in college and they seen what he can do um the dude plays hockey or grew up as a hockey player so he's a physical guy already and doesn't shy from that. Is that a likely scenario, you think, or is it we're just kind of looking at it, prisoners of the moment here? Well, that, that prison of the moment thing, that might be a good terminology for it because we are in preseason where a lot of young players

get most of the opportunity because they should, right? You either a-resting guys or you just want to see as many reps in from a young player as you can just to see what he looks like and how he folds and how he develops, right? Van was playing, though, when Ridley and Lockett were not. So that's, right, okay, for sure. That's what? That's what?

He's the third team now to this point? He's only been in the league since 2020, so I get it. But, you know, he came in with Bryson. He was my son's teammate in L.A., and they won a Super Bowl together. So I know exactly who Van is. In fact, you know, it's a hometown boy right there. He's from here, you know? But the point is,

Elok Iyamander continues to make plays. And that's what it matters, right? So I think if he can keep this level of consistency up when he gets those opportunities to play, and he's going to, you know, he reminds me of Nick Westbrook-Keneck, you know, a guy that was unheralded, the guy that you didn't talk much about.

Next thing, you know, he looked up and he's leading his damn team in the receiving. You know what I mean? So it could be one of those situations, the diamonds and the rut that we really never saw that much of an impression before they got here. but next thing you know, he's like, wow, this guy could be hugely valuable. So I think it might be rotation, injury, there will be a lot of things that could possibly

happen during a season that put Elic on the field. And as long as he continues to show that growth and that connection with Cam Ward, then his progress will be undeniable and he'll be on the field when he'd be. Outside of I.O. Manor and Van Jefferson, who on the team has the size to play the X wide receiver position? Like, they have Matt Landers in, but he's a little banged up right now. Matt Landers is a, you know, and he's probably going to end up on practice squad if they like him. They likely won't have room on the roster for him. So you look at James Prochet.

Bryce Oliver's got decent size, but he's been more used as a Z wide receiver than the X guy on the outside. And then, you know, you have D.K., who they've been using in the slot, they said he might have some Z versatility, but he's not a big physical X-style player either. So it's Van Jefferson or it's Iommanner, and that makes it easier for I.O. Manor to get on the field early. and at the end of the day, it may not happen at the beginning of the season, but you have to hope that by the end of the season, I.O. Manor is out snapping Van Jefferson in that position because who's actually going to be part of this team going forward?

It's more likely going to be I.O. Manor, a guy who was just drafted with Cam Ward, like we were talking about, than Van Jefferson, a journeyman veteran, who, you know, is he even going to make the team if they want to keep certain guys? I think he's a lot to make the team personally, but there are people talking about it now. Like, should Van Jefferson make the team? I think that's an overreaction to the drop. My bit, his versatility and size, they need it. So let's calm down about the one drop and him not making the team.

But at the end of the day, Iommanner is a more talented player. He's a younger player. And for where the Titans are at as a team and Cam Ward, Iow Manor is the guy who can build with Cam Ward for the future. So you would hope that he's good enough to overtake the journeyman Van Jefferson by the end of the year. But I think at least early in the year, it'll at minimum be even between those guys

because you trust the veterans to do the job. he's got to learn. And to your point, Tyler, they did trade up to get Elyleke Eil Manor. So it shows in the draft. So it shows the, at least what they think of him value-wise. And it seems like those early film sessions with Cam this whole off season are certainly working with Ile Manor and, of course, Gunnarhound there too. Okay.

On the other side of the break, we're going to get into what I know former players like Brad Hopkins loves is rankings. You know, nothing says media members like some meaningless rankings to go into the season. And we're going to talk about the position groups, position group rankings that we saw on ESPN. And could the Titans live up to that hype? We're going to have that next in the Titans squad shots. All right, August 26th is officially Fanduel Futures Day, a brand new holiday for football fans who live for bold predictions and preseason hunches.

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because Futures Day is one day and one day only. Fandual play your game. All right, guys, so ESPN ranked the different position groups heading into the season. You know, the Titans were on there quite a bit. I mean, you know, the biggest thing that stuck out, though, were the offensive line and defensive line. They had the offensive line ranked as the fifth best offensive line. The defensive line, fourth.

I'm going to go to the offensive linemen of the group here, given how they prioritize the offensive line this offseason Bhop, bringing in Dan Moore, Kevin Zitler, obviously using the draft picks that they have over the last few seasons with Skoronski and J.C. Latham, having Cushenberry. in there as well. Is that realistic? Is that a possibility that this

offensive line has top five in the league potential? We haven't seen Lord Cushenberry in his offense. We haven't seen Kevin Zeyler in his offense. We haven't seen almost a third of the guys are going to be out there in the football field, but yet we're saying that they have much improved from the year before, which is

true. Yeah. I mean, linemen are judged by what? Time quarterback has to do his job, the holes that they create for running backs. You know what? Are you you consistent in both phases of the game? Are you keeping the quarterback protected? Are you giving him good pocket integrity, giving him time for explosive plays, or just even to be able to scan the field? And also, are there guys standing at the running back's feet when he gets the handoff because you've been blown up up front? We haven't seen that, right? We've seen some

consistent play from the guys up front, which was the most problematic part of this offense for the last two or three years. So this reason, I think that one, where they have come from, that all of a sudden is this elation from the national media to say, oh, my God, they're not out there making mistakes. They're not out to shoot themselves in the foot. They're not out there doing those things that this offensive line has typically been a part of. And that's one reason why they're saying,

hey, if there's one unit that's improved to give them a number four ranking, it would be the Tennessee Titans. And they're not even at both strength just yet. You see what I'm saying? They don't have the experience of a 14-year guy at right guard. They don't have the play of Lloyd Cushenberry, who last year, until he got hurt, was actually playing really well.

Not taking anything away from Corey. I'm just saying that they spent money on a guy that obviously is projected to be the starter for a reason. So I think that it's on target for them to acknowledge the fact that they're a improved offensive line. Now, how you judge that as far as, like, think about it, I mean, those guys aren't going up against starters all the time. You know what I'm saying? We're probably not going to see, you know, a bunch of the starters on a defensive front for the Vikings this weekend. end either. So as they beat up on the backups, so we're going to then start clapping our hands about how great they are, you know, we'll hold our reservation. I'm going to be reserved

a little bit and to say that this team has, that this office line has arrived, but they've definitely made a noticeable improvement from where they were over the past couple of seasons. I think it's absolutely fair to say that they've improved while still acknowledging, you know, it's the preseason. We don't know exactly. And you're right. They've been playing against backups in a lot of situations. I mean, the Falcon had like James Pierce Jr. and Jalen Walker and stuff out there who are going to play a lot for them. So they aren't starters, they're rookies, but

they're still players who are going to play. But I have countered with, the Titans have two backups out there. 40% of the Titans' offensive line during these games have been backup players. We've seen Andrew Rupsich, who I think has played excellent. In my they leave him in, too, after the starters go out. I think Ropsich

has been great. And with Hanses' injury and him being out for a couple of weeks with the calf, I don't know how you don't keep Rupsich in there with Jackson Slater, but that's going to be a tough decision for them to make. Either way, we'll see what happens in this final game because Hans finally got back out on the field, but they've had backups in.

So they're going against primarily backups, yes, but they got some backups in there. But here's the thing for me. We're going to know right away because the Broncos led the NFL in sacks last year. So if this offensive line is massively improved, they could still lose that game in Denver, a very tough place to play against a playoff team,

but we could still look at it and be like, oh, wow, the offensive line is improved. That team led the NFL in sacks last year, They held their own out there, and the quarterback will help that. Will Levis had all-time bad pocket presence. His pressure to sack rating, like he was an offensive lineman's worst enemy in the pocket. He just bled sacks when it wasn't always the offensive line's fault. And you saw that because when Mason Rudolph went in, the pressure to sack percentage plummeted

because Rudolph would get the ball out of his hands. Now, Mason Rudolph isn't good, but it just proves the point. So we're going to know right away with the offensive line because Denver is such a tough test. how improved they are but I get why they got the ranking that how you look at it on paper Latham and Skronsky take a big jump their high first round picks

Zitler's been really good for years and years he was good last year even though he's an elder statesman Dan Moore is average if the Titans got average left tackle play it would be a boon to them over the last few years so you add Cush back in the middle of that I think it's fair to have very high expectations but we're going to know

just how high those expectations should be week one in Denver because that's a tough test. Real quick, Julian, I think that when you look at other elements that contribute to the dysfunction of an offense, sure, the office line plays a huge part of that because, in my opinion, if you don't have the big bodies up front to block me, you don't have a chance, period. But one thing that does help is decision making from the quarterback, in other words, going through his progression, finding the right receiver, receivers running clean routes, do what you're supposed to do, be where you're supposed to be, get the timing down,

It's not where the ball can jump out of his hands and they can make plays, right? And then the last one will be no mental errors. Stop doing things that create third and 15. Stop doing things that create turnovers and slow down the momentum of an offense. So if you are precise in the game plan because you're not making mistakes, if you're making good decisions, if you're running clean routes, and, of course, if you're blocking, then this team has a great opportunity for success, even against a good unit like the Broncos.

Yeah, to Brad's point, Cam seems to be getting the ball out, which is helping too. I mean, Caleb Williams last year, 68 sacks, which is the third most in the NFL. That's how much he took last year. That's a lot.

You know, in the preseason games, there are times, and even without Zitler and Cushenberry in there, where I look at that pocket that Cam Ward has, and you're like, man, that's the widest pocket I've ever seen in the last 12 months for a Titans quarterback. You know what I mean? Like the time that he has to throw one. I said the whitest pocket.

I was like, no, no, no, no, no. Wideest pockets that these had over the last 12 months, which is good because Zitler and Cushingberry aren't in there. And you guys, Tyler, you talked about Rupstitch and Levin and Jackson Slater. That's all this preseason is doing is building the depth for that offensive line too. When you need to have those rotational pieces in there and they can't skip the beat because you have a rookie quarterback to protect. as far as the defensive line goes defensive line goes defensive line they have them in the top five as well now we all we all know

that no to vandre sweat no geoffrey simmons this three season so far but i think it just shows how important those guys are to this entire defense as a whole and it's predicated on those guys causing chaos and disruption up front. What do you think about the Titans defensive line? Are they truly ranked, at least according to this ESPN poll that they have? Well, if you just look at the interior defensive line, I mean, as long as they're not including edges and defensive ends in this because that's where it really falls off the map.

But I mean, if you look at the trio the Titans have of Jeffrey Simmons to Vondre sweat, and then Sebastian Joseph Day, who I thought was an underrated player last year, I was pretty open about the fact I thought the Titans needed to bring SJD back to this team in the offseason when he was a free agent. He actually thought the same thing because he responded to that comment and looked like he was on board with that.

So bringing him back as your third interior defensive lineman is great. The depth after that I've always been concerned with I'm not very high on James Lynch and I think we saw them move on from Philip Leedy who didn't get to play in the game. Timmy Horn, okay. You know, I wasn't even a big fan of

Kianre Coburn, if I'm honest, I think they need find better than that. And I think when waivers happen, they're going to use their number one waiver claim a lot. And I think interior defensive line is a place where they'll add a guy there. But that top three, if we're just looking at, you know, the top couple of guys on every

team, hard to find a better top three than that. Jeff is a top five guy. Tavondre Sweat, probably a top 30. Guy now with room to grow. No pun intended. and then SJD is a really, really solid veteran who would be a good player on a lot of teams.

So, yeah, I think that's fair. I think that's high expectations, and we'll see we need Jeff to get back to as all pro ways, not the last two years, but certainly makes sense. It's probably the two best position groups on the team right now. I think you've got to include the outside linebackers in a 3-4 somewhat because they're on the line of scrimmage.

Yeah, that's what I was confusing to me. Yeah. Because in the 3-4, the defensive end, is literally standing over the tackle. out in space like in a four three defense right but i think that when you look at let's just look at the play that cedric gray came in and blew up the running back and got a sack that was a one-on-one situation that was created because an offensive line couldn't come off and pop him right so i think what the defensive line did then is occupy those blockers enough to where you got players like cedric

that can get in that backfield and start being disruptive i think um who was a g um how you pronounce his name. Gia. Hold on. He's one of the players that had a sack. Oh, Joe Agassian. Yeah. Grasiana. Yeah. So I think, you know, and his was just a one-on-one situation. You know, we're really getting after it from the edge there and coming in and getting himself the sack. So defensive lines are gauged on what? You can have to stop the run and disrupt the quarterback. And we did see a couple of explosive plays from the bucks, also from the Falcons, almost right up the middle that lent to, I'm not sure, but for the most part, by and large,

this defense did a good job of hitting off the field, flattening down the line of scrimmage, keeping plays in front of them, not allowing north and south plays to happen too much, and that's one of the things that you want to see consistently from this defensive line, and they've seen or shown that to this point. Certainly they have indeed.

On the other side of the break, we're going to take a quick one before our final segment. We're going to talk about some final thoughts heading into that preseason finale against the minute. Minnesota Vikings. Keep it locked here with the Titan Squatch. All right, fellas. So on Brian Callahan's press conference on Saturday after the game, the morning after, he was asked an interesting question, and I wanted to get your guys' take on this. So where do you guys fall in the, hey, this is a young team with a lot of young

players who need to develop part of that draft developer Tain mantra that they've been talking about since GM Mike Organsi came in. Where are you playing a young player so he develops, but yet maybe in a, in a important situation, you make it the most out of a veteran player. Let's say, I don't know, it's third and five, and, you know, you have a choice between having a rookie out there to develop and be in a high pressure situation, or you're Brian Callahan, who is coming off of a three and 14 season coaching for his job. And you might want to play a veteran guy because he is the guy that may give you the best chance to make a play in that scenario.

So where are you guys on kind of this, that whole balance there if you're the Titans? Well, for me, the proofs into putting. And at the end of the day, they're going to put on the field who gives that team the best opportunity to win. So I understand that, sure, the only way the young players can get better is, is by getting on the field, I'm one of them. I started as a rookie, 11 games. So I knew that I got better every week. Why?

Because I had the opportunity to get better every week. If I was standing on the sidelines, my development might have taken a lot longer than it actually did for me to be trusted. But at the end of the day, that's what it is. It's about trust. Who am I going to trust to do their job? And it doesn't matter if you're a young player,

it doesn't matter if you're an old player, if the young player seems to at least have a better grasp on this situation. And he's shown the kind of productivity that allows me to rely on him to know that he can get the job done, then guess what? He's going to get the call. But for the most part, and there's also that game that they play nowadays, when a guy starts to be up there and get longer in the tooth and he's paid more than, say, the younger guys, right? And if I can find a young guy that can do your job and he costs half as much, best believe that that's one of the models that are going to start following. So it doesn't behoo the veteran to have a rookie playing as good as him because he's ultimately going to get passed over, especially if the productivity is the same because it costs less.

And also developing a roster is hugely important because that's what it is. It's finding the talent, securing the talent, keeping the talent. That's ultimately how the formula for winning is kind of put together. And the only way that you can do that is by getting the guys on the field that need to be. on the field. And I think the Titans have extra epitist to play younger players because, one, they don't have a lot

of secure, solid, we know he's good veterans on the team. This isn't a very deep team with a ton of good vets. It's a young team for a reason because they need it to be a young team. So I think the Titans will be incentivized to play younger players, but I think it's all about where they go in the season.

You know, if they're winning games and they're playing their veteran players and they're using the young guys as a supplement, which is what most teams would do, then, yeah, keep riding with the veterans. You're winning games. But if we look up and we're in December or we get to Thanksgiving and the team is, you know, 4 and 10 or 3 and 9 or something like that, and the season's not going great,

what are we playing these veterans who are probably going to be off the roster next year, the Van Jefferson's of the world. You know what I mean? Like the Sebastian Joseph Days, I guess you could put in there. Play a Cam Horsley. Like, what, you know, at some point, you do need to shift your focus based on what's realistic for your football team. but hey we're about to start week one there's no reason to have those hey the season hasn't gone the way we want it

let's adjust now there's no reason to do that now the only reason that rookies should play right now is if they truly deserve it and the thing is I think that there are a lot of rookies on the titans that do deserve to play just based on their talent and what they've proven and the trust level with the coaches like femmy's going to play a ton you know there's no reason that a jihad ward should play more than him because he's a veteran like Femmy's going to be just as good as him in certain areas, if not better in certain areas anyway. And like the rookie wide receivers and Gunner Helm like we talked about. We've talked about all this. If they earn it, they earn it.

And it seems like some of these rookies aren't just going to be playing because it's the smart thing to do for development, but because they genuinely are the best players to put out on the field. And I think ultimately you hope that that's the reason they're on the field, not just the season's wiped and we're trying to figure out. No, you hope that these young guys who you're betting on to be part of your new era of football around Cam Ward actually are worth it, actually deserve the time.

That's what you have to hope for right now. So that's what I'm going to continue to hope for. It's all about hope this episode, guys. It's getting hopeful. Yeah, you know, they're not winning a Super Bowl this coming season. So it's kind of one of those things where you look at the depth chart. I mean, they almost have no choice to play young players in spots too. That's what they have.

You know, they are expecting not just rookies, but second year guys to make an impact on this team right away. finding that balance. And I guess, Tyler, when we look at it when you're down the line later in the season, if you're in the AFC South, you know, you don't need the greatest record in the world to sneak into the playoffs potentially and maybe it's a different conversation, whether you have a swing game or not on your schedule. But this is what Brian Callahan had to say about that balance of playing vets but also developing young players.

There's a balance to that. But yeah, we're counting on a lot of young players to play for us in general and to get better. And the only way they get better is to play. that's part of the philosophy when you have opportunities to let those guys go grow they got to go grow and you know when it comes out on the actual regular season games we're going to do whatever it takes to put ourselves in position to win on top of it that's that the end all be all that's our job but you hope that those guys all have roles and can contribute and help whether it's a third down or a first down or wherever it comes up in the game we need those we're going to need all those guys

to help contribute and they got to keep the young players got to keep coming along and the Veterans got to make plays and they have opportunities to make plays. And it'll allow us to hopefully feel the competitive football team that way. So let me ask you this before we go, you guys. What is one thing you're looking for for this preseason finale? Just finish the right way. Finish the right way means act as if almost this is a regular season game. And that's how you prepared yourself.

I talked about it earlier, you know, keeping the mistakes at a minimum. making sure that you do what's asked of you to do in the form that allows you to be able to make plays. Just be accurate, you know, I mean, be smart, good decision making, all those things, the foundation stuff, which is what Camp talked about. It's just the basics, paying attention to the details. If they do that, then they have a great chance of walking away, two and one in the preseason, feeling good about themselves, having built up some confidence, not only in that locker room fellas, but in the fans in the stands as well. I know at the end of the day, you know, fans don't go out there in win ball games as far as like blocking, tackling, throwing, that kind of stuff. But they do contribute to the energy. They do contribute to the, you know, the players really wanting to go out there and put on the best show that they possibly can because they believe that they've got the support of the public.

And if you do that, then, you know what, this is a good formula for everybody to have success. Brad, I always wonder that as somebody who covers the team, you know, on the fan side of things looking at it that way. How much can the players feel on a day-to-day basis like the fans are down and don't believe in us? The energy in the city is high and everyone's excited to see us play. Like, I don't know how a player would feel that on the day-to-day. Would you say that is noticeable to some point from the players, like in the locker room, they can feel how the fans feel? Oh, absolutely, because if you don't have to galvanize, yourself as a team because the outside world doesn't believe in you you know i'm saying it's it's

easier to be you know almost like you want to be in public you know i'm saying you you want to have the fans have an opportunity to say how great you are and so versus you just kind of staying in your own bubble you know staying away from blotting out the white noise as much as we pride ourselves on not paying attention to that stuff we're all people we're all human and if you put it this way i guarantee you that most of the population, if they were put under a microscope as far as their job and everybody on the planet could comment about what they do in day and out, they'd have the same feelings of either disconnect or just not wanting to be associated. But then again, there's that flip side, man. The love of a fan base, oh, there's nothing like it. You know what I mean?

Because when you've got guys that support you, believe in you, and they want to see you do well, that almost makes it easier to do your job. Preach to the choir, Brad. to the choir. I get it. If a lot of these people out here I'd comments all day about this and that and that were analyzed every day and everything they say and do, they would feel differently about things. But I'm with you there that I want to see the players feel like the team believes in them. And I feel like that was lost early last year with the bad mistakes that happened. So it would be nice for the city to be excited.

And I think the players would feel that and that would help get things going in the right direction for this team and this franchise. But for me in the preseason game, Julian. I talked about it earlier. I just want to see clean football. I want to see them continue to get cleaner with the operation to limit the mistakes from previous games. I don't want to see more penalties and drive killers and, you know, a holding from a running back and pass pro and a false start and just play cleaner and look like you're growing up a little bit as the regular season knocks on the door. That's really, and that goes for not just the offense. The defense last week, I know that they didn't give up points, but the first team defense

as third string quarterback looking pretty solid. They picked up two first downs. They were driving down the field before that sack from Cedric Gray, not the Falcons third string offense off kilter. But I expected more from the first team defense in their one series. So I want them to play cleaner and more concise as well. I just want to see the team look like they're improving and getting ready for week one and be better than they've been the last few weeks in the areas they can control. Yeah, a little more answers than questions going into the week one of the regular season, you know, would be nice. You have a team that was three and 14.

You have a fairly new head coach. You have a new quarterback. You have a bunch of rookies and playing and you're trying to see what you have. So getting more questions answered than going into the regular season week one with questions would be nice and would get you on some solid footing on top of maybe dial it up a little bit for the fans at Nissan Stadium to get them something to be excited about because there hasn't been a lot to be excited about if you're a Titans fan over the last 12 months. to be exact. So maybe even longer, Tyler, you're been a fan longer. So maybe, you know, Brad

Hopkins, I don't know if you're going to make an appearance this weekend. Maybe you need to get in there to left tackle and, you know, kind of show them what's up out there. No, I've got to watch from afar so I can do our great podcast afterwards. You do all the good stuff. All right. Well, that's going to do it here on the Titan Squad show on our show for today. We're going to be back on game day to talk about the postgame of the Titans and Vikings as they enter their final preseason game and then the real fun begins guys we'll see you guys next time thanks for listening