NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans training camp is less than two days away, and every storyline worth monitoring lives on the offensive side of the ball. That might sound extreme for a team that overhauled its defense, hired a new head coach in Robert Saleh, and added new pieces across the roster. But when you sit down and think about what actually matters for this franchise’s trajectory, the Titans’ offense, Cam Ward’s development, and the players surrounding the 2025 No. 1 overall pick demand the most attention heading into camp.

All three of the most consequential training camp storylines fall on offense. Here’s how they stack up.

Cam Ward’s progress is the storyline, full stop

Quarterback Cam Ward will be hyper-scrutinized this camp, and that scrutiny will probably come in excess. That’s the job. When you draft a quarterback No. 1 overall, everything your organization does has to be in service of that player’s success.

So what have the Titans done? They hired Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator. To me, Daboll was a bigger hire than Saleh. I’m not saying the qualities Saleh brings are unimportant. I’m saying the progress of the quarterback is the most important thing, and Saleh’s resume does not scream quarterback developer. His Jets tenure produced no playoff appearances, never finished better than 7-10, and was built around Zach Wilson the first time through. I understand a person can grow from previous stops. But if I’m a Titans fan, Robert Saleh is not my savior. Brian Daboll is.

Daboll has developed quarterbacks before. That does not guarantee Ward will be successful, but it gives him the best chance humanly possible outside of coaches who weren’t available. And because Daboll is not the head coach, the urgency around making that Ward-Daboll partnership work only increases. How quickly that relationship takes hold could define the season.

The offensive line might be 1A, not 1B

I could make the argument that the offensive line competition is even more important to Ward’s development than anything Ward can do himself. Ward knows how to play quarterback to a relative degree. He should be learning every year he’s in the NFL. But it’s impossible for him to grow if his offensive line is a disaster.

Last year, it definitively was.

This year, right tackle JC Latham will begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. That’s not a death sentence, but it’s less than ideal. The right guard spot alongside Latham remains unsettled. Center Austin Schlottmann needs a career renaissance in Tennessee that never materialized in New York under largely the same coaching staff. Peter Skoronski inspires confidence, maybe even excitement. Left tackle Dan Moore is the best Band-Aid the Titans have had since Taylor Lewan’s knee injury in 2020, though that’s not saying much given Moore’s predecessors.

The offensive line is 1B behind Ward’s progress for the purposes of being realistic, but it could easily be 1A.

The pass catchers and who emerges as Ward’s top target

After the offensive line, the third storyline that matters most is the Titans’ pass-catching group and who establishes himself as Ward’s primary weapon. Calvin Ridley and Ward never found a productive rhythm last season. Ridley dealt with injuries, and when he was on the field, I don’t think it’s too extreme to call his contributions disastrous. It was not a plus, certainly.

So who steps up? Does rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick, seize the role? Does Wan’Dale Robinson become Ward’s safety valve and lead the team in receptions and targets? Where does tight end Gunnar Helm factor into the mix?

None of these players may profile as a true No. 1 receiver on the best teams in football. But if they can move the ball, advance the chains, create explosive plays, and simply be reliable, that changes everything for Ward. Reliability from the skill-position group is what this offense desperately needs.

Those are the three storylines I’m watching closest when camp opens. The defense has its own questions, from a cornerback room that needed a complete overhaul to Amani Hooker starting camp on the PUP list to the development of 2024 second-round pick Femi Oladejo. But Tennessee has already hedged its bets on the defensive side. Anything Oladejo gives them at this point is a bonus after he broke his leg six weeks into his rookie season.

The offense is where the Titans’ future will be written. Camp starts in less than 48 hours.