Cam Ward's coolness and concerns, upcoming WR cuts, roster sleepers, Brian Callahan's leash, & more in Titans offseason mailbag

Titans Offseason Mailbag: Part 1

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws during mandatory Titans Minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are officially on summer break. On the heels of OTA's wrapping up, I hosted a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on the Titans subreddit. It's a really cool community of Titans fans who ask good questions and are engaging, so I recommend checking it out if you're ever looking for a change of pace from Facebook or X.

I answered somewhere in the ballpark of 75 questions, and have collected some of the best ones for this mailbag. In fact, there were so many good questions I wanted to include that I split this into two articles. So in this Part 1 of my Titans offseason mailbag, we cover what concerns me about Cam Ward, the wide receiver depth chart, the leash Brian Callahan has with Amy Adams Strunk, the players we aren't talking enough about, biggest areas of weakness on the roster, and so much more.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 soon, which has entirely different topics inside. Alright, let's answer some questions!

"Is there anything/something you've seen from Cam Ward thus far that makes you think he may struggle a bit in his rookie year? Conversely, have you seen anything that made you think 'wow, this guy might have some real sauce and be on his way to being a top starter in this league'?" -382hp

He loves to try stuff that you’d see on high school QB teach-tape labeled “YOU ARE NEVER EVER ALLOWED TO TRY THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES”. So those plays… are the answer to both questions. When it works, it’s so obviously an “It factor” thing. He’s just so loose and cool with it, under any amount of pressure. When it doesn’t work… it’s a disaster.

In college, he got it to work more times than not. If he can be that way in the NFL, he could be elite. If the success rate plummets, it could become a problem in a hurry. I wrote more about that here.

"Hey Easton, thanks for this. What's been most impressive about Cam Ward so far to you? or most surprising? Who's been the best looking new addition, outside of Ward?" -That_guy2010

The most impressive thing about Cam has been his coolness, looseness, vibe, aura… whatever you want to call it. That mental “It factor” he has is very evident when you watch or interact with him. It’s really hard not to be impressed by that. Favorite new addition otherwise has to be Elic Ayomanor. He was my guy in the draft process and I’ve been really encouraged by what I’ve seen from him so far in practice.

"If Cam is successful, how far into his career will you wait before beginning your victory tour as the the local journalist who was fully onboard the hype train first? Side note, that was a legendary media run for you leading up to the draft, good work." -J3STERHOPPERPOT

Well I don’t think I was the first in town to really buy in on him necessarily. I was really a big Shedeur guy as a casual watcher in the winter. It wasn’t until I did my due diligence on Cam’s tape and numbers in February that I came around on the vision with him. I was, however, definitely first to pound the table about him being the pick. You’re right about that. So thank you, it was a very fun draft season. Glad I wasn’t wrong…

"Let's talk about the WRs. We know Ridley and Lockett are locks, but how's everyone else looking? Lot of competition with the rookies, Burks, Jefferson, Oliver, etc. Anyone standing out thus far and separating themselves from the pack? Ayomanor is the one I like the most from what I've seen." -juggaman

"I was going to ask a similar question: How do you see the Titans’ depth chart playing out at WR, based on what you’ve seen so far?" -Jonneygee

Jug, Jon: the rookies have looked promising so far. I’ve been an Ayomanor guy since the draft process, so I think he’ll be an impact player very early. I’m starting to come around on Dike doing that as well, frankly. I see some big slot action coming for him. If I had to guess the final room today, it’s Ridley, Ayomanor, Dike, Jefferson, Lockett, Oliver, and Restrepo.

"I’ll piggy back here as well.. do you think Burks even makes it to the practice squad?" -[deleted]

No.

"How would you rank our WRs, specifically by their odds of making the 53-man roster?" -Most-Breakfast1453

  • Ridley, Ayomanor, Dike, Jefferson
  • Lockett
  • Oliver
  • Restrepo, Proche
  • Dowell
  • And then everybody else. More at the link here.

"Restrepo is obviously the rookie WR darling, but what have you seen from Dike and Ayomanor and of the two which seems most poised to surprise this year?" -iMixMusicOnTwitch

Yes, Restrepo has gotten the most talk, and it’s funny because Dike and Ayomanor are very clearly ahead of him on the pecking order right now. I think both will contribute on offense early. I’d bet Dike gets more volume and Ayomanor makes more impact plays. I think people are sleeping on what Dike is going to do for this team, as much of an Ayomanor fan as I am.

"How many years has Mason Kinsey made the practice squad? With all the competition this year, will he get to post the Simpsons meme again?" -SomethinSaved

If he makes it this year, it’ll be his 6th season with the Titans. I think he’ll get to, though he may be pushed out by somebody like Restrepo if he’s a practice squad guy. Kinsey will have a spot somewhere in the NFL, I’m not worried about his employment. He does a really admirable job.

"How are connections and chemistry developing so far between the rookie QB and rookie pass catchers, and what does Cam and all the new young offensive skill players need to do to further improve these connections before training camp?" -Wildabeast135

Everything appears to be gelling! Day 2 of minicamp was really the only time I saw guys somewhat consistently not on the same page. That was during a lot of 3rd down reps, so they were obvious passing situations where the defense was making it chaotic. Other than that, it’s going well. Cam’s early morning crew of young guys are all working hard to build a rapport.

"What is Mrs. Amy’s feeling toward the current regime? Does Callahan have a longer leash than it appears, or is it likely he’s gone if we have another bottom of the barrel finish this year?" -Balznalzy

Mrs. Amy likes Brian. She wants to give him and Cam a real chance to gel. That means more than one year. But owners change their minds under pressure. So we’ll see if she sticks to her guns if/when things get hard…

"Does JC Latham seem to be taking the next step , looking more comfortable and natural at right tackle?" -Taylor5498

I think so! His coaches and teammates can’t say enough good things about him so far. I’m skeptical of this idea that he’s so much better suited to play RT than LT because in the modern game they really are just mirrors, but I am super interested to see how his body composition impacts his anchor & athleticism.

"How has Dan Moore looked so far? I feel like Latham improved a lot last year so I was surprised by the signing." -GeorgeRockington

The Dan Moore signing really had nothing to do with Latham. They set out to sign the best tackle they could, regardless of side. JC can play either, so they were content to get the best guy, period. They felt like they did that with Moore. I’m looking forward to seeing how they can better set him up for success than the Wilson/Fields Steelers did.

"How has Jackson Slater looked so far?" -Interesting_Mood_16

It‘s still so early for the linemen, we need to see them in pads. But he looks good and feels good out there. His coaches are pleased with him so far.

"In your early observations, can you name one offensive player and one defensive player who you believe is primed to have a breakout season?"

"How many games do you believe this year's Titans team will win?"

"What in your opinion would make this season a successful one?"

"Does Callahan survive and make it to year 3?" -Tetrachroma_

I like this, rapid fire!

  1. JC Latham, James Williams
  2. Eight
  3. Cam looks like The Guy and the offense works like it looked like it could last year
  4. Yes

"Do you have any sense of how they feel about Kevin Winston Jr? Is he ahead of schedule, behind schedule, etc?" -Robert_Meowney_Jr

I am very excited about Winston. He’s not being talked enough about. Dennard Wilson is going to use him in some fun ways in this defense I think. He’s on schedule to be an impact in the first month.

"Is there a position group that stands out to you as a particular area of strength and/or need?" -[deleted]

Weakness is easy: Edge is a drastic area of need, but that’s nothing new. I really like the Femi Oladejo addition, but he’s a 2/3 year bet more than he is a plug-and-play guy. And Dre’Mont Jones should be a step up from what Harold Landry provided last year, but he’s never really been relied upon to be the full-time 1A edge rusher for a team. So I’m not expecting much from that position. The secondary is also a creeping concern of mine right now. I wrote about why in more detail here.

In terms of strengths, I really am bullish on what the Titans are doing in the trenches this year. I think Year 2 of the Simmons/Sweat duo up front will take another step, and I really like what they’ve done with the final pieces in this OL rebuild. It’s been a 3ish year process, but they no longer have a glaring hole at any of the five positions across that front. I’m excited to see what Bill Callahan can get out of them. A decent rule of thumb: everybody is always underestimating the impact a good OL can have. Pretty much always. If they’re good, it will unlock so, so much.

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