The Titans kicked off their Mandatory Minicamp on Tuesday, and I had three big picture takeaways from the first of three practices this week. After taking in a couple hours of work and speaking with players, coaches, and executives, here’s what I left thinking about:

Minicamp Roll Call

This was the first portion of the offseason that isn’t an option for anybody on the roster, and it’s also the finale of the spring work for these guys. So a number of notable players appeared in some capacity.

Top of the billing was of course Jeffery Simmons, back for his first team activity of OTAs. He spoke with us after practice and said that his absence from the first 3 phases of OTAs was a personal decision. He says he’s in shape and is happy to be back with his guys. A part of DC Dennard Wilson’s defense is an initiation each year, from Day 1 participants to waiver claims towards the end of the season: everybody has to do up-downs in front of the team. So Simmons got his in today, surrounded by around 50 of his closest friends goading him on.

L’Jarius Sneed wasn’t seen out on the field, but head coach Brian Callahan said at the top of the day that everyone is there and ready to roll. So we may or may not lay eyes on him this week. Starting center Lloyd Cushenberry, continuing with his torn Achilles recovery, was present but not yet involved in drills. WR Colton Dowell was in uniform but didn’t practice, and WR Tyler Lockett was out there working in very limited capacity. Rookie RB Kalel Mullings and veteran RG Kevin Zeitler were involved in drills for the first time as well.

Still Waiting On Ward To Do Something Concerning…

Oh boy, Cam Ward.

I had a national media friend text me after today’s practice, and we spoke about what Ward has shown so far. “How do I describe what we’ve seen without overdoing it?” was my initial thought, which is a pretty good sign in the first place. But it’s still June, so sweeping statements aren’t a wise idea. I ended up putting it this way:

Cam Ward might end up being a bad NFL player. But he hasn’t yet given me a single reason before, during, or after the whistle to wonder if he might be.

There are plenty of upcoming stumbling blocks he hasn’t yet encountered. Many unpadded practices remain. Many padded practices remain. Then comes joint practices, preseason games, and if those somehow don’t get him, then surely he will seriously screw something up for the first time in September.

But at least so far, he’s done just about everything in his power to convince me that he’s the truth. Tuesday was his best practice yet. He threw his first interception as a pro in front of the media: a too-tight window throw that LB Cody Barton picked him off on. It happens. But there it was: a misstep. So how did he respond? By completion his next 18 passes in a row. Real passes, I might add. He didn’t recoil into his shell after his first interception and play it safe the rest of the day. He did exactly what he always does: push the ball downfield and test tight windows.

He also got his first taste of Jeffery Simmons’ smack talk. On a play that Simmons would have disrupted were he allowed to lay hands on the QB, the veteran DT let Ward hear it. He laid into him. But Ward, walking back to the huddle, whipped right around and went toe-to-toe, bar-for-bar with Simmons. It was second nature. It was an interaction I expect to see from veterans. And the rookie was entirely un-phased… like he apparently always is.

I’ll have more on Cam’s impressive start in a standalone article soon, but needless to say, I’m fighting off the urge to jump to any serious conclusions yet. He’s making that discipline increasingly difficult.

A Rookie Revolution?

Cam Ward isn’t the only rookie showing out at practice. This rookie class has been pretty impressive so far as a whole, especially the trio of receivers. I’ve spent the past week or so trying to emphasize just how much I think Chimere Dike is being under-discussed. He’s the pick from this Titans class that I found the most confusing at first. But in watching him and talking to folks since then, I see a player I may have been wrong to initially discount. I think the way he was used at Florida isn’t how his NFL coaches intend on using him. And I think his involvement in this offense—potentially quite early on—will surprise some folks. The team is very pleased with him so far.

Meanwhile, his 4th round counterpart Elic Ayomanor had what was probably his best day yet. As somebody who was beating the drum on him as a prospect before he became a Titan, I couldn’t be happier with how he’s looked. I wrote last week that I think he will become a household name by the end of this season, and Tuesday’s practice only confirmed that feeling for me. Perhaps it’s confirmation bias, but with each passing practice I attend, I become more and more confident now is the time to board the Ayomanor train.

And finally, Xavier Restrepo is going to continue being the most talked-about UDFA in the league for the foreseeable future. He has athleticism and physical limitation questions that are valid. But just like on all of his college tape, he spent all of Tuesday’s practice getting open and getting targeted. Not just by his college teammate Ward, but by all the quarterbacks. The guy is just producing. He’s embodying the concept of a QB “safety blanket” so far. I wrote about his path to making the roster as well as why his roster spot may be completely out of his control, linked here. He’s going to be an exciting watch the rest of the summer

Way-Too-Early Tennessee Titans 53-Man Roster Projection: Predicting 2025 roster cuts based on OTAs performance and intel

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3 Ways Xavier Restrepo Can Make The Titans 53-Man Roster: Charting the path to Sundays for the most talked-about UDFA in the NFL

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