NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This year’s Tennessee Titans roster has undergone more turnover than almost all other teams in the league — with 59.4% of the current roster being with the Titans last season, according to OverTheCap.com.
As Tennessee moves into phase 3 of OTAs, the offensive line has been one of the more affected groups. There’s two new starters and a position switch on the line — which probably will impact the quarterback position, where No. 1 pick Cam Ward looks to be in line to take over as the starter.
The retooled line was the first step in new general manager Mike Borgonzi’s plan to rebuild the roster. Adding Ward to the mix could kick-start the rebuild if the rookie can have an influence similar to what he did in college at Miami last year when he led the Hurricanes to their first 10-win season since 2017.
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Ward will be under center behind a unit that now features free agent additions Dan Moore Jr. (left tackle) and Kevin Zeitler (right guard). Second-year lineman JC Latham will switch from the left side, where he started 17 games as a rookie, and 2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski will be at left guard.
The entire line hasn’t worked together on the field yet with starting center Lloyd Cushenberry III working his way back from a torn left Achilles injury he sustained in Week 9 last season. But the feedback from those who have already been in the huddle with Ward has been positive.
“I think he’s a great player and a great pick for the team,” Latham said. “He has an immense amount of talent, shows up every day ready to work with the right attitude to hold himself accountable, and holds himself to a standard that a lot of people can learn from.”
As a rookie quarterback, it can be tough to look 10 grown men in the eyes and make them understand who’s in charge. Controlling the huddle comes only after earning respect from teammates. Ward’s calm confident disposition has been a huge asset in his early ability to set the tone in practice.
“Whenever he’s talking, he has a sense of confidence that guys can feel and I sense that we’ll be able to feed off of energy from him,” Moore said. “One of the hardest things for a quarterback is just getting a grasp of the huddle and fluidly say the play and remember the play to get command of the huddle as well. I feel like [Ward] has that.”
Titans coach Brian Callahan said the most important thing for a young quarterback is to master the playcalls while executing the snap count in tune with calling out the play.
“I think he’s done a good job so far,” Callahan said Wednesday. “Cam understands how to interact with them. He’s played enough quarterback to understand how important those guys are and what those relationships mean.”
Ward is no stranger to what it takes to endear himself to a new group of offensive linemen. Before wrapping up his only season at Miami, Ward gifted custom diamond chains to his offensive linemen last November.
“I would say just the biggest thing I do is just talk to them whether it’s in the locker room or when we get a chance to meet up outside the facility,” Ward said. “Not everything got to be about football, but when we walk into the building, we know it’s all business.”
Ward said he was excited to work with the revamped offensive line. He said it’s one of the most athletic and mobile offensive lines he has played with and believes the unit will be a reason why the Titans win games. Ward even went out of his way to praise backup center Corey Levin, who has been taking snaps while Cushenberry rehabs.
Ward has a way of connecting with different types of people. One of his first goals when he walked into the facility last month was to learn the names of everyone, including the staff in the cafeteria and other parts of the building whose jobs might otherwise go unnoticed.
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That is merely an extension of what Ward did to impress the Titans brass during his predraft visit in March. They were blown away by how he befriended the staff despite spending only one day in the building.
“He’s got that kind of cool, calm confidence and kind of comes across as the same guy we met in the predraft meetings and the visits,” offensive coordinator Nick Holz said Wednesday. “It’s authentic, it’s who he is.”
Genuine authenticity goes a long way in earning the trust of new teammates and coaches. Part of that is being willing to take accountability for mistakes. That’s exactly what Ward did when he and veteran receiver Van Jefferson weren’t on the same page about how the wideout came out of his break on a route during install period.
Ward walked over to Jefferson and ironed it out before they transitioned to another part of practice. The two connected on the same route concept for what would have been a first down during 7-on-7 rep later that practice.
That has been Ward, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“We’ve already got trust in him,” Skoronski said. “That’ll only continue to build as we get to do stuff and get into camp.”
