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Turron Davenport
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This yr’s Tennessee Titans roster has undergone extra turnover than virtually all different groups within the league — with 59.4% of the present roster being with the Titans final season, in keeping with OverTheCap.com.
As Tennessee strikes into section 3 of OTAs, the offensive line has been one of many extra affected teams. There’s two new starters and a place change on the road — which in all probability will affect the quarterback place, the place No. 1 choose Cam Ward seems to be to be in line to take over because the starter.
The retooled line was step one in new common supervisor Mike Borgonzi’s plan to rebuild the roster. Including Ward to the combination may kick-start the rebuild if the rookie can have an affect just like what he did in school at Miami final yr when he led the Hurricanes to their first 10-win season since 2017.
Ward can be underneath middle behind a unit that now options free agent additions Dan Moore Jr. (left sort out) and Kevin Zeitler (proper guard). Second-year lineman JC Latham will change from the left facet, the place he began 17 video games as a rookie, and 2023 first-round choose Peter Skoronski can be at left guard.
The whole line hasn’t labored collectively on the sphere but with beginning middle Lloyd Cushenberry III working his means again from a torn left Achilles harm he sustained in Week 9 final season. However the suggestions from those that have already been within the huddle with Ward has been constructive.
“I believe he is a terrific participant and a terrific choose for the crew,” Latham mentioned. “He has an immense quantity of expertise, reveals up on daily basis able to work with the best perspective to carry himself accountable, and holds himself to a typical that lots of people can study from.”
As a rookie quarterback, it may be powerful to look 10 grown males within the eyes and make them perceive who’s in cost. Controlling the huddle comes solely after incomes respect from teammates. Ward’s calm assured disposition has been an enormous asset in his early capacity to set the tone in follow.
“At any time when he is speaking, he has a way of confidence that guys can really feel and I sense that we’ll be capable to feed off of vitality from him,” Moore mentioned. “One of many hardest issues for a quarterback is simply getting a grasp of the huddle and fluidly say the play and bear in mind the play to get command of the huddle as properly. I really feel like [Ward] has that.”
Titans coach Brian Callahan mentioned a very powerful factor for a younger quarterback is to grasp the playcalls whereas executing the snap rely in tune with calling out the play.
“I believe he is accomplished a great job to date,” Callahan mentioned Wednesday. “Cam understands the right way to work together with them. He is performed sufficient quarterback to grasp how essential these guys are and what these relationships imply.”
Ward isn’t any stranger to what it takes to endear himself to a brand new group of offensive linemen. Earlier than wrapping up his solely season at Miami, Ward gifted customized diamond chains to his offensive linemen final November.
“I might say simply the most important factor I do is simply discuss to them whether or not it is within the locker room or after we get an opportunity to fulfill up outdoors the power,” Ward mentioned. “Not every little thing acquired to be about soccer, however after we stroll into the constructing, we all know it is all enterprise.”
Ward mentioned he was excited to work with the revamped offensive line. He mentioned it is one of the vital athletic and cellular offensive traces he has performed with and believes the unit can be a motive why the Titans win video games. Ward even went out of his strategy to reward backup middle Corey Levin, who has been taking snaps whereas Cushenberry rehabs.
Ward has a means of connecting with various kinds of individuals. One among his first objectives when he walked into the power final month was to study the names of everybody, together with the workers within the cafeteria and different components of the constructing whose jobs would possibly in any other case go unnoticed.
That’s merely an extension of what Ward did to impress the Titans brass throughout his predraft go to in March. They had been blown away by how he befriended the workers regardless of spending solely sooner or later within the constructing.
“He is acquired that type of cool, calm confidence and type of comes throughout as the identical man we met within the predraft conferences and the visits,” offensive coordinator Nick Holz mentioned Wednesday. “It is genuine, it is who he’s.”
Real authenticity goes a great distance in incomes the belief of latest teammates and coaches. A part of that’s being prepared to take accountability for errors. That is precisely what Ward did when he and veteran receiver Van Jefferson weren’t on the identical web page about how the wideout got here out of his break on a route throughout set up interval.
Ward walked over to Jefferson and ironed it out earlier than they transitioned to a different a part of follow. The 2 related on the identical route idea for what would have been a primary down throughout 7-on-7 rep later that follow.
That has been Ward, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“We have already acquired belief in him,” Skoronski mentioned. “That’ll solely proceed to construct as we get to do stuff and get into camp.”
