The OTP | Back Together Weekend

The Titans Radio crew recap all the exciting action from Back Together Weekend

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:12):
This is the OTP.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I'm Amy Wells, and we are joined by a real
cast of characters on this edition of the OTP. We've
got all of Titan's Radio here. Of course, Taylor's Arzer
have to have him in the room. Coach Mack is here,
Will Bowling, who will be on the sidelines this season,
and of course the great Ret Brian all are here
because we just wrapped up Titan's practice at Nissan Stadium

(00:36):
and Titans Radio was doing some broadcasting during that that practice,
and so it feels important to talk about it. But
I want to preface this thing a little bit because
here we are all five of us broadcasters with a
lot to say. This is five loquacious people, yes, on
one podcast. So I Am going to just lob up

(00:59):
some questions and I want to hear everybody's answer.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
But this is going to be heard in cats and
I'm okay with it.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Are you guys down for what could be the craziest
podcast that you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
Going to ask a question?

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yes, Mac, you may is loquacious good?

Speaker 4 (01:12):
Bad?

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Loquacious is good most.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
Of the time time, Amy, I have two words. Let's
go there.

Speaker 5 (01:20):
It is did you notice how they've separated ret in
you and they put Will in between you.

Speaker 4 (01:26):
Will's not much of a barrier.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
No, I'm really not.

Speaker 5 (01:29):
I think that there's a chance that you might get
it back twenty minutes later.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yeah, well, we'll see what happens here. I'm honestly not
super optimistic, but we're.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
Gonna see here.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
We're going to see where this lands.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
So to start, I just want everybody's reaction from the
stadium practice today. So it was our first time in
Nissan Stadium. It's the first time a lot of these
Titans players were in Nissan Stadium, and there's a lot
of things that they're able to accomplish in a training
camp practice that looks a lot different from what they
usually get. So Taylor, I'll start with you. What stood
out to you about the practice today?

Speaker 5 (02:02):
The energy just constantly. That's what I've noticed the first
few days of training camp and what we saw in
mini camp and rookie camp. You've got a guy in
cam Ward who is acting like a veteran. He does
not act like a rookie at all. There is just
this attitude of let's get to work all the time.
Calvin Ridley is it's his seventh year in the league

(02:25):
and the guy really wants to play in a regular
season football game right now. Just a ton of that.
And you see Cody Barton at linebacker. I just you
look across the Titans and there is just a ton
of passion that is on that football field right now. So,
you know, you don't always get that amy when you
come off a three and fourteen season, but when you
have so many new faces that are with the Titans.

(02:48):
I think off of the field, we feel this that
it feels like a new time for the Titans, and
you certainly can sense that on the field too well.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
I mean, I've been to every practice since the draft
and this this group is a new group. Uh, it's
a very focused group. The draft choices that they made
came into this with a very mature mindset. You've got
very few guys that have got a whole load of
foolishness that they've got to unload before they become professionals.

(03:17):
That's the one thing I thought. I thought the fan
engagement was great. Players feel that regardless of the number
of people that were out there, but this was a
nice step for this group. We saw some things some people,
you know, I'm going to talk about and I we'll
talk about some certain players, but I was really really
impressed with James Williams. I mean, the young linebacker. I

(03:38):
watched linebackers very close, and he made that He made
some really instinctive plays today.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Yeah, he had a pick well.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
And not only that, he was at the right place
at the right time, and he was I mean, you
can tell that Frank Bush has done a great job
with him. He's done a great job because I mean,
you know this, he comes from the U but he
was a safety coming in here. But the transition that
he's made, and that's going to be the mantra I
think of this. This is gonna be a young, young
football team. But you saw some young guys today out
there that showed up, that did some things. And the

(04:08):
other thing is the practice was very very well organized,
very organized. I mean it went like clockwork. I know
Amy and will were on the sideline, you know, keeping us,
keeping us on track, but they were right on point
with what was going on. And that's that's a credit
to this coaching staff and the players too, knowing that
they had to work.

Speaker 6 (04:27):
You could feel that energy down on the field. And
I think your point about James Williams coach Brian Callahan
said this past week to the media, he has made
leaps and bounds and made major strides since last season.
We've spoken about this a lot through the offseason. Mac
getting coaching from Frank Bush is almost the defensive equivalent
of being an offensive lineman under Bill Callahan and the

(04:48):
teaching that you're getting from Frank and the ability of
James Williams to just be a sponge and play next
to Cody Barton, who had another good practice again today,
had another an interception earlier this week, and the second
practice of camp. You can tell there's some momentum. You
can tell there's energy, and all the interceptions made against
the ones thrown by camp Ward have been by inside

(05:09):
linebackers through this training camp so far, by Cody Barton
and by James Williams.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
Oh, you make a great point about Frank Bush, and
I'll just you know, for full disclosure, I'll well coach
with Frank for a lot of years, and he has
become not only here but just known in the coaching circles.
He's the OG of linebacker coaches. He really is, and
you can see the difference that he makes with these
players when he has a chance to get his hands

(05:34):
on them.

Speaker 7 (05:35):
Back together. Weekend was a little different for obvious reasons.
We have personnel changes here. But his couple of good
takeaways from this I on the present with a look
at the future. As we looked out of Boost seven,
you can see the steel topped out at new Nissan
Stadium ninety plus feet above the light bar stanchions at
current Nissan Stadium, and you're thinking about this team is

(05:59):
about where that is in an analogy, they're building from
the ground up. Twenty twenty four was rough, and there's
light at the.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
End of the tunnel.

Speaker 7 (06:10):
There's hope. It's going to take a while, but there's
a lot of young fellas out there making a difference.
And the other thing was, I'm just watching the running backs.
Tony Pollard already doing Tony Potterard things. He is a
seasoned veteran and a pro. But Taja Spears had a
Murphy's Law kind of year. Anything that could happen did
on and off the field, and between that and then

(06:32):
a couple of concussions and a handstring that kept him
out of games, that young man has shown up every day.
One of the first ones out there to do it,
and you can tell he is stacking days now. Next
week is going to be different because we're going to
bring in the pads part of this. We're gonna see
some things happen and really start to evaluate and look
at things. Kalel Mullings the last pick in this year's

(06:56):
drafts the converted linebacker. That's a running back from Michigan.
Another one that you should keep your eye on in
a big back option. Of course, Julius Chestnut just keeps
hanging around and doing what he's supposed to do in
this because he knows this offense as well.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
Amy, Can I just.

Speaker 1 (07:12):
Say something, Yeah, here we go, full.

Speaker 4 (07:16):
Disclosure on Ret Bryan. He's got a T shirt with
J Spears face on anything that that's gonna happen he did.
I mean, do you remember us getting ready for the
draft and he was beside himself with J Spears. He
had a man crush on him all the way from

(07:37):
two Tilleen Well earned I'm talking, so it doesn't surprise
me that he brings him up.

Speaker 5 (07:47):
Look, you're the head coach of this operation, okay, and
you know, maybe maybe I'm the quarterback, which means I'm
gonna be in your ear a lot. You got to
give the guy credit for what he just said about
the team in relation to the stadium. That was impressive.
I mean, and that great analogy chills as you said.

Speaker 4 (08:02):
Credit for that. It's one of the pillars of Titans radio.

Speaker 3 (08:06):
You know what.

Speaker 5 (08:06):
I've been trying to find the best way to describe
just where the Titans are right now, and I think
Reht nailed it.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
I think it was a very good visual and love
keeping it in the Titans family. I think you can
tell that this team is ready to play football, real football.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
This team or that team, well that.

Speaker 1 (08:25):
Team too, maybe I don't know. Construction seems hard.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
You can tell that they are definitely in a place
where they're tired of just acting it out. You know,
they're tired of making sure they're in the right place
and maybe going fast but not being able to do
the football things. Putting pads on is going to be
really big for this team, I think. And then that
first joint practice in Tampa against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,

(08:53):
I think is going to be a little rowdy.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
Well, and I'm really excited about it.

Speaker 5 (08:57):
Yeah, And I mean the other day coach Callahan was
saying to you, Will, He was like, can we please
put some pads on?

Speaker 6 (09:04):
I think this coaching staff is also just eager to
see how players in the trenches on both sides raise
their level with the added physicality. In the added level
of physicality for a fimioladjo in his first training camp
for a new offensive line working together. I mean, you
look at JC Latham, looks like a different human being

(09:25):
on the right side of this offensive line. How does
he kind of drive this new car that he's got
to drive right now in kind of a new shape
and a new frame and a new body. He's not
got a big supercharge truck. He's got a little bit
more horsepower maybe to be able to last and be
the best version of himself in November and December this year.
But the first step of that understanding how to use

(09:45):
that frame and still throw that weight around a little bit.

Speaker 4 (09:49):
I'm fascinated to see it.

Speaker 6 (09:50):
I know this coaching staff is as well.

Speaker 7 (09:51):
Well. Mac can speak on this. He always tells us
in great fashion multiple times a year, keep your powder
dry multiple times. You know there have been no pads
put on yet. But when Brian Callahan tells Will and
I men, I cannot wait for Pads to come home.
There's a lot of things he's looking for, to see

(10:12):
where this team is and to see where these individuals are.
What's he looking for? What's he talking about?

Speaker 4 (10:18):
Well, look, there's a real sting that is on you
as a professional. When you only win three games in
the National Football League. That takes a lot out of you.
It does the coaches and players, fans, everybody was here.
So what you're looking for is to be able to
cleanse that, and the only way you do that. I

(10:39):
love the fact he was very, very forward thinking when
he scheduled two practices against opponents on the road. He
wants to make these guys as uncomfortable as possible, because
the quickest way to mature a player in this league
is put them in uncomfortable situations and see how they react.

Speaker 5 (10:59):
Yeah, I love that you just referenced that, and you
were just talking about how critical the next couple of
weeks are going to be. I think we've all learned
in the last few years that those joint practices are
more important than anything else that you do in the preseason.
The games are great, it's great to be out here
and see the team. But you have seen in the
last few years, especially with the first team, that every

(11:22):
team in the National Football League is being more protective
of those players in the games, in the practices though,
in the joint scrimmages with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which
they'll do a couple of times, they'll have a full
padded scrimmage, really practice joint scrimmage with the Bucks, and
then they'll have a walk through with them, and then
they'll do the same thing with the Falcons over the

(11:44):
course of a few days that I think we're going
to really learn who the Tennessee Titans are by the
time this team comes back to play the Vikings for
that last preseason game.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
Well, the thing about it is the joint practice that
they'll do everything but take them to the ground. Now,
that's number one. It's going to be full fud. It's
full thud. But what you are looking for, especially with
a young football team, is how do they react to
a different environment and a different colored jersey because and
the other thing the reason you do it, you've only

(12:14):
got three preseason games now, and this now gives you
basically two extra preseason games. And the fact that you're
going into it. With ninety players a piece, you can
afford to do some things pad wise. I mean, if
you were taking a forty three man roster in there,
you wouldn't do it. But you've got ninety people on
each side. So that's why that's what the league is

(12:35):
morphing to. Now with three preseason games, you're seeing more
and more of it.

Speaker 7 (12:41):
Taylor, The way this thing has shifted over the years
is that the preseason games are for operational logistical things,
especially for first year players. But this roster has so
many new faces, so putting that together and being able
to go into the locker room knowing it's thirteen minutes,
come back out, warm up, do your thing. But those

(13:02):
joint practices is where you can get the calluses on
top of the bruises.

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get your favorites delivered today. Delivery fees apply. Now back
to the OTP. What's a position that you guys are

(13:42):
all excited about watching as we go into a little
bit more of a physical phase of training camp.

Speaker 1 (13:49):
Taylor, I'll start with you.

Speaker 7 (13:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (13:51):
I mean, look, I'm really interested in the past rush,
So you know, I don't know that that's a position.
I guess outside linebacker slash defensive end is what I'm
really looking at. And I think that anyone would tell
you that the Tennessee Titans need to improve everywhere, but
that's where they really need to improve. If you look
at two years ago, the Houston Texans were in a

(14:12):
similar spot to where the Titans are are now, where
they were the second pick in the draft, but they
only won a couple of games. They were rock bottom
in the National Football League. They went out and got CJ. Stroud,
and everybody talks about how quickly they went to the playoffs.
Will Anderson was just as big a reason why they
went to the playoffs because he's won very quickly become

(14:34):
one of the best pass rushers in the National Football League.
So My questions going in right now, are who are
those guys? Is arden Key able to be? That is
Jeffrey Simmons. Now the's lost ten to fifteen pounds. Are
we gonna we saw this a few times today. Rhtt
you hit me a couple times, say look, there's Simmons
on the edge. We're gonna move jeff Simmons around some now.

(14:56):
So are we going to see Simmons affect the quarterback
around to tackle instead of maneuvering around guards. I'm looking
forward to seeing that. Jones is another one. There are
a number of options that the Titans have from the
pass rush standpoint, but I'm really looking forward to watching
what they do there in the next few weeks.

Speaker 4 (15:15):
I want to see the offensive line okay, and I
want to see the offensive line with somebody across the
line of scrimmage trying to break their face because that's
what I want to see, because that's gonna be critical
for this football team. I think they've they've done some
rearranging in the off season to help that, but now
those guys have got to come together. They've got to

(15:35):
come together, and look, Tampa Bay is a really good
NFC football team, really good NFC football team. And Todd
Bowles is a really good defensive coach, so he made
his bones in this league, so he's going to have
those guys on that side of it gunned up. I
want to see the Titans offensive line stand up to
that test early. That's gonna be important.

Speaker 6 (15:57):
I'll go a little bit outside the box for this one.
What about the added physicality of wide receivers going up
against corners that are going to want to be physical
against them. And you talk about that Todd Bowles defense
and some of the dbs that will challenge this receiving group.
They've got thirteen receivers that are battling and there are
not a lot of guaranteed spots at that position. You

(16:18):
know what you're getting from Calvin Ridley here early. I
think it's a big point of emphasis, of course for
Calvin Ridley, who didn't have his first one hundred yard
game last season until the Detroit game, to really hit
the ground running with cam Ward, but who else? There
are a lot of spots up for grabs there. How
Tyler Lockett is deployed, I think is something that's really
interesting as a slot receiver, as an outside receiver, where

(16:39):
I think he was more outside than what people really
give him credit for the last couple of seasons in Seattle,
but Elcia Manner continues to really impress me. And he
is someone who I think almost like a power forward,
putting somebody on the low block, able to box out
a defensive back for a jump ball, especially in the
red zone. We keep seeing him flash. I want to
see him continue. You to take those steps with the

(17:01):
pads on, with the added physicality against those Tampa and
Atlanta DB's.

Speaker 7 (17:05):
I'll piggyback off of that will because you're exactly right.
I want to see the smoothest player so far before
pads has been l like Io mannor in that group.
I want to see what that smoothness looks like now
that the pads are on. I also want to see
what gear and speed that chim Ray DK can achieve
with that gear on. But I you took mine. But

(17:27):
that's good.

Speaker 3 (17:27):
Okay, that's good, You're on the right track. I want
to see.

Speaker 5 (17:31):
You can't have it now.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
I a manor's mind, so you have to pick it out.
Stop reading mind, get out.

Speaker 7 (17:36):
I want to see the secondary in pads. I want
to see Jarvis Brownie in year two, who learned a
lot of lessons, uh, and continues to have a nice
camp to begin. I want to see Kevin Winston Junior
and Pads back there, and let's see Roger McCrary in
year four.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (17:52):
Those guys gonna be heavily relied upon. We know what
a Moni hooker can do. But I want to see
that young secondary against these wide receivers in Tampa and
they've got some good ones in Atlanta too.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (18:03):
That's a great point because Tampa Bay has got some
dudes at wide receiver and they're physical, physical players. I mean,
they've got generational players they're at the wide receiver. So
that's always going to be that I like that point.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
Mike Evan's gonna have a gold jacket, yeah.

Speaker 4 (18:19):
And so that's gonna be important to see how these
guys measure up down there.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (18:24):
And going back to what coach Max said about the
offensive line, excited to get cushion Berry back, Lloyd cushion
Berry in the center at some point, you would think
in the next few weeks. Heat is vital to that
offensive line and the development there around the guards and
around the tackles that you're so impressed by are you
allowed to have one too?

Speaker 2 (18:42):
Well, okay, so every single one of them I've written down,
I've then had to cross off.

Speaker 1 (18:46):
Okay, keep taking mine.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
I was really excited about the offensive line and then
Mac blew it out of the water.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
Then you're running this.

Speaker 7 (18:52):
You should have gone first.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
Well, yeah, but I'm trying to be a good a
good host.

Speaker 2 (18:56):
I was excited about receivers and and then I mean,
Will did a great job with that, and Matt kind
of followed up there, and then the secondary was my
other one, and that, I mean, you know, so you
guys covered it.

Speaker 4 (19:07):
Can I talk about the kickers if you must?

Speaker 5 (19:11):
This is like the first time you've done this.

Speaker 3 (19:12):
You don't usually to the kickers.

Speaker 4 (19:14):
Yes, let's get this straight.

Speaker 1 (19:19):
Oh no, here it comes.

Speaker 4 (19:22):
I've always liked kickers. I don't know a damn thing
about it, and I admitted it. Okay, but these dudes
that we've got right now, Johnny Hecker, to me is
one of the best at it. Yes, Morgan Cox, we
know what he is. And if great job sly keeps

(19:43):
banging them through like that. That was massive.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
You did.

Speaker 4 (19:47):
You could tell the way that you could do. You too,
were on the side thought, how did his team react
to that pretty dang excited. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:55):
Yeah, and you do raise a good point.

Speaker 3 (19:58):
Mac.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
As much as I am reluctant to talk about special
teams from time to time, this is really going to
be a phase of the Titans game that is going
to be completely different this year. New head coach, a
lot of new faces in that phase of the game.
The specialists other than the long snapper are different, so
there's a lot of new there. Okay, So how do

(20:20):
they take it from kind of idea in the classroom
to execution? And I mean it's an incredibly physical part
of the game, So how is that going to continue
to evolve? And how are they going to continue to
find be competitive advantage within some rules that are still
pretty new.

Speaker 4 (20:37):
Yeah, that's a great point. Look complimentary football in this
league when you're playing on the margins, which this team's
going to play on the margins for a while because
it's young, special teams has got to be a compliment.
Special teams can't be something that is a hindrance to

(20:58):
your field position metrics, to your scoring opportunities, to those things.
And that's the beauty of bones fossil. I mean, I've
been with him from the start and have seen him
do this with you know, two free agent kickers, with
guys just off the street. I mean, the guy is
really good, but he gets the he gets the players
to buy into it. And that's a huge part because

(21:19):
most of the special teams players in this league come
into it. They've been starters everywhere else. They've been the dude,
they've been the guy, and all of a sudden, now
special teams, I mean special teams used you know, and
they're thinking of our high school days or the college
days where the special teams were just the roys the
rest of y'all. You know, that's that's what I was thinking.

Speaker 3 (21:41):
Rookie of the Year, that's.

Speaker 4 (21:43):
That's what that's what that's that's that's I'm from West Texas,
not not rest of you.

Speaker 5 (21:48):
Rest of y'all certainly works in Tennessee any who don't,
and and include returners on that as well.

Speaker 4 (21:57):
Look the whole thing of the coverage, the protection you
you I working those protections drills today down there with
those ropes. I mean, he doesn't leave anything unturned, I
promise you. I just set in too many of his meetings.
So to Amy's point, it's a big, big part that
can help an offense and a defense that are trying
to find themselves at least, don't get in the way.

Speaker 7 (22:18):
Go back to Tennessee Titans dot com go scroll down
look in the video section from Thursday's practice. At the
end of practice, there was a huddle up with wide
receiver Bryce Oliver. You can tell me about how important
special teams is. It's the first thing he spoke about.
He's passionate about it. He wants to get better at it. Yes,
he said, yes, I want to be a bigger part

(22:39):
of this wide receiver group and make a play with
my numbers call. But I love playing special teams. I
love being a gunner. I love the physicality of it.
That is exactly what Bones Fossil is looking for, and
that when he had his first availability after he was hired,
he said, I need all the things that Ieron Marschher
talking about as a Titan, but I need a little
crazy in there. Well that's what that is.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
So what players are you guys excited about watching? As
we go forward here, he want you to name a
couple names.

Speaker 3 (23:04):
I am not going you go first, You're you're the
but gracious do it. Everybody stolen your pick, so.

Speaker 4 (23:11):
You get to hear the boss, and you were a
little bit upset because everybody took yours.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
Everybody.

Speaker 4 (23:19):
If I was the boss, i'd go first.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
You are.

Speaker 5 (23:22):
She is the president of everything. She comes to the
Tennessee Titans and our broadcast team.

Speaker 4 (23:28):
None of it works until she comes to work.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Well, I don't know about any of that, but I
will say a player that I'm really excited about watching
as this continues, And this is going to feel like
the cheating answer, but it's cam Ward. And the reason
it's cam Ward is because he's processing an incredible amount
of information and he's got a lot of things that
are going through his brain right now. But he seems

(23:50):
to have a pretty good grasp on what's going on
as things stand right now, when they're playing against error
for the most part, when no one can get hit,
when we're not going going full speed, full aggression, full out.
So now being able to ramp it up and have
it go to the next level, Okay, how does he
rise to that next level? How does he continue to improve?

(24:11):
How does he continue to see things the way that
he needs to be seeing them and continue to adjust
his game to this next level. So kind of a
cop out answer, because everybody wants to watch cam Ward.
But there's a development factor to it that I'm interested.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
But Amy, what number does he wear? One? You start
with that?

Speaker 5 (24:28):
Yeah it is, it's not a cop out, and yeah,
just go with the obvious. And that's what you did.
And I think that everybody is interested. All right, rhtt
gets to go next because all his.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
First of all, Amy, you did a better job inio
is explaining who you wanted to go. That's perfect.

Speaker 1 (24:42):
Well, thanks guys, Well you're very friendly.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
If it was bad, you know, I tell you if
it was bad too.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
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(25:10):
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Speaker 1 (25:16):
Now back to the OTP.

Speaker 7 (25:19):
I'll go back to the secondary and in a particular
safety with Kevin Winston Junior, the eighty second overall pick
from Penn State, suffers in a knee injury at State
College last September, and that young man stayed here all summer,
from the time that they broke mandatory mini camp, in
the five weeks that led up to the start of

(25:39):
training camp. In the last few days, he said he
took the one hour flight north to go home a
couple of times, but Monday through Friday Saturday, most of
those times he was in the building watching film, continuing
to learn the playbook, continuing his treatment, so that when
he reported, he reported one percent healthy and not on

(26:01):
the physically unable to perform list. Big long physical safety
that can help this Titans defense. Looks good in a uniform,
for sure, but you can tell he has all chips
into the middle of the table. I want to see
him in pads to see what he can do.

Speaker 6 (26:19):
All right, Well, That's where I was going to go too,
So now I'm going to think of another one as well.
But just real quick on Kevin Winston Junior looks healthy too. Well,
he does look healthy, and I think he looks like
what a Titan is going to start to look more
like moving forward in terms of lean athletic team captain
at Penn State, you think that means something for a

(26:39):
program that was not far away from winning a national
championship last year in college football. I mean, that's an
honor for him, but someone that you would have given
a little bit of grace to have an acclamation period.
He has hit the ground running and made it look
like he was here on the field for all of
mini camp and OTA's as well. I'm gonna go to
the offensive line and Dan Moore because I think for
all of the we've talked about on both sides of

(27:01):
the ball, for j C. Latham and Jeffrey Simmons transforming
their bodies a little bit, Dan Moore comes in as
maybe one of the most valuable players on this team.
And right at the beginning of free agency, Mike Bergonzi,
Chad Brinker in this front office made him a priority
to say, if we're going to have a young quarterback,
if we're going to bring in and trust and invest

(27:21):
in Cameward in our future, we need somebody to protect him.
And I think for Dan the sky is really the
limit for him, and it's so rare to find a
tackle in free agency in their mid twenties who has
the upward mobility and ceiling of Dan Moore. He is
a unicorn in a really good way. He coach as

(27:42):
much as you guys and US Titans Radio's head coach
planning for the draft. How many tackles are coming out
of the draft that are twenty four and twenty five
years old the way college football is right now, Dan
Moore is not far away from that at all. There's
still so much growth still to be had.

Speaker 4 (27:54):
In his career. Yeah. I mean that's a good one,
because that's been a sore spot this football team, a
real sore spot, and that and the other caveat that
he does have. I always go to the offensive line
first because the precision coaching of Bill Callahan is amazing,
and Dan Moore nee to soak that up. You're right,

(28:16):
who's your player?

Speaker 5 (28:17):
James Williams okay still James Williams okay olo femi ola
dejo femmy number seven for the Tennessee Titans. You know,
I mentioned the pass rush and I did not mention
him when I went through the pass rush a minute ago,
but he very quickly could become a big time part
of what the Titans are doing on defense in twenty
twenty five, and we talked about the energy and the enthusiasm.

(28:41):
This guy carries himself with a ton of passion. And
you were just talking Will about the kind of Titan
moving forward we're going to see. We're gonna see, you know,
a leaner, more quick player. But I also think you're
going to see a ton of people that bring leadership
to the Titans. You see that to Titans have seemed
to lean in on that this offseason that they want

(29:05):
glue guys. They want guys that are loud, that are vocal,
that are all that all have a ton of energy
when they come to practice, and Oladejo does, I will
say he's looked really good without pads on. Coach Callahan
the other day was like, just just settle down a
little bit, okay, man, let's wait until Dan Moore and
JC Latham get to put their hands on fimy with

(29:28):
everybody having pads on. But so far, it's been a
lot of fun. I don't know if I'm allowed to
do this, and now that I'm telling you I've done it,
I don't know if you're gonna let me do it again.
But I've gone to the other side of the practice
field in the middle of the defense, just because I
want to feel as much as I can here in
year one. And I stood next to Fimy for about

(29:49):
twenty minutes on Thursday, and I was just blown away
by this guy's motor. They kept telling him to come
out of the lineup and he get mad and he say,
you get two more plays and then you're coming out, coach,
give me a third play, Give me a third play.
It's unreal watching this guy. And then after practice he
grabs number ninety eight, Jeffrey Simmons and he says, jeff

(30:10):
I have some questions for you, And for ten minutes
he was grilling jeff on certain moves that he's trying
to make inside outside when you're trying to shoot the
A gap or the B gap or go around the
sea like he was asking all these questions. I love
high energy guys.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
If you can't tell and he's got it, I'm going
to take another one because it's my show. Yes, Cody Barton,
there is nobody on the field that is having more
fun than Cody Barton. He has been a free agent
addition that's going to make an immediate impact on this
Titans team, and it's so much fun to watch him

(30:49):
kind of bring that joy, that excitement and that I
mean consistent performance to the field every single day. And
so watching him grow and continue to get comfortable with
the people him, with Dennard's scheme and what they're doing
on the defensive side of the ball, I think he's
gonna be a really fun guy to watch.

Speaker 1 (31:07):
So now I have two good for you. Cody Bart's
my other one.

Speaker 2 (31:10):
All right, does anybody have any final thoughts as we
wrap things up here from the sweet level at Nissan Stadium, ber.

Speaker 3 (31:18):
Let's get pads on. Yeah, let's do that.

Speaker 7 (31:21):
And of course it's just right in time for the
midsouth to have his hottest week of the year. It
kind of times up perfectly. But yeah, I just I'm
ready to see that next turn that page and see
what's ahead in this and see who separates themselves from
the pack and some of these position battles, and will

(31:42):
mentioned the wide receivers, like who comes out of all
of that James Williams when he puts on those pads
going in year two? Cedric Gray for sure, who missed
so much time with a shoulder last year, just there's
so many storylines.

Speaker 3 (31:57):
We've got plenty to.

Speaker 6 (31:57):
Go around the vertical eltse fun to see some vertical
routes today inside Nissan Stadium and some of the deep
balls to Calvin Ridley and some of the off script
stuff from cam Ward that the acclamation period of the
first two practices didn't afford us the luxury of seeing
quite as much. And hamstrings and vertical routes sometimes don't

(32:18):
go together, So those things you want to keep the
hand strings intact. You want to build up to some
of the vertical plays and vertical routes off script. As
these guys get more acclimated, get more comfortable seeing cam
Ward cook a little bit off script and late in
plays we.

Speaker 3 (32:32):
Got a glimpse of that.

Speaker 6 (32:33):
He's quite the showman with the fans in the stadium.
He raised the level up a little bit, and I
think there's a couple more notches he's got left here
in training camp.

Speaker 4 (32:42):
I thought Taylor's oars are raised up when he was
getting the crowd going, yeah, that's what that's what. Look.
The way you judge a football team before the season
it starts, is what type of work did they do
in the five weeks that they were gone. That's what
you look for as a coach, because you know what's

(33:04):
going on when you've got them in the building and
then they're in a structured environment. Now, what type of
a mental mindset do you have as a football team
when you see how they come back when they've been
on their own. This group came back looking really, really fit.
They're ready, they were ready to That to me is
a great sign for a young team, a young team,

(33:27):
because a lot of times the young ones still don't
know until they get hit in the face with reality
that they'll be gone if they don't do it right.
These guys, this whole team in mass you know. And
I was talking to Mike Worganzi about it. On the field,
this team just looks in good condition. I mean, just
the thirty year coaches Eyeball test I went, whoa, but

(33:51):
you look for that, and so I think we're on
a good path.

Speaker 5 (33:56):
The identity of the Tennessee Titans has changed in twenty
twenty five. The last three years were unacceptable. Everybody in
the organization couldn't tolerate it anymore, and they said, we
are going to change our identity and we are going
to build something on the football field that is going
to make everyone proud. And now there is something consistent

(34:18):
that is happening with the Titans from an energy level
on the field. You and I were privileged to be
in some meetings this past week that talked about that,
and off of the field, there is that same kind
of energy that's going on. Everybody in the building right
now is committed to the same thing, playing for championships
and creating passion, and it's going to take Titans fans

(34:41):
to be part of that too. But I just want
to tell you, as a newbie here, as a rookie,
as somebody that feels like they're going to school again,
should take a picture on the front steps right now,
which my wife tried to make me do and I
did not agree to do earlier this week.

Speaker 3 (34:59):
I am just it's really.

Speaker 5 (35:00):
Blown away by the culture shift here and everybody should
be really proud of that and excited. Because winning championships
is a whole lot of fun, but watching those championships
be built in the right way might be even more
fun than that. And it feels like that's what's happening
right now.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Well, there is still a lot of fun to be
had in a variety of different ways, and here at
the OTP will take you along for every.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
Step of the way.

Speaker 2 (35:26):
So for Ret Brian, for will Bowling, for Coach Mac,
for Taylor Zarzar and for me Amy Wells.

Speaker 1 (35:31):
Thanks for listening to the OTP.