After a brutal rookie season plagued by coaching changes and porous protection, Tennessee’s aggressive roster overhaul provides the young quarterback a revamped arsenal to defy the skeptics.
The Tennessee Titans tossed Cam Ward into a rough situation as a rookie.
He played behind one of the league's worst offensive lines and was sacked 56 times as a result. Those 56 sacks allowed were the sixth-most in the NFL last season.
He also had an inconsistent running game outside of Tony Pollard. Even though Pollard did his best, the Titans still averaged 93.5 rushing yards per game, which was the third-most in the league.
Then, there was the lack of talent at receiver he was throwing to.
Calvin Ridley was coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2024, only to look like a shell of himself last season. Ridley had issues with drops and then suffered a season-ending injury after seven games.
Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett joined the team as free agents. Jefferson was a starter at the beginning of the year but eventually lost his spot to rookie Elic Ayomanor.
Lockett underperformed and was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders at the deadline. Chimere Dike then stepped in as the team's slot receiver for the rest of the season.
On top of everything else Ward had to go through, Brian Callahan was fired halfway through the year, and he had to learn under interim head coach Mike McCoy the rest of the way.
After a minimal running game, a poor offensive line, an inconsistent receiver room, and a head coaching change as a rookie, he still put up promising numbers.
Ward ended up with 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Even though Ward put up those numbers despite the odds being against him, General Manager Mike Borgonzi knew that he needed help.
He brought in Wan'Dale Robinson, Carnell Tate and Daniel Bellinger. The offensive line still needs work, but the Titans at least don't have to worry about Lloyd Cushenberry and his injuries anymore, as he was released.
Ward will also have a new right guard after Kevin Zeitler wasn't re-signed. However, it won't be too hard to beat Cushenberry and Zeitler.
At center, you have Austin Schlottmann, Andre James and Pat Coogan. The competition at right guard features Fernando Carmona and Cordell Volson.
After analyzing the moves the Titans have made this offseason, it's clear that the team is in a much better place than it was a year ago. Ward now has more help and shouldn't have to carry the weight of the offense by himself.
CBS Sports' Jared Dubin doubts the help the Titans have given Ward this offseason. He released a tier list ranking NFL teams by how well their starting quarterbacks are set up for success.
His tiers were the Dolphins, help needed, help wanted, average incubators, above-average, very good environments, and the best ecosystems. The Miami Dolphins are so bad that they are in their own tier, specifically named for them.
The Titans aren't much better in Dubin's eyes. They were listed just one tier above the Dolphins, in "help needed", with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.
Let's break down the improvements the Titans have made.
With Tate, he has a ton of upside and will be WR1 for the team. Robinson has been a very productive wideout, especially given how many catches he's had over the years.
Last season, Robinson had 92 receptions on 140 targets. Then, you have the returning production in Dike, Ayomanor, Pollard and Gunnar Helm.
Dike hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential after leading the NFL in all-purpose yards. Ayomanor is a physical presence at wide receiver and will only get better after a 41-reception rookie season.
Bellinger, who has been known as a blocking tight end for most of his career, is working to become a better receiver. Helm is going into his second season after a solid rookie campaign.
Then, there's Pollard, who continues to impress as a Titan. He is fresh off his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season.
The Titans still have work to do on the offensive line, but including them with the Browns and Commanders doesn't make sense. The Titans have vastly improved their team compared to last season.
The Titans have done plenty to help Ward flourish in year two.
