We made it.
The Titans play football in Tampa, Fla., tonight, in the preseason opener against the Buccaneers.
The game won't count in the standing, of course – the regular season opener isn't until September 7 in Denver.
But it matters from a preparation standpoint, starting with quarterback Cam Ward.
While we wait for kickoff, let's get to some of your questions in another Titans mailbag …
Here's the link to submit questions: CLICK HERE.
Leon Johnson from Paragould, Arkansas
Question: Hey Jim. A new season dawns. I have to be honest with you, last season nearly finished it with me and my 60 year plus history with this franchise. I have been a fan since Bud Adams and the Oilers were in infancy of the AFL. That's a lot of great and not so great history. Now another season is about to dawn and I find myself feeling the excitement and anticipation of yet another hope. I have appreciated your honest answers to some difficult questions. Now my question, what does your gut feeling tell you about the upcoming season? I like some of the moves that have been made in the off-season. I am truly hoping for a true competitive season. I have no reservations that Amy wants to bring a championship caliber team to the fans. One final comment, for the fans that complain about the lack of respect the Titans garner around the NFL, RESPECT IS EARNED, NOT GIVEN! The only way to change the negativity about the Titans, and silence the naysayers, is show-up week-in and week-out. Thanks for the platform to express our true feelings! And once again TITAN-UP 2025. Have a great day Jim.
Jim: Hi Leon. I appreciate you following along. I can tell you're a loyal fan. What's my gut feeling about the upcoming season? Oh man, that's a tough one. I think the team will be better, and I think it will be more exciting. A new quarterback like Cam naturally adds more excitement. I think this is a better team that last year, even though it's going to be counting on a lot of young players. What does that mean from a win-loss perspective? It's hard to say. So many games in the league are decided by one possession, and the team that makes the fewest mistakes usually wins. I do think the team will be more competitive week in and week one. As for your take on respect, I agree with you 100 percent. The only way the Titans are going to get more respect is by winning games, not by going 3-14. Best to you, Leon.
Mike Knecht from Highland, New York
Question: Hi Jim. Hope you are doing well. Just have a morbid question about Burks. Do you see the team bringing him back when he is healthy, or just letting him sit out the season? It's terrible that this happened to him. I think he finally had a chance to prove himself.
Jim: Hi Mike. I really like Treylon. He's a great kid who has had a lot of bad luck. But he's played his last game as a Titan. I hope he has success elsewhere.
Michael Miles from LaVergne, Tennessee
Question: Jim hope you are doing well. With the season about to start and our first preseason game here I have to say I am excited about this team. I know we are young and will have to prove to the fan base we can compete. I think that if we stay healthy we can surprise some opponents this year. Am I wrong saying we could go with eight or nine W's this year.? I hope our O line gives Cam the time to play his game. Thanks Jim and I look forward to you comments this year.
Jim: Thanks for chiming in, Michael.
Brad Smith from Kent Island, Maryland
Question: Hey Jim. Continuing to love the job you do covering the Titans. My question is about LB Cedric Gray. A fellow employee & friend of mine coached him when he was a kid in Maryland and is proud to see him get drafted in the NFL. From what you have seen going into his 2nd year, do you think he can become an immediate impact for the Titans in the near future? And what are his chances of becoming a starter? I know it's early in his career and he battled injury last year, yet his speed and tackling ability can't be ignored. Just wanted your thoughts being that you are on the practice field everyday. Thanks!
Jim: Hey Brad. Cedric has improved. He's a tough kid, and he has a big personality. I like seeing him around. But I think he's currently running behind James Williams Sr. in the fight for the starting job opposite Cody Barton. The race isn't over yet. He just has to keep competing, and getting better.
Kameron Elfrink from Spokane, Washington
Question: Hey jim hope you're having a great time. Football is finally here with camp and the first preseason against the Bucs. Anyways, looking at the depth chart which I know doesn't mean to much. Seeing jha'quan jackson at kick returner made me happy because I'm growing up being a Tulane fan. Which brings me to my question at the 3 for KOR I see TJ Sheffield. And like I said I know it doesn't mean to much. But I was wondering where Tyjae spears projects in that special teams role? Sorry for all that typing 😅 TITAN UP!
Jim: All good, Kameron. I actually think Chimere Dike has a chance to win both jobs, but these preseason games are going to determine a lot. James Proche II is a contender for punts as well. Tyjae actually muffed a return the other day in the practice with the Buccaneers. He's still in the mix but it's a real competition.
Joe Levickis from Joelton, Tennessee
Question: Hey Jim! What are some of the more important things you think we should be paying attention to in our first preseason game Saturday as it relates to the rest of the season? I'm fired up to see how our rookies play in general. I think this class has the potential to be pretty special. Elic Ayomanor especially really impressed me the day I was able to come to camp.
Jim: Hey Joe. Sorry I missed you at camp. There are some things I'm interested in seeing for sure, from Cam's debut to the o-line to the young receivers to Gunnar Helm and more. I'm looking forward to seeing Femi Oladejo make his debut. How things start to shake out in the return game, like Kameron was just talking about, is intriguing to me. The reality is we're going to see a whole lot of back-ups from the second quarter on. Of course those players have a lot on the line themselves.
Tyler Metcalf from Waverly, Iowa
Question: Hey, Jim - and hey dad if you're reading this :)
I'm overly optimistic every year. I just can't help myself. I do believe Cam (even with struggles inevitable) raises the play of those around him. Better WR/TE production, Callahan settling in as year 2 playcaller. Defense seems like they could be feisty and Barton performing well in the middle helps both the front and backend guys.
Usually not hearing about OL is a good thing- but I don't think I've seen Dan Moore Jr's name mentioned at all? How is he looking? I think you know what you get in Zeitler regarding the 2 FA pickups, but curious to see projections on Moore and how he's performed in some of the limited padded practices?
Thanks for your coverage!
Jim: Hey Tyler. That is a good sign. The past few training camps it seems like a lot of the conversation has been about the left tackles, and concerns about their play. Dan Moore Jr. has been solid so far. He's held up in practices, and he was good here in the joint practice with the Buccaneers. The reality is we're not going to know for sure until the regular season starts, but things are trending in the right direction.
Bob Galasso from Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Question: Hey Jim. Hope everything is going well for you and the family. It's been a while since I've touched base. I would like to say that I continue to enjoy your mailbag week after week and you really are good at keeping the fan base motivated and engaged until the first week of the regular season... not that it stops by any means after that.
I would just like to say that with all of the offseason additions on both sides of the ball... offense and defense I think this gives the fan base reason for optimism. I like what the team has done with our special teams coaches and players as well.
I think though the fans should be just that... optimistic. After all, as talented as Cam Ward is there is going to be good games and not so good as he learns and gains experience. The same thing for our receiving and running game.
As for the defense it seems like we have gained a lot of speed that we lacked last year and hopefully with another year of experience our coaching staff will be much more improved.
Thanks for taking the time to read this Jim. Titan UP!!!
Jim: Thanks for writing in, Bob. We'll get some more clues tonight…
Enjoy the game everyone!
