NASHVILLE – We're now rolling into July, and closing in on the start of Titans training camp.
Hope everyone is having a great summer.
I took a break from the position previews to bang out a mailbag.
Let's do this…
Here's the link to submit questions: CLICK HERE.
Nate Gargas from Dexter, Missouri
Question: Hope you're doing good, Jim. I wanted to get your opinion on some of the free agents. How confident are you in Dan Moore at left tackle? His name is quickly brought up when thinking of players who got overpaid due to previous performance. I also wanted to get your thoughts on how big of an impact Tyler Lockett can have out of the slot position. The experience and consistent play he has had over the course of his career is great, especially for a young QB like Cam Ward. Keep up the great work, Jim! Titan Up!
Jim: Doing great, Nate, thanks. I like what I've seen from Dan Moore. I think he's going to be good. As for Lockett, he's a consummate pro who has had a great career. With that said, he's landed on a team with some talented, surging young players in Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor, who are going to push for playing time. How they perform could potentially impact Lockett, who is going to have to earn it. Personally, I hope he does, because he's a great guy.
Joseph Levickis from Joelton, Tennessee
Question: Hey Jim! Hope you're having a great summer!
I'm intrigued to hear what you think about our schedule this year. Other than my gripe about the seemingly annual away game for the opener, I think I like how things lay out. I have to imagine that once the guys return from Vegas on Oct 12th, it will feel awful nice knowing that the entirety of our travel from that point until Dec 7th will be one very quick flight to Indianapolis. Almost two whole months with only one road trip (and a bye) feels like a pretty rare occurrence. I feel like if we can come home from Vegas and into that home swing at .500, I like our chances to make things fun down the stretch with so much home cooking.
Jim: Hey Joe. Hope all is well with you and your wife.
I've had a great summer. Went to Vegas, saw Kenny Chesney in The Sphere, and then traveled to Springdale, Utah and went to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. It was a great trip.
Predicting the schedule, and what results might be, is tricky. Some teams are always better than predicted (Commanders last season) while others are worse (I could name a lot of teams here). I'll say this: I'd take 2-2 after the first four, no questions asked. Like you said, because of the way things shape up in the second half of the season, with so many home games, the Titans could be in a position to keep things interesting around here going into December, which is a lot more than what could be said about last season.
Ray Turner from McEwen, Tennessee
Question: Thank you for running the article on Morgan Cox. It's a pleasure to see Pro athletes impacting the lives of others in such a positive, long-term manner. Too bad news networks don't focus more on the stories of these amazing people, instead of nightly 1/2 hr news on guys like Diddy
Jim: Thank you for reading, Ray. Here's the story you're referring to, Morgan Cox traveling to Uganda for a mission trip: CLICK HERE to read. I'm getting tired of the Diddy coverage myself…
Eli Decko from Youngwood, Pennsylvania
Question: Jim, it has been a while. These past couple years have made the Titans very hard to support. I've been a fan since Eddie George was drafted so you know I've been with them through some very hard times. I've seen them run McNair out of the city, trade Eddie George, ruin VY, ruin Mariota, try and fill the void with has beens such as Kerry Collins and Matt Hasselbeck. I do firmly believe Marcus and Tannehill were the two best PASSERS the team has ever had. This team has a long history, as the Titans, of ruining QBs and wasting other LEGENDARY talents. Chris Johnson, Derrick Henry, Derrick Mason, Rob Bironas, Michael Roos, David Stewart, Keith Bulluck, Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, Taylor Lewan and the list could go on for pages. This coaching staff put together the worst performances I have ever seen last season. Every single game looked like Junior High School students vs the 08 Patriots. Changing a coordinator and an assistant do not make this team different. They've over spent on under producers like Ridley, Pollard and the BUM from KC Snead. What guarantees if any can you make, or the team make that Cam Ward, who I'm not even slightly high on, is not just the next failed project by a bunch of under qualified suit and ties? This draft did very very very little good for the team. The best player we got this off season was an undrafted rookie in Restrepo. Meanwhile Derrick Henry is still that dude and they don't even have 2 guys that matched Henry's production last season. I mean look at AJ Brown for gods sake. Hoping to get an answer since my last emails were clearly too strongly worded for you to respond.
Jim: Good to hear from you again, Eli. It has been a while. Have to correct you on a few things: Eddie wasn't traded, VY ruined VY, injuries ruined Mariota, and Collins and Hasselbeck were better than you give them credit for. As I continued to read your submission, I couldn't help but think you're beginning to sound like a real Debbie Downer, no offense to all the Debbies out there. Cheer up Eli!
Blake Collins from Saltville, Virginia
Question: Hey Jim, hope your staying cool in TN. Right next door here in VA it's 105 in the shade. Haha jk. Just wanted to ask about the RB group. How are Spears and Chestnut doing? Just wondering if you may have spoken to them about the upcoming season , where is there head at ya know. One thing about it is we have always had a decent "most of the time" top 5 RB since the 90s George ,Henry , CJ to name a few. Instead of our normal workhorse we have more of a 1-2 and even 3 punch group..I like it set up that way seems like we can attack the defense with so much more out of the backfield ..instead of a having a RB1 we have 3 RB1's lol..what's your thoughts on the group as a whole?
Jim: It's tough to stay cool these days, Blake! Spears had a great offseason, and I think he's going to be more of a factor this fall alongside Tony Pollard. Chestnut had a good offseason, but I'm expecting rookie Jalel Mullings to surge when camp begins after missing most the offseason. The plan is for more of a split with Pollard and Spears, and Mullings could get some opportunities as well. But Chestnut won't go down without a fight, and I suspect he'll be around in some capacity.
James Taylor from Smyrna, Tennessee
Question: More of a statement than a question: I am concerned the projections for Cam Ward are setting fans up for a possible disappointment. Anything short of NFL MVP will be seen as a failure to meet expectations.
Jim: I hear ya, James. I do think folks are excited about Cam. I do think most folks understand he will go through some growing pains and not everything will be perfect right out of the gate.
Mitch Wilson from Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Question: I noticed on the power rankings, the Titans moved up from 32 to 31 after the 2025 draft. I'm curious is this the worst power ranking after having pick 1-1. What NFL team had a worse power ranking after picking a QB 1-1? ?????? Do they have that little confidence in the Ward pick? I'll make a prediction, unless the Titans O-line improves its performance on Sunday: Ward will not make it thru the season. If that is the case, It will be interesting to see who plays better: an SEC QB with 2 years NFL experience or an ACC QB with a virtually identical scouting report and no NFL experience. If the GM and HC are as smart as I think they are, they will trade Levis to a team where he has no chance of starting before the regular season starts.
Jim: I'll be honest, Mitch, I don't pay any attention to the power rankings. They don't count in the NFL standings, and are just silly if you ask me. Can't believe you're speaking a Cam injury into existence …
Have a great weekend everyone!
