4 Players to Watch Closely in Titans Second Preseason Game Against Seahawks

The Tennessee Titans' first preseason game yielded a litany of early talking points and revised expectations for the team. While it's not worth making any sweeping judgements about their trajectory just yet, there are more than a few immediate trends to keep an eye on.

On either side of the ball, we've circled four positive, as well as negative, developments that Titans fans should track carefull heading into Tennessee's second game of the preseason on Aug. 23.

Until the Seattle Seahawks come to town, consider this quartet of trends in either direction.

Cor'Dale Flott

We'll start with an obvious one. Cor'Dale Flott was cut a $45 million check to join the Titans on a three-year deal this offseason. He stood out as one of Tennessee's biggest worries after the preseason opener, struggling to contain the San Francisco 49ers' bench unit.

Flott struggled specifically to contain Niners rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, who caught seven passes largely defended by the Titans cornerback. Flott, who is expected to hold down the secondary alongside Alontae Taylor, needs a much better showing against the Seahawks.

Two duds in a row may evolve this conversation from "bad start" to "bad signing" quickly.

Fernando Carmona

On a more positive note, rookie guard Fernando Carmona looks like the answer Tennessee was searching for all offseason on the offensive line. He looked right at home vs. San Francisco, bulldozing Niner defenders on the way to 167 rushing yards for Tennessee.

Carmona getting the start at right guard shocked folks at first, but it's clear that the Titans knew exactly what they had in him on the offensive line from the jump.

We can't be sure he's the key to holding down that unit just yet, but paired with a solid showing from JC Latham, his continued improvement would be a seriously welcome sign in game two.

Tyjae Spears

Speaking of Tennessee's backfield, Tyjae Spears looked fully healthy, and completely the part, in Brian Daboll's offense. After Tony Pollard scored the opening-drive touchdown, Spears took over as the Titans' most efficient back in the contest.

Posting 35 yards on just four rushes (including one broken off for 25 yards), Spears got behind the likes of Carmona and Latham to deliver a taste of what could come in his anticipated expanded role this year.

Pollard will need a successor sooner rather than later, but even as the Titans keep adding young backs, a few more strong showings from Spears may convince Tennessee that he's been the answer all along.

Cam Ward

Ward feels like a weird player to have on this list. On one hand, he's Tennessee's franchise player who showed plenty of elite flashes last season. At times, he was the lone bright spot in the middle of an otherwise very dim scenario.

On the other hand, Ward's preseason debut left a lot to be desired. The signal caller looked a step behind in every way; his 5/12 passing metric represented what was simply an inaccurate, uncomfortable performance. It was miss after miss.

One bad preseason game doesn't determine Ward's trajectory, but if he continues to struggle in Tennessee's revamped offense it may be worth asking a few questions. Ward isn't under any serious criticism for now. A few more showings like his last one, however, would put him under a hotter spotlight than any other Titans playmaker.

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