Titans Must Build Strong Foundation Around Cam Ward

Cam Ward is the face of the Tennessee Titans, but he needs the right teammates to succeed.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws in drills during OTAs at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, May 28, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans made their intentions clear at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft.

After receiving several offers to trade the No. 1 overall pick, the Titans opted to keep the selection to take Miami quarterback Cam Ward, hoping that he would become the franchise guy in Nashville for many years to come.

Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano thinks the Titans need to use this season to get the foundation around Ward set for the future.

"Ward could hit the ground running after the team continued to invest in the offensive line this offseason, signing Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler to go with Latham, Cushenberry and Peter Skoronski," Manzano wrote.

"Tennessee also added wide receivers Tyler Lockett, the former Seattle Seahawks’ standout, and Chimere Dike, the rookie fourth-round pick from Florida, to round out the receiving corps with Ridley and Treylon Burks. Ward could use a legitimate No. 1 wideout, but if the rookie signal-caller can make it work with this group, he might be the real deal."

There are a lot of moving parts around Ward, and the team is going to have to figure out how all of these new players fit into the system. That should be the primary focus for the upcoming season as opposed to wins and losses.

If the players are the right fit and they buy into the system, the wins will come. Ultimately, the Titans should be looking for a way to build a long-lasting culture that can compete in the AFC South for many years to come.

Ward and the rest of his Titans teammates are getting ready to participate in the team's three-day mandatory minicamp, which starts on Tuesday at the Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville.

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