Winners and Losers from the first week of Titans training Camp!
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The Tennessee Titans wrapped up their first week of training camp on Saturday with a practice at Nissan Stadium in front of the fans.
Overall, it was a great first week for the Titans, as the vibes and excitement around the franchise are high due to the arrival of quarterback Cam Ward.
That said, let’s go over the biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of Titans training camp.
Written by Dharya Sharma
Founder/Owner of SharmSports. NFL contributor at The Sporting News
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Winner: WR Calvin Ridley
Ridley put on an absolute show during Saturday’s practice and showed why he has all the tools to be a dynamic No.1 receiver.
Ward and Ridley connected multiple times on Saturday, including two deep balls, although one would’ve likely been ruled a sack by Jeffery Simmons. It’s clear that the young quarterback and the 30-year-old receiver are starting to build some chemistry.
Despite subpar quarterback play last year, Ridley still tallied over 1,000 yards and was one of the lone bright spots on Tennessee’s offense. With Ward now at quarterback, don’t be shocked if Ridley turns in the greatest Titans wide receiver season ever.
Jim Wyatt of Titans.com had Ridley with four catches on Saturday.
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Loser: WR Treylon Burks
You just have to feel bad for Treylon Burks.
The 2022 No.18 overall pick just can’t stay healthy, and his future with the Titans is now in serious jeopardy after Saturday’s practice.
After attempting to make a crazy contested catch, Burks came up holding his right shoulder and appeared to be hurt. After practice, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that Burks suffered a fractured collarbone and will miss the start of the season at least.
Burks will likely never play another snap as a Titan. Tennessee will likely place him on IR, and there’s a high chance we don’t see him suit up this year.
Burks had two catches at Saturday’s practice before his injury, per Jim Wyatt.
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Winner: WR Bryce Oliver
Bryce Oliver is basically a lock to make the roster.
The Youngstown State product made an incredible catch on the sideline during Saturday’s practice, going up high and snagging a deep ball from Cam Ward.
Oliver is growing as a receiver, but his ability and willingness to play and flourish on special teams are the reasons why he will be on this team in 2025. Just the ultimate team player who will be the perfect replacement for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
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Winners: The Titans defensive line
Though Ward and the offense did create some explosive plays, it sounds like the defensive line was wreaking havoc for most of the day.
Jeffery Simmons continues to dominate, and the Pro Bowl defensive tackle could be gearing up for a career year after losing some weight this offseason.
According to Jim Wyatt, Dre'Mont Jones and Sebastian Joseph-Day were in the backfield a ton on Saturday.
During Thursday’s practice, Wyatt reported that Femi Oladejo was excelling in his rushes. Head coach Brian Callahan had only good things to say about his rookie edge rusher in a press conference before Saturday’s practice.
“He plays really physical and with a lot of enthusiasm … He’s probably a bit ahead of the curve in terms of where I expected him to be at,” Callahan said of Oladejo.
With Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat on the interior, Oladejo rushing outside with Arden Key, and Jones and Joseph-Day rotating in, Tennessee should have an improved pass rush in 2025.
Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Loser: TE Josh Whyle
We haven’t heard much about Josh Whyle, and it’s starting to look like he won’t make the roster.
With Gunnar Helm and David Martin-Robinson excelling as pass catchers, and Chig Okonkwo becoming a security blanket for Ward, Whyle has to impress the rest of camp to grab a spot on the roster.
Martin-Robinson led all pass catchers in receptions during Day 1 of camp, and added two more catches on Saturday. Helm’s stock also continues to rise.
AP Photo
Winner: Safety Kevin Winston Jr.
Winston has been recovering from a torn ACL all offseason, but he is back and is making plays so far in camp.
During Saturday’s practice, Winston made a nice play in the backfield on running back Julius Chestnut, and he also had a pass breakup, per Jim Wyatt.
During Friday’s practice, Winston also made a phenomenal play on Josh Whyle, ripping the ball away from him and showcasing his aggressive style of play that defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson loves.
“Winston took the ball away from tight end Josh Whyle for what I'm ruling an interception. Sure, it could be ruled a catch/fumble, since Whyle initially had possession of the Brandon Allen pass. There's no disputing Winston ripped it away for a turnover before the two went to the ground. It was an eye-catching moment,” Jim Wyatt wrote on the play.
OTHER WINNERS:
Linebackers Cody Barton and James Williams
Offensive tackle JC Latham
Kicker Joey Slye
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Thoughts on Cam Ward
I didn’t have Cam Ward as a winner or loser because he quite frankly wasn’t either. Ward has shown flashes of excellence so far in camp, but he’s also made some mistakes, including an interception to Cody Barton on Thursday and another interception to James Williams on Saturday.
However, throwing interceptions now is not a bad thing for Ward. Making mistakes and learning from them is what really matters.
I also really like how Ward has short-term memory after throwing picks. After tossing a pick to Williams on Saturday, Ward didn’t lose confidence and continued to sling the football and create chunk plays.
Overall, Ward is making progress, and that’s what we want to see from the No.1 overall pick.
