Rebuilding Titans center hope on Ward, more cap space, draft picks

NASHVILLE — Outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones had a message for the Tennessee Titans and their fans on his way out of town at the NFL trade deadline."Cam is the truth too y'all give 'em time, he can be great," Jones wrote on social media about Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward.Both the fans and the Titans find themselves needing more patience at Tennessee's bye than has been needed in 31 years. That's when the franchise last went through a true rebuilding project when it was called the Houston Oilers, who struggled mightily through the NFL's first season under a salary cap.These Titans have matched the 1994 Oilers' 1-8 record for the worst start and need only one more loss to clinch a fourth straight losing season.The bright spot for now and the future is Ward.He's the NFL's most-sacked quarterback despite Tennessee revamping the offensive line during the offseason specifically to protect Ward and give him time to grow.Ward's also one of 13 rookies currently on Tennessee's roster. General manager Mike Borgonzi said Wednesday that Ward looks like a rookie playing for a team that had a No. 1 overall pick."He's developing with a lot of other rookies too as well," Borgonzi said. "So we have two rookie wide receivers out there playing, Chim (Dike) and Elic (Ayomanor). We have (tight end) Gunnar (Helm) playing out there. So they are learning together and they're only going to be better because of it. "The Titans' youth movement is obvious. Nobody has scored fewer points than Tennessee through nine games, and the Titans have the worst point differential in the NFL. It's something Brian Callahan tried to fix, giving play-calling to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree after an 0-3 start.It didn't help save Callahan's job with the Titans making him the first NFL coach fired this season after a 1-5 start.Borgonzi, hired in January as the Titans' third different GM since January 2016, made three trades before the NFL deadline to give Tennessee nine selections for April. The Titans could be in play for a second straight No. 1 overall pick after Ward was the franchise's first such selection since Earl Campbell in 1978.The Titans also have started the process to find a new coach to replace Callahan. Borgonzi said the goal is finding a coach who can be a leader and work well with him as general manager.The original plan to draft and develop Ward has changed with Callahan's firing. Borgonzi credited offensive coordinator Nick Holz and Hardegree of helping develop Ward's fundamentals and mechanics and how to play quarterback in the NFL."I have full confidence that Cam because of his work ethic, because of his drive, that he will fix things he needs to fix, just like every quarterback in this league," Borgonzi said. "And I have full confidence that he's going to get there."In addition to draft selections, Tennessee also could have the most salary cap space in the NFL with a couple of roster moves. That would allow the Titans to bring in experience to speed up the rebuild ahead of their new enclosed stadium opening for the 2027 season.For now, the Titans have a much more immediate challenge of finding a way to win a game, preferably at home. Five of the final eight games are at Nissan Stadium where the Titans have lost eight straight with the most recent win on Nov. 3, 2024.Interim coach Mike McCoy didn't have the benefit of a bye to do much when he was promoted from senior offensive assistant. The Titans drastically reduced their penalties during his first two games as head coach, then went back to hurting themselves in a 27-20 loss to the Chargers last week.The bye gives McCoy and the rest of the coaches a chance to self-scout and figure out what to focus on when the Titans host Houston on Nov. 16.Ward insisted he doesn't need the bye to reset his mind for the rest of the season. He just wants back on the field to find a way to win another game."I can play every week if I'm able to, if I'm healthy to because I'm getting better every week," Ward said. "The game is the same for all of us rookies."Seven-year veteran defensive end Sebastian Joseph-Day has been advising his younger teammates that tough people survive challenging times and to keep working hard."The tide will turn," Joseph-Day said. "And when it does all the negative things and all of the hard times, those things will shape you to become a better football player and not only a better football player but a better man."