5 things to watch during Tennessee Titans' mandatory minicamp

USA Today

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5 things to watch during Tennessee Titans' mandatory minicamp
The Tennessee Titans will be wrapping up their offseason program this week with a three-day mandatory minicamp at the team facility in Nashville. These sessions will be the culmination of all of the work the team has put in as they attempt to climb out of the NFL basement.
The Titans have made some significant changes during the offseason and are moving in a positive direction. This period will give the coaching staff and front office a final look at their roster heading into training camp, helping them decide if any further additions or changes are necessary.
With minicamp scheduled to start on Tuesday, here are five things to keep an eye on in the coming days.
Where is Jeffery Simmons?
Simmons did not take part during the initial stages of Phase 3 OTAs. While the star defensive tackle has posted workouts on social media, he was not seen at the facility for the voluntary sessions. While head coach Brian Callahan did not seem concerned about his absence, the media ran with it and called out the team leader. With this minicamp being mandatory, Simmons should be in the facility practicing with his teammates, but if he isn't, it could speak to a larger issue. Odds are, Simmons will be there, but it is still something worth monitoring.
Quarterback reps
There have been reports that Tennessee will ramp up the amount of first-team reps for first-overall selection Cam Ward moving forward, and this is the final set of practices before training camp. Callahan said at the beginning of Phase 3 that the number and order of reps doesn't mean anything in the big picture, but heading into this week, that approach should start to change.
The organization has been clear that Ward is battling Will Levis for the starting job, and it will be interesting to watch how they distribute the first-team reps between the two young signal callers during this final minicamp. If it is genuinely a quarterback competition, the reps should be equal, but if some of the reports are right, that will not be the case.
Cornerback battles
Quietly, Tennessee acquired a lot of cornerbacks during the offseason between the draft, undrafted rookie free agents and the waiver wire. After entering the 2024 season with only four on the roster, it appears they want to go in a different direction this season and will have some interesting battles ahead.
With L'Jarius Sneed still rehabbing, monitoring the reps to see how the team handles the position could be a strong indication of what to expect during training camp. With Sneed, Jarvis Brownlee, and Roger McCreary likely locks for the roster, there is a wide-open battle behind them.
Wide receivers
Much like at cornerback, the wide receiver room is crowded, and the Titans did a great job at retooling the unit by bringing in multiple receivers with different skill sets. The Titans need better production from the unit outside of Calvin Ridley and have a lot of new bodies competing to carve out a role.
Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett should be on solid footing, but they could face some challenges from a young crop of wideouts. Rookies Chimere Dike, Epic Ayomanor, and Xavier Restrepo flashed during the opening sessions of Phase 3. Monitoring how these young receivers progress and where they are positioned could give insight into how the room will look heading into training camp and whether fans can expect more production in 2025.
Injury Updates
Tennessee has a few players still working their way back from injury, and there should be some final updates prior to the start of training camp.
Looking at the veterans, wide receiver Treylon Burks was seen doing individual work, although he has not been cleared for team drills. Veterans L'Jarius Sneed and Lloyd Cushenberry did not participate in the OTAs as they were rehabbing. This week will likely continue the rehab process for these three, and head coach Brian Callahan will likely update their status at some point.
Rookies Kevin Winston and Kalel Mullings were both seen during OTAs but have been limited as they recover from injury. Winston likely won't be ready until training camp as he recovers from his ACL injury, but Mullings may be close to seeing some action. Any work these two can get will be a huge positive heading into camp.