What kind of growth can we expect from Cam Ward in Year 2? 'GMFB'
"GMFB" debate what kind of growth can we expect from Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward in Year 2.
Video Transcript
How would Cam Ward assess the way Cam Ward has played so far this preseason?
How would you assess it?
Not well.
You don't think so?
I don't think so.
I'm glad you don't think so.
That's good.
Cam, this is- How would you, how would you assess it?
You know, I assess it as, you know, did we win the game or did we lose the game?
I assess it as what I can get better at.
I don't assess it as, someone who can get up there and, you know, operate when, when everything's on.
It's a, it's a different process level.
So it's more of, you know, slowing down the game to everybody, and I believe we made a huge jump from week one to week two because we're, we're getting more condensed in the playbook.
We're not really opening everything up.
And, you know, when we come to week one, I think it'll all be, be a different story.
It's tough.
Cam Ward has seen limited action in the preseason.
He's gone 8 for 12 passing for just 69 yards.
It's an interesting defense of the question when the reporter asks to self-assess and then he spins it back, and then shout out to the reporter for really forcing Cam Ward to answer the question.
But all of this matters when it comes to the regular season and what that playbook really looks like and how it unfolds on the field.
So Manti, what kind of growth do you expect to see from Cam Ward, and also, what have we seen up until this point?
Just a little context for what Cam Ward said as far as the playbook and the play calling.
When you're in preseason, you don't really have a game plan.
You're just gonna say, "Hey, we're gonna call the entire playbook and be ready."
It's like taking a test in cl- in, in school and they say, "Hey, we're gonna have a test on chapters one through five.
You're gonna study chapters one through five, but really it's only b- gonna be on one chapter.
We're just not gonna tell you what chapter that's gonna be."
Now, when the season gets started, he's gonna know exactly what they're gonna call, and I'm sure they're gonna rep it 100 times.
When I see Cam Ward and what type of growth I expect from him, I just wanna see him take care of the ball better.
There's a nonchalant type of play style that he has, and I think a lot of it comes because he is confident in his ability to throw the football.
I think that bites him in the rear end sometimes, because he's so nonchalant with the football.
I just wanna see him probably quicken up his operation.
I don't know if that's something that Brian, Brian Da- Daboll has talked to him a lot about.
But when he gets the ball, from the snap, he kind of takes a while to get back there in ready position in my opinion, instead of just being more quick to it.
So I want him to see him I, I wanna see him take care of the ball a lot better, Kyle, and just quicken up his process a little bit and to see how that helps him kind of digest what the defense is giving him maybe a little quicker.
Yeah, I hear that.
And, first of all, great media moment.
I, I, I think, Jamie, you were right to point that out.
A- any of us who interview players or public figures in any way always have to be on your toes for the quick comeback question when they shoot it right back at you.
'Cause sometimes they're doing that because they're annoyed by the question, sometimes they're doing that to buy themselves time, and sometimes if you're not ready for it, it can really knock you on your heels.
That reporter was perfect with it.
And then to your point, Jamie, didn't let the sidestep happen, go and went back to the original question.
I wish I knew the name of the reporter.
We can credit them.
But that was really good.
I would also say, you know, if Cam Ward was playing for the Giants right now, if he was Jackson Dart or if he was Caleb, he'd get a lot more of that.
I mean, I, I have huge respect for everyone down in Nashville.
It's just the media market size is a different thing.
Apples to apples it's not.
So Cam Ward has a, a luxury of not being in a massive media market.
He's not gonna be on the back page of the New York Post every single week this time.
And so it should be easier for him.
It's, it's he doesn't have the teeth of that kind of media in him, but he still has to taste it.
Carnell Tate has been a conversation piece about them, the wide receiver they drafted real early and then was not able to link up in either of the first couple preseason games with Cam Ward.
And everybody, "Oh, wow, this isn't gonna work."
All the accounts for joint practice, and take that what you will, is that Carnell Tate was fantastic against the Bears secondary yesterday.
Had a bunch of catches.
He scored.
It's all preseason stuff.
And I, I mean, I could list the examples, guys, of young quarterbacks who look shaky in the preseason and come out and look great.
I could list the examples of guys who look great in the reg- in the preseason and don't look great once they start.
It's the ultimate gamble.
We don't know, and we'll see week one.
That's all I have to say.
He's super talented.
He's in the right hands.
If it doesn't start to work now, wait and it still will.
I still believe in Carnell Tate.
Jared Sillman looks like is the reporter who was in the press conference- Nice who asked that question.
He does, SiriusXM Radio.
Right.
Based in Nashville, covers the Titans a lot.
So shout out to Jared, specifically to Kyle's point, for keeping the moment fresh and honest and forcing the honest answer out of the quarterback.
What is a palatable season for the Titans?
I mean, Kyle, Kyle did his best there to, you know, we assess Tennessee as a certain media market and we, and we know.
But what are the expectations for this team at this point?
Because these are two coaches, I don't know about you guys, I like these two coaches.
I like Saleh.
I like Daboll.
I want to see them do well, specifically in this pairing.
So I, I wanna see some brightness out of this.
Yeah.
I mean, you look at Robert Saleh, and I, I think his second tenure as a head coach will be a lot better than his, his first one, and I hope it, it kind of mimics Mike Vrabel a little bit as his second tenure as a head coach going from Tennessee to now New England.
I do like Brian Daboll.
He This is gonna be a test for him because he does have that, that label as a quarterback whisperer.
And so Cam Ward's production or lack of will be a great representation and reflection of Brian Daboll.
So, they're in the AFC, South, which is very difficult.
I, I'm gonna depend on Kyle because Kyle was there.
He saw the jerseys.
Ever since that trip, KB's been talking about the Tennessee Titans and dropping little crumbs everywhere.
So KB, what you think?
Well, listen, I, I saw something online this week that, you know, Brian Daboll is a great offensive coordinator.
He's fantastic, as long as Josh Allen is his quarterback.
And I'm like, I That's such selective memory.
This is BS.
Brian Daboll won a playoff game with Daniel Jones as his starting quarterback on the road.
The guy, Daniel Jones, who he's playing against in the division again.
I, I think Brian Daboll can coach.
I think he's gonna do very well in the offense the second I saw that he was there.
He's one of those guys that's a little bit like Mike McDaniel, where you don't know about him as a head coach.
You don't.
But as a coordinator, you like it.
I think the Titans are in good hands, and I have things to say about the Titans the next couple weeks.
All right.
We'll be right back on GMFB to wrap up our hour.
