The Tennessee Titans submitted their initial 53-man roster on Sunday. Additional changes were made during Monday's waiver wire process. General manager Mike Borgonzi isn't done working on this rebuilding roster.
The initial 53-man roster always includes surprise inclusions and unexpected exclusions. How the Titans decide to set the opening 53-man squad generates clear winners and losers, with a domino-like effect felt all throughout the roster.
We've identified five winners and two losers from the Titans' difficult cutdown period.
Winners & Losers from Tennessee Titans' 53-man roster cuts
Winner: Cam Ward, QB
Quarterback Cam Ward should be feeling pretty good about how the Titans' initial 53-man roster played out. The team has five wide receivers, four tight ends, and four running backs. The rebuilt roster has various weapons Ward should take maximum advantage of. The Titans are especially deeper at receiver arguably than ever before. Everything is aligned for the sophomore No. 1 overall pick to enjoy his breakout campaign.
Winner: Julius Chestnut, RB
Running back Julius Chestnut beat out several contenders at the position to earn a 53-man roster spot. The likes of Kalel Mullings, D'Ernest Johnson, and Michael Carter are all waived, making Chestnut the winner of a four-man battle. The Titans appreciate Chestnut's try-hard approach on special teams, and his aggressive running style. The former Sacred Heart undrafted rookie continues being undeniable.
Loser: Kylen Granson, TE
Veteran Kylen Granson will be thrilled to have made the roster, but he's the clear No. 4 tight end on the depth chart. David Martin-Robinson "won" the No. 3 job by consistently making plays behind Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger at training camp and the preseason. Granson survived the initial waiver wire process, but he's constantly at risk of being replaced as the fourth tight end.
Winner: Fernando Carmona, RG
Rookie blocker Fernando Carmona was arguably the Titans' biggest unforeseen winner of the entire offseason. Not only is the fifth-round pick out of Arkansas about to be named a Week 1 starter, the Titans outright released his top contender from the roster, Cordell Volson. Carmona has been a revelation at a position that was poorly addressed during the offseason. Tennessee caught a break here.
Winner: Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, OT
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson leapfrogged Austin Deculus as the swing tackle on the roster during training camp. After Deculus was released on Monday, it's pretty clear that Crenshaw-Dickson is the No. 3 tackle behind JC Latham and Dan Moore. James Hudson was also added to the roster, but has some catching up to do.
Winner: Truman Jones, DE
Arguably the biggest surprise inclusion on the initial 53-man roster was converted defensive end Truman Jones. Even after the Titans swapped out five players on Monday, Jones remains on the roster. Robert Saleh raved about his offseason, and the underdog pass rusher could start pushing for playing time if this keeps up.
Loser: Femi Oladejo, DE
We're entering a now-or-never sophomore season for Femi Oladejo. The Titans kept five total pass rushers, with aforementioned preseason darling Jones initially earning a surprise spot. With John Franklin-Myers flexible enough to occasionally play outside, there are plenty of contenders ready to take snaps from Oladejo if he's not effective.
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