Training camp is officially underway for the Tennessee Titans. This year should be the end of the team's downward spiral and the beginning of their rise back to the top of the AFC South and beyond.
That is why training camp is going to be more fascinating this year, with all eyes squarely on rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
While Ward is going to (rightfully) be the focus of training camp, some crucial position battles are going on that will have an impact on what happens this season. Competition at wide receiver, tight end, EDGE, and safety all deserve your attention, but the most wide-open position on the roster is linebacker.
Cody Barton was one of the team's more expensive free agent signings, and he has the personality and resume to lock down one of the starting jobs. However, the spot next to him is up for grabs, and the worst-case scenario would be that Otis Reese IV earns that job.
No disrespect to Reese, but he is 27 years old, and there is relative certainty about what his ceiling is as an NFL player. He is a solid special teams player and a valuable defender to have on the depth chart, but unless he plays at an elite level out of nowhere, the Titans will be looking for a new linebacker next offseason.
On the other hand, James Williams appears to have a reservoir of untapped potential. It would be fantastic for the Titans to see him take a step forward in his development and look more natural at his new position (after transitioning from safety in college).
It's worth noting Williams earned first-team reps at Wednesday's training camp practice, per Terry McCormick.
Cedric Gray was a fourth-round pick by the Titans in the 2024 NFL Draft, but his rookie season was decimated by nagging injuries. Now healthy, Gray has the potential to step in and take that spot if he can be the prospect he was coming out of North Carolina.
Both Williams and Gray are just 22 years old (younger than Ward), and are playing on cheap contracts through 2027. Identifying Day 3 draft prospects and "drafting-and-developing" them is the new Titans way under Mike Borgonzi and Chad Brinker, and linebacker isn't a position that you want to try to throw money at in free agency.
If the Titans can get starter-level play out of either sophomore, it would be a fantastic development, and it would cross off a need for 2026, allowing them to focus on bigger issues next offseason. But if Reese wins that job, it means that they failed to develop two seemingly talented linebackers, and it pushes them a step back in their rebuild. That is what is at stake in this training camp battle, and fans need to keep an eye on it in between highlight plays from Ward.