The third week of training camp is in the books, and the Tennessee Titans finished it off with a hard-fought 19-13 preseason victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
In what was a sloppy game by both teams, the Titans did just enough to pull out the victory. Cam Ward led a scoring drive the first time the offense hit the field, but it went downhill from there. The second-year quarterback looked rushed and struggled with some accuracy in the first half. After the starters went out, Tennessee rode the leg of kicker Joey Slye, who led the way to victory, connecting on four field goals, including three over 50 yards.
Tennessee has an interesting roster with a solid mix of veterans and youth, and while many jobs are locked up, there will be plenty of competition on every unit. Throw in the season-ending injuries to Jaylen Harrell and Jaren Kanak, and Titans Wire’s 53-man roster projection for the week will look a little different.
Quarterbacks (2)
Starter: Cam WardReserves: Mitch Trubisky
Even with the struggles in this game against the 49ers, Ward is still the leader of the offense, and none of the other quarterbacks did anything to do anything to even shake up the battle to be Ward’s backup.
Running backs (3)
Starter: Tony PollardReserves: Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton
The Titans running game was the best part of the offense against the 49ers with all three running backs: Pollard, Spears, and Singleton, flashing burst and explosiveness. Yes, Singleton does need some work as a protector of third downs, but he will get that during training camp.
Wide Receivers (7)
Starters: Calvin Ridley, Wan’Dale Robinson, Carnell TateReserves: Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Bryce Oliver, Xavier Restrepo
This is the first change to this projection by adding Restrepo to the group. All Restrepo does is may plays, and he will be an outstanding threat off the bench if called upon. Oliver also makes it due to special teams, rounding out one of the deeper units on the roster.
Tight ends (3)
Starter: Gunnar HelmReserves: Daniel Bellinger, David Martin-Robinson
Helm looks like the clear-cut starter, with Bellinger coming in with Daboll to add experienced depth. The Titans drafted a utility knife in Kanak in the seventh round, but he will end his rookie season on injured reserve with a torn pec. Martin-Robinson is making a strong push and should grab the final spot.
Offensive linemen (9)
Starters: Dan Moore Jr., Peter Skoronski, Austin Schlottmann, Fernando Carmona, JC LathamReserves: Jackson Slater, Pat Coogan, Andre James, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson
While Latham, Moore, and Skoronski are locked in, the other two starting positions will be battles to watch in camp, although it appears that Schlottmann and Carmona have the inside track. Slater didn’t have the best outing against the 49ers, but he is young and offers some position flexibility. Coogan and James round out the interior depth, and Crenshaw-Dickson wins the swing tackle position.
Defensive line (11)
Starters: Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Jacob MartinReserves: Femi Oladejo, Keldric Faulk, Solomon Thomas, Jordan Elliott, Jackie Marshall, Khelen Saunders, Malik Herring
Head coach Robert Saleh will rotate his defensive linemen and plans to be around nine deep on game day, so keeping 11 makes some sense. Herring was solid against the 49ers and should get some added reps after the injury to Harrell, and could slide into the final spot.
Linebackers (5)
Starters: Cody Barton, Cedric Gray, James Williams Sr.Reserves: Anthony Hill Jr., Mohamoud Diabate
After the 49ers game, this unit looks set, though how their playing time shakes out is still a bit cloudy. With no others really stepping up, this unit could be close to set.
Cornerback (6)
Starters: Cor’Dale Flott, Alontae Taylor, Marcus HarrisReserves: Joshua Williams, Keydrain Calligan, Micah Robinson
The Titans' cornerbacks must play better as training camp moves into its later stages, but they have a solid group that needs to improve. There is a lot of competition for the depth spots, making it hard to get a full read on how the position will shake out over the next couple of weeks. Right now, this group stays the same, but it could change as training camp progresses.
Safety (4)
Starters: Amani Hooker, Kevin Winston Jr.Reserves: Tony Adams, Kendell Brooks
Brooks did nothing to hurt his chances to grab a reserve role, but undrafted rookie Bishop Fitzgerald is making a push.
Special teams (3)
Starters: Joey Slye (K), Tommy Townsend (P), Morgan Cox (LS)
Slye bounced back in a big way against the 49ers, but he has to continue to produce, or the Titans could still bring in some competition.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans training camp: 53-man roster prediction after Week 3