By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

The Titans are officially finished with OTAs and now begin their six-week summer break before the start of training camp in late July. That means six more weeks without practice videos to overreact to and press conferences to overanalyze.

As we begin our journey through the quietest month of the NFL calendar, I wanted to check in on some of my biggest takeaways from OTAs and some other stray Titans' thoughts that have been simmering in my head for the last few months.

1. JC Latham’s offseason has gone about as well as possible for him and the Titans.

Entering the offseason, almost everyone had Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu as the top two tackles in some order. Latham was a part of the discussion in the top group, but I don’t think many would have expected him to go in the top seven back in January.

By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

As mandatory minicamp concluded in Nashville, there is little doubt what the Titans' offensive line will look like from left tackle to center. Tennessee’s last two first-round picks, tackle JC Latham and guard Peter Skoronski, will plug in at left tackle and left guard, respectively, while prized free-agent addition Lloyd Cushenberry takes over at center.

However, the right side will be one of the biggest storylines to watch throughout the remainder of the offseason and into the start of the regular season. The first part of that story will be a competition for the starting right guard and right tackle jobs heading into the season. The most important part of the story will be how those players perform in those roles once the season gets underway.

For now, we’re just starting to get some feel for how the early days of the competition might be shaking out. I’m setting aside any real analysis of the right tackle spot until we have a better feel for when Nicholas Petit-Frere might be cleared to return to action. But the battle for right guard seems to be officially underway and has already produced a “leader” who might be surprising to the majority of the fan base in low-cost free agent signing Saahdiq Charles.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Will Levis pretty much picked up where he left off in the Titans minicamp this week. 

The camp wrapped Thursday with a third session. They are always less physical and slower than what unfolds in a typical training camp practice or an early-season Wednesday.

Tuesday the offense dealt with a lot of pressure, Wednesday it worked red zone, and Thursday was a more conventional seven-on-seven period.

Levis was fine and looked like we should have expected, a second-year quarterback with nine

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – To hear Dennard Wilson tell it, the days of Titans cornerbacks standing beyond the sticks and praying they can close on a receiver before he can take a short reception for a first down are over.

Wilson was beautifully eloquent on the subject, a long-time sore spot with Titans analysts and fans alike. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Saahdiq Charles felt wanted by one of the best coaches in the business.

“It was amazing,” he said. “Playing for Washington for four years. I played with Brandon Sheriff, and Morgan Moses, a lot of guys (Bill Callahan) had in Washington. And I talked to them, ‘I’m going to go over there with Bill.” Everybody was like, ‘Just go. No brainer. Just go.’”

Charles signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with $250,000 guaranteed. He’s already worked a great deal next to the Titans prized offensive line free-agent acquisition, Lloyd Cushenberry, with whom he was teammates at LSU and who he calls one of his best friends. And if he winds up there permanently, he’d give the Titans an extra 22 pounds at the position.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a season where few players of significance showed improvement, Roger McCreary was a 2023 standout for the Titans.

The full-time nickel was the Titans' most consistent defensive back in coverage.

Among those who played over 31 percent of the snaps, he was best with a passer rating against him of 85.3 and an average depth of target of 6.7, typically lower for a slot defender. McCreary played 81 percent of Tennessee’s snaps. His Pro Football Focus pass coverage grade of 72.2 was slightly off that of his new teammate L’Jarius Sneed (73.8).

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By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

We are 92 days away from the NFL’s August 29^th deadline to cut rosters from 90 to 53 and we’ve yet to see even a snap of mandatory minicamp, much less training camp, so yes, it’s entirely too early to project a 53-man roster with any accuracy. However, I enjoy going through the exercise at this point in the offseason because it helps define positions of strength and weakness as well as highlighting where interesting battles might pop up during camp for starting jobs or roster spots.

As of today, the Titans roster stands at 89 players. It’s safe to say that open spots is likely earmarked for a veteran safety, so we’ll save a spot for a Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs or Marcus Maye at that position group.