The Tennessee Titans have their quarterback of the future in Cam Ward, and they have the right people to guide him on his path to greatness. Now it is up to ownership to make sure they display patience, a trait that has eluded Amy Adams Strunk in recent offseasons.
There should be a lot of optimism around the foundation the Titans are building, and that starts with the front office and coaching staff. Brian Callahan's first season didn't go well, but his resume speaks for itself when it comes to working with and improving quality quarterbacks.
Not only did Callahan spend the previous decade around some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he has seen the life cycle of a quarterback in a way that very few coaches have ever gotten to see.
Callahan was around a No. 1 quarterback entering the NFL, and he was a big part of developing him into a star (Joe Burrow). He watched a quarterback handle the transition from a young QB to veteran leader (Derek Carr). Callahan also saw a quarterback in his prime single-handedly keep a franchise relevant (Matthew Stafford), and was also around for the end of a Hall of Fame career to go out with a bang despite not being able to do everything that he could in his prime (Peyton Manning).
To put it plainly, Callahan is uniquely equipped to develop Ward into a franchise quarterback.
Above him, first-year GM Mike Borgonzi rose through the ranks of the Kansas City Chiefs organization as a scout who helped transform the team from a bottom-feeder into the juggernaut it has become today.
Borgonzi is equipped to surround Ward with the talent he needs to succeed.
Chad Brinker is a polarizing figure in the organization. He is a former scout who blends the old-school team-building mentality with analytics to come up with some potentially revolutionary ideas. He was part of the regime in Green Bay that oversaw the transition from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, and then the transition from Rodgers to Jordan Love. He was also part of the front office that drafted DaVante Adams, Aaron Jones, Corey Linsley, David Bakhtiari, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Zach Tom, Elgton Jenkins, and several other crucial players who helped out those quarterbacks.
Brinker is uniquely equipped to blend old-school scouting, analytics, and personnel experience into a cohesive methodology for surrounding Ward with the support that he needs to be the future of this franchise.
That trio is what the Titans need to break out of this downward spiral of mistakes, but Titans ownership has to believe that by exercising patience. If they keep alternating between firing the coach and the GM each year, then nothing will ever get better, and Ward could be a victim of poor ownership decisions.
Whether the Titans start the season 8-0 or 0-8, that shouldn't necessarily change anything. The vision isn't to win this season, or else the team would have done more in free agency. No, the plan is to develop Ward while sustainably layering in successful offseasons. Firing Callahan would set both of those goals back.
Adams Strunk and her trusted circle have to do the right thing for this long-term plan work. If the team can't build a talented roster, or Callahan fails to maximize the talent on the roster, then she can think about cleaning house, but all parties involved should receive at least another offseason to get this thing trending back in the right direction.
Alternating who gets fired every year is toxic, and nothing will ever get better if Adams Strunk doesn't take a long-term view.
