Titans OTAs, practice No. 7: Cam Ward again finding Carnell Tate

The Tennessee Titans put on their pads-less show again Monday afternoon for what was described as the seventh practice of 10 scheduled OTAs, with the final session set to wrap Friday. The main through-line from the open session was the growing early chemistry between Ward and rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate, the No. 4 overall pick.

A to Z Sports’ notebook highlighted another standout rep in which Tate beat cornerback Micah Robinson on a deep route, the ball traveling roughly 50 yards past the line of scrimmage before Tate made the play. The practical takeaway was not just that Tate finished, but that Ward trusted him on a ball that gave the receiver a chance to “win it,” a common requirement in the timing-and-accuracy work that defines OTAs.

Ward’s approach to Tate has been a consistent theme in recent Titans reporting. In an earlier OTA look, Paul Kuharsky wrote that Ward emphasized Tate’s hands and his ability to win in man coverage, and described the fit as one where Tate can play with space rather than being over-scripted. That matters because OTAs are where teams test how confidently a rookie can run routes in live coverage while the quarterback learns when to lead him, and when to throw with anticipation instead of rescue.

Even with Tate drawing the most headlines from Monday’s session, the same A to Z review also described an uneven day for Ward during redzone periods. The notebook said Ward struggled more than he had earlier in the offseason, including throw-aways and moments it characterized as miscommunication. It also reported Ward’s redzone work as 8-of-17 with one touchdown and one interception, attributing the turnover feel to timing between quarterback and receiver.

While Ward’s redzone tempo drew scrutiny, A to Z Sports framed Mitch Trubisky’s reps as the most efficient of the three top quarterbacks in that segment. The notebook described Trubisky generating a touchdown throw to receiver Bryce Oliver on a boundary catch, a contrast that underscores how OTAs can quickly shift focus from big-play highlights to who looks most composed with the field shortened.

The notebook also offered a defensive and quarterback depth angle that helps explain why these OTA reviews keep coming. It noted the return of EDGE Jermaine Johnson to active work with the first-team defense, describing his early impact as disruption in the backfield. On the other side of the ball, it characterized Will Levis’s day as a roller coaster, including a touchdown pass and other plays that were described as high variance. Taken together, Monday’s session looked like a continued competition in formation, not a finalized pecking order.

With Friday’s OTA session approaching, the next question is whether Tate remains the clearest target in Ward’s progression when the practice switches from long-yardage reps to condensed redzone routes. The broader watch includes how each quarterback handles timing under pressure-like conditions, and whether veterans and newcomers look more synchronized as the team moves toward the next phases of the offseason calendar.