With OTAs and minicamp now behind us, all we have before the preseason gets underway is training camp. The Titans will enjoy the next month off before getting started with camp in late July.

This time of year is always fun because you get to see a few players come out of nowhere and work their way into the roster discussion. You also get to see if the young players have made progress, and we get a good idea of what the depth chart is looking like. Today, let’s go over eight players who were winners at camp and four who didn’t have the best showings.

Winner: Cam Ward | QB

Cam Ward has to be considered a winner. The quarterback faced a ton of criticism for his performance at OTAs, and if he had gone out and had a bad showing at minicamp, you can just imagine what the talking points would be.

Luckily, Ward looked much more relaxed and efficient during minicamp. On Tuesday, Ward made a few very nice throws, including a sidearm touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm that I’m sure everybody has seen by now. On Wednesday, Ward showed off his chemistry with Wan’Dale Robinson and Chimere Dike, in particular, as both guys caught several passes.

I think we saw what we needed to see from Ward this offseason. He’s a young passer learning a new offense, it’s not crazy to think there are some kinks to work out.

Winner: Tyjae Spears | RB

It seems like many forgot about Spears this offseason. After the talk of Jeremiyah Love around the draft and Nicholas Singleton being added, it seems like not many were expecting big things out of Spears.

However, Spears has done nothing but impress this summer. The Tulane product looks as explosive as ever and had a couple of really nice runs. Spears also caught some passes and mentioned that he actually wants to get even better as a pass-catcher. Spears did well enough this summer that Robert Saleh already said Spears and Pollard will be the bellcows. That has to be a win.

Winner: Xavier Restrepo | WR

Xavier Restrepo was the most productive wide receiver on the team this offseason. The receiver had more catches than any other pass-catcher and legitimately looked like an NFL-caliber player. Restrepo also had probably the most impressive catch of the summer on Wednesday. That’s really saying something, too, considering this receiver room is incredibly deep.

I still think Restrepo still has an uphill battle to make the final roster, but it would have been very difficult to have a better couple of months than Restrepo has had.

Winner: Chimere Dike | WR

Someone who definitely WILL make the roster is fellow receiver, Chimere Dike. Dike was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro as a rookie thanks to his special teams prowess, but he showed off his talent as a wide receiver too this summer.

Dike caught a ton of passes during minicamp and finished behind only Restrepo in total catches this offseason. He offered plenty of value already as a returner, so if he can give more on offense as well, watch out.

Winner: Austin Schlottmann | C

Austin Schlottmann was signed this offseason, and at the time, the deal didn’t exactly make a ton of headlines. It was expected that Schlottmann would be battling for the starting center job with several other players, but it already seems clear that the veteran is the leader for the job.

Schlottmann was made available to the media, which usually is a good sign that the player is in the team’s plans. Teammates and coaches have praised Schlottmann’s leadership and familiarity with Brian Daboll’s offensive system. Schlottmann looks primed to step into the largest role of his career in a system he’s familiar with.

Winner: Pass Rushers

There are several defenders on the line who deserve praise. This defensive front made life hard for the offensive line, especially on Wednesday. Truman Jones, Earnest Brown, Jacob Martin, and Jermaine Johnson II were all credited with would-be sacks on Wednesday.

This is another group that didn’t seem to have the best depth, but looks much better now. The line was able to dominate even without Jeffery Simmons and Femi Oladejo, too, which is more impressive.

Winner: Alontae Taylor | CB

Alontae Taylor was a big-ticket addition for the Titans and is expected to play a crucial role in 2026. Taylor missed some time at OTAs, but if there were any worries about that, those should be put to rest now.

At minicamp, Taylor showed why the Titans valued him so highly. The veteran is talkative and always seemed to be around the ball. The defender almost came down with an interception on Tuesday on a nice play and then had another nice pass breakup on Wednesday. Jim Wyatt noted that Titans fans will love Taylor’s “scrappy play and feistiness.”

Winner: Keydrain Calligan | CB

Keydrain Calligan isn’t a name that was on many radars a month ago. That’s changed now, as the depth corner took full advantage of his opportunities at OTAs and minicamp. Calligan came down with an interception and had several pass breakups over the last few weeks.

I was worried about the corner depth, and I’m still not thrilled with it, but Calligan has made me feel better. The former undrafted free agent also has some versatility and can play safety as well. Perhaps nobody more helped their chance to make the roster than Calligan.

Loser: Hendon Hooker and Will Levis | QB

I didn’t want to just pick on Will Levis, as Hendon Hooker was also underwhelming. Both passers had a perfect chance to impress, considering Mitchell Trubisky missed the first part of OTAs, and neither were able to do so.

There was probably no scenario where Levis or Hooker earned the QB2 spot, but with a good offseason program, they could’ve forced the Titans to keep a third quarterback. Instead, the young passers were either bad or mediocre for the majority of the offseason. I don’t see a scenario where either quarterback is on the final roster.

Loser: Kalel Mullings | RB

As I mentioned above, Saleh has already appointed Pollard and Spears as the team’s top running backs. Rookie Nic Singleton should also factor in as well, but there’s likely going to be four running backs on the roster. This meant that Mullings seemingly entered the offseason with a great shot to stick.

Unfortunately, Mullings didn’t take advantage of his opportunities. Michael Carter, who is also competing for a spot, made more plays, and Julius Chestnut probably has the edge due to his special teams prowess. Mullings still has time, but it would have been nice to have seen him do more this summer.

Loser: Femi Oladejo | EDGE

It feels bad to put Oladejo here because injuries are unavoidable. However, it’s objectively disappointing that Oladejo wasn’t able to do much this offseason. The young pass-rusher missed minicamp with an unspecified injury, missing out on valuable offseason reps.

Oladejo has a shot to fill an important rotational role this year. After losing most of his rookie season, it would have been nice for him to get some hype going this summer. Instead, we’ll head to training camp still not knowing what to expect from Oladejo.

Latrell McCutchin Sr. | CB

I was very high on McCutchin when the Titans signed him right after the draft. McCutchin has good size for the boundary and had a ton of pass breakups in college. With the lack of depth the Titans have at corner, I thought McCutchin had a great shot to make the team.

Instead, McCutchin has been overshadowed by Keydrain Calligan and Micah Robinson. I had McCutchin making the roster over those two originally, but if the season started tomorrow, I’d have the rookie behind both. McCutchin needs a strong camp and preseason to avoid landing on the practice squad.

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A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.

Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.

Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.

“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”

Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.

The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.

Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.

Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.

“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”

Up next

Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – First responders never stop training, and this week almost 500 from across Virginia are honing their skills in Blacksburg.

The Virginia Association of First Responders now includes EMTs, firefighters, police officers and many others who answer the call in an emergency.

Thursday, a farm accident and a collision involving a car and school bus were just two of the scenarios they encountered.

“It’s a week-long opportunity, not only for technical stuff like this, but for medical classes,” said Covington Volunteer Rescue Squad member Greg Burton. “People call 911 every day for something. And we’re just here to help ease the problem a little bit.”

The annual conference also includes a Rescue Camp for young people with an interest in emergency services.

43 campers are taking part in a variety of activities, including a session on scuba diving Thursday afternoon.