Tennessee Titans guard Kevin Zeitler (70) goes through drills during mandatory Titans Minicamp at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Free Agency Moves Benefit Cam Ward

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Luke Hubbard | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 3:00 PM ET

This offseason, the Tennessee Titans found their franchise quarterback in first overall pick Cam Ward. The former Miami Hurricane has done everything they expected of him and more since he heard his name called in April, and now he's ready to take the field for the first time in the regular season on Sunday.

While all the talk has been about Cam Ward, nobody's talking about what the Titans did in free agency to help their young quarterback out. They made additions up and down the roster, but two of the most important came on the offensive line with Dan Moore Jr. and Kevin Zeitler.

A rookie quarterback's best friend isn't an explosive receiver, elusive running back or a big-bodied tight end. It's his offensive linemen. There is nothing more you can do to help out a rookie quarterback than give him as much time in the pocket as possible. In 2024, the Titans ranked 26th in sacks allowed per game (3.1). They went out and added Moore and Zeitler to make sure they're a much better pass blocking team this year than last year.

The signing of Dan Moore Jr. flew under the radar a bit. Not only does it help the Titans solve their problem at tackle, but it also allows second-year tackle J.C. Latham to move back to the right side, where he is much more comfortable. In 2024, Latham showed flashes at left tackle, but just didn't look like himself. Now, he'll be much more comfortable on the right side while the Titans add a veteran to the left side.

Kevin Zeitler gives Cam Ward one of the most experienced offensive linemen in football to protect him. Zeitler has played 14 seasons and over 13,000 snaps in his NFL career. During that time, he's posted a 75+ pass blocking grade in 10 of those seasons and has eight seasons where he's allowed two or fewer sacks.

The Titans were intentional with how they spent their money this offseason. They knew they'd have a rookie quarterback stepping in, so they signed two offensive linemen and got him a veteran wideout in Tyler Lockett. This is the first step in the right direction for their rebuild. Now they just need to stack a couple more offseasons like this, and they could be right back in the playoff hunt.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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