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Cam Ward’s shoulder is healing up nicely, and the Titans are feeling good about where he’s at right now. The second-year quarterback could be ready to go for the team’s minicamp in June – a solid sign considering he hurt his throwing shoulder back in January.
“He’s been out there,” Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi told reporters Thursday during his predraft news conference. “I’m sure you’ve seen the videos of him throwing. He looks good.”
Ward got injured during Tennessee’s final game of the regular season against Jacksonville on Jan. 4. He dove into the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown run and landed awkwardly on his right shoulder. Doctors diagnosed it as a sprained AC joint, but the good news was he didn’t need surgery.
The injury was tough timing for a guy who’d been a workhorse all season.
Ward had started throwing again in mid-March, working with his personal quarterbacks coach Darrell Colbert Jr. from Select QB Athletics. Borgonzi said the plan is for Ward to be throwing when minicamp rolls around in June – which would put him right on track.
Getting those reps with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney will be huge for Ward. He’ll need that time to get comfortable with the offense before training camp starts up in late July.
Before the injury ended his season early, Ward had been on the field for every single offensive snap through Week 17. He was the only quarterback in the league who could say that. He finished with 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
New Titans coach Robert Saleh has called Daboll the “perfect man” to help Ward take the next step. Makes sense when you look at what Daboll did with Josh Allen in Buffalo – that’s the kind of development story Tennessee is hoping for.
Daboll’s not looking to completely overhaul Ward’s game. His focus is more on the footwork side of things rather than messing with the throwing motion itself. The idea is to get Ward more consistent with his base and footwork, which should help him make plays from the pocket while still keeping that ability to create when things break down.
Ward mentioned back in January that he knew what he needed to work on during the offseason, and it sounds like he’s sticking to that plan.
“I’m working on my base of my mechanics; I’m not changing my throwing motion,” Ward said. “So the timetable for what I have set to get to mechanically [this offseason], what I need to do, is still on schedule.”
