Titan has the first overall pick, appears to be destined to take QB Camward

Brian Callahan saw almost every snap that Camward played in five seasons at the college level, allowing the big play quarterback to possibly catapult to the top of the NFL draft.

A big point? Consistency.

“It was cool to see where he came from now and where he came from now,” Callahan, a second-year Tennessee Titans coach, said at an NFL league meeting last week.

Ward began his college career at the FCS level at Incarnate Word. Two seasons in Washington State, he marked his spot on the map of upcoming drafts in banner season at the University of Miami (Fla.).

“He’s made more impressive improvements than his career so far,” Callahan said.

Titan has yet to declare whether to choose ward on the top pick overall on April 24, but at this point, aside from the blockbuster trade, it is considered unstoppable for many draft experts.

Perhaps another sign came over the weekend when Titans and Colorado quarterback Chedur Sanders mutually agreed to cancel their private training. Titan sent a big condition to Boulder, Colorado, featuring Travis Hunter Jr., a two-way prospect who attended the showcase on Friday and won the Heisman Trophy, but the lack of follow-up private workout with Sanders can be interpreted as another indication that the team is heading towards the ward.

If Titans are still considering Sanders for the top pick, why don’t they take the opportunity to bring together more Intel and develop a better feel? After all, it’s a top pick and you don’t need a smoke screen. The team already had a private session with Ward on March 28th.

Either way, Callahan finally claimed that the team is committed to doing due diligence over the final weeks of the pre-draft process.

“You turn all the rocks over,” Callahan said.

This includes his extensive diving (6-2, 219). He earned ACC Player of the Year honors with 4.313 yards and 39 touchdowns, and undoubtedly exploded into top quarterback in the draft. In 38 games over three seasons, he passed with 87 TDs.

Additional years at university have provided great benefits. If Ward, 22, went into the draft last year, he could have been rated in the underlayer of six quarterbacks selected among the top 12 picks in the first round.

Currently, he is highly regarded by many as the No. 1 pick overall. What a rise.

“We saw a flash of light in Washington state…and then we saw consistency,” Callahan told USA Today Sports. “It’s just because they played. That’s why I think people who stayed in school for a long time and played four and five years are helping them because they have more people and more opportunities.

“You’re watching the progression. You can see that his decisions are more consistent. You can see that his accuracy is more consistent.”

Of course, Titan may have deposited the bank in a big way so Ward’s progression continues at the next level.

Do you want to change the playoffs? It’s still on the table

The proposal to ban “Tush Push” was not the only proposal introduced by the NFL owners during last week’s meeting. After extensive discussions by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on what he called the “very healthy proposal” by the Detroit Lions, the prospect of restructuring the playoffs based on regular season records remains open for discussion.

As has been around for many years now, winning the Division Crown guarantees a home playoff game. If Detroit’s proposal had been applied to last season’s playoffs, the three division winners (Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Rams and Houston) would have visited the road while wildcard participants Minnesota, Washington and the Los Angeles Chargers hosted the first round of games.

This topic has been broached in the past, but traditional views argue that winning a division title should mean something, like a home game.

Maybe this is the solution: reorganization after the first round. That way, division winners are still winning home playoff games, and wildcard teams may still earn the right to host the title game of the conference… of course, if they can knock off division winners along the way.

McVay: I don’t dislike it

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay outlined why he disapproved of the Philadelphia Eagles’ signature “Tush Push” play, so he wanted to clarify something.

“I don’t support that, but I also know I sound like I hate it because I did better than anyone else,” McVay said.

No, he’s not a fan of the play’s optics and is concerned about the risk of injury.

But is it the idea that the move to abandon the play is rooted in competitive jealousy?

Of course it’s not.

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @Jarrettbell