Titans Training Camp: Elic Ayomanor Pushing Calvin Ridley, Nick Singleton Chasing a Role in Crowded Backfield
Robert Saleh is still figuring out what his Tennessee Titans offense looks like around Cam Ward. Four practices into training camp, two position battles are shaping that answer — and they matter well past Nashville. One is at receiver, where second-year man Elic Ayomanor is shoving his way into Calvin Ridley’s space. The other is in the backfield, where rookie Nick Singleton is trying to find daylight behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.
Neither battle is settled. Both are worth tracking as the Titans build out their offense heading into the regular season.
Elic Ayomanor Is Making Saleh Take Notice
Ridley is still the more established name. He’s the Titans’ most experienced receiver by a wide margin, and nobody is benching him. But Ayomanor has been the story of camp’s opening week. He caught a touchdown pass from Ward during Monday’s practice — the team’s first in full pads — and drew a separate pass interference penalty on a near-identical deep shot a few plays later, according to the Titans’ official site. Through four days of camp, Ayomanor led all Titans pass-catchers with 12 receptions, tied with running back Tyjae Spears for the team high.
Saleh has noticed the jump. Asked about Ayomanor’s development after that first padded session, the coach didn’t sound surprised.
“Consistency is the greatest measure of performance, so everyone can do it once; the great ones can do it multiple times over time,” Saleh said, via Yahoo Sports.
Saleh credited the receiver’s offseason work for the leap, saying Ayomanor “worked relentlessly this offseason to put himself in the position to have success for his second season both on and off the field mentally.” That kind of preparation shows up in small, repeatable ways — Ayomanor has talked in the past about playing with a forward lean through every phase of a route, staying low and in control rather than getting caught standing tall at the top of his breaks.
Ridley isn’t fading, though. He had his best day of camp on the same Monday session, picking up a gain of more than 30 yards early and adding a spinning catch near the goal line later in practice, according to the Titans’ team site. He’s also taken on a mentor role with the rookies, spending time working with first-year receiver Carnell Tate between reps.
ESPN’s camp tracker backed up the trend a few days later, describing Ayomanor beating a defender at the line and hauling in a deep touchdown from backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, with Saleh again pointing to the receiver’s offseason preparation and the confidence he’s playing with.
| Player | Camp Role | Notable Camp Plays (Through Day 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Calvin Ridley | Veteran starter | 30-plus-yard gain, spinning goal-line catch |
| Elic Ayomanor | Second-year challenger | Touchdown catch, drawn pass interference, team-high 12 catches |
Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears Remain the “Bell Cows”
The backfield picture is less of an open fight and more of a pecking order Saleh has been clear about since the spring. Pollard and Spears are the lead backs. Singleton, a rookie the Titans drafted this year, has flashed but is working his way up from behind.
Saleh used the same phrase to describe Pollard and Spears back in June that he’s stuck with since: “bell cows,” as AtoZ Sports first reported. On Singleton specifically, Saleh has kept expectations measured.
“It’s early, obviously. Big back, fast,” Saleh said. “He’s learning it all, he’s got a long way to go from that regard, like all rookies do. But to be clear, Tony (Pollard) and Tyj (Tyjae Spears) are the bell cows of this football team. And Nick’s (Singleton) got to compete his way in to find his way into that group,” according to AtoZ Sports.
Spears, entering his fourth season, has talked about treating every camp like it’s his first. On the Titans’ site, he put it simply: “In this league, you have to prove yourself each and every day, each and every year. Consistency overrules everything.”
Saleh has also made clear he isn’t in a hurry to split carries between Pollard and Spears just because a rookie is pushing from behind. He described the two veterans as complementary pieces rather than competitors for the same role — Pollard as a pass-protection asset who can also work out of the backfield, Spears as the more natural route-runner of the two. Singleton got his first work in full pads on Monday and showed some ability to fight through contact, per the team site, but he remains well behind the top two in the rotation for now.
Why Both Battles Matter Beyond Camp Buzz
Neither competition is likely to be settled by preseason opener. Ridley’s contract and track record make him the Week 1 starter regardless of how camp goes, and Ayomanor pushing him is a depth story, not a starting-job story — for now. Backup snaps in camp can still shape target share once the games start counting, especially if Tennessee’s passing game needs a second reliable option next to Ridley.
The backfield picture is more straightforward. Saleh has repeated the “bell cows” language enough times, across enough months, that it reads as an actual plan rather than a throwaway line. Singleton’s path onto the field runs through special teams and matchup-specific packages before it runs through meaningful carries — a pattern common for late-round rookie backs behind two established veterans.
Both battles are worth watching as the pads stay on and practices ramp up toward Tennessee’s preseason opener.
