Anxious Titans fans will finally get to see their new-look team in a meaningful game Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. It’ll also be the first time some of the Titans own players will see their team play. And that’s a concern.

We’ve seen bits and pieces of what the team wants to be on offense and defense throughout the offseason program, training camp and in preseason games. But one of the real questions – and even Coach Brian Callahan admits it’s a big one – is whether we’ll see a cohesive team or simply a collection of new players.

Consider this: The Titans have a new coaching staff, a new system on offense, a new system on defense, six new starters on offense and seven new starters on defense.

Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who played four seasons for Dallas and three with Cincinnati, has been nursing a calf injury during the preseason but is expected to play Sunday.

-- Photo By George Walker Iv | Ap

There is no substitute for experience and playing together. And the Titans players haven’t been playing together. In the secondary, four of their top six players (L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams) are new to the team and have yet to play together at all in the preseason.

And even as late as last week, the Titans were still tinkering with the roster and trying to upgrade with both starters and depth. They acquired linebacker Ernest Jones from the Rams to start alongside fellow newcomer Kenneth Murray. Then Ran Carthon made three waiver pickups in two days for depth, grabbing edge rusher Ali Gay, safety Julius Wood and cornerback Darrell Baker. All four will be busy getting up to speed as quickly as they can before the regular season starts Sunday.

They also traded away quarterback Malik Willis to Green Bay and safety Elijah Molden to the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

Titans general manager Ran Carthon has rebuilt the team after disastrous drafts.

-- Photo By George Walker Iv | Ap

Those deals, plus cuts, have pretty much rid the Titans of most of their 2021 and 2022 draft classes. The trade of Molden and release of Caleb Farley and Rashad Weaver leaves Dillon Radunz as the last man standing from 2021.

From 2022, only Treylon Burks, Roger McCreary, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Chig Okonkwo remain after the Willis trade. Chance Campbell went to IR, and Kyle Philips and Hassan Haskins were waived.

The better news is that most of the Titans picks from both 2023 and 2024 made the roster. Only Colton Dowell and Cedric Gray, both dealing with injuries, are not on the initial 53.

Roster is set – for now

But with so much upheaval, what is Callahan’s plan until the Titans can get familiar with each other on both sides of the ball?

“I think the core of what has been here for the entire offseason in training camp, I think is in a really good place, and we’re adding pieces to the mix, but the guys that we’re counting on to play well that have been here for the most of the time is what I think is going to start that process,” Callahan says. “And again, it’s going to take some time for us to fully, I think see the benefits of being together.”

The new head coach admits he wishes the group had played together more, but now players and staff will have to develop chemistry on the fly as they learn a new system.

“We have not been together long,” he says. “There is a benefit to continuity, I think, and as years go by it does show up, but we’re in our beginning phases of it and I like where we’re at as a team, but there is a relationship building and a team building part that in playing together part that has yet to occur.”

Callahan says he is beginning to see some evidence of guys working well together but knows that the process is in its infancy.

“It’s occurred in a very small amount of time, and so there’s a lot more to get done there, but I think the best part is I love the locker room and I love the players and how they’ve responded and so we’re made of the right stuff and guys are doing things the way we want,” he says. “And so you count on that to get moving and there’s really no other substitute for playing together other than playing together. And that’s going to start (this week).”

And roster adjustment won’t end just because the season is starting. Injuries are inevitable in the NFL, and Carthon cautions this is just the first edition of the 53-man roster. Moves will continue to be made throughout the course of the regular season, he adds.

“This is just the first iteration of the 53. It’s not final and concrete and set. I don’t think there’s probably ever been any team that was set today that made it all the way through January, anyway,” Carthon says. “But this is just the first iteration.”

But the GM admits he wants the roster to begin to stabilize, even though there still could be moves yet to be made.

“We wanted to maintain a fluid position where we can make moves and not have to continue to make tough choices and get rid of people. We want to have the flexibility to continue to bring people in here,” Carthon says.