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ESPN.com’s large-scale “Greatest Coaches in NFL History” project includes a rating of the top 20 coaches of all-time.

And No. 20 made his biggest mark with the Indianapolis Colts: Tony Dungy.

He did excellent work with the Colts, culminating in the team’s Super Bowl XLI title won on Feb. 4, 2007.

I admire Dungy a great deal, and remember one conversation I had with him about his coaching style. As calm and measured as he was, I wondered if a periodic explosion could ever have a super-sized effect on his team.

He said no. He played for Chuck Noll as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he always appreciated that Noll wasn’t a yeller. Dungy loved the calm explanations he got about mistakes he made and things he may have done wrong. And he strived to offer the same sort of coaching to his players -- every time.

I was also struck by a section about Dungy in a book I read in the last year: “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.

He detailed how Dungy thought he could prompt change with the perennial loser Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he became their head coach in 1996.

Before that, Dungy explained his intended approach four times to owners looking for a head coach. Four times owners passed.

Wrote Duhigg:

Part of the problem was Dungy’s coaching philosophy. In his job interviews, he would patiently explain his belief that the key to winning was changing players habits. He wanted to get players to stop making so many decisions during a game, he said. He wanted them to react automatically, habitually. If he could instill the right habits, his team would win. Period.

“Champions don’t do extraordinary things,” Dungy would explain. “They do ordinary things, but they do them without thinking, too fast for the other team to react. They follow the habits they’ve learned.”

How, the owners would ask, are you going to create those new habits?

Oh no, he wasn’t going to create new habits, Dungy would answer. Players spent their lives building the habits that got them to the NFL. No athlete is going to abandon those patterns simply because some new coach says to.

So rather than creating new habits, Dungy was going to change players’ old ones. And the secret to changing old habits was using what was already insider players’ heads. Habits are a three-step loop -- the cure, the routine, and the reward -- but Dungy only wanted to attack the middle step, the routine. He knew from experience that it was easier to convince someone to adopt a new behavior if there was something familiar at the beginning and the end.

It took some time for Dungy to break through to the Bucs. He got one big indication things were starting to turn late in that first season.

In a 25-17 win over San Diego, Dungy saw some altered habits key an upset. Pass pressure for Regan Upshaw prompted Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries to force a pass to a rookie tight end, Brian Roche. Tampa Bay safety John Lynch had moved to his spot and was waiting for his cue. Lynch avoided the temptation to improvise, stayed patient and was ready to pounce on Humphries forced throw. The interception return positioned the Bucs for a touchdown that turned the game.

Dungy and Lynch walked off the field together after the game. Lynch told Dungy something was different.

“We’re starting to believe,” Dungy told him.

Coaches hoping to get a head job in the NFL would be wise to read Duhigg’s book and study and emulate Dungy’s philosophy of habit change.

Houston Texans

Free safety Ed Reed has not been at OTAs while recovering from hip surgery, but the Texans expect him to be ready for the start of the regular season, writes Nick Scurfield of the team's website. Reed had minor surgery in late April, about a month after signing with the Texans. The nine-time Pro Bowler is expected to leave Colorado, where he had the surgery, this week.

Other NFL owners say Houston was an easy choice to host Super Bowl LI in 2017, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Coach Gary Kubiak expects Case Keenum to push T.J. Yates for the backup quarterback job behind Matt Schaub, writes Dale Robertson of the Chronicle.

Indianapolis Colts

Because academic requirements at Stanford forced him to miss OTAs before his rookie season, quarterback Andrew Luck is getting his first taste this offseason and finds the workouts productive, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars were busy Wednesday, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. They signed wide receiver Jeremy Ebert, a seventh-round pick of the New England Patriots last year; cut defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton, their seventh-round pick last year; and signed one of their seventh-round picks this year, cornerback Demetrius McCray.

The Jags took a flier on Pendleton’s raw talent last year even though he was 28 and didn’t play football for several years after high school while trying to support his family on the south side of Chicago.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, participating sparingly in the team's offseason program as he recovers from offseason foot surgery, talks about his decision to rehabilitate his injury in Miami. John Oehser of jaguars.com has the story.

Tennessee Titans

Undrafted tight end Jack Doyle of Western Kentucky faces stiff competition for a roster spot, but the 6-foot-6, 253 pounder looks the part, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Doyle, who had 162 career catches for 1,769 yards with the Hilltoppers, was first-team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2012.

Titans middle linebacker Colin McCarthy isn’t back to full health following his offseason ankle surgery, but he’s encouraged with his progress. McCarthy has been participating in organized team activities, and says he's "about 80 percent," writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.

Houston Texans

First-round draft pick DeAndre Hopkins, a receiver out of Clemson, is making a good impression in OTAs (organized team activities), writes Drew Dougherty of the team's website. “He has great size,” starting cornerback Kareem Jackson said of Hopkins. “He has great hands. He’ll definitely make the tough catches. He’s proven that. He’ll definitely be an exciting player and definitely be able to help us."

The city of Houston landed Super Bowl LI with a flawless proposal, but South Florida politicians fumbling their bid for the game didn't hurt, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Indianapolis Colts

Ricky Jean-Francois expects to make a smooth transition from the San Francisco 49ers to the Colts, where he'll play for his former defensive coordinator, Greg Manusky. Craig Kelley of Colts.com has the story.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Running back Justin Forsett plans to make the most of his opportunity in Jacksonville while starter Maurice Jones-Drew recovers from surgery on his foot, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

The Jaguars were forced to end Tuesday's workout early because of a thunderstorm, and won't be able to make up the lost time, writes Stellino. This after two of their three rookie camp workouts were held in a steady rain.

New coach Gus Bradley has followed through on a promise to create competition along his defensive front by stocking the roster with 17 defensive linemen, writes John Oehser of Jaguars.com.

A Jaguars fan has pleaded guilty to killing a Chicago Bears fan at a Jacksonville bar in October. Larry Hannan of the Times-Union has the story.

Tennessee Titans

Quarterback Jake Locker is healthy and ready to assume a larger leadership role this season, writes Craig Peters of the team's website.

Houston Texans

Brooks Reed lined up at inside linebacker as the Texans started OTAs, writes Nick Scurfield of the team's website. For now, the Texans are giving him as many reps as possible at the new position while they look at Bryan Braman and rookies Sam Montgomery and Trevardo Williams in Reed’s usual outside linebacker position on the strong side.

Quarterback Matt Schaub and receiver Andre Johnson missed OTAs because of injuries in 2012, but are off to healthy starts in 2013, writes Scurfield.

After listening to 20-minute presentations today from the three competing cities -- Houston, San Francisco and South Florida -- NFL owners will vote on Super Bowl L and Super Bowl LI. South Florida and San Francisco are competing for the coveted Super Bowl 50 in 2016. The city that doesn’t win that vote competes with Houston for Super Bowl 51 in 2017.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are enjoying the benefits of having franchise quarterback Andrew Luck signed to a team-friendly rookie contract, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Bob Lamey, the voice of the Colts, catches up with GM Ryan Grigson to recap the rookie mini-camp and preview OTAs this week.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Defensive lineman Kyle Love, claimed off waivers last week, talked to the media following his first workout with his new team. Love was released by New England after a routine blood test and follow-up exam revealed he had Type 2 diabetes. “That’s how they run their business up there; veteran guys who have been there for years and put in a lot of work get treated like rookies,” Love said of the Patriots.

Continuing his rehab from December surgery for a Lisfranc injury, running back Maurice Jones-Drew will spend the next two weeks training in Miami, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

Senior writer John Oehser of the team's website takes a look at four issues facing the Jaguars after the first week of OTAs.

Tennessee Titans

John Glennon of the Tennessean analyzes the Titans' schedule, including an opponent-by-opponent breakdown.

Houston Texans

Texans linebacker Brooks Reed revealed on Sunday he had surgery on his groin in late January, but says he is "100 percent" and ready for OTAs.

Five things to watch at Texans OTAs, from Nick Scurfield of the team website.

Indianapolis Colts

Former Colts standout Dwight Freeney has signed with the San Diego Chargers.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars' decision not to sign Tim Tebow continues to be the "Great Debate," writes Vito Stellino.

Veteran linebacker Geno Hayes is thankful for a chance to play.

Tennessee Titans

Titans linebacker Moise Fokou has been charged for a DUI from February.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at key players for each AFC South team who are coming back from injuries:

Houston Texans: There isn’t an easy, obvious fit here. Inside linebacker Brian Cushing is crucial, but all indications are he’s already largely back from the torn ACL he suffered early last season and will be good to go for training camp. Receiver DeVier Posey will be lucky if he makes it back by midseason from a torn Achilles, and they aren’t counting on him for 2013. Brooks Reed had groin surgery and Daryl Sharpton is still recovering from a hip operation. But the most uncertainty seems to involve right tackle Derek Newton. The Texans drafted Brennan Williams in the third round to have a viable alternative to a guy who had serious knee surgery after the season.

Indianapolis Colts: Josh Chapman was a fifth-round pick in 2012, available there because he was recovering from a serious knee injury. Some Colts fans, while they clearly wanted Chapman healthy and on the field, turned his absence into a bit of a punch line regarding the degree of hope being pinned on the nose tackle by some optimists: “Oh, Josh Chapman will fix that when he’s back.” Well he’s back now, working as the starting nose tackle, a position where the team has some depth with guys who have played the spot in a 3-4 front. Chapman can offer a nice boost to a defensive front if he is recovered and durable.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is likely to be the team’s top offensive weapon again, provided he makes it all the way back from a serious Lisfranc injury in his right foot that cost him 10 games last season and ultimately required surgery. His extensive rehabilitation is ongoing. This week at OTAs, The Florida Times-Union reported he was running 30-yard dashes at three-quarter speed. "Lately it's been one day on, a day off, two days on, a day off -- it's part of the process," he said. "I'm closer than I think. I just want to take my time and make sure we do it the right way." The Jags need his production. He needs a big year because he's in the final year of his deal.

Tennessee Titans: Right tackle David Stewart broke his right leg in Week 13 against Houston. He’s expected to be fine for camp, and perhaps even the team’s June OTAs and minicamp, but he said recently at a team event that he still had a little bit to go. He’s been a durable guy for them. But they took a look at Eric Winston after the draft. Such a visit can mean nothing, or it can mean they would be willing to put Stewart into a competitive situation. I rank Stewart ahead of middle linebacker Colin McCarthy because the team can be OK with Greg Jones or Moise Fokou as a run-down middle linebacker. If Mike Otto and Byron Stingily wound up the right tackle on a largely rebuilt offensive line, it would create a bigger question mark.

I asked Mike Rodak of ESPNBoston.com for an assessment of two defensive linemen the Jaguars recently claimed off waivers from New England: Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick.

Here are Rodak's insights:

"Both Love and Deaderick joined the Patriots in 2010, Deaderick as a seventh-round pick and Love as an undrafted free agent. With injuries creating opportunities for playing time, both players began to emerge as rookies within the Patriots' 3-4 system, Love as a nose tackle and Deaderick at defensive end.

"When the Patriots transitioned to a 4-3 system in 2011, Love eventually pushed Albert Haynesworth out of a starting job at tackle, while Deaderick spent the first half of the season on the PUP list. Both players started in Super Bowl XLVI, with Deaderick filling in at defensive end for Andre Carter following a season-ending injury.

Last season, the Patriots tweaked their defense again, moving Rob Ninkovich from linebacker to defensive end and shifting Deaderick back inside to tackle. Love began the season as a starter alongside Vince Wilfork, but saw his playing time cut after suffering a mid-season knee injury, opening the door for Deaderick to get more reps.

"While Love's release has been tied to his recent diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, the circumstances surrounding Deaderick's termination remain unclear. As a rookie, he was briefly suspended prior to his first playoff game for reportedly missing a team meeting, but there were no known issues in his final two seasons in New England.

"With the Jaguars' defensive line in flux under first-year head coach Gus Bradley, both players project to have opportunities for playing time in Jacksonville. Given his versatility, Deaderick could compete with Tyson Alualu at defensive end (Red Bryant's position carried over from Bradley's defense in Seattle), or with offseason acquisitions Roy Miller and Sen'Derrick Marks on the inside. With his size (6-foot-1, 315 pounds), Love figures to have a role on first and second down as an interior run-stopper."

Houston Texans

The team signed outside linebacker Trevardo Williams, a fourth-round pick in this year's draft, to a four-year deal Thursday. The Texans have now signed five of their draft picks.

The Texans' director of college scouting, Mike Maccagnan, sat down with Nick Scurfield to give his assessment of nose tackle Chris Jones, a sixth-rounder out of Bowling Green.

The signing of Ed Reed gave the Texans defense something it has lacked the past couple of years, said Russell Baxter of ProFootballGuru.com in an interview with SportsRadio 610 Wednesday. “Even with the improved defense over the last two years, [the Texans] have never been a big takeaway team where they’ve gotten a ton of turnovers,” Baxter said. He called Reed "one of the great ball hawks of all time.”

Indianapolis Colts

Dwight Freeney ended his visit Thursday with the Chargers without a deal, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego reports.

Former Colts center A.Q. Shipley welcomes the challenge of fighting for a starting spot with his new team, the Baltimore Ravens, writes Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. “It’s been my life,” Shipley said. “I’ve had to work for everything I’ve ever had. When it comes to competing, I enjoy it and feel very confident.”

Jacksonville Jaguars

The team cut Montell Owens Thursday, reports Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Owens played in two Pro Bowls as a special-teamer with the Jaguars.

The Jaguars claimed defensive tackle Kyle Love, who was waived by the Patriots Wednesday shortly after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, reports Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. "Having consulted with leading authorities on the effects of Type 2 diabetes, we have every reason to believe that Kyle will, in the immediate future, be at 100 percent, and will be prepared to participate in training camp in a couple of months," said Richard Kopelman, Love's agent.

Tennessee Titans

Quickly adjusting to new circumstances is nothing new to Titans rookie corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Rookie offensive linemen Chance Warmack and Brian Schwenke had forged a bond well before they became teammates with the Titans. After last season, they worked out together for three months in Los Angeles in preparation for the NFL combine and draft, and the two became friends, writes Greg Pogue of Fox Sports Tennessee. "We have stayed pretty close," Schwenke said of Warmack. "It was exciting when I got picked. He texted me, and we are both really excited to be here."

A sampling of Thursday's chat:

Kevin (Jacksonville, FL): I've read a lot of opinions from writers saying that [Alan] Ball will start opposite from [Dwayne] Gratz this year. However, every thing I've read about Ball is that he is not very good. Is it that much of a longshot for [Marcus] Trufant to be the starter?

Paul Kuharsky: I'd root for one of the seventh-rounders to shine early. Trufant is on the tail end of a nice career. More a nickel option at this point.

chris (montgomery al): Who do you forecast as the starting offensive line for Indi? and why is everyone saying that they can not end with the same record or better than last year?

Paul Kuharsky: Tougher schedule. Far different expectations. No [Bruce] Arians. Don't have the rallying cry of win for our sick coach. I'd guess line will be, L-R, [Anthony] Castonzo, [Donald] Thomas, [Khaled] Holmes, [Hugh] Thornton, [Gosder] Cherilus. Probably wishful thinking with the two rookies.

frank (milwaukee): what do you think the titans secondary ends up looking like opening day? assuming [Michael] griffin and [Bernard] pollard are starters at saftey whats George Wilson's role?

Paul Kuharsky: Wilson is the third safety. They can play a three-safety nickel package. They can (and should) get Pollard off the field in passing downs and sub Wilson in. They'll find a way to use three. Houston uses three all the time. [Devin] McCourty and [Blidi] Wreh-Wilson outside, [Alterraun] Verner inside.

ted (chicago): did Ben Tate's off year/injuries last season negate his trade value this year before his contract expires? should the texans have traded him when second round draft pick rumors were circulating?

Paul Kuharsky: They were never looking to trade him. If they had traded him, who would be filling in for [Arian] Foster if he's hurt?

To read the whole thing, please head here.

With the second pick in the first round, the Jacksonville Jaguars got themselves a rock of an offensive tackle in Luke Joeckel.

What did they get with the first pick of the second round?

A team in dire need of cornerstones might have found one for the defense in Johnathan Cyprien, the strong safety out of Florida International.

Initial reports out of Jacksonville are very solid. It’s obviously early, but Cyprien could be the linchpin of a young secondary that grows up together, helping slow the run and cover the sort of tight ends who are increasingly posing matchup issues around the league.

“The thing we really enjoyed about evaluating him was his football instincts," said DeWayne Walker, the Jaguars' defensive backs coach. “Some guys, they have that halo effect where they kind of feel the game, and he has a real good feel for the game.

"We’re going to have to smooth him out, and we’re going to have to polish him up a little bit. At the same time, he definitely brings a lot of good tools to the table.”

Not too may years ago, the AFC South had a major dearth of quality safeties. Gradually, the position has gotten better. If Cyprien can be an impact guy, he and free safety Dwight Lowery can make the position one of the Jaguars’ most solid.

Cyprien comes across as a polite, confident young man eager to learn and to prove himself. He grew up admiring Sean Taylor, Troy Polamalu and Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas, who went to the same high school and ranks as a friend who has offered a great deal of encouragement.

A late bloomer at North Miami Beach (Fla.) High School, Cyprien dreamed of playing at Texas, but had just two scholarship offers -- from Central Michigan and FIU. He stayed in Florida, and a big senior season in college turned him into a borderline first-round pick.

The Jaguars surely could have gotten good value by trading out of the 33rd position in the draft, but stayed put and jumped on him.

“It’s a big position, a big role in this defense,” Cyprien said. “You’re allowed to do a lot of things. You’re allowed to have a lot of fun. I’m planning on having a lot of fun playing that position.

“I guess you could say it could be hard for a rookie to be a leader. I wouldn’t define it as that, personally. I’m just taking it head on.”

Of eight picks in the draft, the Jaguars spent five on defensive backs: Cyprien in the second round; UConn cornerback Dwayne Gratz in the third; Florida free safety Josh Evans in the sixth; and New Mexico State cornerback Jeremy Harris and Appalachian State cornerback Demetrius McCray both in the seventh.

The Jaguars have a handful of guys with experience for the kids to look to.

Marcus Trufant, a 10-year veteran corner, played on coach Gus Bradley’s defense in Seattle, and could be the nickelback. Another free-agent cornerback, Alan Ball, has played five seasons, but struggled in Houston last year. Safety Chris Prosinski, a fourth-rounder from 2011, should be a backup at best with Cyprien on board. Mike Harris could be a nice nickel candidate in his second season.

Given the uncertainty at the position, I rank the Jaguars’ cornerback group as the most competitive unit in the division.

If Jacksonville is going to be any good on the back end, it’s likely to be because of the draft class’ contribution.

“I think it’s fun for all of us,” Walker said. “These guys were needed. We’re going to be pretty young. It’s fun for all of us to get this group and develop it and prove people wrong …

“Being able to talk with them about the league, these guys are pretty mature. Coach Bradley, [defensive coordinator] Bob Babich, all of our coaches do a good job saying the right things to these guys to get them acclimated. So I think all of our rookies, not only the rookies in the secondary, have come into a situation where we are here to help them, we are here to develop them to be competitive football players.”

Walker, who was the head coach at New Mexico State from 2009 to 2012, where he posted a 10-40 record, left in January to join Bradley's staff. Previously, Walker coached defensive backs for the Washington Redskins, New York Giants, New England Patriots and at Cal. He was also defensive coordinator at UCLA.

The assistant coach is a straight shooter who has been telling the rookies about the identity he wants his players to have, Cyprien said. They need to be sound in the techniques they are taught, and they should all look the same on tape.

“I think it’s a challenge for him, I think it’s good for him,” Cyprien said of the influx of youth in the secondary. “I know we have him excited, because we just want to run around, and we’re hungry to learn and we’re asking a lot of questions.”

We've pushed back our weekly chat a couple hours this afternoon.

So reset your alarm, adjust your calendar reminder: We'll dive into to all things AFC South and beyond at 3 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. CT.

The move is, in part, a result of a commitment for an airport dropoff. And we all know that's a binding social contract.

See you here in a couple hours.

Reading the coverage...

Houston Texans

At 23rd, Matt Schaub is only three slots ahead of Jake Locker in these quarterback rankings from Will Brinson of CBS Sports.

The Texans officially added running back Deji Karim and center Tyler Horn, says Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans have the 10th best front office in the NFL, says Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Indianapolis Colts

Chuck Pagano participated in a conference call with season-ticket holders and Mike Chappell from the Indianapolis Star has highlights. He said he thinks fifth-round nose tackle Montori Hughes is “going to be special.”

Chappell doesn’t think Dwight Freeney would be a good fit in San Diego.

Andrew Luck and some teammates visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, says Chris Widlic of Wishtv.com.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gus Bradley is really pleased with what he’s seen from longtime center Brad Meester so far, says Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

Undrafted receiver Tobais Palmer has emerged already as a player to watch for the Jaguars, says Ryan O’Halloran of the Times-Union.

Bradley was happy with the end of Week 1 of OTAs, says John Oehser of Jaguars.com.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans added a couple of veteran free agents, says John Glennon of The Tennessean. Greg Jones has middle linebacker experience and should provide a cushion behind often-injured Colin McCarthy. Running back Alvester Alexander will be fourth on the depth chart at best.

Kevin Walter is proud of the work ethic he brings to the Titans receiving corps, he said in this video with Amie Wells of Titansonline.com. Receivers coach Shaun Jefferson told rookie Justin Hunter to emulate Walter.

At his best, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu has been a solid player.

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't seen his best often enough, partly because he has dealt with a bad knee for much of his time since they drafted him out of Cal 10th overall in 2010.

Gus Bradley and the new defensive staff are making a big change with Alualu for his fourth season. Per John Oehser, Alualu is moving to end.

From Oehser:

Alualu said he mostly will either play on the tight end side of the defense, or the back side of the defense head up over the offensive tackle on that side. He said believes playing outside works more to his strengths -- taking on double teams with the tight end and stopping the run -- than playing inside.

That leaves the Jaguars with newcomers Roy Miller and Sen'Derrick Marks as the top tackles, and injury-prone D'Anthony Smith and second-year man Jeris Pendleton as the top candidates for depth.

If the new Jaguars coaches think Alualu can be more effective outside, then it's a good move. But it reflects poorly on the pick by former GM Gene Smith back in 2010. A stout, penetrating defensive tackle can be worth the 10th pick in the draft. A run-stopping end? Not so much.

Alualu told Oehser playing end should also mean less wear and tear on his knee, so that could be a factor in the move as well.

The move also expands the question about Jeremy Mincey. Jason Babin is expected to be the Leo, rush end and Andre Branch should wind up working there, too. Mincey could wind up playing behind Alualu, at best.

The Tennessee Titans could still add John Abraham or Israel Idonije to their group of defensive ends.

The issue is the same as it is for most free agents -- how much opportunity will one of them find in Tennessee, and for how much money?

Currently the Titans' top three pass-rushers are starting ends Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley and outside linebacker Akeem Ayers. Ayers began to blitz more at the end of his second season and can also shift forward to play as a fifth defensive linemen or a 4-3 end.

The Titans expect improvement from that trio.

Morgan will be in his second season after major knee surgery. Wimbley will be in his second season with the team. Ayers will get an expanded pass-rush role. All three should benefit from the Titans' determination to be more aggressive on defense and from the presence of Gregg Williams, the senior defensive assistant who has a pretty good history of helping players maximize their talents.

When the Titans hadn’t addressed defensive end through four rounds of the draft, coach Mike Munchak was asked about how satisfied the team was with what it had in terms of pass-rushers.

“I think we’ve been addressing all positions,” he said. "We always want to improve. We have been looking for a defensive lineman. Unfortunately, and I have been on the other side of this a lot of years, the right guy is not there when you pick. You can’t control the draft. There is still other ways to get players that we feel like we missed in the draft. We’re not going to reach for something that doesn’t fit for us and is a wasted pick.

“I think we’re happy with what we’ve developed. Last year, I think sack totals were in the top 10. You can break that down and figure out where it came from. But the bottom line is we think Akeem Ayers is going to be a guy that is going to have six to eight sacks a year like you saw last year. (Linebacker) Zach Brown is going to be the guy that is going to get the same way because of the way our scheme will be.

“I think our ends because of some things we will be doing will go from six to nine or 10. All of a sudden it’s a different story. I think from what we have, we will do better. We did better than we did last year with the guys we had. There is no doubt that we have to improve in certain areas.”

The Titans wound up drafting LSU’s Lavar Edwards the next round, and visited with Idonije and Abraham in short order after the draft.

The sticking point with Abraham is reportedly snaps. He’d like to play a lot. The Titans would use him as a situational pass-rusher.

They’ll be better with him than without him. But as Munchak spelled out, they expect to be a better pass-rushing team no matter what.

Improvements in other areas can help Morgan, Wimbley, Ayers and Brown.

A secondary that’s added safeties Bernard Pollard and George Wilson and cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson should be able to force the quarterback to hold the ball a beat longer.

And defensive tackle Sammie Hill may be able to push the quarterback off his spot more often, flushing him towards one of those guys coming off the edge.

To review: J.J. Watt’s defensive player of the year season in 2012 included 107 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 39 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hits, 16 batted passes, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

“It was the best I’ve ever seen, the best I’ve ever been around,” Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips recently reiterated.

Watt is the biggest sports star Houston has seen in some time and I don’t think he’ll let up for a second in preparing for his third year, even as he allows himself to enjoy his celebrity.

Still, one has to wonder: Can he match that enormous season or is a statistical drop-off almost inevitable?

The Titans drafted right guard Chance Warmack in part because they think he will be able to slow Watt down. The Colts also emphasized their interior offensive line in the draft. Those moves will hardly make Watt scared. They simply serve to help illustrate how big of a concern he is.

“We started seeing it toward the last of the year, they started hollering in the field, ‘Don’t let him get to the quarterback,’ that sort of thing,” Phillips said. “Teams were even drafting for him, it sounded like.

“He’s going to draw a lot of attention, but as long as you have other guys who can rush, it’s hard. We put him in some situations where he’s one-on-one and we also move him around quite a bit. We think those things will help.

“There will be more attention on him, there will be more trying to see where he is and trying to help. But I think they tried to do that last year quite a bit. He’s a great player. He’s going to do well no matter what.”

But can he match those stats?

“I don’t know if you can have a better year than last year. He had a tremendous year,” Phillips said. “I’ve never been around a defensive linemen that made that many plays. And I had Reggie White, I had Bruce Smith, I had Elvin Bethea who’s in the Hall of Fame, Curly Culp who’s fixing to go in the Hall of Fame. Nobody’s had a year like that kid had last year.

“You just don’t make that many plays. It was a phenomenal year. I don’t know if he can have a better year than that. He’s working towards it, I know that. He’s first in every drill we do, he wins every wind sprint that they run out there, he’s a leader. The sky’s the limit for that guy.”