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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.

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.

Vick Ballard finished his rookie season with 12 consecutive starts at running back, 211 carries, 814 yards and a highlight reel diving, corkscrew touchdown to win an overtime game in Tennessee.

In his second year, he’s in line to continue as the lead back for the Indianapolis Colts, who will also have Donald Brown, Delone Carter and seventh-round pick Kerwynn Williams in the backfield mix.

It remains to be seen just how much new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will look to split up the workload for the team’s running backs.

“It’s always nice to have a couple guys, a change of pace guy,” coach Chuck Pagano said recently. “But certainly at the end of the year with Donnie hurt and the way Vick came on and the way he was running, he was getting the lion’s share of the snaps. At this point, yeah, he’s sitting there as the lead guy. But Donnie’s in great shape and healthy and looks fantastic to this point in the offseason program.

“Can Vick be an every-down guy? Yeah. Can Donnie be an every-down guy? Yeah. They are different types of runners and are more than capable on third down, knowing the protections and picking up blitzers and being effective once they get out to catch the football and doing those things out of the backfield."

Ballard and Brown should be able to complement each other. Carter can be insurance for Ballard and Williams might be an alternate change up for Brown.

“Vick is a solid, solid guy; Donnie is a home run hitter,” Pagano said. “If he gets the edge and hits a crease, he can take it the distance. For Vick, look at that last drive of the regular season against the Texans: We got the ball with 9:46 on the clock, we ran 12 plays, 11 runs, and we ended up taking a knee. Vick took the lion’s share of carries on that drive. He just keeps getting stronger, the more carries he has the better he gets.”

Under Hamilton the backs are sure to be used more as pass-catchers. Last season with Bruce Arians calling the plays, backs accounted for just 34 catches -- only 10 percent of the team’s receptions.

Ballard led the group with 17, including the one he turned into that catch and run twisting TD at LP Field for that 19-13 win over the Titans.

He could be featured in a much bigger way in the revised passing game.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

In a radio interview, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips offered a bit about the health status of linebackers Brooks Reed and Daryl Sharpton, says Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans added Deji Karim to their roster, and he will compete with four undrafted rookies for the No. 3 running back job, says Ganguli.

A detailed, technical look at D.J. Swearinger’s coverage techniques and capabilities that delves into shuffle vs. backpedal, from Brett Kollmann of Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts

An update on the Colts and the salary cap from Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

There is no discernable disconnect between Chuck Pagano and Pep Hamilton with regard to using Andrew Luck in read-option situations, says Kyle Rodriguez of Colts Authority. There is an old video of a Hamilton interview that was interpreted as new in one write-up, causing some confusion.

Projecting the impact of draft picks with Tyler Brooke of Stampede Blue.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Veteran safety Dwight Lowery is already doing a lot to help his rookie partner, Johnathan Cyprien, find his way on the field, says Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Justin Blackmon is responding to Gus Bradley just the way Bradley hopes he will, says Vito Stellino of the Times-Union.

Undrafted quarterback Jordan Rodgers is out until training camp after having a sports hernia repaired, says Stellino.

Details on what unfolded for Jimmy Smith and landed him in jail, from Stellino.

The Jaguars claimed former Patriots defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick off waivers, says O’Halloran.

Tennessee Titans

Bernard Pollard brings encouraging words to a defense desperately in need of an edge, says David Climer of The Tennessean.

“The Titans waived tackle Matt Sewell, one of two undrafted free agents from Canada on the team’s roster, The Tennessean reports. “The move came with a transaction wire notation that Sewell had left the team.”

What’s the future hold for Karl Klug at a more competitive defensive tackle spot? John Glennon of The Tennessean considers.

To which I say: I don’t see Klug getting a look outside. As Glennon points out, Klug’s best characteristics make him best operating in tight quarters, not out in space.

Some thoughts on Lavelle Hawkins signing with the Patriots from Mike Rodak and Mike Reiss at ESPN Boston. I contributed.

Today, I set out to sketch out a list of the 10 most competitive position groups in the AFC South.

Putting them in order was more difficult than coming up with the list, but after some juggling, I feel pretty good about what’s below. I’m sure you’ll offer me input on what’s out of order, shouldn’t be included or should be.

The more overall uncertainty and the less sure we are of a starter or starters right now, the higher I ranked a spot.

10. Jaguars quarterbacks -- Blaine Gabbert would really have to blow this opportunity and Chad Henne would really have to have a good camp for Gabbert not to be the opening-day starter, I believe. Undrafted rookie Matt Scott could make the team as a third option, and if things go poorly for the veterans and the rookie shows well, he could get a chance at some point.

9. Titans interior offensive line -- Michael Roos is a lock at left tackle, Andy Levitre is a lock at left guard and Chance Warmack is a lock at right guard. David Stewart should be the starter at right tackle, though he’s coming off a broken leg and has a bad ankle. Center could be a good battle between fourth-round draft pick Brian Schwenke and Fernando Velasco. There will be huge battles for the interior backup slot(s), where the Titans loaded up with Rob Turner and Chris Spencer. (If they signed Eric Winston to fight with Stewart, this position would move up some.)

8. Titans defensive tackles -- Sammie Hill and Jurrell Casey are locks, and Mike Martin should rank third. If they keep five, who are the other two out of Karl Klug, Antonio Johnson, DaJohn Harris and Zach Clayton? Ropati Pitoitua is an end, but comes from a 3-4 in Kansas City and will also get a look inside, so he could factor in here, too.

7. Texans right side of offensive line -- I think they would have been fine sticking with Derek Newton, but he’s not healthy. He had major knee surgery and offensive line coach John Benton said during the draft that Newton’s status is up in the air. Enter Brennan Williams, a third-round pick out of UNC that the Texans feel could be fine as the starter. At right guard, Brandon Brooks could displace Ben Jones in a potentially nice battle of second-year players.

6. Titans wide receivers -- Nate Washington got himself in the doghouse with his work late last year, and he’s pricey. But it would be hard for the team to part with him yet as the Titans are an injury away from potential depth issues. If second-round pick Justin Hunter takes off early, he could start ahead of Washington at Z opposite Kenny Britt at X. Kendall Wright is the primary slot guy. Also in the mix for snaps: Damian Williams, Kevin Walter and maybe even Michael Preston.

5. Colts offensive line -- Anthony Castonzo is the left tackle, Gosder Cherilus is the right tackle. The three spots in between them and the depth will see a lot of competition. Donald Thomas should win a guard spot and I’d think third-rounder Hugh Thornton could as well. They will battle with incumbent left guard Joe Reitz and incumbent right guard Mike McGlynn. Fourth-rounder Khalid Holmes could push Samson Satele out of the center spot.

4. Colts inside linebackers -- If Jerrell Freeman is as good as he was last season, he’s certain to start. A healthy Pat Angerer should make a strong bid to retake his old job, but the competition could be really good with Kavell Conner trying to stay in the lineup and newcomer Kelvin Sheppard in the mix as well.

3. Texans linebackers -- Rookies Sam Montgomery and Trevardo Williams have a chance to win the strongside linebacking spot, which would mean Brooks Reed moves inside. Or Reed could stay on the strongside setting up Darryl Sharpton vs. Tim Dobbins to slug it out for the Mike spot inside next to Brian Cushing. This will be a good one to monitor for sure. The injury histories of Sharpton and Dobbins could be at play. Can they both stay on the field for their reps to compete?

2. Colts nose tackle -- What a revamp the Colts have put together here. The guys who can play inside were limited last year. Now there are plenty: His knee healed, Josh Chapman is the favorite at nose tackle right now. Also available are Aubrayo Franklin, rookie Montori Hughes, Brandon McKinney (once healthy) and versatile veteran Ricky Jean Francois, who can play inside or out.

1. Jaguars cornerbacks -- This gets the top slot because there is the most uncertainty. I don’t have much faith in Alan Ball based on what he did with his chances in Houston last year. Mike Harris has one year of experience, playing some as the team’s nickel. Dwayne Gratz should be a starter. There is room for seventh-rounders Jeremy Harris and Demetrius McCray to carve out roles. [UPDATE: Apologies for initially forgetting Marcus Trufant, the recent veteran addition. If he's competing for much more than nickelback, the team's got even bigger secondary issues than feared.]

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans


Texans rookie safety D.J. Swearinger moonlights as a rapper, says John Brannen of the Houston Chronicle.

The war of words over an engagement ring that Mario Williams wants back has escalated, says David Barron of the Chronicle.

Despite the rave reviews they offered about him during his rookie camp audition, the Texans didn’t offer Collin Klein a contract, says Tania Ganguli.

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas thinks the Colts are going to take a step back, says the Indy Star.

At least publicly, Chuck Pagano and Pep Hamilton don’t appear to be on the same page about Andrew Luck running some read-option, says Brad Wells of Stampede Blue.

To which I say: I’ll believe they intend to use any when I see it. I think Hamilton’s getting it out there so defenses put it on their lists of things they have to consider when preparing for Indianapolis.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars found iPads in their lockers Monday when they started OTAs, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. It’s the way the league is moving, and the team will be able to get information like film and notes about practice to players more quickly.

“(Jimmy) Smith is one of the top three players in team history, but there was plenty of legitimate suspicion that he spent his last NFL years in denial about his addictions. His post-football life certainly confirms that. What (Justin) Blackmon needs to see is a mug shot of Smith, with a stern reminder that that can be him in 10 years if he's not careful.” Gene Frenette’s column from the Times-Union.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have two Canadians -- offensive tackle Matt Sewell and defensive tackle Stefan Charles -- on their roster fighting for a chance, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

A familiar face is back in Nashville, and Antonio Johnson is now part of the Titans’ roster makeover, says Wyatt.

Antonio Johnson gave the Indianapolis Colts almost five solid years of service.

Originally a fifth-round pick by the Titans out of Mississippi State in 2007, Bill Polian reluctantly signed him off Tennessee’s practice squad when the Colts were thinned out to a ridiculous degree by injuries to the interior defensive line in 2008.

Polian rarely signed guys off other team’s practice squads. Though, it’s a perfectly legal way of adding a player, Polian felt it qualified as “poaching.”

Johnson played in 67 games with 46 starts for Indianapolis. Though, he’s much more a 4-3 defensive tackle than a 3-4 nose tackle, he played the nose for the Colts last year in the first season of the transition to the three-man line under Chuck Pagano.

He got to free agency this year and the Colts weren’t interested in re-signing him as they’ve got Josh Chapman and Brandon McKinney set to return from injuries. Chapman’s been playing the nose so far in offseason work, which McKinney is set to be ready for camp. The Colts also added veteran run stopper Aubrayo Franklin and draft pick Montori Hughes.

They will be much better manned with 3-4 personnel in Pagano’s second season.

So Johnson has come full circle, signing to re-join the Titans who continue to add people and create competition. Sammie Hill and Jurrell Casey are certain to be on the team. I can't imagine Mike Martin not sticking. The defensive tackles beyond them will be in a dogfight for roster spots and roles.

That group now includes Karl Klug, DaJohn Harris, Zach Clayton and Johnson.

The Titans finished 2012 with five defensive tackles on their roster.

Like offensive line and receiver, defensive tackle is going to be a very interesting position to watch shake out.

Three of the four teams in the AFC South are coming off weekend minicamps for their rookies. It's a time of year when virtually everything that comes out is positive. The teams had different levels of media availability. But as best we can, we’ll review the primary players and themes out of those camps today. Next up, the Indianapolis Colts.

Contract status:

Six of seven draft picks were already signed as minicamp started, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star. The only exception was first-round outside linebacker Bjoern Werner. The new CBA means negotiations on these deals are relatively simple. It's got to be nice for the club to get things over with.

The first-rounder:

Chuck Pagano saw just what he expected from Werner: “He’s got great first-step explosion. You see him running around here doing some things, things we saw on tape. Up close and personal now, it’s even more impressive.” Chappell’s story.

From George Bremer of the (Anderson) Herald Bulletin: “One thing that might stand out initially for many fans is Werner’s stance. When he lines up tight to the line of scrimmage as a defensive end in four-man fronts, he eschews the three-point stance favored by many NFL pass rushers in favor of a four-point stance with both hands in the ground.”

Compelling story:

Third-round guard Hugh Thornton endured the murder of his mother and his sister when he was a child, asleep in another room in the family’s Jamaican home, says Chappell. Thornton is a guy plenty of people will be rooting for considering his background.

Longshot:

“(Jeremy) Kelley played a full season with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Canadian Football League and about half a season with the Arena Football League’s Utah Blaze. Now the receiver is the latest minor leaguer the Colts are giving a chance, says Bremer.

Big finish:

The final play of rookie minicamp mimicked the last-play scenario of the Colts' 2012 victory over Detroit -- and the Colts kids found a way to score a winning touchdown, again. Chappell runs through it.

Opportunity:

The Colts’ ability to hit on so many productive rookies in 2012 and add several veteran free agents this offseason should mean they’re less reliant on newcomers in '13. "That doesn’t mean to say some of these guys that we drafted or any of the tryout guys or college free agents can’t come in and contribute in some capacity, especially on special teams," Pagano said. "With what we did in free agency, there’s not that many holes to fill. That’s means you’re getting closer from a roster standpoint and team standpoint to where you want to be."

First work:

New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and new special teams coordinator Tom McMahon got a chance for some important on-field work just like the rookies, says Tom James of the Tribune-Star.

Local ties:

Three players with local ties -- Michael Josifovski, Nick Driskill, Jordan Bright -- were among the 13 who were at minicamp on a tryout basis, says Chappell.

Day by day:

Craig Kelley of the team’s website followed camp day-by-day: Day One, Day Two, Day Three.

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

Who is one highly drafted or highly paid player from each AFC South team who needs to show something during the remainder of the offseason?

Houston Texans: I can’t find a highly paid or highly drafted player who could be in jeopardy. Shiloh Keo was a fifth-round draft pick in 2011 and ranked as a Wade Phillips favorite. Keo played in every game last year, even seeing time as the often-used third safety when Quintin Demps fell out of favor. But Keo is limited, primarily because he’s slow. The Texans replaced Glover Quin with Ed Reed, which doesn’t really affect the bottom of the safety depth chart. Demps is an unsigned free agent who won’t be back. Second-round pick D.J. Swearinger will be the third safety. Keo and Eddie Pleasant are the fourth and fifth safeties now, and the team had five on the roster at the end of last season. But a good player at the back end of another position could prompt them to keep just four, which could put the limited Keo in jeopardy if he doesn’t perform well in camp.

Indianapolis Colts: A team that didn’t have a true nose tackle option last season because of injuries and personnel deficiencies will have a glut this summer if everyone remains healthy. Now they have Aubrayo Franklin and 2012 fifth-rounder Josh Chapman, who’s back from the knee injury that kept him out last year. They also have new fifth-round draft pick Montori Hughes as well as Ricky Jean Francois, a versatile lineman who can man the middle on occasion. I don’t expect Martin Tevaseu to stick, and if the rest of that pack remains healthy, one player who will need to have a solid camp to make his case to stay is Brandon McKinney, who’s due $1 million this year. Brought in as a free agent from Baltimore last year, he too is coming off a serious knee injury. He’s expected to be ready for camp but could have already lost some ground in organized team activities and minicamp.

Jacksonville Jaguars: While the Texans don’t have a highly paid or highly drafted veteran who could be in trouble because they have drafted well and their roster is solid, the Jaguars don’t really have one because they are young and largely unproven. They already parted with an expensive guy who wasn’t worth his contract in strong safety Dawan Landry. Tight and Marcedes Lewis ($4.2 million base this year) and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu ($1.8 million) are overpaid based on recent production, but the Jaguars have money and don’t have promising replacements for either.

Tennessee Titans: I don’t think right tackle David Stewart is in jeopardy. But he’s coming off a down year when he committed too many penalties, is recovering from a broken leg, has an ankle that seems to be a lingering concern and is due a $5 million base salary. I’m not sure Mike Otto or Byron Stingily, the team’s two primary backup tackles, are starting-caliber guys. But the team did visit with free agent Eric Winston, who worked with offensive line coach Bruce Matthews in Houston. If Winston remains on the market and Stewart doesn’t look ready to bounce back, perhaps the Titans would still consider adding Winston and allowing him to slug it out with Stewart. That could be an epic battle.

Houston Texans

The team signed sixth-round draft pick Chris Jones, a nose tackle out of Bowling Green, reports the Houston Chronicle's Tania Ganguli.

J.J. Watt took to Twitter last night to dispel Internet rumors that he had been in a car accident and broken both of his legs.

Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com ranked his top 150 players for fantasy, and Arian Foster was surprising left out of the top six.

Indianapolis Colts

The team has six of its seven rookie draft choices under contract heading into this weekend's minicamp, reports the Indianapolis Star's Mike Chappell. The lone exception is first-round pick Bjoern Werner.

Chappell takes a closer look at third-round pick Hugh Thornton, who had to deal with the murder of his mother and sister when he was growing up.

Brad Wells of Stampede Blue isn't a fan of the trade that sent A.Q. Shipley to the Ravens for a 2014 conditional draft choice.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Are the Jaguars the most stable NFL franchise in Florida? (subscription required)

In his mailbag, John Oehser details how he expects the Jaguars will use fifth-round pick Denard Robinson.

Tennessee Titans

A video report from Baptist Sports Park as rookies report for minicamp.

The Titans' secondary may employ a pressing, more aggressive style this season, writes The Tennessean's John Glennon. “Overall this year as a defense, we’ll have a little bit more of an aggressive mentality,” cornerback Jason McCourty said. “I think part of that for us as cornerbacks will be getting up at the line of scrimmage and pressing, getting our hands on the wide receivers."

The team shook things up at the running back position, waiving Jamie Harper and signing free agent Jalen Parmele.

The chat transcript just came in.

I think you'll really love it.

Among the topics we covered:

• Kenny Britt.
• The A.Q. Shipley trade.
• The Jaguars' linebackers.
• The gap between the Titans and Jaguars.
• The division's overrated and underrated players.
• The Texans' linebackers and sub packages.
• The Colts at nose tackle.
• Ranking the front offices.

All that and more can be yours just by clicking here.

It seems to me some Indianapolis Colts fans are reacting more strongly to the team dealing away center A.Q. Shipley than I believe is warranted.

Yes, Shipley was better in his five starts last season than Samson Satele was.

Satele got a three-year, $10.8 million deal from the Colts last year with $4 million guaranteed and a $3.2 million signing bonus. He’s due a $2.7 million base salary this year.

Ryan Grigson won NFL executive of the year for his rookie season as Colts GM. The Satele move was one that didn’t pan out.

Perhaps he’ll be far better in his second season. But Grigson used a fourth-round draft pick on USC’s Khaled Holmes, a center. If the Colts don’t look for Holmes to start right away, they surely expect him to start by 2014.

The Colts don’t need three centers, so dealing Shipley for a conditional pick -- we don’t know what it can be -- is completely reasonable. Being better than Satele last year wasn’t some giant achievement. I don’t mean that to demean Shipley -- I respect the work he did.

But if the Colts don’t view him as a long-term piece of the franchise, it’s smart to get something for a guy who may not have made it out of training camp.

Shipley was a seventh-round pick by the Steelers in 2009 and spent time on their practice squad before he moved to the Eagles in 2010 when he was also a practice squader.

He was out of the league in 2011 before the Colts picked him up in late January 2012.

Now he may factor in the Ravens' plans while Indianapolis looks to pave a path for Holmes.

It's time for our weekly chat.

Starting at noon ET and for the next hour we will delve into anything you like pertaining to the AFC South or anything else you might bring up that catches my eye.

It's always a fast hour and I strive to distract you from work.

So please head here and join in.