ESPN NFL

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

If the Texans truly are the real deal, Bob McNair will deserve all kinds of credit for staying the course with Gary Kubiak and seeing a larger picture, writes Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. He believed in Kubiak when almost no one else did.

The Texans have surrendered only 2,466 yards, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Through nine games last season, they had allowed 3,687. That's an improvement of 33 percent.

Indianapolis Colts

As the Colts sink deeper, it’s misery revisited for Dan Orlovsky, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

The Colts signed blocking tight end Anthony Hill, a one-time Texans draft pick, says Chappell. We don’t know the corresponding roster move yet, but it could be Dallas Clark or Brody Eldridge to IR.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars' new wide receiver, Brian Robiskie, is convinced he can be great in the right situation, writes Vito Stellino of the Times-Union.

Gene Smith names Paul Posluszny, Maurice Jones-Drew and Josh Scobee as team MVPs to this point, says Tania Ganguli of the T-U.

Tennessee Titans

Mike Munchak says Matt Hasselbeck is his man and there is no plan to turn to Jake Locker, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

The Titans are preparing for their second rookie quarterback in a row, but Cam Newton is a lot different than Andy Dalton, says Wyatt.

A running list of Saturday cuts around the AFC South so far, per reports from people in the know…

Houston

• LB Xavier Adibi
• WR Dorin Dickerson
• DE Damione Lewis
• TE Anthony Hill

Indianapolis

• DT Tommie Harris
• DT Ricardo Matthews
• TE Michael Matthews
• WR Taj Smith
• DE John Chick
• QB Dan Orlovsky
• LB Kerry Neal
• G Kyle DeVan
• RB Javarris James
• P Travis Baltz

Jacksonville

• OT Daniel Baldridge
• DE Larry Hart
• DL Andrew Lewis
• CB Terrence Wheatley
• CB Jalil Johnson
• LB Mike Lockley

Tennessee

• WR Justin Gage
• DE Jacob Ford
• S Vincent Fuller
• S Robert Johnson
• OT Adam Terry

HOUSTON -- Yes, they brought in a top-flight defensive coordinator, drafted well and signed some good-looking free agents.

Still, the Texans have been the breakout pick so often in recent years and have come up short that it’s completely fair to ask, even with those changes: Why should people believe? Why should they buy this team?

“I couldn’t sell it to anybody,” said Chris Myers, the team’s underrated center. “We’re doing what we do here in camp. If you’re a Texans fan, you’re a Texans fan. Our offense is the same offense that we’ve had and we’re going to try to make it better. Our defense has brought in who we think can change it, take it in the right direction and make us that complete team.

“That’s the pitch. If you’re going to buy it, you’re going to buy it. If not, we’re still rolling.”

To find their way to the playoffs for the first time since the franchise began play in 2002, the Texans need to find the consistency they’ve lacked on many levels -- start to finish in a game, week to week over the course of the season.

That new defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, has a great record of turning defenses around. Gary Kubiak carries questions as a head coach, but not as an offensive mind.

It’s a now or never deal for Kubiak, and he’s got a lot of talent on his roster that knows it.

Receiver Andre Johnson, one of the league’s top players, says the team’s spent the past few preseasons talking about breaking through. This time he wants less talk and more action.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1) How quickly can Phillips shape the defense?

He's coming off a poor term as head coach in Dallas, but his track record as a coordinator is excellent.

Players on the Texans' defense say he’s funny, yet pointed. He’s already infused the group with confidence, and he quickly identified things that amounted to easy fixes. Mario Williams’ false step should disappear, for example, and Kareem Jackson is unlikely to be seen in press coverages.

“Wade Phillips and [linebackers coach Reggie Herring] have brought a credibility and a confidence to the system that they run,” said end-turned-outside-linebacker Connor Barwin. “I feel like it carries over to us. You know if you do what you’re coached up to do that it’s going to work.”

The change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 isn’t as extreme as some imagine, because Phillips’ 3-4 doesn’t demand a gigantic space-eating nose tackle, and it doesn’t ask linemen to be responsible for two gaps. The linemen are really playing roles akin to what they did in the previous system, with Williams now standing up as an on-the-line 'backer on the weak side.

Creating that matchup as often as possible is key, and Williams should be the centerpiece of the retooling.

Though Williams didn’t look comfortable in the preseason opener, end Antonio Smith thinks offenses will really struggle with Williams and his bull rush.

“It has not been stopped in camp yet,” Smith said. “Since he decided to do it, I ain’t seem him lose. You know what you need to do to beat a person. I think that throughout this camp, he’s figuring out how to use that. He’s added it into his bag of tricks and he’s going to figure out how to use it along with his other moves.”

Matt Schaub and Johnson have both talked about how many more balls are contested and broken up in a typical practice. That difference suggests the new philosophy’s growing on a unit that’s needed not just players like Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning but also the sort of direction Phillips is providing.

2) Will Arian Foster be able to have another big season on the ground?

It wasn’t long ago that Steve Slaton ran for 1,282 yards. He’s disappeared since the 2008 season, however.

Foster said that what he did over 16 games last season proved him capable and that the notion of a fluke is ridiculous. But for the Texans’ offense to get better, he’ll have to follow up his 1,616-yard season and rushing title with another big showing.

“When you come out and have a season like that, then everybody wants to see what you’re going to do the next season,” Johnson said. “I think that is important for him, to come out and show people that he is the guy that he was last year.

“I think he’ll do it, there is no doubt in my mind. Because he works hard and he plays with a chip on his shoulder.”

Houston’s play-action can be spectacular with Foster running as he did in 2010. His style is perfectly suited for the team’s blocking scheme, which encourages him to cut once and take all he can get.

Another big year will go a long way toward setting the Texans’ course.

3) Do enough guys have killer instinct?

The Texans' slow starts and inability to finish were major issues last season. Better personnel and coaching will need to be accompanied by a killer instinct this franchise has too frequently lacked.

“You could put it that way,” tight end Owen Daniels said. “There’s definitely never been a lack of effort. I think it’s been missed opportunities at finishing games. ... We need to find something different this year in order to close out those games.”

A guy like Johnson, soft-spoken but intense, certainly has a personality you can win with. But are the Texans, in total, too low-key? I think it’s a fair question.

“You’ve got to have that [killer instinct],” said Manning, one of the key newcomers. “... If you believe, all this other stuff is going to come into play: working together, supporting your man, pushing him, making him work hard, holding him accountable. All that stuff goes hand in hand. I’ve never seen a championship team that didn’t believe, that didn’t finish.”

BIGGEST SURPRISE

When they grabbed him during the 2010 season, I don’t think the Texans expected much from veteran cornerback Jason Allen. But the secondary was better with him than it was without him. Now, with a fresh start, he’s mounting a serious challenge to Jackson, the 2010 first-round draft pick. The team would be well served to go with Allen if things come out roughly even. Jackson’s seasoning would be better for now as a role player.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Antwaun Molden looks the part as a 6-foot-1, 200-pound corner. But the team has finally stopped talking up the fourth-year man from Eastern Kentucky. He’s not sturdy enough and doesn’t show enough gumption to be a factor in a group where he’s had a chance to add some depth. He had an interception in the preseason opener, but only after he committed a penalty that washed it away.

OBSERVATION DECK

• Joel Dreessen is consistently underrated. Dreessen can block and, while not as dynamic as Daniels, has a knack for finding open spaces and presenting himself to Schaub. The Texans have a lot of quality tight ends. Look for the team to put three tight ends on the field at times, when they can operate as a heavy package or shift Daniels, Dreessen, James Casey or Garrett Graham into space, depending on the defensive personnel. Anthony Hill is the blocker of the bunch.
• After facing questions about durability, Schaub’s played two full seasons. Now the questions are about play in the clutch. He needs to eliminate moments like the one when he threw an overtime pick-six against Baltimore last season.
• I expect the Texans to look closely at receivers when the league cuts down rosters. Dorin Dickerson currently looks to be fourth in line, but I saw him fighting some passes in practices and he’s still relatively new to the position. Jeff Maehl heads the undrafted group but didn’t look great, either. Receiver depth is an issue.
• Inside linebacker Darryl Sharpton could be the best non-starter on the roster come opening day. He’s in a tough spot behind DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing, though injuries are often in play with Cushing.
• Myers is a key cog in making the Texans’ offensive line work, and he could be taking his place right alongside Jeff Saturday as an indispensable center in the division.
• The team could be an injury away from trouble at end and safety.
• Trindon Holliday’s speed is not enough for him to overcome his size as even a situational receiver. Plus, he seems easily hurt. The return jobs are open if the team wants to avoid using Jacoby Jones as the punt returner and Manning as the kick returner.
• Undrafted rookie Brett Hartmann beating out veteran punter Brad Maynard is a definite possibility.
• Count me among those not convinced that Matt Leinart can’t play. If this team needs a few spots starts, I bet he can do OK. One of the NFL’s quarterback-needy teams was foolish not to add Leinart to the mix. He’s better than a lot of guys with a chance to start some games this season.
• Lawrence Vickers is better equipped to work as the fullback than Casey, and he should get far more frequent opportunities to lead the way for Foster.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

Ben Tate’s future is in flux, says Jerome Solomon.

Anthony Hill wants to be the primary blocking tight end, says Craig Malveaux.

Johnathan Joseph has a groin injury and without him there was quickly a leadership void, says John McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

Rookie linemen Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana are ready for their first tests, says Mike Chappell.

Don’t tell the backup quarterbacks these games are meaningless, says Chappell.

What to watch for in Colts-Rams, from Phillip B. Wilson. (Video.)

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars stuck to their plan in the loss at New England and the plan meant a lot of time for the guys at the back of the roster, says Vito Stellino.

Updating the status of David Garrard and Luke McCown, from Tania Ganguli.

Matt Turk’s not worried about a wobbly debut, says Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

Jake Locker is making strides with his accuracy, says Jim Wyatt.

Previewing Titans-Vikings.

Every team in the league has some sort of blind spot when it schemes to the draft: A position it can’t resist or won’t touch, a spot where there is always need, a round that’s an extra high hurdle.

Today we’ll strive to examine one biggie for each team.

Houston Texans -- Tight ends

Gary Kubiak and GM Rick Smith love tight ends.

Despite having Owen Daniels on the roster and an effective backup in Joel Dreessen, the team has appeared tight-end obsessed. Yes, Daniels was hurt in 2009 and his contract was scheduled to expire this offseason. (He’s healed up and re-signed.) Even if they planned on losing him, where did they expect to fit Anthony Hill (fourth round, 2009), James Casey (fifth round, 2009) and Garrett Graham (fourth round, 2010)?

Maybe all those tight ends are part of the reason All-Pro fullback Vonta Leach recently tweeted about not being in the Texans' plans. Maybe they are looking for room to run more two-tight sets.

The lesson: You can’t get more than two tight ends on the field with any regularity and the team has five. So no matter how attractive a tight end is to the Texans in this draft, they should steer clear.

With the draft fast approaching, we’ve talked a lot about needs.

So I thought we’d take a second to talk about non-needs.

What’s the one spot where each team in the AFC South doesn’t really need help? A spot where they could see a great player early and think, “Our best move here is to trade down?”

Anything goes in the later rounds, of course. See a value at a spot where you’re loaded and you’re more likely to take a chance on him anyway.

Here are my preliminary thoughts, which I may revise with a second post depending on the commentary you offer.

Houston Texans -- Tight end

The Texans re-signed Owen Daniels, have gotten a good contribution from Joel Dreessen, and in the last two years have drafted Anthony Hill, James Casey and Garrett Graham. A late-round project would have a tough time even making the practice squad. I’d think the Texans would be better served looking virtually anywhere else.

Indianapolis Colts -- Quarterback

The question comes consistently to the AFC South mailbag: Is it time for the Colts to draft Manning’s eventual successor and to upgrade in case he gets hurt? The answer to the first part is a definite no. Manning will play long enough that a 2010 draft pick could be a free agent by the time the team had a need. And philosophically they just aren’t worried about Manning going down.

Jacksonville Jaguars -- Running back

I don’t know that Rashad Jennings and Deji Karim are locks as productive second- and third-options behind workhorse running back Maurice Jones-Drew. But with fullback Greg Jones also capable of carrying the ball, it would seem the Jaguars don’t need help at the spot, especially given the help they can use at so many other spots.

Tennessee Titans -- Cornerback

This is a stretch. The Titans have a good young group of corners, but they certainly could benefit from a big-time addition and can upgrade the group and the depth. But the only other spot I considered was offensive line, where new coach Mike Munchak is happier with the interior than most observers. I expect the Titans will likely draft at both spots, at least for depth.

HOUSTON -- Greetings from Reliant Stadium where we’ll have a closed roof Monday night.

So that you are not alarmed when they take the field on your TV, here’s a public service announcement. It’s Battle Red Day, which means the Texans will be in head-to-toe red uniforms. They look good when they win in them.

As far as altering any national perception, a good performance by the Texans will get dented as the New York and Minneapolis markets will likely be watching the rescheduled Giants-Vikings game from Detroit. People with the full NFL package on DirecTV will also be able to flip between the games.

The Texans have Owen Daniels active, but will start Joel Dreessen at tight end. The Ravens have Todd Heap inactive and will start Ed Dickson at tight end.

Be sure to join our Monday Night Live chat.

Inactives:

Texans: QB Matt Leinart, WR Dorin Dickerson, CB Brice McCain, S Quintin Demps, G Kasey Studdard, G Shelley Smith, TE Anthony Hill, TE Garrett Graham.

Ravens: CB Fabian Washington, FB Jason McKie, ILB Jason Phillips, ILB Daniel Ellerbe, DT Arthur Jones, OL Bryan Mattison, TE Todd Heap, DT Lamar Divens.

Check here for a full list of Houston’s roster moves.

Biggest surprises: At times, the Texans touted running backs Jeremiah Johnson and Chris Henry. But they are both gone now, Johnson likely due at least in part to a toe injury. Veteran Derrick Ward gets the last running back spot, and the Texans will move forward with Arian Foster, Steve Slaton and Ward as they look for a big jump from their running game. Another player that got some early hype from Gary Kubiak, defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard, didn’t stick.

No-brainers: Considering quality and draft status ahead of them, low-ranking depth chart guys were easy choices for the waiver wire: Receivers Bobby Williams and Derrick Townsel, offensive tackles Steve Maneri, Brett Helms and Cole Pemberton, defensive tackle Mitch Unrein, linebacker Will Patterson and cornerback Mark Parson. Perhaps we will see a few of them who did OK resurface on the practice squad.

What’s next: With the running back issue resolved, the Texans might not have too much waiver-wire surfing to do. They could upgrade over Jesse Nading at their final end spot. While they are quite young with their five cornerbacks, they seemed committed to them all, at least right now. While they put Kris Brown and Andre Davis on IR and Anthony Hill on PUP, they did not announce Brian Cushing is on the suspended-reserve list. So they might still be in line to gain one roster spot.

» NFC On the Radar: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A player, coach or issue that should be on your radar as training camp approaches.

HOUSTON -- When the Texans drafted Dorin Dickerson in the seventh round with the 227th overall pick, many people immediately questioned why they would take yet another tight end after James Casey and Anthony Hill last year and Garrett Graham three rounds earlier.

But Houston quickly said Dickerson would be a receiver, not a tight end, in the NFL. He certainly looks well cast in the part at Texans OTAs.

At 6 foot 2, 230 pounds he’s about Andre Johnson’s size. Dickerson was productive at Pitt with 10 touchdown catches last season.

While he could have opportunities to produce on special teams, he also might be positioned to be a developmental guy. Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones and David Anderson are assured of spots ahead of him and those four accounted for 97.3 percent of receiver catches for the team last season. (Andre Davis had six, but worked as the primary kickoff return man.)

Davis could be in jeopardy now, as Jones or seventh-rounder Trindon Holliday should be better as kick returners. Dickerson could offer more long-term upside as a receiver.

The team carried six wide receivers last year.

If Holliday can be a reliable returner and he and Dickerson show potential, they could bump Glenn Martinez and Davis off the roster. The team would have to have enough confidence in one of them to step in and see some action on offense if one of the top four receivers gets hurt.

We have to go quick rather than comprehensive this morning ...

Houston Texans

Joel Dreessen’s getting a lot of opportunity as Owen Daniels and Anthony Hill recover, says Jordan Godwin.

Indianapolis Colts

In the end, Robert Mathis will wind up playing under his current contract, says John Oehser.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The team website talks with intriguing rookie running back Deji Karim.

Tennessee Titans

Does a smart draft class indicate anything about potential for success? John Glennon looks at the Titans and attempts to answer the question.

I'm not going to lie to you. I misunderstood a Saturday assignment and initially, instead of filling these categories with just one selection for the whole division, I did one per team.

And so, after another run through, I present to you a broader look at the AFC South's drafting.

Houston Texans

Best move: The Colts didn't touch their their return man issues until taking cornerback Ray Fisher in the seventh round. The Titans convinced themselves they can get both receiver and return contributions from Damian Williams and Marc Mariani. But the Texans, already more threatening when fielding kicks and punts, jumped at Trindon Holliday from LSU in the sixth-round. He’s tiny at 5-5 and 169 pounds, but he could earn a few touches on offense and is the sort of special teams player the rest of the AFC South could wind up chasing all over the field.

Riskiest move: A lot of people expected them to take running back Toby Gerhart in the second round, but they made two trades to drop down eight slots and went with Auburn’s Ben Tate instead. Those two will likely be measured against each other for a good while and the Texans really need to have nailed it.

Most surprising move: See earlier post.

File it away: Fourth-rounder Garrett Graham out of Wisconsin and seventh-rounder Dorin Dickerson out of Pitt could be part insurance plan, part plan for 2011 and beyond. Owen Daniels is a world-class pass catcher. But he’s coming off his third ACL tear and is a restricted free agent seeking a big contract. They drafted a blocking tight end last year in Anthony Hill and a receiving tight end in James Casey and still took two in nine picks in this draft.

Indianapolis Colts

Best move: See earlier post.

Riskiest move: Bill Polian didn’t fare real well with two recent second-round picks on the offensive line (Tony Ugoh, Mike Pollak), so he went back to what’s worked better. The Colts took Tennessee guard Jacques McClendon in the fourth round (No. 129), where they’ve landed Ryan Diem and Jake Scott a little deeper in the team’s past. He didn’t register on some other teams’ radar at the same level. Polian said it was a weak tackle group after the top guys.

Most surprising move: Many probably didn’t list tight end as any sort of need considering the team has Dallas Clark, Gijon Robinson, Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi on the roster. But Robinson’s not been as consistent a help in run blocking as they need and Santi’s been hurt too much. Enter fifth-rounder Brody Eldridge from Oklahoma, who’s 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds. I love this pick and the thinking behind it.

File it away: Polian opened the door, at least a little, for cornerback Jerraud Powers to be involved in the return games. Polian said a return specialist was a luxury they’re not convinced was necessary and one they won’t lose sleep over missing out on. But are they pushing it asking Peyton Manning to drive the offense so far so often? Fisher might be a big piece in the equation now too.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Best move: I like the trade for Oakland linebacker Kirk Morrison, a tackling machine. He may not be super-sturdy against the run, but with the Jags’ emphasis on defensive tackles he should get some room to work. Morrison has a reputation as a good guy and a good leader, and the Jaguars are trying to fill their locker room with both.

Riskiest move: See earlier post.

Most surprising move: A second defensive tackle in the second round. D’Anthony Smith came on the heels of No. 10 pick Tyson Alualu and last year’s third-rounder Terrance Knighton. Gene Smith is a foundation builder with a deep pool of defensive tackles and the picks meant the Jaguars parted with John Henderson on Monday.

File it away: Gene Smith’s getting hit for not trading down in the first or third round before grabbing Alualu or Smith, but he was a capable trader. He got a fifth-rounder from Oakland recently for failed second-round end Quentin Groves and pulled off a trade with the Raiders for Morrison during the fourth round.

Tennessee Titans

Best move: See earlier post.

Riskiest move: Not taking a corner before the fourth round and 103rd pick. Alterraun Verner sounds like a good prospect, but he’ll be part of a five-person competition for the starting job opposite Cortland Finnegan. There is some safety in numbers. There is a bit more safety in having a clear-cut front runner for such a crucial spot.

Most surprising move: I thought they’d take a quarterback in the middle or late rounds. I didn’t expect it would be Florida Atlantic’s first draftee, Rusty Smith. Mike Heimerdinger will have a chance to develop a guy they’ve characterized as a true pocket passer, and may be lining themselves up with an alternative if Vince Young doesn’t pass the final audition of his rookie contract this season.

File it away: See earlier post.

Some post-draft notes from the Texans:

[+] Enlarge
John Reed/US PresswireThe Texans used the 58th overall choice on Ben Tate, the highest pick used on a tailback in team history.
• Ben Tate, chosen 58th overall, was the highest pick in team history used on a running back. The previous high was in 2005 when Houston picked RB Vernand Morency out of Oklahoma State in the third round with the 73rd overall pick. Tate became the sixth running back drafted by the Texans.
• Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison was asked about Tate’s patience and vision as a runner: “His skills as a runner are good. He was asked to be in a spread formation, which is a little bit different from what we’re going to ask. Most of the tight zones will be similar to him because that’s all you can really do from the spread gun. The wide zones will take a little bit of an adjustment with his running skill I think. With time and working, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
• Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, Houston’s third-round draft choice (81st overall), grew up in Galena Park outside of Houston and went to North Shore High School. Mitchell is the 12th Texans draft pick who grew up in Texas and the sixth since head coach Gary Kubiak was hired in 2006. Three players from 2009 had Texas roots: James Casey, Anthony Hill and Brice McCain.
• Guard Shelley Smith, the first of two sixth-round picks (187th overall), played collegiately at Colorado State. Smith becomes the fifth former Ram on the Texans roster, joining receiver David Anderson, guard Mike Brisiel, Joel Dreessen and defensive end Jesse Nading.
• Kubiak on seventh-rounder Dorin Dickerson: “He’s got 43 1/2-inch vertical and he runs a 4.5 so he’s got a chance to be a big receiver, and we’re going to line him up behind Andre [Johnson] and he’s going to learn from the best. We’ve got a long way to come with him, but he’s going to be a great project for us.”
• Kubiak on the health of his tight ends: “Owen [Daniels] will be coming back and he is ahead of schedule from what I understand in his rehab process. He learned how to rehab that injury. I have a lot of confidence that he will be back and will be fine. Anthony Hill had knee surgery as well and Joel Dreessen had a couple of surgeries. We expect those guys to be back, but we also want to continue to get better and when there is an opportunity to improve your football team you figure out a way to get good football players out on the field. That’s our philosophy and that’s why we acquired the players that we have.”
• Kubiak on plans for Trindon Holliday: “We think we have a returner that can change the field for us. As punt and kick returner we think he could do wonders for our football team. I think we could teach him the back position and certain wide out positions.”
• GM Rick Smith on filling needs: “I think in a lot of respects we filled some needs. The way I approach the offseason, I don’t think you can always fill every need that you have and I think it’s unrealistic to think that you do. Because a lot of times you make mistakes if you try to reach or do something to fill every need. But I think we were successful at addressing the areas on our football team that we needed to improve and it is up to these guys to go out there and coach them up.”

The Texans have spent four picks on tight ends in the past two drafts.

They got Anthony Hill and James Casey last year, and took two more Sunday -- Garrett Graham in the fourth and Dorin Dickerson in the seventh.

“I’m a versatile H-back,” Dickerson said. “I could line up in different positions. I could line up in the back field and I could line up at tight end. You’ll see me moving around a lot in special teams. Anything the coaches ask me to do, I’m going to do. I’m going to try to compete and win.”

He’s going to line up at wide receiver, Gary Kubiak said later.

Let’s resist jumping to conclusions here.

But I think we can cautiously say that the Texans pick of Garrett Graham, the tight end from Wisconsin taken 118th overall, might be insurance for Owen Daniels.

Daniels, a restricted free agent in line for a big contract, is recovering from a torn ACL -- the third that he’s suffered.

The Texans drafted a blocking tight end, Anthony Hill, in the fourth round last year and James Casey, a versatile H-back-ish type in the fifth.

While the Texans did OK without Daniels in the second half of last season, he’s a dynamic force in that offense. If he’s unavailable or limited, a steady tight end who can move around and make easy catches for Matt Schaub is a big ingredient. Write-ups suggest that Graham could have the savvy to be that guy.

Keith Hawkins of ESPN Stats & Information points out that in the first 112 picks of the draft, three tight ends were selected. Then from 113 to 118, three were taken. Perhaps when Houston saw Aaron Hernandez go to the Patriots at 113 and Dennis Pitta go to the Ravens at 114 they felt they had to make their move.

Earlier in the round the Texans took Miami linebacker Darryl Sharpton. Pro Football Weekly says Graham needs polish, but can help on special teams early.

Houston Texans

The Texans' run game is going in circles, says John McClain.

“Had the Texans stepped up and did what they did Sunday just once more this season we would be talking about realistic playoff possibilities. Twice more and they would control their postseason destiny.” Jerome Solomon on what could have been.

Rookie tight end Anthony Hill is out with a torn ACL, says McClain.

Re-watching the game with Alan Burge.

A look at the run-game disappointments from Battle Red Blog.

Indianapolis Colts

Jim Caldwell says healthy Colts starters will play in Jacksonville, says Mike Chappell.

With a Thursday night game looming, the Colts had no time to celebrate a record day, says Phil Richards.

Bill Polian allows himself to be impressed by the Colts record for wins in a decade, says John Oehser. Here’s his rundown of Polian’s weekly radio show.

Jim Irsay intends to have a new deal in place for Peyton Manning before next season, says Clark Judge.

Where does Jim Caldwell fit in the coach of the year debate, asks Deshawn Zombie.

The idea that the Chargers have the Colts’ number is way overblown, says Zombie. Really intelligent stuff here.

Defer to the Colts on the coin toss at your own risk, says D.J. Zaccagnini.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have sold enough tickets to avoid the blackout, reports Chet Fussman.

Jacksonville waived Brian Witherspoon and added fullback Brock Bolen from the practice squad, which may indicate something about the status of the injured Greg Jones.

Every team with a quarterback 30 or older needs a quarterback of the future, says Vic Ketchman.

It’s David versus Goliath, says Gil Samson.

Tennessee Titans

Marshall Faulk is a Chris Johnson fan, say Jim Wyatt and Gary Estwick.

Vince Young got good news regarding his hamstring injury, says Wyatt.

The Titans have a playoff mindset about the Miami game, says Terry McCormick.

Eric Bakhtiari made a good impression, says Wyatt.