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What wasn’t addressed in the draft and could be a free agency focus for the Titans:

Safety: Unless new defensive coordinator Jerry Gray sees starter potential in Nick Schommer, Robert Johnson or Myron Rolle, the Titans need a guy who can start at strong safety. Chris Hope is slipping and has a bonus of $500,000 coming due. I think they’ll try to negotiate it down and give him one more year. But maybe the new regime goes a new direction.

Tight end: Craig Stevens took over as the primary blocking tight end last year and it’s time for Jared Cook to be the main pass catcher. Bo Scaife was overpaid the last two years and isn’t expected back. A versatile veteran backup who can help steer the other two guys would be a good addition.

Quarterback: The Titans did address the position in the draft. But there is still a veteran to be added, one the Titans hope allows Jake Locker can move at his own pace and not feel too much pressure to start too soon. They may need to sign someone to a three-year deal to get him, but if a Kerry Collins or a Matt Hasselbeck or a Marc Bulger is starting on opening day in 2012, it’s probably not a good thing.

In general, we expect too much from late-round picks. (And from overall draft batting averages.)

In a recent conversation with former Denver general manager Ted Sundquist, he pointed to an article he once read in Ourlads by Joe Landers. Apologies, I couldn’t find the link.

“Using some common sense and a little investigative research, you'll find that it's rare, at least according to Landers’ study, to find a cornerback or running back or wide receiver that's really going to help you in the last three rounds,” Sundquist said. “And yet you'll find teams constantly take a reach on one of these positions.

“Evidence shows you're more likely to find a defensive tackle, offensive lineman, safety or tight end in the later rounds. Why? Most conventional wisdom says don't draft a safety or tight end high due to escalating rookie salaries and the going market at the position. As for defensive tackles or offensive linemen, it’s probably because of the greater numbers at the position. Both circumstances force down talented players at those positions.”

I went back and combed over the AFC South drafts since 2002, to see how many picks they spent on each side of the ledger Sundquist sets forth and how often the Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans did well with a fifth-, sixth- or seventh-round pick at those spots. This is, of course, highly unscientific. Metrics guys can probably shred it. But I thought it worth fiddling with.

Notables are players who played significantly, even if it’s been with another team, or recent picks who appear on track to contribute.

Houston Texans

WRs, RBs. CBs: 9

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 14

Most: Six safeties, four receivers, corners and defensive tackle

Notables:

• Cornerback Brice McCain, 2009 sixth round
• Safety Dominique Barber, 2008 sixth round
• Receiver David Anderson, 2006 seventh round
• Safety C.C. Brown, 2005 sixth round
• Corner Demarcus Faggins, 2002 sixth round
• Defensive tackle Howard Green, 2002 sixth round

Colts

WRs, RBs. CBs: 7

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 13

Most: 13 offensive linemen

Notables:

• Tight end Brody Eldridge, 2010 fifth round
• Receiver Pierre Garcon, 2008 sixth round
• Guard Jamey Richard, 2008 seventh round
• Tackle Charlie Johnson, 2006 sixth round
• Safety Antoine Bethea, 2006 sixth round
• Guard Jake Scott, 2004 fifth round

Jaguars

WRs, RBs. CBs: 12

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 9

Most: Five receivers, four offensive linemen

Notables:

• Tight end Zach Miller, 2009 sixth round
• Running back Rashad Jennings, 2009 seventh round
• Guard Uche Nwaneri, 2007 fifth rounder
• Defensive tackle Derek Landri, 2007 fifth round
• Safety Gerald Sensabaugh, 2005 fifth round

Titans

WRs, RBs. CBs: 14

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 16

Most: Seven offensive linemen, six wide receivers

Notables:

• Corner Cortland Finnegan, 2006 seventh round
• Running back Quinton Ganther, 2006 seventh round
• Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, 2007 fifth round
• Offensive lineman Daniel Loper, 2005 fifth round
• Tight end Bo Scaife, 2005 sixth round
• Guard Jacob Bell, 2004 fifth round
• Center/guard Eugene Amano, 2004 seventh round
• Safety Donnie Nickey, 2003 fifth rounder
• Guard/center Justin Hartwig, 2002 sixth rounder

Of the notables from the division drafted since 2002, 73 percent (19) have been from the positions Sundquist says teams should concentrate on late while 27 percent (seven) play positions he believes should generally be avoided.

I'd be fine with the Titans not wasting yet another late pick on a receiver and with the Texans using late-rounders on something other than corners and receivers for sure. But it's not like Houston's spending late picks on safeties or the Colts use of such selections on offensive linemen have paid huge dividends either.

I'd love to read your thoughts.

The AFC South is stacked at tight end, at least along the frontlines: Dallas Clark, Owen Daniels and Marcedes Lewis give the Colts, Texans and Jaguars, respectively, a top-flight player at the position.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. sorts out the position in the division in this Insider piece.

What I found most interesting was what he had to say about the team he currently ranks fourth at the position.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the Titans could top this list one year from now. That is how much ability Jared Cook has. But for now, I have to put them firmly at the end, considering how strong this position is in the AFC South. At this stage of his development, Cook is purely a receiver. But he has rare abilities for a tight end. Comparing him physically to Jermichael Finley is probably unfair, but Cook isn't too far off that steep comparison. His movement skills are superb.

Add that to the rave reviews about Cook’s potential, which have piled high. I called Cook the Titans' X factor heading into last year, but former coach Jeff Fisher and former offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger still didn’t trust him enough to use him a lot.

Still, his 12.4-yard average on 29 catches was a touch better than Reggie Wayne’s average in Indianapolis and second best to any regularly featured tight end in the division to Houston’s Joel Dreessen.

Even so, that second-year jump for a player Tennessee traded up to draft in the second round in 2009 wasn’t what it should have been.

Now optimists are mentioning Cook as the third piece of a trio new coordinator Chris Palmer can build around, a group that starts with running back Chris Johnson and receiver Kenny Britt.

I hope Cook’s focused while he can’t work with the team and that he ultimately proves the weapon people in team headquarters believe he can be.

Year 3 is time. Bo Scaife is likely to be gone, and whoever the new quarterbacks are will be urged to look for Cook. When things finally get off the ground, we’ll still be asking: Will he be in the right places?

What I think they are thinking at headquarters of the four AFC South teams …

Houston Texans

Is Gary Kubiak going to get fired? How about Rick Smith? Does a big work week and performance against Jacksonville do anything to help them? Do we care? Does beating the Jaguars and ensuring they are not in the playoffs and don’t finish better than .500 provide much of an incentive for us? No matter what happens, wouldn’t it be nice to walk into the offseason with a win? If we make David Garrard look bad, can we not finish with the league’s worst pass defense? Where should we go to unwind, have a drink on the beach, play a bunch of golf and/or get reacquainted with the wife and kids?

Indianapolis Colts

Control, control, control. Considering all we’ve been through, we can’t be unhappy at all with being in a win-and-in scenario in our final regular season game. The Titans will put up a tough fight as they try to ruin it for them. But if Matt Cassel is shredding them, Peyton Manning certainly can. And we were really in control of the entire game when we won on Dec. 9 in Nashville. The run game and the run defense are peaking, and those are awfully good things to be able to say when heading into a game against Chris Johnson and then, we expect, into the playoffs.

Jacksonville Jaguars

It would have been nice to hear Jack Del Rio and Garrard own some of their mistakes from Sunday’s loss. That’s a bad one. And we know people think it won’t be hard for us to go to Houston, fall behind big early and take away any of the suspense over who’s going to win the division. Even on a bad day, we’ve got to be able to beat Washington at home. If we finish 8-8 or 9-7 it’s forward progress in the big picture, but in the smaller picture, we really will have blown it. Will it be enough for Del Rio to survive? For Garrard to hold his spot? We need to not think about that and convince ourselves that the Titans can beat the Colts.

Tennessee Titans

I don’t really fear getting replaced in the lineup for the finale. Maybe I should, because we’ve seen Vincent Fuller, Bo Scaife and Jovan Haye get sat down for at least a game. But look at Justin Gage. He’s good for a drop or two a game and suffers no consequences. I can mail it in like that. This may be Jeff Fisher’s last stand and why should we believe he'd change for it? We’re all in better standing with him here than without him, but are we smart enough to know it? Is there any player on the roster who can stand in the middle of a huddle and tell us why we should think we can win at Indianapolis? Anyone? Anyone? Monday and Tuesday could be a lot more exciting than Sunday.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Dale Robertson looks at the Texans’ habitual bad starts.

If the Texans have heart, they’d be wise to show it now, says John McClain.

Bill Cowher spreading or allowing word to be spread that he is interested in certain jobs is out of bounds, says Jerome Solomon.

People should be taking a look at Rick Smith’s résumé too, says Richard Justice.

Indianapolis Colts

A trip to Oakland makes for a home game for a couple of Colts, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Should Austin Collie play or step away, asks Bob Kravitz. (Video.)

The transcript of Bill Polian’s weekly radio show.

In a lot of ways, the Raiders may be a tougher matchup than the Jaguars, says John Oehser.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have had similar success against top defenses, says Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jordan Black won’t forget Sunday’s loss in Indianapolis, says Tania Ganguli.

Todd Bouman’s been the de facto third quarterback even while not on the roster, says Ganguli.

Vic Ketchman thinks the Raiders will beat the Colts.

Don Carey is not good, says Alfie Crow.

Tennessee Titans

It’s uncertain if Bo Scaife will be back in uniform Sunday in Kansas City, says John Glennon.

Only one visitor has scored more than 14 points at Kansas City, says Glennon.

The Titans added two to their practice squad, says Glennon.

Tennessee is too hot and cold, says David Boclair.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

This Richard Justice column is the best piece on Bob McNair that I can remember. I really hope he reads it. Several times. And I think fans of his team deserve to hear a response to it. I know he’s not going to speak to it specifically, but he should speak to the theme and attempt to actually connect with the mindset of his fans. You don’t want to overreact to fan sentiment, but when it’s built up like it has you do them a disservice by not touching it.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have gone through six safeties and could be down two more, says Phil Richards. On the bright side, free safety Antoine Bethea remains in place and third-string strong safety Aaron Francisco is still playing. I won’t be surprised to see Bethea on the injury report this week as he was shaken up late against the Jaguars. I asked him about it and he said it was nothing.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Gene Frenette didn’t like Jack Del Rio’s fourth-down decision early in the third quarter. I’ve got a standard stance on such situations: If you make it, I love it; if you don’t, not so much. It did seem like a desperate move. But the fact is, if David Garrard snuck as he should have (he didn’t hear that part of the call on a patchy headset), he would have converted and if Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t fumble the pitch he would have made it too. But they didn’t, so it was a mistake.

Tennessee Titans

I don’t believe Bo Scaife was benched because he said the locker room might be divided on Vince Young. Scaife stated a fact and Jeff Fisher’s not going to sit a guy who gives him a better chance to win. We may have seen the last of Scaife as a Titan. And Fisher actually sitting veterans (Vincent Fuller was scratched, too) is a big development that’s not bad. That said, I know they play different positions, but Scaife should dress ahead of Randy Moss.

Reading the coverage:

Houston Texans

Another horrible start meant the end of Houston’s playoff hopes, says John McClain.

Teammates tussled in a frustrating first half, says John McClain.

The Texans seemed disinterested in competing, apparently ready to pack their cars and head for those offseason vacations, says Richard Justice.

Same song, different verse, says Dale Robertson.

A mix-up between defensive backs produced a big-gainer for Kenny Britt, say Robertson and McClain.

McClain’s report card.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts seized control of the division, says Phil Richards.

Big brother played a different kind of game, says Bob Kravitz.

The Colts stuffed the run, silenced the critics, says Phillip B. Wilson.

Kravitz’s report card.

For the third time in seven weeks, Austin Collie left a game after a shot to the head, says Mike Chappell.

Collie’s injury sets the Colts back again, says Jason Cole.

The bruised Colts show they won’t go down easily, says Alex Marvez.

The Colts are back in their usual position, says Chris Harry.

Why the Colts hold the tiebreaker if they win out and the Jaguars finish 10-6.

Whether the Colts can finish strong remains to be seen, says John Oehser.

It was a big win, but the loss of Collie may more than offset it, says Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars lost control of their fate with their loss at Indy, says Tania Ganguli.

A radio malfunction helped lead to one of Jacksonville’s turnovers, says Vito Stellino.

This loss was more than tough luck, says Gene Frenette.

Stellino and Frenette discuss the game. (Video.)

Mike Thomas was involved in two crucial plays, one good, one bad, says Stellino.

The Jaguars now have to root for help, says Frenette.

A Colts timeout helped foil the onside kick, says Stellino.

David Garrard downplays his hamstring but hurt a finger, says Ganguli.

The Jaguars didn’t play their game, says Vic Ketchman.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans ended their skid, so their unlikely playoff hopes live on, says Jim Wyatt.

Another day, another Vince Young subplot, writes David Climer.

Britt gave the offense a big boost, says John Glennon.

Sustained drives by the offense and a big lead gave Jason Babin a chance for his two sacks, say Wyatt and Glennon.

Cortland Finnegan had a quieter day this time, says Climer.

Bo Scaife was a surprise healthy scratch, says Glennon.

The Titans’ fourth-down gambles paid off, says David Boclair.

The patchwork defensive line held up and made plays, says Jerome Boettcher.

Jeff Fisher seems to be relishing every opportunity to zing Young in some form or fashion, says Bob McClellan.

The Titans were at the game, says Terry McCormick.

Coach Jeff Fisher presented offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger a game ball.

Given a choice between sticking with your boss for three more weeks or siding with a quarterback on IR whose status with the team has plummeted, I’d think the first option would be the prudent answer for anyone.

I talked to Bo Scaife about a week ago, and he basically said he thought so, too. The gist of that conversation: Vince Young is my good friend, I’m sorry to see this happening, but it has no bearing on my livelihood and my relationship with Jeff Fisher. He’s the boss, I’m the worker and we move forward while I remain loyal to my pal.

He said something different to Jim Wyatt Wednesday.

"I know his teammates definitely want him here. The more I think about that, I guess the locker room might be divided up. But I know all the guys on my side [offense], we all love VY."

"... I think Jeff has probably given that impression to him [that he’s not welcome]. That is between him and Coach Fish, and no one knows what is going on between them two. But if people knew the real story they might understand the situation a little better."

"… He is supposed to be the franchise quarterback, and he already feels like he didn't have the support of the staff. So I am sure his feelings might have been hurt a little bit [over being asked to leave the Monday after his incident with Fisher]. But I am sure he knows why he hasn't been here and Coach does, too."

If Scaife’s going to suggest we don’t know the real story, then he should go ahead and share it. And if Young’s feelings are hurt, it’s a great chance for him to show the toughness many of us question. Show up. Knock on Fisher’s door. Initiate something instead of waiting for the phone to ring or a hand to hold.

As far as a locker room divided -- with three games left, anyone siding with Young in a way that impacts their relationship with Fisher just isn’t thinking things out and being very smart.

I’m not suggesting Scaife is doing that. I appreciate his candor.

But he's a franchised tight end who’s made a ton of money the past two years and is likely preparing for his last three games as a Titan. The Titans will still call plays for him, and any dent in his relationship with Fisher probably won’t matter much.

Kenny Britt getting himself fined $5,000 for wearing a towel saluting Young is a bit different. He's a cornerstone guy going forward. I'm glad he "spoke" his mind. But I'm not sure how well thought out it was.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thoughts on the Colts' 30-28 win over the Titans at LP Field.

What it means: The Colts are 7-6 and will win the division if they win their final three games. The Titans are 5-8, lost their sixth in a row and can finish .500 at best.

What I liked: While Peyton Manning still made some poor throws, none of them were killer and none of them were intercepted. Against a bad team, he got back to form with 319 yards and two touchdown passes. The Colts showed some determination to run despite missing their two best backs. Javarris James scored on a 1-yard run and converted a fourth-and-4 with an 11-yard run.

Streak-buster: After 14 quarters without an offensive touchdown, the Titans got a 1-yard scoring run from Chris Johnson at the end of the second quarter and a 7-yard catch-and-lunge for a score by Craig Stevens on the opening possession of the third quarter. They went crazy with a couple Bo Scaife TD catches in the fourth.

Injury concern: Colts left tackle Charlie Johnson suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t return to action, with undrafted rookie Jeff Linkenbach taking over.

Hot topic: The Titans showed a lot more life than they did last Sunday in a loss to Jacksonville, but that won’t quiet the chatter in Nashville about Jeff Fisher's future with the franchise.

What’s next: The Colts host the Jaguars in a crucial division rematch. Tennessee hosts Houston, which will be on short rest following a Monday night game against Baltimore.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thoughts from the Jaguars’ 17-6 win against the Titans at LP Field:

What it means: Jacksonville’s atop the AFC South at 7-5 awaiting Indianapolis’ result against Dallas. The Jaguars hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Colts. The Jaguars have matched last season’s win total. The Titans are 5-7, in last in the division based on a head-to-head result with Houston.

What I liked, Jaguars: They came out hell bent on running it and got success right from the start with a nice combination of Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings. Jacksonville ran it 53 times for 258 yards, with Jones-Drew stiff-arming Michael Griffin out of relevance on a 37-yard scamper on his last touch. The Jaguars made the Titans appear tired and worn down from the start.

What I didn’t like, Titans: Big drops from Bo Scaife (twice) Randy Moss and Nate Washington. Scaife had one near the goal line that really could have changed the complexion of the game and given the Titans a chance. The defense tackled at an unacceptable level.

Opposite directions: The Titans won in Jacksonville on Oct. 18 by a 30-3 score. The scoreboard makes this one seem closer, but it had the same blowout feel very early.

Injury of note: The Jaguars lost safety Courtney Greene early to a shoulder injury that did not look good. He was out of pads in a hurry and in significant pain. Sean Considine replaced him.

What’s next: The Jaguars host the Oakland Raiders at EverBank Field. The Titans have a quick turnaround for a Thursday night matchup with Indianapolis.

HOUSTON -- Halftime thoughts from Reliant Stadium where the Texans are dominating the Titans and have a 14-0 lead:

• The Texans are winning time of possession 20:03 to 9:57 and have 15 first downs to two for Tennessee.
• The Titans needed good offensive line play from the start to give rookie Rusty Smith a chance. They undid him in the first series, allowing a sack by Mario Williams and enduring a false start by Michael Roos. Then they watched Justin Gage drop a good third-down pass. Later, Nate Washington had an alligator arms drop and Bo Scaife was unable to haul in a ball that was a touch long but that he got his hands on.
• The Texans benched Brice McCain, who’s been in their nickel package most of the season, playing outside in three-corner sets. Jason Allen has covered Randy Moss with Kareem Jackson coming in as the third DB as Glover Quin moved inside like usual.
• Houston’s gotten some yards with short stuff over the middle to Andre Johnson, who gains a crossing route edge on Cortland Finnegan and finds space near Stephen Tulloch.
• The Titans’ run game is all out of whack, and hasn’t helped in time of possession where the Texans are winning big. While Arian Foster has 12 carries for 51 yards and backup Derrick Ward has four for 34, Chris Johnson has three carries for 2 yards, with backup Javon Ringer getting two carries for 10.
• The Texans continue to use Joel Dreessen well. The Titans continue to fail to cover tight ends closely. He was wide open in the back middle of the end zone on his 1-yard touchdown reception.
• Matt Schaub made a bad decision on the last play of the half, but Eric Winston bailed him out with a giant fumble recovery.

For in-game nuggets, follow me on Twitter here.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. The Titans' second-half adjustment and the Texans out of the gate: In the Titans’ last two games, losses at San Diego and Miami, the Titans have been outscored 39-14 in the second half. They are getting outplayed and outcoached after intermission and need to do better adjusting. The Texans, meanwhile, have fared poorly from the start in two of their last three games. They trailed both Jacksonville and Indianapolis 17-3 at the half.

2. Jacoby Jones, Texans receiver: He was supposed to challenge Kevin Walter for the No. 2 slot and be an explosive piece of the offense. But he had one catch for five yards in Jacksonville. His 25 catches have produced an average of 9.7 yards, same as running back Arian Foster. Last year that average was 16.2. And according to ESPN Stats & Info, he’s got four drops in 38 targets.

3. Bo Scaife, Titans tight end: His early fumble in the Titans’ end set up the Dolphins offense and got a bad day started. He also had a drop. Kerry Collins and Vince Young threw to him nine times and his six catches gained just 51 yards. It’s not his fault they are throwing short stuff to him, but he didn’t feel like a threat with the ball in his hands. Surely on some of these plays Jared Cook could offer a more dangerous change up, no?

RISING

1. Role playing tight ends: We’re heard a lot about the contributions they could make, but we’re finally seeing something out of Houston’s James Casey and Jacksonville’s Zach Miller. Casey’s caught five passes for 66 yards in the Texans’ last two games. And Miller had four catches for 79 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown in the win over the Texans.

2. The Colts’ health: I’m being a bit presumptuous here. But Joseph Addai said last week he was targeting the New England game. And in their weekly Tuesday announcement, the Colts ruled out only Bob Sanders. That means of a big group who didn’t play against the Bengals, there is a chance for guys like Austin Collie, Clint Session, Gary Brackett, Justin Tryon and Mike Hart to be back. The team hopes for many happy returns in New England.

3. Andre Johnson, Texans receiver: He’s topped 100 yards in three of his last four games. While his ankle may still qualify as an issue, he’s certainly found a way to play and play effectively with it. And the Texans and Matt Schaub need to keep feeding him. With Johnson and Arian Foster, the Texans have to find an offensive rhythm and score big knowing the defense won’t do a lot.

MIAMI -- We’re not judging the Titans' acquisition of Randy Moss on a half of football.

But if we were, it gets a low grade.

The Titans have thrown to him three times and he doesn’t have a catch.

Tennessee is knotted at 10-10 with the Dolphins at the half and has done some good things. But it seems intent on throwing screens and finding stuff underneath. The Titans needed more than a deep incompletion from Kerry Collins for Nate Washington on their first play to create room for such things.

Bo Scaife has a lost fumble, a drop and a reception that ended with a crushing pop from Karlos Dansby. The passing game has been thoroughly ineffective.

Collins has a bad finger he’s been playing through, which seems to be affecting him. He is 9-of-20 for 51 yards. And on the final play of the half, when Moss was wide open to his right and he threw for Justin Gage on the left, the veteran quarterback was hurt. It looked like a left ankle injury.

He was the last off the field for the Titans at the half, limping very badly and walking with a trainer.

Will Vince Young, out with an ankle injury, be able to step in and tough it out if the Titans need him?

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. The Jaguars’ run defense: Jacksonville got gashed by the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and in yielding 236 yards, a 5.6-yard average and three rushing touchdowns, the Jaguars dropped six spots in the league ratings to 25th. On a day when only 13 passes were completed against the Jaguars, 28 of their 65 tackles were credited by game-day statisticians to defensive backs.

2. Colts kickoff coverage: Pat McAfee has been good for nearly two kickoff touchbacks a game and consistently puts the ball deep. The team’s substitute punter, Jeremy Kapinos, punted in 20 games for Green Bay in 2008-09 and one for the Jets in 2007, but doesn’t look to be a kickoff guy. Odds are Adam Vinatieri kicks off to Steve Slaton or Jacoby Jones. Vinatieri’s short kickoffs were a reason McAfee was so attractive to the Colts in the 2009 draft. The Colts are currently 19th in the league defending kick returns.

3. Titans’ tight ends: Bo Scaife was played against Philadelphia with a groin injury. But in the team’s last seven-plus quarters, when Kerry Collins has been the quarterback, Tennessee has seen six connections on 13 passes aimed for the tight end for 32 yards, with a long of 12 and a 2-yard Collins-to-Scaife connection in Jacksonville. More balls to receivers is generally a good thing for the Titans, but Jared Cook still not earning chances isn't

RISING

1. Damian Williams, Titans receiver: He’s jumped Lavelle Hawkins, who the Titans spent the offseason hyping, and been a reliable target for Collins the last two weeks. I believe he should remain in the top three even if Justin Gage is recovered from a hamstring injury. Williams lost out to Marc Mariani in the return jobs competition. But when the Titans drafted him in the third round they said they thought he could develop into an eventual No. 1 and they’d be wise to let him get some chances.

2. Kevin Bentley, Texans linebacker: Bentley is coming off knee surgery while Xavier Adibi’s had a hamstring injury. Perhaps Bentley is just healed up better, but he’s gotten the nod over Adibi, at least initially, to take over Brian Cushing's strong side linebacker spot. Cushing is moving to middle linebacker for the remainder of the season to replace the injured DeMeco Ryans.

3. Jacob Tamme, Colts tight end: A big opportunity has arrived for Tamme, who’s been used infrequently on offense in his three seasons. He’s now listed as the starter for the Colts in the spot typically occupied by Dallas Clark, who’s finished for the season with a wrist injury. Tamme is fast and has good hands, but we don’t know how polished he is running routes or finding seams. Odds are we find out Monday night.

Some bullet-point thoughts on the Titans’ 15-7 preseason loss at Carolina on Saturday night.

Impressive:

• Rookie end Derrick Morgan did some very nice work getting outside and going around right tackle Geoff Schwartz twice early and pressuring Matt Moore. It was an encouraging sign from the first-round pick’s first preseason action.
• With Bo Scaife not playing, Craig Stevens' 23-yard catch continued to show he is more than just a blocker.
• Alterraun Verner forced a Wallace Wright fumble and Stephen Tulloch recovered it when Carolina was closing in on a score just before intermission.
• Dave Ball continues to play some very good run defense.

Unimpressive:

• Chris Johnson found virtually no room with 10 yards on eight carries. The Titans have zero doubt that he will be himself once the games have meaning and they are game planning. But a better performance would still be a bit reassuring.
• Vince Young fumbled early when he got hit after a pump fake. Guard Jake Scott saved him with a recovery. This comes after he dribbled the ball off his chest -- which he recovered -- after a pump fake in the Titans win over the Arizona Cardinals last week.
• Carolina rushed the passer very well and the Titans were ineffective at getting in the way. Young was sacked four times and took a couple other note-worthy hits.
• Damian Williams did not do much on three return chances and fumbled as he took a big hit at the end of the final one. The Titans have played three games, he’s played two and I am sure they’d like to have a better feeling about him in game action to this point.
• One third-down conversion for the first team offense in the first half.

Unfortunate:

• Left tackle Michael Roos left ahead of schedule with what the team said was a mild right knee strain. With Mike Otto recovering from a knee scope, Troy Kropog replaced Roos.