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Faith is a key piece of the lives of a lot of NFL players on Twitter.

Many tweet Bible verses or favorite passages, particularly in the morning when they get in a prayer and a daily reading.

It can be a piece of a well-rounded tweeter, though it's not something that typically scores for a guy in the NFL Twindex.

We seek well-rounded players who deliver good humor, good commentary and good football insight.

You can find what I consider the best player tweets of the week by looking at my favorites.

I try to scan through as many tweets as I can, but it's difficult to see them all and I can always use your help. Call my attention to anything of interest at @ESPN_AFCSouth or @PaulKuharsky.

This week's list:

Marc T in Houston, Texas, writes: Given that some Texans defensive players got a hold of Wade Phillips' defensive playbook and have been doing some player minicamps, when the lockout is lifted how prepared can we pray the defense is on Wade's scheme? I know you lose a lot from not having coaches present, but with DeMeco (who has a pretty good football IQ) running the defense portion and working with the other guys while having to watch some of the time because of his Achilles, can we hope that maybe the defense will be at square two by training camp rather than square one?

Paul Kuharsky: Wade Phillips has said repeatedly that with a full camp he thinks he can get guys up to speed. Certainly a head start led by DeMeco Ryans will be an advantage for them.

I think it’ll be a more complex defense at the end of the season than at the beginning. That would have been the case, but perhaps to a lesser degree, under any circumstance. I don’t think having to do less or be more straightforward is always automatically a bad thing.

---

Ryan from parts unknown writes: Hey Paul, check the blog at least twice a day. I've been wondering why no one sees the Jags pursuing a receiver in the Free Agency. I understand why Plax, Ocho, TO and Moss are scary for such a young team but what about say a Braylon Edwards? All talks look like the Jets are going to part ways with him, and he'd certainly be able to stretch the field, even if he's got inconsistent hands. Think it'd be a good investment?

Paul Kuharsky: Appreciate the clicks, Ryan.

It would be great to see the Jaguars be aggressive here, but I’m expecting the big additions to come on defense. I think they like Mike Thomas and Jason Hill a lot and have high hopes for a healthy Jarett Dillard. Remember that Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew qualify as top pass-catchers at their positions.

While a good deep threat would help spread out a defense and help everyone, David Garrard is not a good reader of deep plays or a good deep ball guy. They will have to get that guy for Blaine Gabbert, but I suspect they look for him in the draft next year.

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Bill Smith of Nashville, Tenn., writes: Paul, please let the Titans' brass know that all the reasonable and sane fans want them to PAY THE MAN! We in Titans land have become accustomed to not having bona fide HOF talented players on a regular basis. But when we finally get one, stop dancing and lock him up. You can't win a SB with 53 ham n' eggers, you must have at least a few stars. No one expects Bud to morph into Dan Schneider, but we need to keep our building blocks happy, don't you agree? THX!

Paul Kuharsky: I wrote recently I think they should spend to keep Chris Johnson.

And I believe the Titans want to re-sign him, just not at the enormous price he's spoken of. Which means they’ll negotiate and see where they come out.

But where is this idea that they are dragging their feet or are dancing or are reluctant to step up coming from? I’ve heard it from several other readers as well. Players are locked out, and teams can’t deal with them. The Titans aren’t dragging their feet. They are a frozen operation like every other team.

And when things open back up, I would think they'd ask CJ and his agent for a little time to deal with things that need to be dealt with more quickly, not that they necessarily rank as a higher priority.

---

Dick Sklar from Moscow, Russia writes: I think it is pathetic that articles like the one on Kenny Britt get published. If there was no lockout, this would never see the light of day. How many ESPN guys have made mistakes at such a low social level? Why don't you write about them? This is absolute garbage!!

Paul Kuharsky: HE TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE! That’s a story, lockout or no lockout. A public figure turning himself into police is always news. If an ESPN guy was turning himself into police, it would also be news.

---

Richard Nelson from Lombard, Ill., writes: Leaving Matt Forte out of your top ten RB makes your list a joke to me. He has only been in the league 3 years and was hurt one of them and still almost has 5000 yards of offense. Given a better offensive line and health his second year who knows where his numbers would be. I realize it is hard to rank players that all run in different offensive systems is hard to do. I believe Forte is easily a top ten back.

Paul Kuharsky: Boy that’s a lot of conditional stuff you’re listing there. If he wasn’t hurt, if he had a better line. I’m not playing the if game or thinking about what might have been. I’m dealing with what did happen, what was and what is.

He’s not a top 10 back to me.

***

Keep the mail coming, through any avenue you choose: Mailbag, Facebook or Twitter.

Want to rise and grind? Want to know how long a flight is delayed out of Atlanta? Want motivational quotes and bible passages?

Me neither.

That’s not what I am looking for on Twitter. But I am curious what NFL players are saying and I have made a commitment to sort through it all to give you the highlights from NFL players since the last edition of the NFL Twindex.

Comedy is key during the lockout, but once things are settled we expect far more football talk to be involved here.

It’s not all about laughs on Twitter, and Amy Nelson illustrated so well in this piece about Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds.

Check out tweets I made favorites. That's the list I then worked with to craft our new poll.


Seeing quality tweets you want to make sure are considered? Point me to them. I'm @ESPN_AFCSouth and @Paul Kuharsky.

The timeout debate lingers.

With 29 seconds left, Jim Caldwell used the Colts’ final timeout with the Jets at the Indianapolis 32-yard line. There is much debate about what the Jets were going to do from there. If they were content to run it again to try to set up Nick Folk for a long field goal and use their final timeout, then Caldwell’s call was questionable at best.

To hear Gregg Doyle tell it, that’s what would have happened. But the Colts timeout provided the Jets with bonus time to sort out a play, and that play -- an 18-yard Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards pass up the right side that beat Jacob Lacey -- lowered the possibility of a Folk miss.

My immediate reaction was “What are they doing?” Postgame, Caldwell talked of forcing the Jets to snap the ball as many times as possible, as each snap created a possibility for something bad to happen. But it seemed he bunched field-goal range into one big category rather that judging a more difficult attempt against the potential for an easier one.

He certainly didn’t know the Jets’ plan at that point.

It’s a pressure situation for the New York offense with a kicker who hardly had a sterling season from long-distance. I don’t sign off on a timeout that creates even the possibility for any additional opportunity for the Jets. Don't give them discussion time.

What’s more likely, a fumble, a pick, or a sack? Or some gain that raises the percentages for Folk, or a Folk miss from long-range?

I say the Folk scenarios, so I let the Jets handle the clock there and take my chances. Maybe Caldwell thinks everyone’s got an Adam Vinatieri.

Sunday, the coach defended himself further.

Here’s his exchange with the Indianapolis press:

On if he regrets calling the timeout on the Jets’ last drive:

“No. You can look at it a number of different ways. One of the things, I guess it was when (WR-Santonio) Holmes caught that pass, they were in field goal range at that point in time. You make a determination on what you want to do. We try to do a decent job at taking a look at the field goal kicker and see how they are doing in warm-ups, what is their range, all those types of things. We don’t only do our own, but we do the opposition as well. We take a good look at that. It’s probably not much different than the week before. They were in field goal range, use your timeouts, make them take another snap. In some cases, they will run it. If they do, then obviously they’ll run the clock down and they’ll take a stab at it from there. In other cases, they’ll throw it and that gives us some other opportunities, a sack, tackling them out of field goal range, sack-fumble, interception, tipped ball, a lot of things can happen in that situation. That is what our thinking was in that situation. They were able to make a play and it gave them a little bit shorter field goal.”

On if he thought the Jets would run the ball again following the time out.

“That’s typically what you see, but there are no guarantees. You have to live with either result. You have to make a play or they will make a play in that situation.”

On if he thought the Jets were prepared to settle for a 50-yard field goal on their last possession:

“You don’t know what they are thinking. That would be very, very easy if you knew exactly what they are thinking. You’ve got to weigh both options, ‘Okay, maybe they are just trying to set it up. The next one is going to be a run into the middle of the field.’ But you don’t know. You also know that a team can pass. That’s why the defense we called, we were anticipating that it would be a pass, get up and press, don’t let them throw a little hitch on the outside, that kind of thing. They made a play and so be it.”

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thoughts on the Colts’ 17-16 loss to the Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium.

What it means: The Colts are one-and-done in the playoffs, losing their chance to play the Steelers in Pittsburgh next week.

What I didn’t like: The Colts allowed the Jets offense to wake up after halftime as New York ran more authoritatively, Mark Sanchez settled down and they played a good brand of keep-away. The Colts couldn’t score more than a touchdown and pull away in the first half when Sanchez was consistently missing receivers with overthrows. Indy allowed 169 yards rushing as the Jets found their bearings. Jacob Lacey was too far away from Braylon Edwards as he caught an 18-yard pass to set up Nick Folk’s game winner as time expired.

What I liked: A classic late drive to what looked like winning points -- a field goal with 45 seconds left. Adam Vinatieri hitting from 47, 32 and 50 yards.

What I want to know: How much did the Colts consider throwing it on the third-and-7 just before Vinatieri’s field goal that made it 14-13 Jets with 4:37 left in the game?

What’s next: Locker cleanouts and good byes. And a lot of continued rehab for injured guys who didn’t finish the season.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A year ago when these two teams played in the AFC Championship Game, the Colts trailed 17-6 early and 17-13 at the half.

They made killer halftime adjustments and ran away after halftime, 30-17.

This time around, while the Jets defense has played well through 30 minutes with one notable exception, the offense has not found a big enough play. Mark Sanchez handed away a field-goal chance at the end of the half with a bad interception to Justin Tryon.

And so the Colts are ahead 7-0 at the half.

If they win the adjustment battle again, they’re going to be in good shape at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Sanchez has been off on his two best chances -- Santonio Holmes beat Cornelius Brown off the line but Sanchez waited too long and then overthrew him in the first quarter. On a rollout right in the second quarter Dustin Keller was open by a bit up the right side and he overthrew there.

They strung together a nice long drive at the end with 13 plays and a penalty, and got nothing to show for it.

If the Colts can manage to only give up the likes of 24- and 15-yard passes up the middle to Holmes and Braylon Edwards in front of people, they’ve got to like their chances.

It’s only a one-score lead, obviously.

But it’s the Jets turn to make the big adjustments.

In last season's AFC Championship Game, the upstart New York Jets were on their way to scoring their third straight road upset in the playoffs. They'd already knocked off a pair of division champions and led the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But the Colts outclassed the Jets in the second half and won easily to advance to the Super Bowl. The Jets had to regroup, knowing that to attain their Super Bowl dreams, they had to figure out a way to get past the Colts.

They won't need to look for them in the playoffs this year. The Jets and Colts will meet in the first round Saturday night, again in Indianapolis.

ESPN.com AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky and AFC East blogger Tim Graham break down the rematch.

Tim Graham: The first thought I have about the Colts is that Peyton Manning isn't going to win this game with his aura. Aside from past experience, the Jets don't have much reason to quake in their cleats Saturday night. They can beat this guy. Manning has proven to be a mortal without tight end Dallas Clark and receivers Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez to target. Seventeen interceptions? Almost knocked out of the playoffs by the Jacksonville Jaguars? These Colts are a shadow of what we've come to know.

Paul Kuharsky: How about with his chakra, then? You've been spending too much time with Ricky Williams, dude. Has Manning been perfect? Hardly. But as Colts blogger Nate Dunlevy points out, and our ESPN Stats & Information confirms, Manning threw for 4,700 yards, tossed for more than 30 touchdowns, connected on 66 percent of his throws, had an interception rate of 2.5 percent and won 10 games. If that's a shadow of what you've known, you must really know Tom Brady’s 2007 season then. Because that was the only other time it has happened.

TG: Yeah, Manning won 10 games. So did Eli Manning and Josh Freeman. They didn't make the playoffs. The Colts' shadow doesn't have much to do with Peyton Manning slinging the ball all over the yard and racking up yardage. He's still great, but he's not a one-man show. If I were a Colts fan, my concern would be how they needed to close with four straight wins to avoid the embarrassment of being edged out of the playoffs by the Jaguars. The Jets, on the other hand, have shown to be a more complete team. That's how an erratic quarterback like Mark Sanchez can win one more game than Manning did and clinch a playoff berth weeks in advance.

PK: Well, Manning's always been crushed for being great in the regular season and not good enough in the playoffs. Congrats on being the first to hammer him for winning "only" 10 games and the division while throwing to Jacob Tamme and Blair White.

TG: That's what I mean. The Jets can contain those guys much easier than Clark and Collie. Plus, the Jets have been preparing for this matchup since last season's AFC Championship Game. They helplessly watched Manning carve the center of the field against them and realized immediately -- even though they had Darrelle Revis -- they needed more cornerbacks. Specifically with Manning in mind, the Jets traded for Antonio Cromartie and drafted Kyle Wilson in the first round. Previous starting cornerbacks Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman gave them depth in nickel and dime packages. The Jets' biggest issue is at safety, where injuries have made them vulnerable.

PK: Manning has a bit of experience against teams with poor safety situations. His numbers against Houston and Jacksonville? Just nine touchdowns, one pick and a 101.5 passer rating. On the other side is the unspectacular Sanchez. I doubt Sanchez will be able to attack Aaron Francisco, the Colts' fourth-string strong safety, in a similar fashion, but we'll see. The Sanchize was near perfect in the first half of last season's AFC Championship Game. But the Jets asked him to throw only seven passes. After intermission, Indy greatly reduced his potency. The Colts didn't sack him and were credited with only four hits that day. The Colts' big-play potential from their Pro Bowl defensive ends was neutralized, and they still rolled to a 30-17 win. Of course, it might have had something to do with Manning throwing two-second half touchdowns to Sanchez's zero (and one interception). What happens this time if Dwight Freeney and/or Robert Mathis are able to introduce themselves to him a few times?

TG: Sanchez absolutely is the pivotal figure for the Jets on Saturday night. But, much like the personnel adjustments head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum made on the defensive side to thwart Manning, they made changes on offense with the playoffs in mind. Sanchez might not have progressed much in his second season, but he didn't have a sophomore slump either. He has gained another 11 months and 16 games of NFL experience since the last time he faced the Colts. Plus, the Jets' offense has the ability to come from behind, something it couldn't do before. Last season's Jets were all ground-and-pound, and if an opponent took a two-score lead, the Jets' chances to win were slim. Sanchez showed several times this year he can strike in crunch time. Santonio Holmes and LaDainian Tomlinson out of the backfield give him much better weapons to go along with Braylon Edwards and tight end Dustin Keller.

PK: The most dramatic on-the-field difference in the Colts this year as compared to last is how they finished up running the ball and defending the run. Indianapolis enters the playoffs coming off four games in which they ran for 4.5 yards a carry and held opponents to 3.5 yards. Last year in their final four meaningful regular-season games, they were getting 3.5 yards and allowing 4.1 yards.

TG: Maybe the Colts will morph into the 1972 Miami Dolphins before our eyes.

PK: A month ago the Colts defense recommitted to playing fast and having fun. It's funny how a team can get away from such simple themes, especially when a return to them produces such fine results. Gary Brackett's been great. Fellow linebackers Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner have been quite good, even as rookies. Veteran Clint Session could return to take time from Conner. Offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen's willing to send in whichever back is best suited for a situation or a matchup, so we could see any sort of mix of running backs Joe Addai, Dominic Rhodes and Donald Brown on Saturday night. They are running more than well enough to give the Colts a balance that makes Manning's play-action super effective.

TG: Momentum on the ground has been a concern for the Jets since their bye in Week 7. Tomlinson went from MVP candidate to looking like the worn out player the San Diego Chargers thought they were bidding farewell. But Shonn Greene and Tomlinson found some traction in the closing weeks. Let's not even factor in what the Jets did against the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale, even though their backups trampled the Bills' first-stringers for 276 yards.

PK: I’m always willing to toss out Buffalo. I don’t even really like wings.

TG: Yeah, but I know you still have a cache of Rick James 8-tracks. Anyway, the Jets ran the ball well against three of the NFL's best run defenses late in the year. They surpassed the Pittsburgh Steelers' league-leading average by 43 yards and the Chicago Bears' second-rated run defense by 34 yards. As for stopping the run, the Jets pride themselves on it and improved statistically this year. They ranked third this year at 90.9 yards a game and 3.6 yards a carry. But -- and this is a big one -- they allowed more than 100 yards in each of their games before the finale. The Steelers averaged 5.8 yards a carry. The Bears averaged 4.4 yards. That said, I would be willing to bet if the Colts wanted to try to run the Jets to death and not have Manning throw so much, then the Jets would be thrilled.

PK: Give me a little impersonation of Rex Ryan thrilled after winning this game.

TG: It probably would go a little something like this ... "Well, shoot, doesn't feel much better than that, to be honest with ya. We played like Jets today. It was a dogfight out there; I'll tell ya that much. Those Colts are sunthin' else. One thing I'll say about them: I saw Joseph Addai running like Lydell Mitchell out there and was, like, 'Whoa! Wait a second! We could be in for a long day here.' But our defense was flying around and eventually found a way to wrestle him down out there. I said earlier in the week this was personal with Peyton Manning, and they do a great job. He's great, and it's hard to get to him, but I just feel like we knew what to expect and were able to find a way to bear down and put all our chips in the center of the table and beat him. That guy's had my number and it feels good to know I can beat the guy when it counts. But I gotta give a ton of credit to our offense out there, too. Mark Sanchez played great and showed why we traded up to draft him. That right there's what we saw when we scouted him and just knew this guy was going to be a special player. Their crowd was tough with the way they were roaring at the opening kickoff I was, like, 'Whooo! Here we go!' It was full speed ahead. But one thing I should point out is that I broke out my lucky sweatshirt with the pizza stain this week." ... How would Jim Caldwell react to a Colts win Saturday night?

PK: I can hear him, his voice just the same as if they'd have lost: "We're pleased to have beaten a good football team, a quality football team. It's gratifying that our work this week paid off. I shared with you some of the examples of the studiousness I encountered during the preparation week. You saw the rewards of that. We'll enjoy it, we should enjoy it, it was hard-fought and we’re fortunate. We will have to do those same things to prepare for Pittsburgh. It’s a tough place to play, an excellent football team. It's a new challenge. It will be fun to see them get out there and see what they can do."

TG: In that case, I'm glad I'll be covering the Jets' locker room, win or lose. It'll be more interesting. I think the Jets have a better chance to win the game than a lot of prognosticators are giving them credit for. But even if they can't pull off the upset, they'll face a lot of questions as an organization. With all of the negative attention they've generated this season, a loss against the team they spent a year preparing for should lead to considerable introspection in Florham Park. Should we make picks?

PK: Sure. I pick St. Elmo. Make a reservation.

Reading the coverage…

The Must Read

Peyton Manning and the Colts have changed expectations in the division, providing more security for Jack Del Rio and Gary Kubiak, says Chase Stuart.

Houston Texans

The Texans should sign Vince Young as the No. 2, says Richard Justice.

Texans on offense who might not be back, from Houston Diehards.

Indianapolis Colts

Jacob Lacey and Justin Tryon are hardly household names, but they’ll be covering well-known receivers Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, says Phillip B. Wilson. Tryon might be as good a symbol of the Colts ability to fill holes this season as they have. He’s been surprisingly solid.

Set fancy passing stuff aside, the playoffs are all about running it, says Bob Kravitz.

Pierre Garcon is looking forward to matching up with Antonio Cromartie, says Phil Richards.

Mike Tanier with a great Xs and Os look at the Colts vast options out of a vanilla set. (Hart tip to 18to88.)

Lockout fears are not slowing preparations for the 2012 Super Bowl in Indy, says Kravitz.

Can the Jets pressure Manning? Tony Monkovic considers.

The Colts look like a contender, says John Czarnecki.

Guys who’ve performed beyond what we could have expected, from Stampede Blue.

The Jets need to pressure Manning and protect Mark Sanchez, says Pat Kirwin.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mel Tucker needs help to bolster the defense, says Gene Frenette.

Tennessee Titans

Jeff Fisher won the big one, says David Climer.

Reaction from some Titans to the Young news, from John Glennon.

Finding the next quarterback will take a while, says Jim Wyatt.

A team source says Young was still having problems calling plays in the huddle, says Don Banks. What an indictment.

Five teams that should consider Young, from Shutdown Corner.

Some thoughts on the Houston Texans' 30-27 loss to the New York Jets.

What it means: The Texans fell to 4-6 with another terrible loss and are in last place in the AFC South.

What I didn’t like: Shockingly, the Texans gave up big pass plays at crucial moments, with a big gainer to Braylon Edwards and a last-second touchdown to Santonio Holmes. It’s hard to match the devastation that came with last week’s Hail Mary loss in Jacksonville, but Houston actually managed to do it. Mark Sanchez seemed able to complete slant passes at will, and the Texans struggling pass defense never seemed to find an answer for it.

What I liked: A 20-point fourth-quarter that brought them back from a big deficit and put them in front. But see “What I didn’t like” for what became of that. Arian Foster had a bad fumble, but his 28 touches turned into 143 yards and two touchdowns. Joel Dreessen did well with a 43-yard catch and run in wide open spaces that got the Texans within six midway through the fourth quarter.

Hot topic: What sort of resolve and mental toughness do this team have and how does Gary Kubiak factor in to it? We’ve had that discussion time and time again. It’s not losing any of its volume with this loss compounding last week’s.

What’s next: The Texans host the Titans for the first of the two meetings between the division rivals.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The mission isn’t a Super Bowl appearance, it’s a Super Bowl win.

Still, with two weeks before the league’s season-ending spectacle, the Colts are lifting the AFC championship trophy and should be taking a great deal of pride in it. Set aside your feelings if you were bitter about how they decided to play Weeks 16 and 17. They are 16-0 this season when they’ve tried to win.

Despite a shaky first half where the Jets seized some control, the methodical, precise and passionate Colts recovered and rolled -- 30-17 in the AFC Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

With a 377-yard passing game, Peyton Manning became the league’s all-time leader in 300-yard playoff games, with seven. Kurt Warner and Joe Montana each have six.

The Jets hit two big home run plays, an 80-yard Mark Sanchez-to-Braylon Edwards touchdown and a 45-yard Brad Smith-to-Jerricho Cotchery Wildcat play that set up another seven points.

But the Colts were able to withstand the atypical big plays surrendered and answer with plenty of their own.

The mighty Jets defense gave up 100-yard games to receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, and the mighty Jets running game pieced together 86 yards, 15 less than their hosts who have a rep for not being able to run it at all.

Now we wait to see what storyline the Colts get for the Super Bowl: Manning versus Brett Favre, with a second Super Bowl title added to one of their legacies, or Manning against his hometown Saints, the team his dad starred for.

INDIANAPOLIS – Jacob Lacey played a bomb from Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards quite poorly, leaning to the inside on the receiver’s initial move, then getting blown past.

The Jets pulled ahead 7-3 thanks to the 80-yard play. The Colts had done very well all season avoiding big plays.

Lacey's been good all year, but starting for Jerraud Powers he got lost on that one.

A second home run could be deadly. Still, I expect the Colts to do some scoring in this game.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Fresh off a giant rushing day in a loss to Tennessee, Maurice Jones-Drew graciously donated 20 minutes to the AFC South Blog to chat about the latest version edition of ESPN.com’s Power Rankings.

	Fernando Medina-US PRESSWIRE
	Maurice Jones-Drew weighed in with an opinion on every team in the league.

He wound up offering more of a team-by-team commentary on the league than on the rankings, which is just fine with us.

So here is a sampling of his thoughts:

"The Saints and Colts both struggled this week, I just don’t know how long those guys can last with those high-powered offenses. It seems like New Orleans, at least, has to have a shootout every week to win, you know. So I don’t know how long that’s going to last. The Colts survived a scare. So call them the Houdinis, they find a way to win."

"Minnesota I think is one of the best balanced teams with the running game, passing game, great defense and special teams. They’re firing on all cylinders right now."

"Denver at four, I don’t know how long they are going to last with just throwing the ball all the time. You’ve got to have a balanced offense in this league, and to run the ball just 10 times [actually 19] against the Ravens was not good."

"New England’s just sneaky, I haven’t heard too much about them yet. They ranked No. 5, so you all have your eye on them."

"Cincinnati is revived, new heart."

"Pittsburgh, great defense."

"Dallas was like on the bottom half of the league last week or two weeks ago, weren’t they? [They were 19 just two weeks ago, I tell him.] I just remember everyone saying Dallas is horrible, they aren’t going to be any good. Now all of a sudden they are up there. Nineteen two weeks ago, now eight? That’s a question mark how guys can jump up that far, this is not the BCS."

"I like Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb has multiple weapons, defense is playing solid right now. They are an opportunistic team."

"Baltimore is catching their stride right now which is going to be pretty dangerous for some people. They can run, they can throw, they play great defense, their special teams are starting to come on and their head coach is a special teams guy. I like them, I think they are going to be a good team and later on they’ll be higher than 10."

"Atlanta is going to be a team that sneaks up on people to. I think they should be a little bit higher. They lost their last two, but before that they were like No. 6 or something, weren’t they? They were high up there. I just don’t know how teams drop in this week-by-week deal."

"The Packers can’t beat the Vikings. They can’t win their division it seems like."

"Cardinals live by the pass die by the pass. It’s a risky way, but if that’s what you’re going to be, know who you are."

"Texans at 14, oh man. I don’t know…"

Blogger break in: Jones-Drew gets to the security gate of his neighborhood. “Hello,” he says. “Monroe, right?” the woman asks him. “No, Jones-Drew,” he says politely. “I’m sorry,” she says. Then turning back to me on the phone: “That’s crazy, my own neighborhood doesn’t even know me. I tell you what, I’ve still got a long way to go.”

"...Texans, Matt Schaub was struggling and Ryan Moats steps up big for them in that Buffalo Bills game. I have Matt Schaub on my fantasy team and he did not play well for me."

"The Giants were the No. 1 team probably three weeks ago and they lost three now, I guess they are on a skid. Now 15, they will probably be down where they Jaguars are next."

"San Diego? Slow start. They always start slow and they always pick it up towards the middle and the end of the season. So it’s kind of surprising, people have to realize that’s how they play the majority of the time. I think they will be higher."

"I don’t know about the Bears. They’re kind of inconsistent. Matt Forte, he’s on my fantasy team, I’m glad he had a big week against Cleveland. They are just inconsistent. I think now, 16, 17 on down you’re going to get to the teams that are just inconsistent."

"Injuries are what make the Jets so low at 18, to lose Kris Jenkins is a big hit for them on the defensive side. And then you lose Leon Washington, your kickoff returner and your backup running back, one of the most explosive guys in the league. That’s tough."

"I think the 49ers are catching their stride. They played Houston tough and almost beat Houston, they came back on them. They played Indy incredibly tough with the Joseph Addai touchdown. Whenever you can hold Peyton Manning with no touchdowns, it’s real big."

"Miami, I think they are undefeated in divisional play, right? You win your division you get to the playoffs. They are the head of their division but that can beat anyone else. Divisional bullies?"

"Jaguars at 21? That’s bull. We should be No. 1. [I chime in that I understand why he says so, but he knows how it sounds to people, right?] "If I didn’t say that, it wouldn’t be right. Everyone should say that about themselves. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?"

"Buffalo, injuries. They’d be higher if they didn’t have as many injuries."

"Carolina, give the ball to Steve Smith. Give him the rock, feed him. You have a running game, but no Steve Smith. That’s why they are ranked that low."

"Seattle: listen to Houshmandzadeh."

"Washington, 25th, they’re struggling. What Haynesworth said: When they want to win, they will."

"The Titans beat the Jaguars."

"Oakland: Off the field issues."

"Kansas City: Off the field issues."

"The Lions got their first victory."

"I think St. Louis should be ranked higher than Detroit, they should flip-flop spots 29 and 30. The Rams beat them didn’t they? If two teams are evenly matched like that, usually the team that beat the other one should be right ahead of them."

"Cleveland: internal bleeding. They are firing everybody in Cleveland right now. They just traded Braylon Edwards, now you’re going to fire your GM. Who’s next?"

"Tampa Bay? [Expletive]! I know how they feel, like anything and everything you do isn’t right. You can do all the hard work in the world and it still doesn’t pay off."

"I think you guys did pretty good. Denver I understand they are high up there, they beat New England which was a big win. Other than that, most of their wins were against opponents that aren’t up there. …I obviously think we’re way too low, we beat Houston. I think Houston could be a little bit higher. At 5-3 they are a little tougher than what people think."

"Fantasy-wise, I need Antonio Gates to step up. I need Philip Rivers to throw the ball to Antonio Gates more. We play two quarterbacks, I have Matt Cassel but I hope he does bad [in Jacksonville Sunday]. I might just play one quarterback."

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

• Rick Gosselin's final mock draft.
• Jay Glazer's final mock draft.
• A 32 questions draft edition from Mike Silver.
• Mike Freeman lists 100 things he'd rather do than watch the draft.

Houston Texans

• Jerome Solomon says Bob McNair and the Texans have gotten better at this.
• Players out of Texas taken high in the first round are hardly a sure thing, writes John McClain.
• Past picks at No. 15 have been more fizzle than sizzle, says McClain.
• McClain's final mock still has the Texans taking Clay Matthews.
• Lance Zierlein makes a couple trades in his mock.

Indianapolis Colts

• Bob Kravitz says this is when Bill Polian earns his money.
• Free-agent corner Keiwan Ratliff signed with the Steelers, says Mike Chappell.
• The Colts will watch a lot of things sort out before they get a sense of their possibilities at No. 27, writes Chappell.
• No. 2 and No. 1 on John Oehser's list of the top 25 picks of the Polian era. This was a great idea that gave us a lot to ponder over the last several weeks.
• Oehser reviews mock prognostications for the Colts.
• Curse insurance. Peyton Manning's not the Madden cover boy.
• June 6 is the day the Colts will hold an open practice at Franklin College. Tickets will be $10, says Oehser.
• Polian can pronounce Peria Jerry's name, points out Oehser.
• Oehser selects the best pick at each first-round spot for the Colts in their history.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• The moment of truth has arrived for Gene Smith, writes Vito Stellino.
• Peter King says the Jaguars turned down No. 23 and No. 47 from New England for No. 8.
• Michael C. Wright is sticking with B.J. Raji for the Jaguars in his final mock draft.
• A judge has been asked to revoke Jimmy Smith's bail, reports Jim Schoettler.
• Gene Frenette says Smith has slowed down the timetable to become part of the Pride of the Jaguars that honors their all-time greats.
• A look at the guy on the other end of the phone in New York, from Ryan Robinson of Jaguars.com.
• Smith won't be unprepared, says Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com.
• Cole Pepper says it'll be Michael Crabtree at No. 8, and Malcolm Jenkins if the Jaguars trade back.

Tennessee Titans

• The last four first-rounders were immediate contributors. Jim Wyatt asks whether the Titans continue the trend.
• The guys at the Tennessean make their picks and sample the national choices.
• Chuck Cecil isn't worried about the Titans replacing Albert Haynesworth, writes Jonathan Hutton.
• Joe Biddle would like to see the Titans with Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards.
• Wyatt runs through a mock draft done by a group of beat writers from around the country.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

NASHVILLE -- A while back, a reader asked about whether the high salaries attached to the earliest picks of the draft had altered the draft value charts around the league. Teams use such charts, which assign a point value to every pick, to weigh and balance trades. GMs and coaches like to talk about how theirs are different, but the general construct is similar.

I asked Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt this week if he's got a new chart and if he thought most teams had altered theirs.

"Some of the trade charts have changed addressing the trade value of those top picks and it has gone down," he said. "What those picks were, it's not that way anymore. I think it's there is a burden associated with having those top 10 picks.

"...But you have two sets of charts -- depending on which way you're going, up or down, you pull out the appropriate one," he added as we laughed.

The early phone check-ins are usually 50-50 with teams talking about expecting to look to move up or back, Reinfeldt said. This time more people are talking about moving back.

Here are a few highlights from the Titans' pre-draft news conference Thursday:

• National supervisor of college scouting C.O. Brocato said USC linebacker Rey Maualuga can play inside or outside, and he thinks his college teammate Brian Cushing, an outside backer by trade, can play inside. He said he views the third USC linebacker, Clay Matthews, as strictly an outside guy.
• Brocato likes the crop of linebackers and tight ends but said running backs have fallen off.
• Scouting coordinator Blake Beddingfield said there "is a value on every player" and that the Titans hadn't taken anyone off the board. But he joined the laughter when asked if Florida receiver Percy Harvin was a seventh-rounder on the Titans' board.
• I believe the Titans will steer clear of Harvin because of the issues surrounding him. But director of college scouting for the Eastern region Mike Ackerley said Harvin is "the most explosive player in this draft by far," that he has no doubt Harvin can run routes and be a top receiver who can also work as a return man and that "he can play wherever he wants."
• Reinfeldt said a number of receivers have grades that would make them worthy of the 30th pick, and such grades mean those players should be able to be productive early.
• Weight gained by Hakeem Nicks after the combine was not a concern, Ackerley said. So much of a premium is put on 40 times at the combine, everyone drops weight for that, then gets bigger and stronger by the time pro days arrive.
• Malcolm Jenkins, Vontae Davis and Alphonso Smith have separated themselves into the first tier of corners, but there is not that much space between them and the next group, Ackerley said.
• Reinfeldt was coy when asked questions that were clearly aimed at getting him to show if the Titans have any real interest in trading for Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards. He said at some point the Titans would like to add a veteran receiver to the mix, which made it sound like it wasn't going to be a top name. He mentioned that after the draft some veterans would shake free. Asked if the team has to have another veteran wideout, he said: "It would be nice; I don't think it's a necessity."
• Brocato gave a rave review of Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman. "He's got everything you want for a quarterback," he said.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

While researching and pondering some players for the Best Match blog entry Monday afternoon, I was struck by something on the day that Nate Washington wound up signing with the Titans.

Take Six Washington is the sixth try the Titans will make at finding production out of a receiver who came out of college in 2005. The first five: Receiver School How obtained Current locale Comment Courtney Roby Indiana 3rd-rd. pick N.O. Six games with Colts and Saints in '08, no catches Brandon Jones Oklahoma 3rd-rd. pick S.F. Despite inconsistencies, just got 5-year, $16.4 million deal in S.F. Roydell Williams Tulane 4th-rd. pick not in NFL Cut by Titans before 2008 season O.J. Small Florida Rookie free agent not in NFL Two games, one-catch as injury fill-in in 2005 Mike Williams USC Free agent in '07 not in NFL Played two of six games, no catches

Jason Anderson out of Wake Forest, another rookie free agent, spent some time on the practice squad in 2005. Coming out of their salary-cap purge that included cutting Derrick Mason, the Titans also signed five others as undrafted free agents: Chris Bush, Vincent Cartwright, Ellis Edbrow, Earvin Johnson and Alonzo Nix.

To their credit, the Titans passed on Williams and Troy Williamson when they were so so highly touted in that draft. To their discredit, the player they took instead at No. 6, Adam "Pacman" Jones, might have been a better football player but was an even bigger headache.

The three receivers still of note from that draft -- Braylon Edwards, Roddy White and Vincent Jackson -- were selected third, 27th and 61st. The Titans' strategy was to take three and hope at least one would break through, but they didn't start spending until they took Roby 68th.

But here's what I am getting at, and I am curious what you think:

Does the fact the Titans would go a sixth time into that group to sign a player who came into the league out of mighty D-II Tiffin as an unrestricted free agent serve as a testament to just how hard it is to find the right guy in a class?

Or is it an indictment of their ability to sift through a group and find the talent?