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Ben in Houston writes: In the chat yesterday someone asked about Coby Fleener to the Texans. I'm not busting your chops at all, but you read it as the Titans (understandably so when you've been speed-reading on a computer screen for awhile), and answered accordingly saying he wouldn't go as the 20th pick. But what do you think about Fleener to the Houston Texans at 26? I know Wright is the name everyone's putting out there, but Fleener is 6' 6", ran a sub-4.5 40, and the Texans love to run two tight sets when they have the personnel. Additionally with his height and speed, I don't see why he couldn't be considered a deep threat or even just a great complement to Andre if you wanted to put him in the slot. I know there is plenty of info I'm not privy to, but I'm interested in what your thoughts are and what additional insight you might be willing to impart. Thanks

Paul Kuharsky: It’s certainly possible. But I suspect one of those receivers -- or someone at another position -- will be judged more worthy of No. 26 than Fleener will be. The Texans have spent a lot of picks on tight ends. If they have Owen Daniels, James Casey (who may be working as a fullback at least some or could get to return to being more of a tight end) and Garrett Graham they could be OK at the spot.

The buzz on Fleener grew at Stanford’s pro day, but there wasn’t too much before that. He certainly looks like he can be a nice outlet for any quarterback and would work nicely in what the Texans do.

vallenii from Florida writes: Is it possible that the NFL would/will consider allowing QB's & WR's early camp access (like MLB does with pitchers and catchers)?

Paul Kuharsky: The players worked hard in negotiations last year to trim down the offseason. I can’t foresee them giving back a big “gain” in the name of certain players reporting early.

Greg in West Nashville writes: Titans GM Ruston Webster's main role is to make decisions to improve the team and he didn't feel Peyton Manning was worth pursuing until Bud Adams made him. Webster wants to shore up the defense. The Giants and Patriots were ranked behind the Titans in defense last year, but they both have elite QB's. Don't you think the Titans are behind the times in their way of thinking and will continue to be an 8-8 franchise?

Paul Kuharsky: Well, Manning chase aside, the Titans went and got their QB last year in Jake Locker. Now it’s a matter of when he takes over.

Defense and run games aren’t the surefire route to success they once were. But that doesn’t mean there are not multiple paths to winning.

My preference is what’s worked lately: Elite QB and weapons paired up with a big pass rush.

The AFC South is now a fullback division, unfortunately, with a philosophical mindset that may be behind the times.

Ian in College Station, Texas, writes: I just read the "Frustrated Texan Fan" article and thought your response was brilliant. You are truly one of the most unbiased writer at ESPN (in my own opinion). Keep up the good work!

Paul Kuharsky: Check’s in the mail, thanks. I need to keep your email handy, there are a lot of people I’d like to point to you.

Reading the coverage …

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are more likely to win the Super Bowl than the Broncos with Peyton Manning says Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans will face the Manning-led Broncos in 2012 in Denver, says John McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

Manning’s choice of the Broncos is a perfect one for making a Super Bowl run, says Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star, who covered the John Elway Broncos once upon a time. “I'm happy for him. Thrilled. Overjoyed that Manning, who you hope has something left after all those neck procedures, will get a chance to win some more Super Bowls before his Pro Football Hall of Fame career ends. This is the perfect fit."

The Colts won’t have a chance to play Manning this season, says Phil Richards of the Star.

The Star collected reaction to the Manning move.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars aren’t commenting or offering indications about their interest or lack of it in Tim Tebow. “Their front office did not have interest in Tebow then, and indications are that they still do not have interest in him. So far, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan has taken a hands-off approach with the team’s football operations,” writes Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union.

Don’t add Tebow just to sell tickets, advised Gene Frenette. That would be a foolish move, I agree.

Tennessee Titans

“I absolutely was going to pay him,” Bud Adams told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “And I was going to pay him to be with us until he was ready to be buried. And I was going to take care of him. I was going to spend a lot of money on him. But he didn’t want that. He wanted to be somewhere else, and I can’t do anything about that.”

”As disappointing as the news may be, at least this franchise finally sat down at the adult table and tried to pull off a major deal,” writes David Climer of The Tennessean. “For all the people that have criticized Bud Adams over the years for being cheap or out of touch, give it a rest. He’s the one that insisted the Titans enter the Manning sweepstakes. For all we know, they were a close second.”

The team has visits scheduled with center Jeff Saturday, tight end Joel Dreessen, and cornerbacks Tracy Porter and William Gay, says Wyatt.

Manning is no longer a great deep-ball thrower, says Nate Dunlevy of Bleacher Report.

So, 89-year-old Titans owner Bud Adams was bold in going for Peyton Manning.

He said he’d be disappointed if his executives were unable to land the quarterback.

What now?

I can’t imagine that team president Mike Reinfeldt or general manager Ruston Webster, both recently promoted, will lose any standing with their boss here, even though Adams can be unreasonable on such things.

If anything, they actually should get a little leeway.

The Titans missed out on other free agents because they prioritized Manning, and they prioritized Manning at the instruction of Adams.

So it’s not completely Reinfeldt's or Webster's fault the Titans couldn’t land defensive end John Abraham, center Chris Myers or center Scott Wells.

Reinfeldt and Webster appear to have handled a meddling boss as best as they could. From Adams:

“I want to thank the whole organization for their efforts in trying to sign Peyton and also to Peyton for the time he put into the process. Peyton called me this morning to inform me of his decision and obviously I am disappointed, because I thought we would be a perfect fit.

“Now that we move forward, I want our fans to know that our expectations haven’t changed -- winning a championship is still the goal. I like our quarterback situation moving forward and we will continue to build the team through free agency and the draft with that goal in mind.

“I also want to commend Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker. They were thrown into a very difficult situation. Matt was very good for us last year; and at some point, we expect Jake to be our future franchise quarterback.”

The Titans have former Oakland linebacker Kamerion Wimbley in for a visit today, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

If the Titans are able to come out of free agency with Steve Hutchinson (already signed) and Wimbley, that’s not a terrible haul.

Well, they gave it a shot.

The Tennessee Titans lost out in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes.

It would be great if the Titans could now return to the plan formulated before owner Bud Adams forced a detour into the quarterback market. But many pieces of the plan have evaporated.

They wouldn't have matched the kind of money the Buffalo Bills will pay defensive end Mario Williams. They watched John Abraham return to Atlanta. Centers Scott Wells and Chris Myers are off the market.

Now, they should be players for Kamerion Wimbley. They need to gauge what's going on with Dwight Freeney. They need to seek any sort of viable pass-rusher.

They've added guard Steve Hutchinson, who will help Chris Johnson just as much with Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker going forward as he could have helped Manning.

I'm not sure the Titans will find the pass-rusher they desperately need in remaining free agency or the draft, but they'll give it their best shot.

As for Hasselbeck, the presumptive opening day starter: He's a big boy. He understood that Bud Adams wanted Manning. He understands who Manning is. The team kept him in the loop.

It didn't make a change, so things revert. I don't think he was insulted, not in any way that would linger or be an issue going forward.

Yes, the owner and the city are now dealing with disappointment. But just a couple of weeks ago, Manning wasn't a real possibility for the franchise. Then hopes were higher than the Music City's Batman Building. Now he is a dream that flamed out.

Life goes on.

The Titans would have been better with him.

They may still be able to challenge for the division without him.

If the Tennessee Titans do not land Peyton Manning, will their failed pursuit of him have a lasting effect on the franchise?

The team had a plan for free agency before owner Bud Adams declared the team would chase Manning and try to land him at all costs.

General manager Ruston Webster wouldn’t have been super active, but odds are he would have done more to this point than signing guard Steve Hutchinson.

The Titans were interested in Mario Williams, though I don’t believe they would have offered the sort of lottery winnings he will collect in Buffalo.

Perhaps, though, the Titans could have lured end John Abraham away from Atlanta. Perhaps they would have been able to land one of the centers they had in for visits -- Chris Myers, who re-signed with Houston, or Scott Wells, who went from Green Bay to St. Louis.

We don’t know where they stand with Kamerion Wimbley, the former Raiders pass-rusher. Maybe they chase him and land him whether they get Manning or not. But it will be hard to make him feel like a top priority while the quarterback question is unsettled.

This is likely to be the last great crop of free agents for some time because of the CBA. The way teams will be mandated to spend and the way contracts for high picks are now structured means more and more teams will make big efforts to lock up their top players before they get near free agency.

When Adams dictated the Titans draft Vince Young third overall in 2006, the decision had long-lasting negative implications for the organization.

I am sure Adams feels like landing Manning will help offset the Young failure.

He may have missed on his beloved Houston native and University of Texas quarterback. But if he lands an all-time great for the final three or four years of his career, he will have pulled a giant fish into his franchise's boat.

But if that fish doesn’t bite on the Titans’ line, will Adams have made another move with long-ranging, negative implications?

Will we go forward wondering about the guys the Titans were unable to chase and sign because their focus was on Manning?

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that the San Francisco 49ers have emerged as a third finalist in the Peyton Manning derby.

Per Mort, Manning has worked out for San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh and taken a physical but not visited the team facility. The Niners now join the Broncos and Titans as finalists for Manning's services.

Quite frankly, the 49ers are the best candidate if getting a Lombardi Trophy is Manning's top goal.

They were a game away from the Super Bowl last year. They have an excellent defense. And although Harbaugh is a bit of a control freak, giving him Manning at the helm could make for some fantastic offense.

The 49ers may be the clear-cut favorite to win the NFC West without Manning. With him, they'd be a very popular pick to win the division and host the NFC title game.

The Titans and owner Bud Adams can't be happy to see San Francisco emerge.

Bud Adams is offering Peyton Manning a "contract for life," according to KHOU’s Matt Musil, who spoke to the Titans owner.

Adams expressed confidence that the Titans will land the quarterback, said he doesn’t have reservations about where Manning’s arm will be come September and added that while he likes Jake Locker he feels his team needs to “go for it.”

Nashville is on Peyton Watch and the conversation about whether he'll join the Titans is eclipsing March Madness, despite the fact that two Nashville teams -- Belmont and Vanderbilt -- are in the tournament and Bridgestone Arena is hosting games Friday and Sunday.

Adams' comment to Musil echoes what he said when he went public with his desire for Manning on Sunday.

He told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean: "I want him to come work for us as long as he lives."

Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network said it first -- the Titans have a foot in the door with Peyton Manning.

Then our Chris Mortensen just tweeted:

“Peyton Manning will meet w Dolphins coach Joe Philbin & Titans coach Mike Munchak during next 3 days, scheduled away from team facilities.”

We’ve arrived, then, at Munchak’s biggest moment in his little over a year as coach of the Titans.

In 2010, he won over Matt Hasselbeck with relative ease.

Little did we know that he would be building off of that sales pitch to one less than a year later for an all-time great.

Munchak is a Hall of Fame player, an up-and-coming coach and an intelligent businessman. He can sell.

Can he outsell John Elway?

Munchak doesn’t have Elway’s personality or Super Bowls, but I think he’s got a shot.

He’s got an offensive coordinator in Chris Palmer who worked with Manning’s brother, Eli, as quarterback coach for the Giants when they beat the Patriots the first time for a Lombardi Trophy.

He’s got a line that might be the best pass protection line Manning’s ever played behind.

He’s got Kenny Britt getting healthy. He’s got a No. 2 receiver in Nate Washington, who got way better when they upgraded to Hasselbeck.

He’s got a dynamic tight end in Jared Cook who finished strong.

He’s got Chris Johnson looking to rebound, who could really benefit from a leap from the passing game.

So long as Munchak can explain how GM Ruston Webster, who was disinclined to chase Manning, has come to terms with Bud Adams’ mandate to go get him, he’s got enough to make a compelling case.

The last time Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams forced a quarterback on his brain trust, things didn’t pan out so well.

“VY is my guy,” wound up causing all sorts of acrimony in team headquarters as Vince Young's tenure was an overall failure.

But Adams’ declaration Sunday to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean that he wants Peyton Manning — despite team brass indicating strongly it wouldn’t pursue him — could be an entirely different story.

Adams said he’s spoken with Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, to make his intentions clear. Team president Mike Reinfeldt and general manager Mike Webster will surely now do all they can to help execute their boss’ wishes.

“He is the man I want. Period,” Adams said. “And the people that work for me understand that. They know who I want. I want Mr. Manning with the Titans and I will be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.”

Adams indicated no decision on if a visit’s been made, but seems to believe Manning is willing to listen provided he believes Reinfeldt and Webster are in line with the owners’ desires.

Those extend beyond Manning’s playing days.

“I want him to be with me the rest of his working period of his life,” Adams said, “even when he doesn’t want to play anymore.”

There has long been speculation in Tennessee that Manning could be involved in Titans’ management or even ownership in the years to come, in large part because while succession plans are in place for the aging Adams, there is no one in his family lined up to take over his role. His grandson works in the front office, but isn’t too long out of college.

So, are the Titans the mystery team many suggested would emerge in the Manning sweepstakes?

It seems like.

The team isn’t too far away from being good.

And there are reasons Manning would consider it: Coach Mike Munchak and offensive coordinator Chris Palmer are flexible types who would be easy to work with. Pass protection was excellent for Matt Hasselbeck last season. Running back Chris Johnson has rebounding to do but would benefit from an improved passing game. A healthy Kenny Britt could be a big threat for Manning. Nate Washington, Jared Cook and Damian Williams could make for a pretty good core of options to throw to.

The defense is a work in progress, but if the Titans can find one special pass-rusher, it could be primed to make a significant jump.

Would Manning be averse to two games a year against the Colts? I don’t think he’d mind taking on his old team. But considering the feelings he expressed for Indianapolis and its fans, the idea of going back regularly to play as a guest in Lucas Oil Stadium could factor in and hurt Adams’ bid.

One other thing to consider here: With Denver and Arizona emerging as favorites for Manning’s services, just when did Adams make his feelings known to Condon? If it was days ago, OK, they could be in it. If he was late, things could have been far enough along that the Titans have a minimal chance. Maybe Adams knows he can’t get Manning, but realizes he can curry favor with his team’s fans by coming out and saying he wants him. When Manning winds up playing for someone else, the Titans can say they tried.

What if they try and succeed?

With a healthy Manning in place, the Titans could certainly challenge the Texans for AFC South supremacy and leave a bunch of teams like the Broncos, Cardinals and Dolphins scrambling for quarterback answers. One of them would likely wind up with Hasselbeck.

Reading the coverage …

Houston Texans

This mock draft from John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has the Texans taking Illinois outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus.

Andre Johnson has not renegotiated his contract at this time, says McClain.

Indianapolis Colts

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star appreciates how Peyton Manning dealt with incredible disappointments. The Star has a Manning page.

The next quarterback of the Colts will come in as a rookie starter, just like the last guy did, says Chappell.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union gives us the lowdown on the contract details for Rashean Mathis.

Starting at 12:45 p.m. ET, Ganguli will live blog Shahid Khan’s meeting with the Times-Union’s editorial board.

Tennessee Titans

The one obvious wild card with the Titans and Manning is owner Bud Adams, says David Climer of The Tennessean.

“College spread offenses are making it more difficult to judge how a lineman might perform in the NFL” and that affects how the Titans evaluate, says Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Uh-oh.

A friend just drew my attention to this story from WOKV.com and a significant line from Jaguars owner Shahid Khan:

"(One hundred) percent I would have (drafted Tim Tebow),” Khan said. “When is the next time Jacksonville is going to have an athlete like Tim Tebow.”

This is a cringe-worthy comment, and the most troublesome word in it is not “Tim or “Tebow.” It’s “I.”

Khan signed off on an extension for Gene Smith, the general manager who’s employed to make personnel decisions. If Khan meant to say he would have pushed for Tebow and seen how Smith responded, allowing for the possibility he’d be talked out of it, that’s one thing.

If he was going to force the issue, that’s bad news

In case that’s the case, someone should sit Khan down and run him through some context, starting with the story of the Titans’ 2006 draft when owner Bud Adams fell in love with Vince Young and gave his team a five-year headache.

Khan’s personal PR guy and whoever he is listening to with the team should quickly advise him to talk about “we” and not “I.” He needs to be conscious of adding, “but Gene will have his say in that” anytime he is answering personnel questions.

(He should also be ready with “but Mike Mularkey is the guy making those decisions” for when he’s asked about lineup issues or clock management.)

Most Jaguars fans understand why the team didn’t take Tebow, tabbing defensive tackle Tyson Alualu No. 10 in the 2010 draft. It would be far easier to make that argument to the smaller local faction and the louder, more detached national analysts that believe the team should have taken the local hero if Blaine Gabbert had played well as a rookie in 2011.

Until Mularkey and his staff have a productive quarterback taking snaps, questions about Tebow will surface. Hopefully they won’t come again from the inside.

UPDATE, 2:54 p.m.: Here's video of another interview Khan did, with Action News Jacksonville, as he made the rounds.

Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle recently wrote that if Peyton Manning is available, the Texans should be at the head of the line.

Sorry, Matt Schaub. Thanks for your service.

Schaub might be a solid quarterback, but a healthy Manning is more than solid. He is an all-time great.

No one knows if we are if we are talking about a healthy Manning, and he’d come with more risk of suffering another neck injury. Presuming he’s OK, in my view, you can look at all but six teams in the league and say the same thing Solomon is saying about the Texans. Simply insert the name of 25 other presumed starting quarterbacks in the Schaub slot in the above passage and it is intriguing.

Most teams aren’t big on scrapping long-range plans.

But most teams should be willing to change course given a chance at an all-time great quarterback in the rare instance when adding him is feasible and it would open a window during which they’d rank as a Super Bowl contender.

Much has been written about the teams most likely to court Manning the hardest: the Jets, Dolphins, Redskins and Cardinals top most lists.

Much has been said about an ideal fit: Add him to San Francisco, shore up the receivers and the Niners would be a Super Bowl favorite.

Let’s look at the scenario dreaming fans of the other three AFC South fans may be letting creep into their brains:

Houston

As Solomon writes, “Once Manning is let go he should be as interested in the Texans as they would be in him. There might not be a better fit for him in the NFL.”

The Texans could dominate a weak division. Gary Kubiak is a great offensive mind. Manning would be paired with an excellent run game and a fantastic receiver in Andre Johnson. The defense should continue to be quite good.

My feeling: It’s nice to imagine, but I just can’t picture the Texans going after him with the all-out sales pitch he’s likely to get from a lot of other places. They feel they now have good insurance for Schaub with T.J. Yates. But if you boil down the best option, it’s be Manning. Cap room would be an issue.

Jacksonville

New owner Shahid Khan has said he’s willing to spend and there is not a move that could make a bigger splash.

The Jaguars have excellent defensive personnel and if they add a rush end and re-stock at corner, they’ll be a top defense. They have the reigning rushing champ.

Their quarterback was horrible as a rookie. Put Blaine Gabbert behind Manning, acquire two or three receivers for him to throw to and the Jaguars would be instant contenders more than able to challenge the Texans.

My feeling: It makes sense and the Jaguars should take a swing even though it falls well outside their typical approach under general manager Gene Smith. I don’t imagine it’s the most attractive market for Manning, though he could really help put it, and Khan, on the map.

Tennessee

It won’t be long before those who still love Manning for what he did at the University of Tennessee clamor for him to finish his career with the Titans. It would mean the Titans part with Matt Hasselbeck and that Jake Locker would be planted on the bench longer than was the initial plan.

But put Manning on this team, with a great pass-protecting line, a healthy Kenny Britt, a stable of targets including Jared Cook, Nate Washington and Chris Johnson and the offense is instantly more dangerous.

My feeling: It’s too far outside the box for new general manager Ruston Webster to try it. But if owner Bud Adams fell in love with the idea and dictated that it happen, it would be a far better idea than the last time he forced a quarterback on his people.

Tidbits from around the division this afternoon:

• Beyond owner Bud Adams’ final say when he wants it, the Titans will be a “GM-driven” team on personnel matters with Ruston Webster in the post, said Mike Reinfeldt, who’s now COO. (I was at the press conference.)
• Archie Manning shot down Rob Lowe’s Twitter “report” that Peyton Manning will retire. From Chris Mortensen: “Archie Manning laughed when he heard @RobLowe said Peyton will retire, "Noooo...he ain't retiring. I think he would've told me."
• Offensive line coach Pete Metzelaars and receivers coach Frank Reich have been let go by the Colts, says Phil Richards.
• The Colts did not have an interest in Jeff Fisher, Irsay tweeted.
• Matt Schaub has joined Twitter.

How much do the Titans value vice president of pro personnel Ruston Webster and vice president of football administration Lake Dawson?

Enough that they shuffled their front office to keep St. Louis and Jeff Fisher from plucking either one away to become the Rams’ new general manager.

The team promoted Mike Reinfeldt to senior executive vice president/COO after serving as the team’s general manager for the past five seasons, and Webster was elevated to executive vice president/general manager after serving two seasons as the VP of player personnel. Dawson has been promoted to vice president of player personnel, replacing Webster.

It’s a bold move to keep together a trio the organization likes a great deal.

Reinfeldt will now serve as the primary Nashville connection to Houston-based owner Bud Adams and both Webster and coach Mike Munchak will be able to take issues to him. The last person to hold such a post, Steve Underwood, retired before the 2011 season.

“Mike has done a nice job for us as our general manager, but I believe we need someone in place who oversees the entire franchise there in Nashville,” owner Bud Adams said. “Mike is uniquely qualified for that position with his previous experience. Our VP’s have done an outstanding job over the past couple of years managing their departments, but this will streamline things to have someone on site to direct the entire organization and who will execute things the way I want them done.

“With this shuffle, we really have the best of both worlds -- as you might remember our final two candidates when we were filling the general manager position five years ago were Mike (Reinfeldt) and Ruston Webster. We now have both of them working for us and Ruston will take over the general manager role.”

It’s an effective move by the Titans to play keep-away with Webster and Dawson who were candidates for the general manager post in St. Louis, where Jeff Fisher is the new coach.

Eddie George’s lambasting of the Titans for not having already dealt with Chris Johnson's contract has been big news, and rightly so.

Here’s one thing the team’s front office can take away from this: Slow, patient, and even plodding is the right approach sometimes. But not all the time.

From the time I started covering the franchise in its final year in Houston in 1996, it’s always been very deliberate.

Often times, that’s fine. The team that rushes out in free agency doesn’t usually win the Super Bowl. The team that puts a guy on the bench after one big mistake might stunt his development and confidence. The team that jumps out to complain about officiating in a game may suffer consequences at the hands of the commissioner.

But, in the instance of Chris Johnson, George is right on target.

The team should have hit Johnson with a contract offer it worked up during the lockout the moment it ended, and in so doing could have at least talked of an “immediate” good-faith effort.

Steve Underwood was long owner Bud Adams’ right-hand man and top confidante. Underwood is a methodical lawyer, who never jumped to action on team matters, and that tone trickled down through the organization.

Underwood recently retired.

As Adams and the Titans’ front office move forward post-Underwood, their in-house review of how things operate might allow for the possibility that there are occasions where moving quickly can be beneficial.