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The Titans are still pursuing center Scott Wells, and landing him would come with dumping Eugene Amano, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

If this unfolds, the Titans would have a line of left tackle Michael Roos, left guard Steve Hutchinson, center Wells, right guard Leroy Harris and right tackle David Stewart.

The line pass protected very well last season, but the Titans' run game plummeted to last in the league. Coach Mike Munchak, a Hall of Fame lineman, declined to place blame on the interior line. But if two-thirds of it is replaced, it will show what the team really thought.

With that revamped unit, a lot would fall on Chris Johnson. The speedy back struggled last season after getting a new contract, and his effort came into question. I wrote Friday about my expectations for him if Peyton Manning joins the Titans.

Here’s McGinn:

Tennessee is set at guard, with two-year starter Leroy Harris on the left side and Hutchinson now penciled in on the right side where Jake Scott played every snap in 2011. Scott, their least effective starter, now will depart as an unrestricted free agent.

The Titans aren't overly thrilled with center Eugene Amano, and would easily release him if they can sign Wells, according to an NFL source. They're looking to upgrade the offensive line.

Amano, 30, has three years remaining on a five-year, $26.25 million contract that he signed in February 2010. He started at left guard in 2008 and '09, and then moved to center in 2010 after the departure of Kevin Mawae, but it's no secret that the Titans haven't been satisfied with their production at center since Mawae.

Although Wells left Tennessee at mid-week to visit St. Louis, it's pretty obvious that the Titans would be his preferred landing place. He played high-school football outside Nashville, he makes his home in Nashville, and his agent is from Nashville.

At long last, we start to unveil ESPN.com’s All-AFC South Team.

We’ll start with the offense.

It’s a tough assignment.

The second guy at some spots -- like Houston running back Arian Foster -- is superb, while the top guy at other spots was hardly as good and was not so clearly better than his competition.

But we forge ahead.

WRs: Wide receivers were not great this season, with Andre Johnson missing too much time to be eligible and not one Jacksonville player at the position worth a look. Indianapolis’ Reggie Wayne remained productive on a team that played three bad quarterbacks and was unable to have many offensive days of note. Tennessee’s Nate Washington topped 1,000 yards and was a prime third-down target. He blossomed in a season when the Titans were desperate after Kenny Britt was lost early on.

LT: Houston’s Duane Brown gets the nod after a fine season. He was probably the second-best guy (to center Chris Myers) on one of the very best lines in the NFL. But Tennessee’s Michael Roos was very steady again and Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe emerged as a player closer to the kind the Jaguars expected and need him to be. Both deserve mention.

LG: I struggled to find a left guard that was worthy of a spot here, so I reluctantly leave the spot open. The second-best guard in the division was Houston’s Mike Brisiel and, like Jacksonville’s Uche Nwaneri, he plays on the right. One film-watcher I spoke with said I should just go with the entire Texans group, but others thought left guard Wade Smith dropped off from his 2010 performance. Tennessee’s Leroy Harris pass-blocked well like all the Titans, but was part of the team’s run struggles.

C: Myers led Houston’s line, perhaps the best in the NFL. He’s super smart, efficient and effective. He’s also very much the group’s tone-setter and leader. Considering how much the team's scheme relies on the unit working together with lateral movements and cutting, Myers' leadership is incredibly valuable.

RG: A lot of Jaguars linemen were in and out of the lineup as the team had to shuffle and leaned on one rookie, Will Rackley. Nwaneri may have even outranked Monroe as the steadiest guy on a line that help spring Maurice Jones-Drew for a league-high 1,606 yards on a team that could hardly throw the ball.

RT: Tennessee’s David Stewart was very good, but Eric Winston had a very strong season. Winston wins out over Stewart because he was more balanced and the Texans were far more balanced.

TE: Not a great year for guys at a position that could be stacked if everyone was healthy for the full season and producing as they are capable of doing. I was leaning toward Tennessee’s Jared Cook based on a solid finish. But Cook didn't do enough early and scouting associates steered me to Owen Daniels, who was not at his best but was still a threat who helped offset the stretches without Johnson.

QB: Matt Schaub didn’t play enough for the Texans to offset Matt Hasselbeck's season. While Hasselbeck didn’t maintain the high level of play he showed early on, he was the most consistent and productive guy in the division and the only quarterback not named Warren Moon to pass for 3,500 yards for the Titans/Oilers.

FB: Greg Jones of the Jaguars blocked for the best running game in the division and the most productive running back in the division. Case closed.

RB: If we weren’t in a quarterback-dominated era and if running well translated to winning more, then Jones-Drew of the Jaguars would be in the running for offensive player of the year. Such things are not happening in today’s NFL. That does not detract from his remarkable season, which is what took to win this spot over Foster.

Ray Lewis finished atop ESPN.com’s NFL Any Era poll, and he’s certainly a guy whose game would have worked in any point in time of professional football.

The AFC South finished with just two players in the list of 20, with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning at No. 20 and Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney at No. 18.

I have no major beef with the exclusion of anyone else.

But if we wanted to pick three more guys and present a top five of NFL Any Era players from the AFC South, who would they be?

Here are my candidates, one from each of the other three teams. I welcome your input in the comments section.

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew -- A very powerful runner who can find space between the tackles and willing to take on contact. He runs effectively against stacked boxes in the modern day, he’d have been able to do the same in more rough and tumble times.

Texans linebacker Brian Cushing -- Sure, it’s not smart that he gashed the bridge of his nose head-butting someone with his helmet off. But the picture from this season with blood streaming down his face is the sort you’d see in black and white from back in the day.

Titans right tackle David Stewart -- He’s not concerned with any of the trappings of modern professional football outside of blocking the guys coming at him and providing a mean streak. He doesn’t need fluffy towels.

There may be holes in Pro Football Focus’ AFC Pro Bowl Team. But I bet they do a better job than fans in voting which counts one-third toward the formulation of the actual team, and tends to be a popularity contest.

Here’s how the AFC South shows up on PFF’s team with excerpts from Neil Hornsby’s piece.

Offensive tackle: Houston’s Eric Winston is a starter, Jacksonville’s Eugene Monroe is a backup. Tennessee’s David Stewart just missed.

“Winston is a much more balanced player and a key part of the best overall line around – the Texans. Finally Monroe, who, for some time flirted, with the title of “bust”, became a model of consistency and gave Blaine Gabbert one less excuse for his awful performances.”

Center: Houston’s Chris Myers is the starter.

“The only question was, after a less than stellar start and a couple of weeks out injured, could (the Jets’ Nick) Mangold catch up to the Texans’ prolific start. Myers took up the gauntlet and answered emphatically that this was no victory by default. My view is he’d have won anyway and given how much we think of Mangold that’s high praise.”

Tight end: Houston’s Owen Daniels just missed.

Quarterback:Houston’s Matt Schaub just missed.

Running back:Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew is the starter and Houston’s Arian Foster is one of the backups.

“Jones-Drew and Foster were both locks after excellent all-round years. It’s particularly nice that both of these guys stand up in pass protection too.”

Defensive end: Houston’s J.J. Watt just missed.

Outside linebacker: Jacksonville’s Daryl Smith is a backup.

“Daryl Smith will never, ever make the ‘other’ Pro Bowl squad because he doesn’t create stats. It’s their loss because he’s a guy that does it all well; run, pass rush and coverage – the consummate linebacker.”

Inside linebacker:Houston’s Brian Cushing is a backup.

“What goes around comes around I guess, which is a tenuous segue into the defensive rookie of the year in 2009, who tanked in 2010 and has come back better than ever this year. Like Johnson, Cushing excels in all parts of the game including coverage and pass rushing.”

Cornerback: Houston’s Johnathan Joseph is a starter and Tennessee’ Cortland Finnegan is a backup.

“Has any single player had a more marked effect on a defense than Joseph? A secondary which was a laughing stock is now dangerous and much of that is down to him. What’s remarkable about Finnegan this year is that he’s taken slot duty in the Titans’ nickel? Normally that’s a recipe for completions and yardage and about as tricky a thing to do as there is. He’s been great from the get go, bringing the heat in run defense, as well as his coverage, and has also cut out all the stupidity. Maybe Richard Seymour could get some pointers.”

More Scouts Inc. lists are out, with rankings of running backs, fullbacks and offensive lines.

Here’s where the AFC South starters and players of note stand.

Running backs

2: Chris Johnson

4: Maurice Jones-Drew

6: Arian Foster

22: Joseph Addai

I think: Foster might be too low.

Fullbacks

7: Lawrence Vickers

8: Ahmard Hall

9: Greg Jones

I think: I might flip Jones and Vickers.

Tackles

14: Eric Winston

22: David Stewart

23: Michael Roos

28: Duane Brown

33: Eugene Monroe

49: Ryan Diem

52: Wade Smith (actually a guard)

68: Eben Britton

I think: I expressed myself on Roos yesterday. He's way to low.

Guards

22: Jake Scott

41: Jason Spitz

55: Eugene Amano (actually a center)

56: Leroy Harris

61: Mike Brisiel

62: Uche Nwaneri

70: Kyle DeVan

71: Mike Pollak

I think: It says a lot about the division's guards that Spitz is second among them.

Centers

7: Jeff Saturday

9: Chris Myers

24: Brad Meester

I think: Myers is underrated generally, and deserves this top 10 slot.

Kyle Marcil from Jacksonville writes: I just saw the Jaguars added another defensive player in DE/OLB Matt Roth, who was arguably the best defensive player for the Browns. Two questions: Why are the Jags not considered in the top five for off-season moves/acquisitions, especially since the Patriots are considered to have made one of the best moves by adding a past his prime Chad Ochocinco and a lazy Albert Haynesworth who doesn't want to play now that he's paid? And with Roth filling the last hole in our defense, assuming he plays DE, do you think that we have the best defense (at least on paper) in the AFC South?

Paul Kuharsky: Free agency scoring is likely over. The Jaguars did quite well. The reason they didn’t get more hype, I believe, is because the pass defense was so bad and the only big early addition who is perceived as directly impacting that is Dawan Landry. I doubt many folks who saw what the Patriots hung on the Jaguars Thursday night are going to be touting Jacksonville's defense, regardless of who played or did not play. I still have major concerns about the secondary. I'm not willing to declare who the best defense on paper is. but they are definitely in the conversation. And the competition is not great.

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Todd from Pennsylvania writes: With the Colts apparently content to stand pat on the nose tackle position even though Antonio Johnson is the only true nose tackle with any experience on the roster, does he suddenly become the Colts second most important player to keep healthy? (behind Peyton Manning of course).

PK: Seriously? Replace a mediocre nose tackle with a bad nose tackle and it’s not a big deal. Replacing Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Antoine Bethea, Austin Collie, or even Dallas Clark would be far, far more difficult. You can also find nose tackles on the street -- see Johnson as an example. They signed him from Titans’ practice squad when they got him.

Of starters, Johnson is probably the most replaceable.

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Ryan from Arlington, Texas, writes: Aren't people over reacting a bit to the loss of Vonta Leach? Houston had Leach from 2006-2010. In those years, the Texans' running game was good in 2010, but was putrid in 2009 and mediocre the rest. Also, Arian Foster averaged 5.5 yards/carry without Vonta in the game, and 4.7 with him. I'm not disputing that Vonta is a very good fullback, but I think his impact is being overplayed.

PK: I’m with you. A fullback is only so influential. I understand people love him. Great guy, great story. But at some point you have to separate the emotional part and be rational and fiscally responsible. The Texans were, even if a percentage of their fans were not. It’s a situational role. Lawrence Vickers and James Casey can more than handle it.

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Riverman from Florence, Ala., writes: How can the Titans justify drawing a line in the sand for (Chris Johnson) to come to camp before they "will talk" about a new deal? Didn't they go on record last by saying that if CJ would come to camp for the $500k increase, then they would work out a new contract? So they have had almost an entire year knowing that this situation was coming. This type of business is why the Titans have a reputation of "not paying their players" as Marshall Faulk said last year.

PK: All true. But you have to acknowledge that a four and a half month lockout took away a significant chunk of time. Maybe they would have worked this all out around organized team activities. But the calendar didn’t include that this year. Asking him to come and not practice while they negotiate doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. He could always leave after a few days if it wasn’t going to his liking.

The financial reputation is simply incorrect. Who did they fail to pay? Did you want them to spend what Washington did on Haynesworth and have that catastrophe on their hands?

Matt Hasselbeck is getting paid. Michael Roos, David Stewart, Finnegan and Eugene Amano all got early, proactive extensions. Will Witherspoon got paid. Barrett Ruud and Daniel Graham chose to take the Titans’ deals so they had to be reasonable, no?

It’s hard to find a guy who reached free agency who they let walk fare better with his new team than he did in Nashville. If you want star chasing, this isn’t your team. That doesn’t make them cheap.

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Matthew from Montréal writes: Paul, Your comment that life is easier for the media when all is running smoothly in relation to whatshisname walking out on the Titans: I don't think so. If nothing's happening, then no one wants to read/watch what the media says. The media's job is to sell, to make things interesting. To declare that the media has no agenda is disingenuous, of course it does. And making a mountain out of a molehill is something the media does very well. The media thrives on drama, whether it's Grandma Favre's dithering about a comeback or whatshisname walking out on the Titans. So don't tell us that whatshisname thinks people are idiots when you yourself take up a disingenuous argument that insults your readers' intelligence. Just saying.

Paul Kuharsky: I understand your broad point and it’s a fair one. But I don’t wake up in the morning hoping for controversy. I really don’t. And I don’t think my bosses do either. People are obsessed with the NFL and gobble up every nugget. I’m always rooting for a good nugget and a compelling story above all else. Plenty of them happen to be controversial. But plenty of them are not.

I promise, on a Saturday with a chance for some family time, people who cover the Titans aren’t excited when Cortland Finnegan does something foolish.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans certainly got some good out of a two-hour, player organized practice session that included more than 50 participants on Wednesday morning at Father Ryan High School.

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan and guard Jake Scott deserve credit for getting so many players out.

Of note:

• Paul Kuharsky/ESPN.comOffensive linemen Eugene Amano, left, and Jake Scott work against each other.
  Running back Chris Johnson was part of things. He said his contract isn’t on his mind right now and declared that he expects rookie quarterback Jake Locker to start right out of the gate. Here’s the news story.
• Locker had some nice moments and some that were not so good. About what you’d expect. He certainly threw the ball better than Brett Ratliff. And he didn’t go the Joe Cool route like Ratliff and Rusty Smith, who practiced in sunglasses.
• The host school’s football staff ran the individual position drills, which had to be a cool thing for most of them. From the stretch through some team work, players seemed to strike just the right measure of laughs with work.
• Safety Michael Griffin said the defense just worked through basic coverages. Players expect the new defense, coordinated by Jerry Gray will touch on them all. They thought running through basics rather than trying to learn and execute anything new was the smart approach.
• Among the notables under contract who were missing -- and let’s be clear they didn’t have to be there and could have had very legitimate reasons for not making it -- were Michael Roos, David Stewart, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington, Damian Williams, Lavelle Hawkins, Alterraun Verner, William Hayes and Brett Kern. Justin Gage was a late arrival and just watched.
• Without their own receivers, the Titans benefited from the presence of three quality outsiders: Derrick Mason of the Ravens, Golden Tate of the Seahawks and Patrick Turner of the Jets. Mason started his career with Tennessee and still has an area home while Tate and Turner are both from Nashville. Tate went to Father Ryan arch rival Pope John Paul II, and wore his purple Ryan shirt inside out.
• Paul Kuharsky/ESPN.comLinebacker Gerald McRath coaches up second-round pick Akeem Ayers.
  Several players who are not under contract for 2011 participated: defensive end Dave Ball, guard Leroy Harris, linebacker Tim Shaw and safety Donnie Nickey. Nickey had a big, early collision in seven-on-seven work with Marc Mariani as both went up for a pass from Ratliff that put the receiver at risk. It was the only obvious injury scare of the day. Both bounced up.
• Plays of note: Mariani dropped a well-thrown deep ball from Locker after slipping behind multiple defenders. Corner Jason McCourty dropped a pick of a pass that bounced off Jared Cook; Ratliff threw an incredibly bad, incomplete pass down the deep middle, a duck that wobbled more than a lot of punts do.
• Among the guys I saw doing a great deal of leading of young guys were Scott, Ball, defensive back Vincent Fuller and linebacker Gerald McRath.
• The Titans will have another session Thursday.

After being struck recently with how the NFL's labor rift has been cast as billionaires vs. millionaires, I thought I’d look at some players' salaries.

Totaling-up career earnings is quite difficult, and bonus money can be hard to nail down and sort through.

We can still get an interesting snapshot by looking at scheduled 2011 base salaries. I suspect many readers will be surprised that the vast majority of players will earn less than $1 million this fall.

Here, according to the NFLPA, are the players from each AFC South team currently scheduled to make a base salary of $1 million or more in 2011. Keep in mind guys in line for some form of free agency are not part of things here.

Fifty-three of 216 players under contract are slated to make $1 million or more. That’s 24.5 percent of the division.

Houston Texans

• DE Mario Williams -- $13.8 million
• WR Andre Johnson – $7.2 million
• QB Matt Schaub -- $5.7 million
• LB DeMeco Ryans -- $5 million
• DE Antonio Smith -- $4.6 million
• RT Eric Winston -- $4.5 million
• DT Amobi Okoye -- $2.95 million
• C Chris Myers -- $2.75 million
• QB Dan Orlovsky -- $2.75 million
• K Neil Rackers -- $2.15 million
• G Wade Smith -- $1.75 million
• WR David Anderson -- $1.44 million
• RB Steve Slaton -- $1.2 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 13

Total players under contract for 2011: 49

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 26.5

Indianapolis Colts

• DE Dwight Freeney -- $11.42 million
• CB Kelvin Hayden -- $6.105
• WR Reggie Wayne -- $5.95 million
• RT Ryan Diem -- $5.4 million
• FS Antoine Bethea -- $4.745 million
• TE Dallas Clark -- $4.2 million
• DE Robert Mathis -- $2.41 million
• C Jeff Saturday -- $2.4 million
• LB Gary Brackett -- $2 million
• LB Philip Wheeler -- $1.2 million
• WR Anthony Gonzalez -- $1.11 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 11

Total players under contract for 2011: 57

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 19.3

Jacksonville Jaguars

• QB David Garrard -- $7.975 million
• CB Rashean Mathis -- $4.45 million
• LB Daryl Smith -- $4.2 million
• RB Maurice Jones-Drew -- $4.05 million
• FB Greg Jones -- $3.1 million
• DE Derrick Harvey -- $2.8025 million
• DE Aaron Kampman -- $2.45 million
• G Vince Manuwai -- $2.9
• K Josh Scobee -- $2 million
• OL Justin Smiley -- $2 million
• C Brad Meester -- $1.95 million
• WR Kassim Osgood -- $1.475 million
• LT Eugene Monroe -- $1.2425 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 13

Total players under contract for 2011: 51

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 25.5

Tennessee Titans

• QB Vince Young -- $8.5 million*
• SS Chris Hope -- $6.5 million
• WR Kenny Britt -- $5.75 million
• LT Michael Roos -- $5 million
• G Jake Scott -- $4.7 million
• RT David Stewart -- $4.5 million
• DT Tony Brown -- $4 million
• WR Justin Gage -- $3.5 million
• FS Michael Griffin -- $3.3105 million
• WR Nate Washington $3.3 million
• CB Cortland Finnegan -- $3.293 million
• DT Jovan Haye -- $3 million
• C Eugene Amano -- $2.68 million
• K Rob Bironas -- $2.4 million
• DB Vincent Fuller -- $2.06 million
• LS Ken Amato $1.05 million

Total base salaries of $1 million or more: 16

Total players under contract for 2011: 59

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 27.1

*Young will be cut or traded, the Titans have announced.

Michael Vick is going on Oprah.

I’m sure we’ll get a couple good moments out of the hour. But he’ll be coached quite a bit, and no matter how good an interviewer she is, I expect we’ll see him guarded.

The announcement of his appearance, however, had me reminiscing about Peyton Manning’s excellent appearance on Saturday Night Live and contemplating who from the AFC South I’d like to see on what.

I think we’d get pretty honest looks at these four if they were booked on these shows.

Jaguars’ receiver Mike Sims-Walker on "Millionaire Matchmaker:" He’s heading for free agency after making a $1.101 million base salary in his fourth season. I don’t know that he will make the sort of money he’d like going forward, but he qualifies. He tweets a lot about a less-than-satisfying dating life.

Colts punter Pat McAfee on "Last Comic Standing:" Dude is funny. His Twitter account is @PatMcAfeeShow and his little bio ends with “Follow me so we can make sweet sweet Twove.” I’m unsuccessfully scouring the Interwebs to find when he talked about doing stand-up. But if he didn’t, he should have.

Houston receiver David Anderson on "Conan:" The Texan is a big fan of the big redhead with the big hair. He’s celebrated touchdowns with O’Brien’s string dance. Anderson didn’t have the profile to make it on The Tonight Show, but now that Conan is backed by The Basic Cable Band, maybe a couple more TDs and dances could get him there?

Titans right tackle David Stewart on "Ted Nugent: Spirit of the Wild" (on The Outdoor Channel): Stewart is as quiet a guy as you’ll find in an AFC South locker room. Give him an opportunity to provide a one-word answer and he will provide one. But give him a chance to talk hunting, and apparently he opens way up. I’d watch.

Here's the complete list of All-Pro voting results, with AFC South players highlighted:

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks

Tom Brady, 50.

x-Running Backs

Arian Foster, Houston, 45; Jamaal Charles, Kansas City, 33; Michael Turner, Atlanta, 8; Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 6; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, 5.

y-Fullback

Vonta Leach, Houston, 17; Ovie Mughelli, Baltimore, 13; Le'Ron McClain, Baltimore, 7; Lawrence Vickers, Cleveland, 4; Greg Jones, Jacksonville, 4; Michael Turner, Atlanta, 1; Jason Snelling, Atlanta, 1; John Kuhn, Green Bay, 1; Marcel Reece, Oakland, 1.

Tight End

Jason Witten, Dallas, 36; Antonio Gates, San Diego, 8; Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville, 3; Vernon Davis, San Francisco, 2; Rob Gronkowski, New England, 1.

Wide Receivers

Roddy White, Atlanta, 47; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis, 18; Brandon Lloyd, Denver, 10; Calvin Johnson, Detroit, 8; Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City, 8; Andre Johnson, Houston, 5; Greg Jennings, Green Bay, 2; Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh, 2.

Tackles

Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 22; Jake Long, Miami, 21; Jason Peters, Philadelphia, 11; Sebastian Vollmer, New England, 7; D'Brickashaw Ferguson, N.Y. Jets, 6; Donald Penn, Tampa Bay, 5; Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati, 5; Kareem McKenzie, N.Y. Giants, 4; Jordan Gross, Carolina, 4; Chad Clifton, Green Bay, 4; Marshal Yanda, Baltimore, 2; David Stewart, Tennessee, 2; Michael Roos, Tennessee, 1; Michael Oher, Baltimore, 1; Tyson Clabo, Atlanta, 1; Matt Light, New England, 1; Sam Baker, Atlanta, 1; Damien Woody, N.Y. Jets, 1; Eric Winston, Houston, 1.

Guards

Jahri Evans, New Orleans, 24; Logan Mankins, New England, 15; Chris Snee, N.Y. Giants, 14; Carl Nicks, New Orleans, 13; Brian Waters, Kansas City, 12; Kris Dielman, San Diego, 9; Josh Sitton, Green Bay, 5; Brandon Moore, N.Y. Jets, 3; Ryan Lilja, Kansas City, 3; Steve Hutchinson, Minnesota, 1; Rich Seubert, N.Y. Giants, 1.

Center

Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets, 37; Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh, 11; Casey Wiegmann, Kansas City, 1; Alex Mack, Cleveland, 1.

Placekicker

Billy Cundiff, Baltimore 24; David Akers, Philadelphia, 10; Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland, 4; Rob Bironas, Tennessee, 4; Matt Bryant, Atlanta, 4; Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis, 3; Neil Rackers, Houston, 1.

Kick Returner

Devin Hester, Chicago, 43; Leon Washington, Seattle, 4; Jacoby Ford, Oakland, 2; Marc Mariani, Tennessee, 1.

DEFENSE

Ends

Julius Peppers, Chicago, 35; John Abraham, Atlanta, 21; Justin Tuck, N.Y. Giants, 16; Osi Umenyiora, N.Y. Giants, 9; Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis, 7; Trent Cole, Philadelphia, 4; Jason Babin, Tennessee,2; Jared Allen, Minnesota, 2; Robert Mathis, Indianapolis, 1; Cameron Wake, Miami, 1; Vince Wilfork, New England, 1; Justin Smith, San Francisco, 1.

Tackles

Haloti Ngata, Baltimore, 45; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit, 30; Vince Wilfork, New England, 15; Kyle Williams, Buffalo, 3; Justin Smith, San Francisco, 2; B.J. Raji, Green Bay, 1; Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh, 1; Jonathan Babineaux, Atlanta, 1.

z-Outside Linebackers

Clay Matthews, Green Bay, 39; James Harrison, Pittsburgh, 31; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas, 9; Cameron Wake, Miami, 9; Tamba Hali, Kansas City, 7; Lance Briggs, Chicago, 2; Terrell Suggs, Baltimore, 1.

q-Inside Linebacker

Patrick Willis, San Francisco, 28; Jerod Mayo, New England, 21; Brian Urlacher, Chicago, 20; Ray Lewis, Baltimore, 18; Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh, 8; Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans, 1; Derrick Johnson, Kansas City, 1; A.J. Hawk, Green Bay, 1.

Cornerbacks

Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland, 20; Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets, 19; Devin McCourty, New England, 17; Charles Woodson, Green Bay, 14; Asante Samuel, Philadelphia, 12; Tramon Williams, Green Bay, 8; Brent Grimes, Atlanta 3; DeAngelo Hall, Washington, 2; Champ Bailey, Denver, 2; Joe Haden, Cleveland, 1; Brandon Flowers, Kansas City, 1; Antoine Winfield, Minnesota, 1.

Safeties

Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh, 47; Ed Reed, Baltimore, 41; Nick Collins, Green Bay, 4; Darren Sharper, New Orleans, 1; Antrel Rolle, N.Y. Giants, 1; Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans, 1; Michael Griffin, Tennessee, 1; Eric Weddle, San Diego, 1; Chris Harris, Chicago, 1; Michael Huff, Oakland, 1; Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia, 1.

Punter

Shane Lechler, Oakland, 34; Mat McBriar, Dallas, 11; Sam Koch, Baltimore, 3; Donnie Jones, St. Louis, 2.

Key:

• x-three voters selected only one running back.
• y-one voter selected did not vote for a fullback.
• z-two voters selected only one outside linebacker.
• q-two voters selected only one inside linebacker.

Our 10-point bye report on the Tennessee Titans:

Major issue: Chris Johnson’s totals are still fine, but coach Jeff Fisher pointed at the run game as a major issue heading into the team’s week off. Johnson is averaging just 3.2 yards a carry in the past two games and the yet Titans say there is no one issue. They are rotating through different problems -- a missed block, a well-played defensive snap, an incorrect read. They expect Randy Moss to back defenses off and help Johnson’s cause.

Strong seasons: I came into the season believing two veteran players who were first-round picks out of Texas needed to assert themselves for the Titans to contend. Vince Young has missed a game plus almost three quarters, but he’s been efficient and increasingly productive and currently ranks as the league’s highest-rated passer. Free safety Michael Griffin was a distracted guy last year, missing all kind of plays. His head’s on straight and he’s been great.

Close-game conclusions: Tennessee did great work finishing off Philadelphia in the final quarter. But the Titans were in range of Pittsburgh, Denver and San Diego at the end and didn’t really manage to threaten their leads. They probably aren’t going to win all those games, but they need to win more of them.

New contributors: The Titans have gotten nice contributions from veteran additions like defensive end Jason Babin (seven sacks) and Will Witherspoon and from rookies like play-making cornerback Alterraun Verner, steady return man Marc Mariani and receiver Damian Williams, who’s gotten more chances recently.

Line questions: Eugene Amano was moved to center and Leroy Harris inserted at guard on the offensive line heading into the season. Even halfway through the schedule, the line seems a bit unsettled and hasn’t matched last year’s effort in terms of run-blocking or pass protection. Jake Scott, Michael Roos and David Stewart also have not met their standards as the team absorbed 15 sacks in eight games, after yielding that many all of last season.

The big story ahead: Moss will arrive in Tennessee in the coming days and much fanfare will come with him. Players are raving about the move and may well be star struck. But for all the insiders that feel the team doesn’t get enough attention, the spotlight is coming. If a guy plays great or falls flat on his face now, more people will know about it.

Unsung: Linebackers Patrick Bailey and Tim Shaw were late acquisitions brought in to add depth and fill a lot of roles on special teams. The Titans have given up too many kick return yards, but otherwise, special teams have fared pretty well and they’ve helped the cause with a lot of tackles.

APB: Jared Cook needs to force his way onto the field. The tight end is a matchup nightmare, but he has not gained the team’s confidence. He semi-complained about having only a special teams role, then went on to drop a sure touchdown pass in San Diego. He’s only a year and a half into his career, but at this point it’s reasonable to wonder if the trade up to get him in the 2009 draft was worth it.

Backup effectiveness: In a league where plenty of teams have questions about their starting quarterback, the Titans have gotten efficient play from backup Kerry Collins. He’s cleaned up for a banged up Young in three games and started one. He won his start and the Titans are 1-2 in the other games. The team is pleased with his work, some of which he did after tearing up a finger on his throwing hand.

What’s to come: The Titans head to Miami and host Washington before the meat of the division schedule cranks up and they play AFC South foes five of the final six weeks of the season.

Monday always means a great chance to digest some quality information from ESPN Stats & Info.

Chris Johnson and the Titans offensive line had been inconsistent in the first four weeks of the season, and struggled rushing to the right side.

However, against the Cowboys on Sunday, right tackle David Stewart and right guard Jake Scott paved the way for more than half of Johnson’s 131 rushing yards, his second-highest total of the season.

The Titans were likely inclined to head that way as Fernando Velasco was filling in for the injured Leroy Harris at left guard.

Johnson benefited from some more threatening downfield work from Vince Young, who made strides throwing between the numbers.

While his completion percentage was down, 8-for-17, Young did take some shots further downfield between the numbers. Young completed 4 of 9 passes traveling 10 or more yards in the air for 105 yards and a touchdown. His passer rating between the numbers was 92.3, nearly 22 points better than in the Titans’ first four games.

Also of note:

• Tony Romo threw his three touchdown passes and his interception at the end of the game from the shotgun. He also posted a 124.1 passer rating when not under center. But five of the Titans’ six sacks came on shotgun plays.
• Romo had two picks, no touchdowns and a 22.9 passer rating against the Titans base defense and three touchdowns, one pick and a 127.5 passer rating against nickel or dime personnel.

Scouts Inc.’s grades on NFL players produced this list of the top 200 players in the league. It’s an Insider file, but I can share my eighth of it.

Twenty-five members of the AFC South made the list, which is based on grades. As there are plenty of players with the same grade, I’ll share the grades rather than the ranks.

We’ve got 10 Colts, seven Texans, four Titans and four Jaguars.

95 -- Peyton Manning (first)

94 --Andre Johnson (second)

92 -- Chris Johnson

91 -- Mario Williams

89 -- Reggie Wayne

87 -- Dwight Freeney

87 -- Robert Mathis

86 -- Michael Roos

85 -- Brian Cushing

85 -- Dallas Clark

84 -- DeMeco Ryans

84 -- Maurice Jones-Drew

83 -- Aaron Kampman

81 -- Rashean Mathis

80 -- Cortland Finnegan

80 -- Matt Schaub

79 -- Daryl Smith

79 -- David Stewart

79 -- Eric Winston

79 -- Gary Brackett

79 -- Owen Daniels

78 -- Bob Sanders

78 -- Jeff Saturday

78 -- Joseph Addai

77 -- Antoine Bethea

Outside of the top 200, here’s one player per team I think will play better than his grade:

• Terrance Knighton (66) of the Jaguars
• Connor Barwin (64) of the Texans
• Jerraud Powers (63) of the Colts
• Jason Babin (60) of the Titans

Reading the coverage:

Houston Texans

The competition between Neil Rackers and Kris Brown goes to game level Saturday, says John McClain.

At 42, Matt Turk has no competition, says Jordan Godwin.

Rashad Butler’s developed a mean streak in camp, says Godwin.

A postcard from Texans camp courtesy of Andrew Lawrence.

Previewing Texans-Cardinals with Andy North.

Indianapolis Colts

Dallas Clark suffered a left leg injury in practice, says Mike Chappell.

Some offensive linemen could be pressed into a lot of action in Sunday’s preseason opener, says Phillip B. Richards.

Brandon James could ignite the return games, says Chappell.

More on the return games, from Cliff Brunt.

Is Donald Brown a breakout fantasy possibility?

Who’s the better fantasy tight end, Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates?

Jacksonville Jaguars

When the starters were in, the Jaguars were dominated, says Vito Stellino.

Injuries dictated the lineup, but the front didn’t rush the passer well in Jacksonville’s loss at Philly, says Tania Ganguli.

Luke McCown shined but the starters didn’t, says Gene Frenette.

Deji Karim looked pretty good returning kickoffs, says Ganguli.

Gerald Alexander warns about putting too much stock into preseason results, from Ganguli.

City councilmen blew it with a dinner with Jaguars brass, writes Gene Frenette.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans starters won’t see much action, says Jim Wyatt.

Mike Heimerdinger talks about the progress of Kenny Britt and praises Craig Stevens. (Audio from Jonathan Hutton.)

A preview of Titans-Seahawks from Wyatt.

Durability is a key for Michael Roos and David Stewart, says Phil Brame.

Kevin Mawae can talk about anything. Offensive lines generally have someone who can.

The Titans linemen are now a somewhat reserved bunch, but the team is confident guys will emerge in that role as needed. You may think I’m talking about a self-serving element here. But I’ve yet to meet an offensive line that didn’t have at least one member who ranked as a top team spokesman and was regularly willing and able to articulate and pontificate on team and league issues.

“I think if they had their way, they’d just be quiet and have fun and play,” Jeff Fisher said. “It’ll be up to you guys to draw it out of them.”

In that regard, I’ll certainly turn to Michael Roos and Jake Scott more than I have in the past. I don’t know that they covet the bigger media role, but they are both capable of handling it and I expect they won’t mind the extra responsibilities

“Kevin was just the guy you went and asked the most questions to, it had nothing to do with us,” Scott said. “I think the media picks their guy and that’s who they go to, and I think that was fine by most of us, you could kind of deflect everything to him …

“I’ll answer the questions if they get asked of me and I don’t mind that.”

Said Roos, who’s now regarded as one of the league’s premier offensive tackles: “I’m sure it helps you guys too knowing that win or lose you’re going to get good information and honest information. I think that does help from our side to have somebody who is willing and able to tell our story.

“It’s whoever wants it. If somebody asks me questions, I’m going to answer … I’m sure we both figured it would happen as soon as Kevin left. We’re fine with it.”

Roos also joked that the guys might try to coach up David “Big Country” Stewart for more of a media role. The right tackle and official team mauler is one of the most soft-spoken guys the team has had since moving to Tennessee, and when he does talk to reporters, he doesn’t have to work hard to be a minimalist.