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Marcus from Houston writes: I just wanted to mention that the Texans NEED a better CB. I was so angry with them for not getting Carlos Rogers, or Asante Samuel. Michael Jenkins is available for trade, we need to get SOMEBODY. Kareem Jackson is awful, he is the reason we lost to the Saints last year, Lance Moore was such an easy target for Brees. Jackson gives everyone SO much space. I don't care how good your pass rush is, if Kareem Jackson is your second best CB, then good luck beating guys like Peyton Manning, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady, etc. Jackson is AWFUL. My main focuses were getting rid of Jones (which we finally did),getting a better WR to back up Andre (which we did), getting a corner (got rid of one), aiding the pass rush (which we did), and signing Keenum after the draft (which we did). No one I know is saying we need a CB, I just want to know that I'm not the only guy in this city that realizes this.

Paul Kuharsky: So you had a five-item wish list. Your team gave you four of the five things you wanted (including a third- or fourth-string QB unlikely to be relevant any time soon) and you’re upset?

The Texans think Jackson is a starter. Certainly they can upgrade, but it’s time to come to terms with the fact they aren’t seeking a new starting corner. I’d change your focus to hoping Brandon Harris or Roc Carmichael can become the sort of safety blanket Jason Allen was or that someone else can emerge in that role.

Jackson can still get better. And the Texans aren’t going to brand him a mistake in his third year.

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David from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., writes: I know it's hard but I'd appreciate it if you would continuously research information about each team so you don't have to repeat the same information in each of your blog posts.(Anger and O-line needs) I know the Titans are your exception, but as for the Jaguars no OT would have filled a need except to be a jar on a shelf.(although they did get Brewster from Ohio State) Please take the "jaguars always are an easy target" out of your head because of one mid round draft pick who is going to start next year. If the Jaguars want respect i know it starts with winning but blowing up non important stories based on your own perspective only serves to be a laser pointer to direct others towards your self serving prophecy/laughathon. I like your hard working analysis but would appreciate it if your changed your attitude, so it can change your behavior for the equal balance of all teams in this division blog.

Paul Kuharsky: Themes emerge for teams and get revisited. Blaine Gabbert needs to be better for the Jaguars in 2012 for them to get any better. It’s hard not to hit on that regularly.

Similarly, the choice of a punter such as Bryan Anger in the third round remains a conversation topic. I field questions about it. It comes up in draft review.

I disagree that a third-round offensive lineman would be a jar on a shelf. If Eben Britton gets hurt again -- and he’s been hurt a lot -- you’re looking at Guy Whimper playing again. If you don’t think they could have made a significant upgrade on Whimper with a third-round pick, you and I have a fundamental disagreement.

I think you’re doing what you accuse me of doing and not researching your information if you think I default to the Jaguars being an easy target.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone regional or national who regularly defends the team as I do -- on Gabbert (too soon to call him a bust), on the tarps (EverBank is still bigger than Soldier Field), on the team’s stability (beating down the lazy Jags-to-L.A. talk), on the quality of the defense (which I think can be excellent), etc.

As for the blog being heavy on my perspective ... my own perspective is what is offered here. That’s why my name and picture are on the page, right?

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Josh in Houston writes: I keep hearing a lot of people say that Rashad Butler will be better suited for RT than he was as LT filling in for Duane Brown in 2010. I also keep hearing a lot of people say that he may be an upgrade in pass protection, but a downgrade in run blocking compared to Eric Winston. Do you know what the reasoning is behind these suggestions? Thanks!

Paul Kuharsky: The left tackle is usually the more technically sound tackle. He might be a bit smaller and a bit more finesse than power. The right tackle tends to be more of a physical guy.

Winston fit with that. The hope is that Butler does, too. I am not so sure.

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Gerald Ball from parts unknown writes: Your "the NFC North is better than the NFC East ... look at the QBs" comment was ridiculous. Eli Manning with 2 Super Bowl wins versus Aaron Rodgers with 1. Advantage: NFC East. Michael Vick's 4 Pro Bowls and 2 playoff wins versus Jay Cutler's 1 of each. Advantage: NFC East. Tony Romo's 3 Pro Bowls and 3 playoff appearances versus 0 and 1 for Matt Stafford. Advantage: NFC East. (Romo wins head to head over Jay Cutler also.) And as for Christian Ponder, he'd lose a head to head competition for a starting QB job to Rex Grossman AND for draft position to Robert Griffin III. Granted, the NFC North QBs are generally younger so there is more potential down the line for that group, but the NFC North has a better, more accomplished group of QBs TODAY.

Paul Kuharsky: I’ll take Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler as my divisional quarterback trio over Eli Manning, Michael Vick and Tony Romo or Robert Griffin. Overall they are younger, have more upside and are tougher to defend. (Manning’s excellent, obviously.)

But I’ll take the NFC North over the NFC East. The Giants went on a fantastic run last year and deserve full credit. But the Packers are a better team as we start 2011. Detroit, and probably Chicago, look better to me now than Philadelphia or Dallas.

I can’t help how I feel.

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Rick Grayson from Spring Branch, Texas, writes: How do you keep your job? I just told ESPN to hire bloggers for each individual team instead of biased cue balls like you. Titans this and Titans that.... blah, blah, blah.

Paul Kuharsky: I'll try to be better.

Particularly appreciate how you brought specifics for me to consider.

Thanks, to you and everyone, for reading and taking the time to write.

Earlier this week, Texans owner Bob McNair talked about negotiating contract extensions for coach Gary Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith.

That got me thinking: Who are the AFC South players who need contract extensions before they get anywhere close to an expired contract at the start of the 2013 league year?

Here are my top six:

1) Matt Schaub, Texans quarterback

I understand there are some non-believers. In five seasons with the Texans, Schaub has played a full slate of games only twice. He’s not been consistently clutch in big moments.

Still, I see him as a quality engineer of Kubiak’s offense. I think the team loves him and has faith in him. And although rookie T.J. Yates did some good work while filling in for Schaub last season, I don’t think the Texans would be comfortable handing the team over to Yates after he's been in the league only two seasons, especially if he plays only a little or not at all this season because Schaub is in the lineup.

I’d make sure Schaub’s fully recovered from the serious right foot injury that ended his 2011 season. If he plays well in the first month of the season, I’d talk to his agent. Even if they wait until after the 2012 season plays out, gauging his health and seeing how far he can take them, Schaub is their guy.

He’s not the best player on this list, but as a starting quarterback, he goes to the head of the line. Is he a top quarterback in the league? My count says he’s 13th or 14th among current starters. You’d like better, but can do far worse and I don’t think you can project Yates to rank any higher. The Texans aren't going to be drafting at the top of the first round, and none of the guys better than Schaub are going to be hitting the market. So there is no place to go to upgrade.

2) Connor Barwin, Texans outside linebacker

The Texans projected Barwin could be a quality pass-rusher when they drafted him out of Cincinnati in 2009 with a second-round pick. Last year, in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense, Barwin was a consistent pass-rushing force, playing nearly 95 percent of the team’s defensive snaps and recording 11.5 sacks.

Barwin is part of the reason the franchise could afford to let Mario Williams depart as a free agent. The Texans simply cannot allow Barwin to follow Williams out of town. And with the increase in 3-4 defenses around the league, there are a lot of teams that would make a play for Barwin if he came free.

3) Daryl Smith, Jacksonville linebacker

Smith’s known for being an underrated player.

He’s an anchor for the Jaguars, and I expect he’ll shine in a healthy defense in 2012. The unit has a chance to be great, and Smith will shine if the coverage behind him is good and the rush in front of him can be consistent. They have the people for both of those elements to be in place.

The Jaguars would certainly like to keep a starting linebacker corps of Smith, Paul Posluszny and Clint Session together.

4) Duane Brown, Texans left tackle

I don’t think he’s regarded around the league as a premier guy who would draw a ton of interest if he became a free agent. But he is regarded as an excellent player in the Texans' line scheme. The team is moving forward, replacing Mike Brisiel at right guard and Eric Winston at right tackle.

The Texans did what they had to in order to keep center Chris Myers. They will need to do the same with Brown. They must hold together the key pieces of what was an excellent group in 2011. Brown is vital for the success of Schaub, or Yates, as well as running back Arian Foster.

5) Jason McCourty, Titans cornerback

He’s a solid player on the rise. He plays a position where he will have a chance to establish himself as a productive leader who needs to be in place for the long term.

Cortland Finnegan is gone. And the team is weak at safety, where Michael Griffin is getting one last chance under the franchise tag and Jordan Babineaux owns a starting spot at least in part because the Titans don’t have other options.

McCourty is a smart player who should be the best member of the secondary in 2012 and beyond provided they are able to keep him.

6) Terrance Knighton, Jaguars defensive tackle

He suffered a serious eye injury in a bar incident not long ago, but indications are he should be OK for training camp. Knighton has had weight issues since he came into the league. He seems to have gained better control of that, and general manager Gene Smith made it clear to Knighton that if he proves he can remain fit he’ll be taken care of in the long run.

Knighton moves very well for a very large man, and the Jaguars believe if their defense will be good, it will be because Knighton and Tyson Alualu anchor the middle, stuffing the run and moving the quarterback off his spot.

Also not under contract for 2013 and likely worthy of new deals: Texans safety Glover Quin, Colts cornerback Jerraud Powers, Jaguars cornerback Derek Cox, Titans tight end Jared Cook and Colts receiver Austin Collie.

Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders covers the AFC South in today’s installment of remaining needs around the league.

Here are snippets with my thoughts.

Houston Texans: Right tackle

“[Rashad] Butler, who was actually [Eric] Winston's replacement at tackle at the University of Miami as well, does have a decent pedigree as a former third-round pick with the Carolina Panthers, but he doesn't have much in the way of NFL experience. He saw some snaps in 6-OL sets in 2010 and got four starts on the left side when Duane Brown was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs. While he wasn't a disaster replacing Brown, and may even offer a slight upgrade on Winston in pass protection, it would be a surprise if he brought quite as much to the table in the running game. The only other in-house options are 2011 seventh-rounder Derek Newton and 2012 sixth-round pick Nick Mondek, both of whom are considered projects. Since Houston is also handing over right guard to Antoine Caldwell, a new right side could lead to some awkwardness as the offensive line learns to work together in game conditions.”

My thoughts: This is the biggest question on the roster in my eyes. Butler played four games at left tackle when Brown was suspended in 2010 and was only OK. Supporters say he’s more suited to playing on the right.

Indianapolis Colts: Cornerback

“Indianapolis left the draft with no new cornerbacks and now has a logjam of unproven mediocrity at the position. Last season, Indianapolis finished 26th in DVOA against No. 1 wide receivers, 27th against No. 2 wide receivers and 31st against other wide receivers. And the only change in personnel from then to now was the exile of Jacob Lacey, who played poorly enough last year to lose his starting job to the guys who are still in town. Jerraud Powers has always done well by our metrics and will be back on the field after being bothered by a hamstring injury and shutting it down following a dislocated elbow in Week 13... As the NFL continues to shift into a passing league, really good defenses are finding that having three credible cornerbacks is a necessity. The Colts are still stuck on one at this point.”

My thoughts: Something had to suffer based on the depth of needs, and the secondary certainly was not covered the way it needed to be. We're going to see a patchwork group and the Colts could be ready to pounce if and when quality options get cut at the end of camp.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Offensive line

“A strong run-blocking unit … did Blaine Gabbert no favors over the course of his nightmare rookie season. Guy Whimper was one of the worst offensive tackles in the league last season -- FO's J.J. Cooper had a scathing column on his play last year -- and the only obstacle to keep him from starting at tackle again is Eben Britton, whom the Jaguars wanted to turn into a guard last season. Will Rackley, a third-round pick in 2011, won the starting nod at left guard. He showed some flash in the running game, but also allowed 6.5 sacks and looked every bit as lost as Gabbert did in a few games. Eugene Monroe is solid at left tackle but lacks the edge speed to match the best rushers in the NFL. Brad Meester is 35, and not the type of 35 that gets you "wily old vet" mentions like Matt Birk or Jeff Saturday. This is a unit that could have used some more solidification rather than the blind hope that Britton's return from a back injury will heal all.”

My thoughts: A great place to find a guy who could be in the mix in a situation like this is the third round. But the Jaguars preferred a punter. (It’s still funny. I’m sure it’ll wear off eventually. Right?)

Tennessee Titans: Defensive end

“[Kamerion] Wimbley isn't a bad player at all -- in fact, he's picked up 42.5 sacks in six years, which is pretty impressive. However, he's never played exclusively as a 4-3 defensive end, and as our own esteemed Tom Gower noted on his Total Titans blog, four of his seven sacks in 2011 came against woefully overmatched Chargers backup tackle Brandyn Dombrowski. Wimbley was a smart signing in light of the other options, but he's not exactly a sure thing. If the Titans can get some production from either Wimbley or third-year end Derrick Morgan, that would go a long way toward shoring up their 31st-place ranking in Adjusted Sack Rate from 2011.”

My thoughts: It’s possible Wimbley and Morgan with veteran Dave Ball and rookie Scott Solomon could be a good enough four pack. But I don’t like the odds for them all staying healthy and I don’t think it’s good enough.

Thoughts on the Texans' draft from two people involved in evaluating personnel for NFL teams:

Guy No. 1:

“I know they want [Baylor receiver] Kendall Wright. He’s a slot guy who can work underneath and take pressure off Andre Johnson. Wright’s a playmaker. If he’s gone, there isn’t another receiver who will step right in. Rueben Randle and Alshon Jeffery are like Johnson, big and physical. Wright is different."

“They have to consider offensive line. I couldn’t believe they let Eric Winston go. He’s a good player. Who can you get at 26 that can come right in and play at right tackle? They could go out and make a pick like they did with Duane Brown, a second-round guy in the first. Jonathan Martin maybe? Or trade back."

“To me, the biggest question to be answered by this draft in that division is replacing the leadership and production lost with the trade of DeMeco Ryans and the release of Winston. Those are two main leaders and they did nothing in free agency. That’s hard to replace in a draft."

“Outside linebacker would be a luxury pick. Courtney Upshaw would be nice for them. Shea McClellin is another of what they have -- a versatile, solid football player. Inside, they could like Dont'a Hightower. I don’t think Darryl Sharpton or Bradie James can replace Ryans."

Guy No. 2:

“Coming up with a tackle in the late first is pretty tough. Cordy Glenn really doesn’t fit their profile, though he could be a right tackle. Mike Adams if you get past the combine test. Martin could be in that range."

“You can never have enough rushers. McClellin is a lot like Brooks Reed. Upshaw would be good there."

“Unless you take Janoris Jenkins, you can’t get a good corner at 26. You’d have to hold your nose, but he’s better than Kareem Jackson.”

» AFC Assessments: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Houston Texans

Key additions: None.

Key losses: OLB Mario Williams, RG Mike Brisiel, CB Jason Allen, TE Joel Dreessen, RT Eric Winston (cut), ILB DeMeco Ryans (traded), FB Lawrence Vickers (cut), QB Matt Leinart (cut).

Keepers and finance: Not everyone got away. The Texans managed to keep two very important players. They re-signed running back Arian Foster before he reached restricted free agency. And after he'd explored the market some, they struck a deal with unrestricted-free-agent center Chris Myers, a vital piece to a line that lost the two starters on the right side when Winston was cut and Brisiel bolted to Oakland.

Ryans was not a full-time player in the 3-4 defense, and his price tag was high. While Houston takes a $750,000 hit this season, he’s cleared from the books in the future. That will help the team as it tries to make sure players like outside linebacker Connor Barwin and left tackle Duane Brown don’t get away like Williams did.

What’s next: Depth paid off in a big way in 2011 as the Texans managed to win the division and a playoff game despite major personnel losses. At several spots, like on the offensive line and at corner, the draft will serve to replenish the roster with the same kind of insurance.

But the Texans are not without need.

While they are likely to stick with Jacoby Jones as part of the team and like Kevin Walter, a more reliable and dynamic weapon to go with Andre Johnson at receiver is something they acknowledge wanting. A third outside linebacker can reduce the high-snap strain on Barwin and Brooks Reed. While they hope Rashad Butler will replace Winston and Antoine Caldwell will take Brisiel’s spot, adding a guy who can compete for one or both of those spots would be healthy.

Indianapolis Colts

Key additions: DE Cory Redding, WR Donnie Avery, C Samson Satele, S Tom Zbikowski, G Mike McGlynn, RT Winston Justice (trade), QB Drew Stanton (trade).

Key losses: QB Peyton Manning (cut), WR Pierre Garcon, TE Jacob Tamme, C Jeff Saturday, TE Dallas Clark (cut), LB Gary Brackett (cut), S Melvin Bullitt (cut), RT Ryan Diem (retired), WR Anthony Gonzalez, QB Dan Orlovsky, CB Jacob Lacey (not tendered), QB Curtis Painter (cut), DE Jamaal Anderson, G Mike Pollak.

So much we don’t know: We know background on coach Chuck Pagano and his coordinators and we know what Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson have said. But there will be a degree of mystery well into the season about what they intend to run and with whom. It’s unlikely to be a sweeping transition to a 3-4 defense, as it takes time to overhaul the personnel. But as they play a hybrid defense and move toward a conversion, they’ll need more than they’ve got -- starting with a nose tackle.

On offense, they’ve said they’ll use a fullback. That’s a major departure from the previous regime. And we don’t know if a Donald Brown-Delone Carter duo at fullback will be sufficient to run behind. They need help virtually everywhere after the cap purge and free-agency turnover. Not everything will get addressed as much as they’d like in their first offseason.

What’s next: I expect more role players like Zbikowski and McGlynn, more castoffs like Justice and Stanton and more guys who are presumed finished by a lot of teams, like Avery.

They are all guys who didn’t cost much but who have upside and can help, at least as role players. And if they don’t pan out, it’s hardly a death blow to Indianapolis' major, long-term plans. Money is limited with big dead-money charges and a $19 million cap hit for defensive end Dwight Freeney the team has indicated it's willing to carry.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Key additions: WR Laurent Robinson, CB Aaron Ross, QB Chad Henne.

Key losses: DT Leger Douzable (did not tender).

Keeping their own: The Jaguars did well to hold on to players who have been valuable to them. The top of that list belongs to safety Dwight Lowery. They traded with the Jets for him before last season, shifted him full time to safety and got good work from him before he was hurt. It was crucial for the team to stay fixed at the position where it was horrific in 2010 before signing Dawan Landry and adding Lowery.

They also re-signed defensive end Jeremy Mincey, a great effort defensive end who was overextended in terms of playing time last year. He’s no sack-master, but he’s going to bust it on every play, break through sometimes and make the opponent work hard to stay in his way. And with the lack of quality defensive ends who hit the market, the Jaguars did well to keep him from jumping to Chicago.

What’s next: Receiver has to be addressed beyond a change in position coach and the addition of Robinson. If it’s not in the first round, it needs to be early. The franchise is trying to maximize Blaine Gabbert’s chances to be a franchise quarterback, and few would be able to establish themselves with the current cast of wideouts.

The Jaguars are a top pass-rushing end away from being a top-flight defense. Can they find him seventh overall in the draft? They could tab someone like South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram, though it’s hard to say he or any rookie would be an immediate solution. Most ends need some time to become impact guys in the league.

The Jaguars could certainly look to add in the secondary free-agent market and when players are set free late in training camp.

Tennessee Titans

Key additions: DE Kamerion Wimbley, RG Steve Hutchinson.

Key losses: CB Cortland Finnegan, DL Jason Jones, WR Donnie Avery.

Sidetracked: Did the Titans miss out on real chances to sign either Scott Wells, who went to St. Louis, or Chris Myers, who stayed in Houston, as their new center because they were focused on chasing quarterback Peyton Manning? Perhaps. But when the owner declares that his executives and coaches need to put the hard sell on an all-time great QB with roots in the team’s state, that’s what you do.

Ideally, the team will still find an alternative to Eugene Amano. If the Titans find a new center to go with Hutchinson, who replaces free agent Jake Scott in the starting lineup, the interior offensive line could see a big improvement. That could have a big bearing on running back Chris Johnson, provided he takes care of his own business.

What’s next: The Titans think Wimbley will excel as a full-time defensive end, but they can’t afford for him to be too full time. He’s a smaller guy who’s played mostly as a 3-4 outside linebacker, and shouldn’t be asked to play every down of every game. That means they still need more help at end, where the only other guys they have right now are Derrick Morgan and Malcolm Sheppard.

Look for them to address depth at corner -- where they feel fine about Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner as the starters, if that’s how it falls -- as well as at receiver. One wild-card spot could be running back. Are they content with Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper as changeups to Johnson, or would they like to add a big back?

Saturday’s mailbag led with a note from a frustrated Jags fan.

It was such a big hit, I thought we’d give a frustrated Texans fan a chance.

LX Aguirre from El Paso writes: Will the Houston Texans show some signs of intelligence any time soon???? After their first playoff appearance and a small taste of victory on wildcard weekend, I expected more from them. The only moves they've made so far were the retention of Myers and Foster. You may reason that the team's inactivity is due to salary cap issues, but that excuse becomes irrelevant when the team is willing to trade its Defensive Captain and lose money in the process. The betrayal to DeMeco was magnified because the team had just lost M. Williams, the most powerful defensive weapon; and the lopsided trade showed that management has a disregard for team continuity, fan loyalty, and esprit de corps. For the Texans, continuity involves getting rid of their good players like Williams and D. Ryans (Pollard, Leach, Robinson in previous years) while stubbornly holding on to unproductive failures like J. Jones, K. Jackson (ESPECIALLY KAREEM JACKSON!!!!), and Quinn. With Manning gone, the division is almost a guarantee, but the Texans will lose the crown this year because of indecisiveness and lack of aggression.

Paul Kuharsky: I am taking a deep breath … OK, I am ready.

Has it been a good offseason? Of course not. But good teams tend to be up against it financially and lose good players. They took an additional $750,000 loss on Ryans this year to save a ton of money over the next three years. That money will help them be able to sign guys like Duane Brown and Connor Barwin, and prevent you from ripping them next year for not holding the team together.

DeMeco Ryans was a great leader, but no longer a very good player. He wasn’t even on the field for 60 percent of the team’s defensive plays. You think they’d have been sitting him so often if he was great for them?

You wanted them to keep Bernard Pollard, who couldn’t cover, and Vonta Leach, who got way too much money and plays one-third of the snaps, and Dunta Robinson, who was not close to worth what Atlanta gave him? I’d argue that you are being too emotional.

Glover Quin (with one N) is a good player, I don’t know why you would lump him in with Jacoby Jones and Kareem Jackson. Do they like those two guys too much? Sure. But it’s too early to give up on Jackson and the savings would be minimal at this point. And why cut Jones right now without a replacement in sight? Dumping him wasn’t going to save a guy they lost.

The three areas you list as dented are all not nearly as relevant to team success as you may think.

Continuity is nice (especially on the offensive line). But teams regularly turn over 25 to 35 percent of their roster.

You don’t really want teams making decisions based on fan loyalty, do you? Fan loyalty can change week-to-week, and a lot of fans are loyal to Tim Tebow despite the fact he can’t throw with anything close to NFL-caliber accuracy. Should the Broncos have kept him because of fan loyalty? Should the Texans have overspent on Leach and Robinson just because you liked them?

Esprit de corps? Sure, guys are upset in the offseason when they see good players and friends leave. When it comes time to play, if they are pros, they go out and do their job and expect the guys beside them to do theirs. Collectively, they should get good results. Trust me, come the first huddle, an NFL players mentality doesn’t allow him to look around in there and sentimentally contemplate who isn’t there.

The Texans have work to do. But it’s not a train wreck. They showed good depth last year. Now they need guys to step into roles that opened and for players like corner Brandon Harris and outside linebacker Bryan Braman to be that depth. They’ll restock with the draft and contend for the division and a deep run into the playoffs, I’d bet.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

The Texans are in cap hell, and to avoid it being worse down the road, they’ll have to find a way to sign guys like outside linebacker Connor Barwin and left tackle Duane Brown to avoid free-agency problems in 2013, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Mario Williams called Gary Kubiak shortly after he reached his deal with Buffalo, says McClain.

The Texans defense will collapse in Year 2 under Wade Phillips, predicts Nate Dunlevy of Bleacher Report.

Indianapolis Colts

Reggie Wayne isn’t ready to say the 2012 season will be a wash, says Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star. “"I just want to help build that foundation. It's not set in stone we're going to (stink)," Wayne said. "Who knows? We might shock the world. This time next year, you might be writing that these Colts are some bad boys."

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars might not be finished in free agency, they might just be on pause, says Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union. And interest in Ryan Tannehill in the draft could be advantageous for the Jags, GM Gene Smith said.

Chad Henne’s addition creates competition, not controversy, for the Jaguars at quarterback, writes Vito Stellino.

The Jaguars see Laurent Robinson as a guy on the way up, says John Oehser of jaguars.com.

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee likes the leadership and toughness of new guard Steve Hutchinson, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Matt Hasselbeck's been talking with the Titans and understands that the Manning chase is out of his control, says Terry McCormick of titaninsider.com.

A Tennessee House resolution urged Peyton Manning to return to the state, says Chas Sisk. What a silly, hokey, useless waste of time.

The Titans don’t get better with the addition of Hutchinson, says Nate Dunlevy of Bleacher Report.

Brian McIntyre of Mac’s Football Blog has done a tremendous job tracking base salary increases for 2012 triggered by things that happened in 2011. (Hat tip to Alan Burge of the Houston Examiner.)

McIntyre's updated list currently includes 10 players from the AFC South:

Here they are, with their base salary increases:

• Houston LT Duane Brown, $1.3 million
• Houston CB Brice McCain, $693,000
• Indianapolis WR Austin Collie, $693,000
• Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee, $693,000
• Jacksonville CB Derek Cox, $645,000
• Jacksonville WR Jarett Dillard, $645,000
• Jacksonville LT Eugene Monroe, $500,000
• Jacksonville G Uche Nwaneri, $1.926 million
• Jacksonville DT Terrance Knighton, $645,000
• Tennessee CB Jason McCourty, $645,000

Brown did good work establishing himself as a premier left tackle and is now slated to earn $2,081,500 -- still quite a reasonable price. Nwaneri is not quite at that level, but he set the tone for a line that produced the league's leading rusher. Nwaneri will now make $2.775 million.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dillard is now scheduled to make $1,260,000. He’s going to have to have a big offseason and camp to prove he’s worth that.

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.

Many NFL awards have been doled out, but I know the top players from the division still await our All-AFC South Team.

So it’s time to set about putting it together.

Here you’ll see my initial sketch of the team. The players I’ve added, in my eyes, are unquestionably worthy of spots on the team. Debate their presence if you are so compelled.

But I am most interested in your help filling in the blanks.

Last year showed I am willing to leave a spot blank if we don’t have a quality person to insert into the lineup.

The Texans’ change to a 3-4 defensive front provided a new wrinkle. My solution? We make the defense 12-players deep, with four linemen and four linebackers. That allows us to mix the personnel of three 4-3 fronts with the Texans’ 3-4 front and come out with a satisfactory team.

In my eyes, with apologies to the Colts' Pat Angerer, the linebacker slots are fairly easy to fill.

You can have significant influence over my thinking as the final team is formulated. As of now, I intend to post it on Friday.

So hop into comments here and make a case for your man. Or men. Thanks in advance for your part in it.

We’ll wait until next week to start building the All-AFC South Team, and you’ll have a big chance to offer input there.

This week we’ll pass out hardware for individual awards.

Drum roll please:

Player of the year: Johnathan Joseph, Texans cornerback. Runner up: Brian Cushing, Texans inside linebacker.

Joseph, Cushing and Antonio Smith were the players I sorted through here, and you can make a case for any of them. While the Texans were a better defense at every level, it was the secondary that had the biggest room for improvement. Joseph’s ability to match up with a team’s best receiver eased the pressure on everyone else in the secondary and helped transform a miserable pass defense into an excellent one. In the Texans’ playoff loss in Baltimore he blanketed Ravens receiver Torrey Smith, rendering him a non-factor.

Offensive player of the year: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars running back. Runner up: Arian Foster, Texans running back.

It’s hard to fathom that Jones-Drew was the NFL rushing champ considering that defenses could regularly key on him without fear of any real threat from the passing offense, which ranked dead last in the NFL. He showed no signs of wearing down and averaged 100 yards a game. It felt like a waste on a five-win team. Foster missed some action early with hamstring issues or he would have likely challenged Jones-Drew in rushing yards. He’s a tremendous combination of power and speed and does excellent work as a pass catcher.

Rookie of the year: J.J. Watt, Texans defensive end. Runner up: Brooks Reed, Texans outside linebacker.

Watt was installed as a starter the moment the Texans drafted him and was an impactful player from his first snap. A relentless player, he was a force against the run and the pass and played beautifully in concert with the rest of the defensive front. His ability to get his hands on balls at the line of scrimmage turned into a monumental interception return for a touchdown in the playoff win over Cincinnati. Reed filled in very well after Mario Williams was lost for the season and may actually help the team decide Williams is expendable.

Best assistant coach: Wade Phillips, Texans defensive coordinator. Runner up, Mel Tucker, Jaguars defensive coordinator.

Phillips was a factor in the personnel decisions that brought Joseph, Danieal Manning, Watt and Reed into the fold for Houston. In his first year as defensive coordinator, he injected a huge dose of confidence into the Texans defenders and wisely drew up schemes that featured guys’ strengths and marked their weaknesses. The sort of turnaround the defense made in one year is practically unheard of. In Jacksonville, Tucker was given a huge boost with new personnel, but as he took over play-calling from Jack Del Rio, he excelled.

Best position coach: Dave Ragone, Titans receivers coach. Runner up, Vance Joseph, Texans secondary coach.

Ragone had no experience working with receivers coming into this job, but did fantastic work. He deserves a great deal of credit for the vast improvement and maturation of Nate Washington and the emergence of Damian Williams as a threat and Lavelle Hawkins as a guy who did some good things with the ball in his hands. In his first season with the Texans, Joseph helped some guys regain confidence while overseeing a successful move of Glover Quin from corner to strong safety.

Executive of the year: Rick Smith, Texans general manager.

He had lots of help, but completely nailed free agency, signing Joseph and Manning rather than Nnamdi Asomugha. And the top of the draft was fantastic, with Watt and Reed. As Houston suffered injuries at running back, receiver, linebacker and even punter, the Texans showed good depth and an ability to fill in holes with quality outsiders.

Best unit: Texans offensive line. Runner up: Texans linebackers.

Led by center Chris Myers, who may be the division’s most unsung player, Houston’s offensive line blocked consistently well for the run game and protected three different quarterbacks well. Left tackle Duane Brown and right tackle Eric Winston both earned mentions on various All-Pro teams. Antoine Caldwell filled in nicely when Mike Brisiel missed time at right guard. The Texans linebackers, even without Mario Williams, did spectacular, work stuffing the run and swarming quarterbacks all season long.

Worst unit: Jaguars receivers. Runner up: Colts cornerbacks.

Mike Thomas might be a No. 2 receiver and can certainly be a good No. 3, though his play in 2011 dropped off after he got a contract extension. But Jason Hill, who started as the No. 2 guy, wound up getting cut and guys like Jarett Dillard, rookie Cecil Shorts, Chastin West and Kassim Osgood did little to show they were NFL-caliber guys. Blaine Gabbert suffered the consequences. The Colts were insufficiently stocked at corner, though Jacob Lacey bounced back well late in the season after he was benched.

Most improved: Nate Washington, Titans receiver. Runner up: Connor Barwin, Texans outside linebacker.

Washington’s maturation was remarkable. An excitable guy really calmed down and settled in working under offensive coordinator Chris Palmer and Ragone and with Matt Hasselbeck. Washington figured to be better with those guys while working as the No. 2 behind Kenny Britt, but Britt was lost for the season early on and Washington wound up with a 1,000-yard season and seven touchdowns. I give him the nod because I didn’t believe he had untapped upside. That was not the case with Barwin, who the Texans have expected to be a pass-rushing force since they drafted him in 2009.

Most disappointing: Chris Johnson, Titans running back. Runner up: Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars tight end.

I don’t care what sort of defenses are offered up for Johnson. He simply did not run as hard after coming out of a holdout with a giant new contract. There were other issues, but too often he appeared to lack fire and desire. In the rare instances he wound up in a one-on-one situation he was hardly the threat he’s been in the past. If he doesn’t bounce back in 2012, the contract will turn out to be disastrous. Lewis was supposed to be transformed by his MMA training during the lockout. If it impacted him, it made him worse. Expecting another 10 touchdowns was unreasonable. Producing none was unacceptable.

Best position revamp: TIE, Jaguars safeties and Texans safeties.

Both teams were terrible at the position a year ago and despite a draft class that was incredibly thin, reshaped the spot with great results. The Texans shifted Quin from cornerback and he was very solid alongside free-agent addition Manning. The Jaguars signed Dawan Landry from Baltimore and traded for Dwight Lowery, shifting a guy who’d played mostly corner to play with Landry. Applause to both teams for fine work addressing a trouble position.

Surprise of the year: T.J. Yates, Texans quarterback.

The finish in the playoff loss to Baltimore was a big disappointment. But Yates took over a good team when Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down in quick succession and played beyond what could reasonably be expected from a fifth-round rookie quarterback.

Colt of the year: Pat Angerer, middle linebacker.

As Indianapolis was not mentioned here at all, we create this category for the Colts. Angerer showed himself to be a quality starter who has to be in the lineup going forward. That may mean the end of Gary Brackett, the veteran middle linebacker who was hurt in Week 1 and missed the season. Angerer is a rangy, instinctive player who’s sure to impress new general manager Ryan Grigson.

We will do an All AFC South team after the Texans' season ends, and I will definitely solicit your input when we get to it. That's always an exciting time.

On the heels of the All Pro Team announcement last week, I wanted to share the votes I cast for the annual Pro Football Weekly/ Pro Football Writers of America awards and All-Pro Team. This ballot was due before the playoffs kicked off Saturday.

Here’s a rundown of how I factored in the AFC South:

Assistant coach of the year: Wade Phillips, Texans. I’ll be surprised if Houston’s defensive coordinator isn’t the winner here. His role in the team’s personnel additions and his implementation of the new 3-4 scheme transformed a weak, scared defense into a juggernaut that ranked No. 2 in the NFL.

All-Pro: Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, Texans center Chris Myers, Texans tackle Duane Brown, Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing and Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph. Jones-Drew was the lone player from the division on the AP All-Pro first team, and deserved it. Perhaps a little heavy on Houston, but all four of those guys were consistently excellent.

All-AFC: All the All-Pro guys plus Houston tackle Eric Winston, Indianapolis defensive end Robert Mathis and Jacksonville linebacker Daryl Smith. Winston was very good, Mathis remains a terror and Smith was really excellent surrounded by better people.

All-Rookie: Houston defensive linemen J.J. Watt, Tennessee defensive tackles Karl Klug and Jurrell Casey, Houston outside linebacker Brooks Reed. Watt is a Pro Bowl caliber player already. And Reed helped offset the loss of Mario Williams. Klug and Casey weren't the same impact level, but they played a lot and contributed a lot, and guys like that make this team.

A note on one omission: Texans GM Rick Smith could win executive of the year. But I didn’t want to go overboard with Houston, and actually thought Bengals owner Mike Brown had a near perfect year as he shed Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, drafted A.J. Green and Andy Dalton and fleeced Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade.

Voting results for the AP's All-Pro Team, with players from the AFC South highlighted. A panel of 50 media members elects the team.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay, 47.5; Drew Brees, New Orleans, 2.5.

x-Running backs: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville, 40; LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia, 29; Ray Rice, Baltimore, 24; Arian Foster, Houston, 3; Frank Gore, San Francisco, 1; Matt Forte, Chicago, 1; Darren Sproles, New Orleans, 1.

Fullback: Vonta Leach, Baltimore, 42; John Kuhn, Green Bay, 6; Marcel Reece, Oakland, 2.

Tight end: Rob Gronkowski, New England, 44.5; Jimmy Graham, New Orleans, 5.5.

Wide receivers: Calvin Johnson, Detroit, 49; Wes Welker, New England, 23; Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona, 15; Victor Cruz, New York Giants 9; Steve Smith, Carolina, 2; Jordy Nelson, Green Bay, 1; Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh, 1.

Tackles: Jason Peters, Philadelphia, 27; Joe Thomas, Cleveland, 19; Duane Brown, Houston, 11; Joe Staley, San Francisco, 11; Eric Winston, Houston, 10; Jake Long, Miami, 5; Jermon Bushrod, New Orleans, 3; Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati, 3; Bryan Bulaga, Green Bay, 3; Michael Oher, Baltimore, 2; Jared Veldheer, Oakland, 2; Tyron Smith, Dallas, 1; Anthony Davis, San Francisco, 1; Jordan Gross, Carolina, 1; Michael Roos, Tennessee, 1.

Guards: Jahri Evans, New Orleans, 29; Carl Nicks, New Orleans, 27; Marshal Yanda, Baltimore, 17; Logan Mankins, New England, 10; Brian Waters, New England, 5; Chris Kuper, Denver, 4; Davin Joseph, Tampa Bay, 3; Chris Snee, New York Giants, 2; Evan Mathis, Philadelphia, 2; Mike Iupati, San Francisco, 1.

Center: Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh, 13; Ryan Kalil, Carolina, 11; Nick Mangold, New York Jets, 11; Chris Myers, Houston, 7; Scott Wells, Green Bay, 7; John Sullivan, Minnesota, 1.

Placekicker: David Akers, San Francisco, 32; Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland, 14; Rob Bironas, Tennessee, 1; Matt Bryant, Atlanta, 1; Matt Prater, Denver, 1; Josh Scobee, Jacksonville, 1.

Kick returner: Patrick Peterson, Arizona, 33; Devin Hester, Chicago, 10; Darren Sproles, New Orleans, 3; Ted Ginn. Jr., San Francisco, 2; Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh, 1; Joe McKnight, New York Jets, 1.

DEFENSE

Ends: Jared Allen, Minnesota, 49; Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants, 34; Justin Smith. San Francisco, 9; Jason Babin, Philadelphia, 7; Elvis Dumervil, Denver, 1.

Tackles: Haloti Ngata, Baltimore, 38; Justin Smith, San Francisco, 35; Geno Atkins, Cincinnati, 9; Richard Seymour, Oakland, 5; Vince Wilfork. New England, 5; B.J. Raji, Green Bay, 1; Calais Campbell, Arizona, 1; Henry Melton, Chicago, 1; Mike Patterson, Philadelphia, 1; Sione Pouha, New York Jets, 1; Jay Ratliff, Dallas, 1; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit, 1; J.J. Watt, Houston, 1.

Outside linebackers: Terrell Suggs, Baltimore, 47; DeMarcus Ware, Dallas, 42; Tamba Hali, Kansas City, 4; Von Miller, Denver, 4; Clay Matthews, Green Bay, 2; Sean Weatherspoon, Atlanta, 1.

Inside linebacker: Patrick Willis, San Francisco, 32; NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco, 16; Derrick Johnson, Kansas City, 16; Brian Cushing, Houston, 13; London Fletcher, Washington, 8; Ray Lewis, Baltimore, 3; Brian Urlacher, Chicago, 3; Daryl Washington, Arizona, 3; Lance Briggs, Chicago, 2; D'Qwell Jackson, Cleveland, 2; DeMeco Ryans, Houston, 1; Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh, 1.

Cornerbacks: Darrelle Revis, NY Jets, 48; Charles Woodson, Green Bay, 19; Johnathan Joseph, Houston, 18; Carlos Rogers, San Francisco, 10; Champ Bailey, Denver, 3; Brandon Flowers, Kansas City, 1; Charles Tillman, Chicago, 1.

Safeties: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh, 29; Eric Weddle, San Diego, 20; Ed Reed, Baltimore, 17; Earl Thomas, Seattle, 16; Kam Chancellor, Seattle, 5; Adrian Wilson, Arizona, 4; Dashon Goldson, San Francisco, 3; Jairus Byrd, Buffalo, 2; Bernard Pollard, Baltimore, 2; Roman Harper, New Orleans, 1; Tyvon Branch, Oakland, 1.

Punter: Andy Lee, San Francisco, 29; Shane Lechler, Oakland, 20; Britton Colquitt, Denver, 1.

x-one voter selected only one running back.

Pro Football Focus has become a player in rating players. Today they’ve revealed their 2011 All Pro teams.

The AFC South made a pretty good showing, considering it has just one playoff team and two of the worst teams in the league.

Here’s who made it:

First Team

Running back: Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

Center: Chris Myers, Texans

4-3 Outside linebacker: Daryl Smith, Jaguars

Cornerback: Johnathan Joseph, Texans

Slot cornerback: Cortland Finnegan, Titans

Second Team

Left tackle: Duane Brown, Texans

3-4 Defensive ends: J.J. Watt, Texans

3-4 Inside linebacker: Brian Cushing, Texans

PFF has loved Smith for a while, and does a nice job being on breakout guys on time, as is the case with Myers, Brown and Watt.

Dear Duane Brown,

When the NFL fined you $7,500 for punching Jacksonville’s Clint Session in a sideline interaction on Oct. 30, I took it as the final word on the matter. I wrote it put the issue to rest, confirming it was a punch as I believed, despite your denial.

In its speedy wisdom, the NFL has now retracted the fine, reports Mark Berman of Fox in Houston.

You were tripped for sure and braced yourself when you did. But that you did so with a closed first rather than an open palm was highly unusual to me. I guess that’s how you fall.

Rather than revisit my opinion and interpretation on the whole matter, I’d like to apologize for giving you so much grief over it.

Congrats on winning the appeal.

Again, my apologies.

Sincerely,

Paul Kuharsky