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Monday we presented the All AFC-South offense. Today we move to defense and special teams.

I felt like there was a worthy candidate at every spot, and beyond wrestling with choosing between Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis for a defensive end spot, I didn’t have any gigantic struggles.

To accommodate the personnel of the 3-4 Texans along with the 4-3 Colts, Texans and Titans, we created a 12-man defense with four linemen and four linebackers. It seemed like a fair approach to me that stops short of bastardizing the team.

DEs: Houston rookie J.J. Watt was a giant presence from the start, serving as a key piece of the team’s revamped front. He was easily the division’s rookie of the year. Mathis gets the nod over Freeney but it could have gone either way. They both had fewer chances because teams threw less against them, but remained quite effective.

DTs: Antonio Smith of the Texans played end in base and tackle in nickel and his versatility was really highlighted in the 3-4 system. Casey was not at a similar level, but the Titans rookie was a stout and reliable run-stopper.

OLBs: The Jaguars were stacked at linebacker thanks to their free-agent shopping. On an upgraded defense, Daryl Smith really got to show himself a fine player. In Houston, Connor Barwin blossomed into an 11.5-sack guy who was constantly around the quarterback.

ILBs: Brian Cushing was a terror for the Texans, proving an excellent fit as an inside backer for Wade Phillips. At his best, he was something to behold. The same can be said for Jacksonville’s Paul Posluszny. He gave the Jaguars everything they were looking for in terms of production and leadership as a free-agent acquisition.

CBs: Houston’s Johnathan Joseph was the AFC South MVP in my eyes. The Texans hit a home run by adding Joseph, a settling force in the secondary who played sticky coverage all season. Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan didn’t produce on the same level, but his willingness and ability to shift inside and play a physical brand of nickel was a positive factor for the Titans' defense.

S: The Texans' move of Glover Quin from nickel corner to strong safety worked out beautifully and they are trend-setters in terms of having guys with corner skills playing in the middle of the field. He was steady and productive. Dwight Lowery showed good smarts and awareness for the Jaguars at a spot that was a huge hole the previous season. Signing him will be a priority.

K: Rob Bironas of the Titans missed just three field goals all season. While Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee missed only two, he tried fewer. And Bironas had a division-high 44 touchbacks

P: The Colts' Pat McAfee gets the edge over the Titans' Brett Kern in a very close race. Punting out of trouble was more important more often for Indianapolis, and McAfee’s net average was hurt by less than stellar coverage but shouldn’t offset his slightly bigger leg.

PR, KR: There was no outstanding work done in these spots for anyone in the division, so we pretty much go chalk. Tennessee punt returner Marc Mariani led in punt return average and Jacksonville kick returner Deji Karim led the division in kick return average.

ST: Kassim Osgood of the Jaguars continued to be a top guy in coverage work.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thoughts on the Titans’ 22-17 loss to the Saints at LP Field:

What it means: A largely unfavorable day. The Titans lost while one of the teams they are fighting with for position for a wild-card berth, the Jets, won. The Texans’ last-second win in Cincinnati means that Houston clinched the AFC South, but it hurt another wild-card competitor, the Bengals.

What I didn’t like: Penalties were out of control. Mike Munchak’s team is supposed to be a disciplined bunch, but special teams and the offensive line were primary culprits. Eight penalties for 54 yards consistently slowed the Titans or helped the Saints. A couple of mistakes will happen, but on this scale it’s both unacceptable and unsurvivable. The Saints were sloppy, too, but Drew Brees found his moments. And at times, like when he had all day to throw to an open Marques Colston at the goal line, a high pass wasn’t a problem as the receiver had time and space to go up and get it, then get it in the end zone for a 35-yard score. His follow up touchdown throw to Colston, from 28 yards, fell neatly between Alterraun Verner and Cortland Finnegan.

What I liked: Jake Locker put a good ball on him and banged-up receiver Nate Washington made a great play looking it in while Jabari Greer flew by a second late for a 40-yard touchdown with 5:58 left in the game that closed it to 22-17. He hit him again right near the end for another 40.

What I didn't like: The Titans' last two plays from the 5-yard line. The first was well-defended by Tracy Porter, but I question throwing to Marc Mariani no matter if Washington was out hurt. Locker ran and bought time on the last play, but has to at least try a throw instead of getting sacked.

What I want to know: What’s the trade-off between an aggressive third-and-1 call with a throw into the end zone when you then fail to convert the quarterback sneak on fourth down? We're talking the Titans' second-to-last drive there.

Injury concerns: Matt Hasselbeck suffered a left calf injury that knocked him out of the game, though he limped on and hopped off for one play when Locker took a tough shot to the ribs. Linebacker Akeem Ayers suffered a shoulder injury and No. 2 running back Javon Ringer injured his hand. Neither returned to action after getting hurt. Washington had to be tugged off the field by Chris Johnson after his late catch.

What’s next: The Titans head for Indianapolis for their second game against the winless, division-rival Colts.

Thoughts on the Tennessee Titans’ 23-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at LP Field:

What it means: The Titans improved to 6-5 by finding their balance in the fourth quarter of a wet and sloppy game against the Buccaneers. Chris Johnson had his best day of the season with 23 carries for 190 rushing yards, though he lost a fumble for one of Tennessee’s four turnovers. With Matt Leinart now also hurt for the Texans, the Titans have to still feel like they can catch Houston. But they need to pair some wins with some Texans losses to do so.

What I liked: Matt Hasselbeck had a poor overall game, with two picks -- one returned for a touchdown -- two sacks and only 160 passing yards. But at a crucial moment with 3:01 left in the game and facing a fourth-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 2-yard line, he got great protection, showed great patience and found Damian Williams with a dart in the back middle of the end zone for a touchdown that provided the game-winning points. The Titans were down 17-10 at the start of the fourth and took control, outscoring Tampa Bay 13-0 in the quarter.

What I also liked: Great play on the first-quarter kickoff return with Tommie Campbell taking a reverse handoff from Marc Mariani and bolting to an 84-yard touchdown.

What I didn’t like: Four turnovers, including the two picks by Hasselbeck and lost fumbles by Johnson and running back Javon Ringer. Tampa Bay turned those into 14 points. Meanwhile, the Titans had five takeaways and turned them into a grand total of six points. They were quite fortunate to win the game given that discrepancy.

What I wonder: Will rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy, who had a game-high 10 tackles and a game-sealing pick, keep the starting middle linebacker spot even after veteran Barrett Ruud (groin) is healthy?

What’s next: The Titans travel to Buffalo, where the weather may be tough but the opposition is a lot less dangerous than it was early in the season.

Kevin Curtis may be worth a look, but can the Titans’ new veteran wide receiver displace any of the guys who rank near the top of the depth chart?

The Titans intend to start Kenny Britt and Nate Washington, thought Britt could be facing an early-season suspension. Justin Gage still appears to rank highly with coaches. Many, including me, feel Damian Williams should definitely get a chance ahead of Gage.

Lavelle Hawkins is still inconsistent and Marc Mariani will have a bigger role as a returner.

So where could Curtis, most recently with the Chiefs, fit?

The Titans have a couple of weeks to find out.

Here’s what Scouts Inc. says about a receiver who battled testicular cancer in 2010.

“Curtis is a slot receiver with better quickness, agility and body control than straight line speed. He knows how to run routes and shows good receiving skills as well as the ability to read coverages and adjust on the move. He shows elusiveness after the catch but lacks the acceleration and deep speed to take it all the way.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Chris Palmer likes Javon Ringer so much, that even when Chris Johnson is back the Titans' offensive coordinator wants to find touches for his No. 2 back.

(Yes, Palmer said when, not if.)

Lots of coaches like to talk about getting certain players touches. But that often fizzles out when the time comes to pull a premier player to get a secondary one involved.

Jeff Fisher was not generally big on role players. Sure he had nickel and dime guys, situational pass rushers, third receivers. But overall he was big on guys he saw as dependable in any situation and he’d stick with them.

Both Mike Munchak and Palmer talked Wednesday of their willingness to use guys in narrow, specific roles.

“Ringer has exceeded my expectations, I am very, very pleased with him,” Palmer said. “We’re going to have to find some plays for him when Chris gets back in here, because he’s done so well…”

“We’ll have guys on the team that are dressed for Sunday that will have special plays in for them and we’ll try to take advantage of their skills. Ringer has deserved a chance to get some snaps and show us what he can do and we have a role for him with our team on Sunday.”

I like the sound of it. Getting Marc Mariani some snaps at wide receiver, particularly if they come at the expense of Justin Gage, is a great idea. Ringer sounds like he can give CJ an occasional break.

But picking the spots where you basically take the ball away from Johnson is a delicate job and Palmer will have to mix determination and flexibility in order to get it done.

Alan Lowry, Steve Walters, Ray Sherman and Fred Graves are all good coaches. But Titans receivers under them have been an issue since the team moved to Tennessee.

Did those guys underachieve as coaches, have insufficient talent, or both? And are expectations of receivers unreasonable in a run-based offense?

All that is up for debate.

But new receivers coach Dave Ragone, a former quarterback who’s never coached receivers before, looks to be breathing a different sort of life into his guys so far. He’s far younger and more energetic than the four coaches who preceded him, and he’s showing a creative flair in coaching his guys. After one practice, receivers wrapped their arms around the goal post support, catching balls on the other side of it. Clever.

I think such change is very healthy. But I got excited when Graves arrived and had his guys catching bricks too, so my enthusiasm may be momentary.

Ragone also brings a cannon of a left arm.

“He’s got a Jugs machine tied to his arm,” second-year wideout Marc Mariani told The City Paper's David Boclair. “He takes pride in that. He thinks he can out-throw us and break our facemask or whatever.”

Balls are on receivers quick in practice periods when the coach is throwing, and they have to react quickly and show good hands. On the first day of practice he drilled a ball on the first throw of a period right off Nate Washington's facemask. Washington had to wipe it off before getting back in line.

Boclair accurately notes a major difference from receiver work during the Jeff Fisher regime:

"Seemingly every catch is accompanied by a whack from some sort of pad. Many throws are preceded by multiple cuts around a cone or a peak from behind a tackling dummy. Often, there’s little time to find the ball and react to it.

"'More than anything else, I hope what we do in those drills translates [to game situations] and helps them when they’re actually running their routes,' Ragone said. 'If they can’t see how it works and how it can help them, then it’s not going to be worth it to them.

'That’s more my goal … explaining why it makes sense.'"

I’ll revisit the idea of a quarterback coaching receivers after I visit with both Ragone and Frank Reich of the Colts.

For now, Ragone is definitely a guy to watch.

Reading the coverage …

Former Baltimore Colt and Houston Oiler Bubba Smith, who went on to an acting career, passed away.

Bubba Smith made his mark in a unique way, says Richard Justice.

Houston Texans

Welcome to the attitude readjustment portion of Texans training camp, where Kareem Jackson and the rest of the defensive backs are receiving extra attention, says Jeffrey Martin.

T.J. Yates had an accelerated learning curve while Matt Leinart had to sit out, says Craig Malveaux.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts free-agent action runs against their typical modus operandi, writes Mike Chappell.

Seven storylines to watch.

Young guys are getting their chances, says Phillip B. Wilson.

I talked with Dan Dakich on the radio in Indianapolis Wednesday.

Considering the free-agent movement with Nate Dunlevy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Matt Turk’s life doesn’t need embellishment, writes Tania Ganguli.

Gene Smith can’t worry about his doubters, says Gene Frenette.

Blaine Gabbert shows at least one sign of special things at each practice, says John Oehser.

In case you missed it, my "Camp Confidential" from Jacksonville.

Tennessee Titans

Mike Munchak wants Saturday’s practice at LP Field to feel like a game, says Jim Wyatt.

Will adjusted kickoff rules impact Marc Mariani and the Titans’ return game, asks John Glennon.

The team’s current injury list, from Wyatt.

The Titans have agreed to the parameters of a deal with cornerback Frank Walker, but he has to pass a physical, says Wyatt.

Reading the coverage ...

NFL.com's Pat Kirwan investigates the pressing issues facing each AFC South team when the lockout ends.

Houston Texans

An NFL.com panel examines what the Texans need to do to unseat the Colts atop the division.

The Texans, Lions, Packers and Eagles are considering making a run at free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, according to Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News.

Indianapolis Colts

Despite NFL lockout, the city of Anderson and Anderson University anticipate the Colts' arrival later this month for the start of training camp.

The Colts are the 16th most valuable sports franchise in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Cornerback Rod Issac, the team's 2011 fourth-round draft pick, is getting frustrated by the lockout.

Tennessee Titans

Kenny Britt pleaded not guilty to his disorderly persons case in New Jersey.

Kick returner Marc Mariani says he's staying positive about the lockout being lifted soon.

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.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

The Texans have a free-agency plan in place and are just waiting for the go signal, says Nick Scurfield of the team website.

Brian Baldinger doesn’t have high expectations for the Texans, says Alan Burge.

Shiloh Keo could wind up starting, says Joe Owens.

Indianapolis Colts

Owners will hold spring meetings in Indianapolis next week, says Mike Chappell.

The Colts are doing plenty of talking. Nate Dunlevy links to a bunch of it and comments on complaints like mine about Peyton Manning’s invisibility.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Marcedes Lewis talked about David Garrard and Blaine Gabbert, says Tania Ganguli.

Five things to know about the Jaguars at cornerback, from Andrew Hofheimer.

Tennessee Titans

Jeff Fisher and his group topped Mount Kilimanjaro.

Marc Mariani says there is a lot of buzz about Jake Locker, writes John Glennon.

Mel Kiper recently wrote about seven 2010 rookies he expects to have a big second year. None were from the AFC South.

Kiper mentioned seven other players, and only one plays for an AFC South team.

Of the Colts first-round pick from 2010, Kiper says: “I was shocked at how little [defensive end] Jerry Hughes saw the field. Will he rise to the challenge? The innate pass-rushing skills are there if he responds to the coaching.”

Who’s got the combination of promise and opportunity to make that second year jump?

Here’s a name for each team from me:

Houston Texans


We wrote recently about Shaun Cody and Earl Mitchell (a third-rounder out of Arizona in 2010) as the guys expected to fill the nose guard role in the Texans new 3-4 deployed by new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Mitchell’s got a great outlook and will have great opportunity. While Cody will be first in line, with the new coordinator, seniority should mean less and Mitchell may have more upside once he catches on to what the Texans ask him to do. But it could take some time. He’s only been a tackle for four seasons, having played as a fullback prior to that.

Indianapolis Colts


I was big on fifth-round tight end Brody Eldridge heading into his rookie season and thought he’d have a big influence on the rushing game. He didn’t really. Injuries allowed for the emergence of Jacob Tamme, a pass catcher, and more guys involved in a three-receiver set as the team sorted through receiver injuries. I’ll say Eldridge again. With two big rookie additions to the offensive line (Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana), a new goal line style back (Delone Carter) and a healthier stable of Peyton Manning targets, he’ll have more chances to have an impact.

Jacksonville Jaguars


The Jaguars feel like their interior defensive line has turned into a strength because of the past two drafts, with 2009 third-rounder Terrance Knighton and 2010 first-rounder Tyson Alualu playing side by side. But the depth wasn’t what they’d planned on having because they lost third-rounder D'Anthony Smith early in training camp with a right Achilles injury. We don’t know what kind of pro Smith will be yet, but he stands to be an upgrade over guys like Leger Douzable, C.J. Mosley and Nate Collins, who finished last season as the interior depth.

Tennessee Titans


Mike Munchak and his offensive coordinator, Chris Palmer, simply have to find ways to get young receivers like Damian Williams to contribute earlier than their predecessors did. As a rookie third-rounder out of USC he didn’t win the return job and he didn’t get many chances at receiver, even late in the season when the Titans were foolish not to give him a thorough look. Justin Gage shouldn’t be around any longer and Williams should rank behind only Kenny Britt and Nate Washington in the Titans order, ahead of Lavelle Hawkins and Marc Mariani. Williams had a clear connection with Kerry Collins when the two played, a result of their team working on the scout team together. Whether Collins is the veteran QB ahead of Jake Locker or not, Williams should have opportunity.

The Pro Bowl is a watered-down disaster and has no more outspoken critic than I.

But it’s still used as a measuring stick, and since it’s a watered-down disaster for everyone, it’s not unreasonable to look at for comparison purposes. (And it didn't used to be quite as diluted.)

The Texans released this team-by-team list of draft picks and college free agents who’ve gone to the Pro Bowl since 2002. If a team drafted a player or signed one as an undrafted free agent and he went to the Pro Bowl with another team, he still counts.

There are some quirks in the list. It gives the Texans credit, for example, for having drafted Jason Babin. But Houston traded up to draft Babin and then completely miscast him as an outside linebacker in a 3-4. He was a bust for the Texans. But he went to the 2010 Pro Bowl after becoming a productive pass rush end with the Titans.

The Texans have found Pro Bowlers in top picks, as you’d expect -- Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Babin. Owen Daniels was the 98th pick and Jerome Mathis was 114th. Those are the more impressive Pro Bowlers to me.

The Jaguars have only found a couple of Pro Bowl-caliber players with lesser picks or in college free agency. David Garrard was drafted 108th and Montell Owens was undrafted. (Yes, Garrard did have one Pro Bowl-worthy season.)

The Colts and Titans have fared better in this category.

Indianapolis found Robert Mathis 138th, Cato June 198th and Antoine Bethea 207th. Mathis and Bethea remain key players.

And Tennessee unearthed Marc Mariani 222nd and Cortland Finnegan 215th. The two have combined to help fill the crater left by the No. 6 pick in the 2005 draft, Pacman Jones.

The National Football Post's Joe Fortenbaugh has a nice piece reviewing AFC South draft trends.

Here’s a nugget on each team with a thought from me:

Fortenbaugh: “Since 2001, the Colts have drafted only three offensive tackles. To put that in perspective, take note that over the last 10 years the team has spent the same amount of selections on kickers and punters (3).”

Kuharsky: It’s significant and it’s time to make a substantial investment. But when a team has a left tackle who plays for nine years and goes to three Pro Bowls (Tarik Glenn) and gets steady play from its right tackle for eight years (though Ryan Diem slipped last season) there isn’t cause for huge expenditures at the spot. They failed in a second-round attempt (Tony Ugoh in 2007) to replace Glenn.

Fortenbaugh: “Since 2001, the Jaguars have drafted nine defensive ends, but only two (Derrick Harvey, Quentin Groves) have been selected within the top 100 picks.”

Kuharsky: Jaguars GM Gene Smith worked to offset that by bringing in free agent Aaron Kampman last offseason. And now it appears quite possible Smith will spend the 16th overall pick on a defensive end to complete the makeover of the line that included their top four picks from 2010.

Fortenbaugh: “Since Gary Kubiak took over as head coach in 2006, the Texans have drafted exactly 19 offensive players and 19 defensive players.”

Kuharsky: It’s nice to populate the roster in a balanced fashion. But if Houston does as it should and looks to fill a load of defensive holes in this draft, these numbers will tip to the defensive side.

Fortenbaugh: “Since 2005, the Titans have selected an average of 2.0 wide receivers per draft. Tennessee has landed at least one wideout in each of the past six drafts and has selected as many as three wide receivers two times in the last six years.”

Kuharsky: The all-star receiver roster of those past six drafts: Courtney Roby, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Jonathan Orr, Paul Williams, Chris Davis, Joel Filani, Lavelle Hawkins, Kenny Britt, Dominique Edison, Damien Williams and Marc Mariani. The lone Pro Bowl appearance was Mariani last year -- as a return man.

While Colts vice chairman Bill Polian told Ian Rapoport "the stars will still shine" with NFL kickoffs being moved up to the 35-yard line, it's a rule change that will benefit teams like Indianapolis who do not have particularly threatening return games or tight coverage.

Likewise, it will hurt a team like the Titans, who sent rookie return man Marc Mariani to the Pro Bowl last season.

It should do a great deal to help the division's kickers grow their touchback number, as all four were in the top half of the league in the category last season.

Here are the 2010 touchback numbers for the AFC South kickers, with the percentage of the team's total kickoffs that were touchbacks:

• Rob Bironas, Tennessee, 17 (22.4)
• Pat McAfee, Indianapolis, 16 (17.6)
• Josh Scobee, Jacksonville, 15 (19.7)
• Neil Rackers, Houston, 13 (15.1)

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Finding a remedy for the pass defense is important for the Texans, but don't discount the idea of the team seeking help for the offense through the draft.

Indianapolis Colts

Mike Chappell addresses how proposed rules changes would impact the Colts. He also discusses the status of Peyton Manning's contract situation.

Is drafting a left tackle to protect Manning for the duration of his career high on the Colts' priority list? USA Today's Jon Saraceno says it should be.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tania Ganguli touches on the relationship between Mike Sheppard and Dirk Koetter.

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker: "We have not been consistent enough over the past couple of seasons to say overall, 'We have played any form of good defense.’ At the end of the day, bottom line -- whether you look at statistics, standings, or whatever -- it has not translated into that. That's one thing I as a coordinator, us as a staff and players -- together, we have to become more consistent in our performance."

Tennessee Titans

Matt Bowen of the National Football Post addresses quarterback Vince Young's future in the NFL.

Titans wide receiver Marc Mariani has his sights set on an expanded role in Tennessee's offense.