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Who had the best defensive end season in AFC South history? Nate Dunlevy of Bleacher Report asks and examines.

Houston Texans

The Texans are playing a numbers game, as Whitney Mercilus is now wearing 59 (which used to belong to DeMeco Ryans) and undrafted rookie linebacker Shawn Loiseau has Mario Williams’ old 90, says Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle.

Houston plans to bid for the 2017 Super Bowl, says David Barron of the Chronicle.

Indianapolis Colts

Ryan Grigson thinks Cassius Vaughn has not hit his ceiling yet, says Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star.

Mike Chappell of the Star discusses continuing coverage in Indy of Peyton Manning and other former Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Thirty-year-old fullback Naufahu Tahi served his Mormon mission in Jacksonville and now he’s back, trying to earn a roster spot with the Jaguars, says Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union.

Why Mike Thomas is not likely to be on the roster bubble, from Ganguli. Thomas would really have to bomb for this to become any sort of an issue, and Lee Evans would have to really bounce back.

The Jaguars have opened up contract talks with some of their draft picks, says Ganguli.

Tennessee Titans

It’s time for Titans cornerback Jason McCourty to take on a bigger leadership role, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean. I agree and I think McCourty is ready to do it.

Glennon found Golf Channel video of Jordan Babineaux getting golf tips.

1. Houston Texans: Wade Phillips did some great things with this defense a year ago. But he’s not the only member of the Texans’ organization who deserves credit for an incredibly improved defense from 2010 to 2011. Houston’s front office was very aggressive in addressing the defensive side of the ball last offseason. Now, Houston has big-time players at each level of its 3-4 defense.

For those who don’t yet know, J.J. Watt immediately established himself as one of the up-and-coming defensive players in this league. Not only is Watt is a fantastic hustle player, but he has ideal size and length for his 3-4 defensive end position to go with well above-average athletic ability. Watt will be a star. Like Watt, Brian Cushing did everything asked of him really well from his inside linebacker spot last season and has established himself as one of the better second-level defenders in the league.

Before last season, the Texans paid a premium to sign him, but simply put, Johnathan Joseph is one of the very best cornerbacks in the NFL today. He is the total package and probably the best player on this excellent defense -- which is really saying something. The Texans could use one more cover man to step up, though. Overall, Houston is well-equipped in coverage and of course the pass rush helped a lot in that capacity.

Maybe what the Texans’ defense did best in Phillips’ first year was rushing the quarterback -- even without Mario Williams for much of the season. The Texans did add Whitney Mercilus to further enhance their threat off the edge and Connor Barwin could be knocking on the door of stardom.

Besides the first-round selection of Mercilus, who is in an ideal position to learn the outside linebacker position slowly, the Texans mostly stuck to improving their offense in the draft. However, Houston did land an intriguing prospect to play behind Watt and the underrated Antonio Smith in late fourth-round pick Jared Crick, who is an ideal fit for this defensive scheme. Only the Steelers, 49ers and Raves allowed fewer points than Houston last year. Don’t expect much of a drop-off this year.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: The AFC South has a shot to have two top-five defenses in 2012. Mike Malarkey takes over as the Jaguars’ head coach, but his focus will be getting quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s career straightened out and improving a dismal Jacksonville passing game.

The defense will be in Mel Tucker’s hands. Tucker wants a fast-flowing, physical and aggressive defense that doesn’t blitz a lot and gets most of its pressure from the defensive linemen. The Jaguars found a gem in Jeremy Mincey, who’s excelled in all facets of playing defensive end in their 4-3 scheme. But this defense really lacked a complementary end to Mincey, especially as a pass-rusher. Jacksonville used the No. 38 pick in this year’s draft on Andre Branch, who could help immediately on passing downs but offers little against the run.

One guy who let this defense down last season is Tyson Alualu, who really had a down 2011 season in all regards. Still, only three teams bettered Jacksonville in rushing yards allowed per attempt in 2011. A vastly underrated positional group in the NFL is the Jaguars’ linebacker corps, especially Daryl Smith, who does everything well on the second level. Paul Posluszny isn’t much behind Smith and was a fine addition to Jacksonville’s defense in free agency a year ago. The Jags’ secondary lacks star power but it is pretty solid at each position. The Jaguars were 10th in the league in points allowed last year. They could improve upon that in 2012.

3. Tennessee Titans: There isn’t a lot of star power here, but the Titans are very young on defense and could be poised to improve. Youngsters Jurrell Casey, Karl Klug, Alterraun Verner, Jason McCourty and others are much better players than many casual NFL fans know. Third-round pick Mike Martin should be the perfect complement to the run-stuffing Casey and the lighter pass-rushing Klug in the Titans’ defensive tackle rotation.

The Titans’ pass rush was a huge problem last season, as only Tampa Bay recorded fewer sacks than Tennessee, but it should be much better this year, especially with the addition of Kamerion Wimbley. Former first-round pick Derrick Morgan also should finally be healthy. This is a key season for Morgan -- and the Titans need more from him.

On the second level, the Titans are now very young and active. Colin McCarthy is a tackling machine and should quickly establish himself as a leader of this defense. Tennessee lost Cortland Finnegan to the Rams in free agency, but overall, their coverage people were above average last season -- despite that suspect pass rush. Finnegan had an excellent season, though, and will be difficult to replace.

The Titans look to be improved up front in their ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, but not as strong on the back end in coverage. Only seven teams allowed fewer points than Tennessee during the 2011 season. Maintaining that standard could be difficult, but overall, this is a pretty solid group in just about all areas.

4. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts might have the worst defense in the NFL this season. Their run defense was abysmal last season. Indianapolis has nowhere to go but up in this department and additions such as Cory Redding, Brandon McKinney and Josh Chapman should help shore up the run defense at the line of scrimmage. Still, such a drastic scheme change really leaves Indianapolis in a bind on this side of the ball for 2012.

Although the Colts surely will not be playing with the lead as much as they did when Peyton Manning was behind center, the edge pass-rush presence of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis should still rank among the best in the NFL. Mathis was probably the Colts’ best defensive player last season. He can still get it done. I believe the same is true with Freeney. As good as Freeney and Mathis still are, just the Titans and Buccaneers sacked opposing quarterbacks less than Indianapolis.

Besides Freeney and Mathis, Pat Angerer and especially Antoine Bethea are above-average starters for their respective positions. But outside of these four, the remaining prevalent members of the Colts’ defense are littered with flaws. One player I am very high on is Drake Nevis, but Nevis was drafted to be an upfield disruptive three-technique. The problem here is that if Indianapolis goes with a predominantly 3-4 alignment, Nevis’ great penetrating abilities could be wasted. That is the problem with switching schemes -- players from the former philosophy aren’t well-suited for what the new coaching staff has in mind. This applies to many members of the Colts’ defense, which up until now was a fast-flowing undersized unit built on speed. Now this unit will be building to be much like what Chuck Pagano coached in Baltimore -- and Nevis is one of many examples of the problems with making such a change.

The Colts were not strong at all in coverage last year -- and it doesn’t look as though they will be much improved in 2012. They are particularly weak at cornerback. Indianapolis also had the fewest interceptions in the league last year. Pagano and his defensive staff will be more creative with their looks and pressures, which he hopes will leads to more turnovers created. Getting more Ravens-type of defensive players will be a massive priority for Indianapolis next offseason.

The Houston Texans were fortunate once Mario Williams went down last year.

Connor Barwin and rookie Brooks Reed played too much, but they didn’t just hold up, they excelled. The two outside linebackers in the first-year 3-4 scheme were keys to a consistently swarming pass rush.

They’ll get some relief from the team’s first-round draft pick, Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus. Listed as a defensive end by most, he’s an outside 'backer for Houston.

The Texans thrived largely because of their pass rush in 2011, as they won the AFC South and made the playoffs for the first time. Enhancing the pass rush is never a bad thing.

Undoubtedly, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips endorsed the pick. And he nudged the front office in a good direction last year when J.J. Watt and Reed were the first two picks.

Based on that recent record, I’m inclined to be just fine with this decision, especially with Kendall Wright gone.

The Texans hope to re-sign Barwin, but he’s a year away from free agency and there is no guarantee they are able to keep him. So Mercilus will serve as insurance for that loss, too.

It's a smart brand of roster building that can be beneficial both now and later.

» 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?

Gary Kubiak conceded the early stages of free agency were rough on the Houston Texans.

They re-signed running back Arian Foster before he got to restricted free agency, and managed to keep center Chris Myers after he saw some interest from outside.

But gone through free-agent losses, cuts or trades are eight players of note.

Let’s take a look at each departure:

OLB Mario Williams (free agent, signed with Buffalo)

The team knew it was highly unlikely it would be able to keep him, and he got a giant contract from the Bills.

The glass-half-full side points out how well the Texans rushed the passer without Williams in the final 11 games and the playoffs last year and points out that he was always banged-up.

On the other side, Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed need to be part of a three-man gang at the position, and the odds of the pass rush just picking up where it left off aren’t high. Bryan Braman is an interesting player and could be a factor in his second year. Look for another outside backer in the draft.

RT Eric Winston (cut, signed with Kansas City)

A strong and technically sound right tackle who was a big piece of a line that may have been the team’s best unit and ranked among the league’s best last season.

This move was the biggest surprise of all that’s unfolded, and Winston was courted heavily before landing in Kansas City.

The team could go with backup swing tackle Rashad Butler, who missed much of last season with an arm injury. But he didn’t fare great when subbing for left tackle Duane Brown on the left side for four games a year earlier.

ILB DeMeco Ryans (traded to Philadelphia)

A beloved member of the team, Ryans hasn’t returned all the way to form after a serious Achilles injury. Plus, in the 3-4, he was barely a two-down player until Darryl Sharpton got hurt.

The Texans may not have gotten quite enough in the deal and they may have to smooth things out in the locker room, but a healthy Sharpton is a capable second inside guy to go with Brian Cushing.

RT Mike Brisiel (free agent, signed with Oakland)

The team played better with him in the lineup than when he was out and Antoine Caldwell filled in. Brisiel did tend to miss a couple games a year. The spot should be Caldwell’s to lose now and he should still be getting better.

TE Joel Dreessen (free agent, signed with Denver)

He seriously considered Houston’s offer before leaving to play with Peyton Manning. He was a valuable player for the Texans, the kind of smaller piece that glues together a team while being overlooked by many.

James Casey is the lone fullback now, but he’s technically more of an H-back and can do tight end things. Depending on how he’s deployed along with Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham, Houston could be OK.

FB Lawrence Vickers (cut, signed with Dallas)

He only played 31.06 percent of the Texans’ plays. Are they dead set on being a fullback team? Call Casey a fullback if you want, but you can run out of anything with Foster and shouldn’t feel desperate to restock.

CB Jason Allen (free agent, signed with Cincinnati)

An unsung player who the team counted as a co-starter with Kareem Jackson, a first-round draft pick who has not lived up to his draft status. They lost a security blanket with Allen, and need to ensure they have a fallback for Jackson on the team, whether it’s a veteran later, second-year man Brandon Harris or a draft pick.

QB Matt Leinart (cut)

T.J. Yates flew by him on the depth chart with his performance down the stretch, and the Texans couldn’t afford Leinart as a third.

With the departure of Peyton Manning and Mario Williams, the AFC South lost two overall No. 1 picks.

The loss of star power led me to wonder about what our teams have left in terms of high-ranking draft picks, and how they compare to one another and the rest of the league.

John McTigue of ESPN Stats & Information looked at the average draft slot of the top 10 highest-drafted players -- how ever deep that goes beyond the first round -- still on each team.

Obviously, where a team drafts is based on how it finishes. Certainly higher draft picks hardly guarantee successful choices. But if you’ve got higher picks, you’ve got a better chance of hitting.

As the chart at right shows, all four AFC South teams fall below the league average of 35.1: The Texans are at 35.4, the Jaguars 38.1, the Titans 39.3 and the Colts 46.8.

The Texans and Colts clearly suffer from losing Williams and Manning. The Jaguars have only four home-grown first-rounders on their team after a bunch of busts. The Titans' number inflates because Adam Jones and Vince Young didn’t stick around. The Colts have been consistently good, so they’ve consistently drafted late. Their averages are about to rise.

As the chart below shows, the top 10 highest-drafted players still in the AFC South average a draft spot of 11.1. The only division whose top 10 remaining home-grown draft picks were selected at a worse average position is the NFC East (13.9).

It's interesting that first-rounders remaining were drafted, on average, inside the top 12.

Last year, when Bill Polian was still running the Colts, he said he expected a higher hit rate when picking before and after 12th through a draft.

“I think you have to divide it into top 12 and bottom 20," he said. "If you’re in the top 12, it ought to be in the .640 range. That’s about 4.5 guys on average per year out of the seven. You measure that at the end of three years and what you are measuring is whether or not those guys become winning players, guys that contribute to wins. Bottom 20 is .571, that’s four out of seven."

Keith Hawkins of ESPN Stats & Info limited his search to the average draft position of first-rounders remaining with the team that drafted them (chart at right). This seems less telling to me as you eliminate first-rounders who busted, and first-rounders who have left.

Buffalo’s the high at 7.7, the Giants are the low at 25.2.

Jacksonville comes in at 14.0, Houston at 15.0, Tennessee at 19.4 and Indianapolis at 24.2.

Here are the top draft guys in the division now, pending the Colts' pick at No. 1, and the Jaguars' pick at No. 7.

• Texans receiver Andre Johnson, third overall
• Titans quarterback Jake Locker, eighth
• Jaguars left tackle Eugene Monroe, eighth
• Jaguars defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, 10th
• Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert, 10th
• Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, 11th
• Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, 11th
• Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing, 15th
• Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan, 16th
• Titans safety Michael Griffin, 19th

Kevin in Houston writes: Why is it taking so long to sign Chris Meyers, Mike Brisiel, Joel Dreessen and Neil Rackers? It's fairly clear the Texans were not going to be able to sign/afford Mario Williams. Did this not clear up enough room to get some of these key players back? It just feels like the Texans just don't care.

Paul Kuharsky: Teams don’t operate on fans’ timetables.

The Texans have re-signed Arian Foster and Chris Myers now. Brisiel, Dreessen and Rackers are nice pieces, but hardly urgent. So you let them see the market. If they hit the lottery, you say congrats. If they don’t, you wind up in a favorable position to get them back.

Why make the jump to “they don’t care?” Why wouldn’t they care?

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Chris in Washington, D.C., writes: Your Tennessee bias has been on astounding display over the past week. Could you make it any clearer that you hope Peyton goes there? Last I checked, this is an AFC South blog, not a Titans blog. You should write accordingly. As a journalist, I don't have a whole lot of respect for your coverage right now. Or maybe ESPN "bloggers" should be held to a lesser standard?

Paul Kuharsky: Peyton Manning is the biggest story in sports right now. He’s not considering playing for Jacksonville or Houston. The Colts cut him, so any post about his potential landing spot is of interest to Indianapolis. I’d be writing a great deal about him even if one of his primary suitors was not in the division. But it is.

I’ve written about the goings on with other teams.

None, right now, have nearly as much going on as the Titans do.

That’s how it works -- the biggest story and most active team gets the most attention. When the Texans were in the playoffs, it was them. When the Colts were deciding on Manning, it was them. As the Titans court Manning, it’s them.

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Bo from Spearfish writes: With Jax signing a decent WR (Robinson) and Mincey to stay at DE, what’s their first-round priority? CB? Or do they protect Gabbert with an OL pick. I personally would still prefer another set of hands opposite Robinson.

Paul Kuharsky: You can’t force a priority on a first-round pick, but they still need a big time pass-rusher and a corner. But wide receiver trumps all in my eyes, especially if Laurent Robinson is all they do in free agency.

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Scott in Missoula, Mont., writes: Winston Justice? Really? Why in the world would the Colts take an overpaid, backup OT and give up their position in the sixth round, disregarding for a moment the fact they have Anthony Castonzo and Ben Ijalana, instead of trying to court Evan Mathis, Ben Grubbs and/or Chris Myers, who are proven upper-echelon offensive linemen? Seems like the only positive move Ryan Grigson has had thus far is keeping Reggie Wayne to be Andrew Luck's #1 WR. Your thoughts?

Paul Kuharsky: I think we give Winston a chance, just like we give Grigson and all the newcomers a chance. Ijalana’s hardly a sure thing himself. Grubbs and Myers were pretty costly and the Colts don’t have much money. And swapping sixth-rounders with Philly for Justice was hardly any cost at all.

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Barry in Indy writes: I see where some teams offered a 1st or 2nd round tender offer to their FAs. Do you know if the Colts did this with Pierre Garcon? At this point, the Colts need all the draft picks they can get. Thanks in advance!

Paul Kuharsky: Tender offers are for restricted free agents. Teams are able to retain them with a tender offer, which gives them the right to match any offer sheet they might sign or get the draft pick attached to the tender as payback for not matching.

Teams have no power to attach anything to unrestricted free agents. The only thing they stand to get back later is a compensatory draft pick, third round or later, if the sum of their free-agent losses outweighs the sum of their gains. And those come in the draft the following year.

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Michael from Cypress, Texas writes: No disrespect to Manning, but I think he'd be a great QB coach at Houston. Can you imagine TJ Yates and Matt Schaub getting tips from Peyton?

Paul Kuharsky: Actually I can’t imagine it at all. Why would he want to do that? He’s going to make a ton of money playing and has a chance to try to win another Super Bowl.

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.

I see both sides of Mario Williams.

I see why Buffalo put together a ridiculous package to lure him to Western New York, with $50 million guaranteed. The Bills think he will be a productive player and that a big-time pass-rusher can transform a defense. As a bonus, luring the top defensive free agent sends a message to other players in the league about the Bills as a team and Buffalo as a destination.

I see why the Texans were content to watch him walk away. They have cap issues and while I am sure they made him a nice offer, they couldn’t get in the ballpark, financially, with the Bills. Williams has been a force at times, but too often he was fighting through nagging injuries that made him not himself. When he was lost for the season after five games, the defense thrived anyway.

You can make the case that Jerome Solomon did in the Houston Chronicle: "Mario Williams has always looked better than he played. He’s long and lean, yet muscularly defined, and at 6-6, 290 pounds is faster than men his size are supposed to be.”

Solomon also wrote:

Many are upset that Williams recently said becoming the highest paid defensive player in NFL history wasn’t important to him.

Then he went out and became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history.

His departure is a shot in the gut to the Texans, who feel they are primed to be a Super Bowl contender. Why wouldn’t Williams want to be part of that? I’d estimate he has around 100 million reasons.

The Texans did want to keep Williams – losing one of your more talented players isn’t how you improve as a team. Texans general manager Rick Smith tried to talk him into staying, but money talks. While the Bills’ bills were shouting, the Texans’ dollars, thanks to their salary cap situation, could do little more than whisper.

Odds are the Texans defense isn’t as good next season as it was this past one, when so much went right.

But even if the defense takes a step back, it’s unlikely to be because Williams is missing.

Mario Williams joining the Buffalo Bills is looking more and more likely.

His fiancee joined him in Buffalo Wednesday, and he’s not flying her up to show her a place he doesn’t want to play or live.

Paul Peck of WIVB-TV in Buffalo talked to Williams at the airport and initially thought the defensive end was leaving. Peck approached Williams and in a drive-by interview learned that he was merely picking up the future Mrs.

If and when Williams signs with the Bills, the Texans may become more active. They've set aside the money they offered the outside linebacker/defensive end in case he changes course and decides to accept.

If he doesn't, those dollars will come free and we can expect them to try to retain their free-agent center, Chris Myers.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle runs through Mario Williams’ plans and the early developments in free agency for the Texans.

Love doesn’t hold teams together, says Jerome Solomon of the Chronicle. Nice detail here on Williams spending part of Sunday at GM Rick Smith’s house playing video games with Smith’s son.

Four reasons the Texans may have cut Eric Winston, from Lance Zierlein of the Chronicle blog. He should have kept it to three, as No. 4 is not a factor.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts lost Pierre Garcon but managed to re-sign Reggie Wayne, says Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star.

Five reasons the Colts re-signed Reggie Wayne, from Nate Dunlevy at ColtsAuthority.com. I like No. 5 especially.

Garcon is part of the Redskins' receiver-heavy free-agent push, says Mike Jones and Mark Maske of the Washington Post.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union talked to Dwight Lowery after he signed a four-year deal to stay with the Jaguars.

Defensive end Jeremy Mincey also re-signed, says Ganguli.

Dallas receiver Laurent Robinson is visiting the Jaguars, says Ganguli. The receiver pool shrunk significantly and if Robinson is the "big" move for Jacksonville, then they're going to have to really emphasize wideouts in the draft.

Chad Henne could be the new backup to Blaine Gabbert, says Vito Stellino of the T-U.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans-Peyton Manning meeting is today. John Glennon of The Tennessean runs through that and the first day of free agency.

Safety Jordan Babineaux and reserve linebacker and special teamer Patrick Bailey re-signed, says Glennon.

The Titans talked for some time about their defensive needs. But their initial push in free agency is all offense, says Glennon.

Cortland Finnegan landed a big deal in St. Louis, says Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

One player I think will be outgoing, one player I think should be incoming, for the Houston Texans once free agency opens Tuesday afternoon.

I’m steering clear of the huge guys on the incoming category, as it’s easy to say a team should covet the best/most expensive player at a position of need.

Outgoing: Mario Williams, outside linebacker/defensive end. Maybe they can make him a semi-attractive last-minute offer. But there is no reason for him not to see what the market has to offer, and what it has to offer is going to overwhelm him in comparison to what the Texans can offer. He’s a phenomenal combination of size and athleticism. But he also tends to be injured.

Incoming: Robert Meachem, receiver. Marques Colston gets all the attention as the Saints receiver who can leave. Meachem will be less pricey, and has the sort of speed that could help the Texans stretch the field and provide a playmaker in the receiver group beyond Andre Johnson. I don’t think they will do anything in free agency, at least not early, because of financial constraints.

The Titans hear a lot of complaints about how they don’t pursue big names in free agency.

Those Tennessee followers should be excited, then, about this report from Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.

It says the Titans aren’t only interested in Peyton Manning, but free-agent guard Steve Hutchinson and the prize of the class, Houston outside linebacker/defensive end Mario Williams.

Hutchinson could fortify the Titans' interior offensive line. With him in place of Jake Scott on a line that already offered excellent quarterback protection, Tennessee could be an even more attractive destination for Manning.

While indications are the Titans are thinking Manning first, I don’t think landing Manning would automatically eliminate them as a possibility for Williams. They could creatively find a way to fit all three, though it certainly wouldn't be easy.

The concern is that a prolonged courtship of Manning means they lose out on Williams and come out with neither.

Manning, Williams and Hutchinson are all represented by the same agency, CAA.

So if the Titans get to contract talks with Tom Condon about the quarterback, they’ll be talking to a guy who will know full well what’s going on with the other two guys. Hopefully that keeps them from losing out on both superstars.

The timetable is the big question now.

If Manning isn't quick to decide, can the Titans land Hutchinson in the meantime? Can they get in the hunt for Williams if they are on hold with Manning? Those are questions that are going to make free agency for the Titans very intriguing.

Texans right tackle Eric Winston announced on Twitter that he’s being released by the Texans in a move that’s got to be coming to help give the team enough money to make bids to keep outside linebacker Mario Williams and center Chris Myers.

Winston was slated to make a $5.5 million base salary in 2012.

Four tweets from Winston:

Unfortunately I have bad news. The Texans have decided to release me today. Although it is a surprise, I have nothing but positive memories

And great relationships that I have built over the years. While my future seems uncertain, I am confident I will land on my feet.

Let me say thank you to Mr. McNair and the whole Texan organization. They have had big role in the player and person I have become.

And last but not least to my fans and teammates. You guys are the absolute best! I will miss all of you more than you know.

It’s a classy exit following surprising news.

The Texans' offensive line has been a team strength and Winston has been an effective player in helping spring Arian Foster for an awful lot of yards. When an O-line is a team strength, continuity is usually a big part of it.

The Texans now need a starting right tackle, and their center (Myers) and right guard (Mike Brisiel) are on the eve of becoming free agents.

Houston fans are surely hoping news of new contracts is coming before then.

As for Winston, Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said he could see him landing in Washington, Seattle, Miami or with the Jets.

"Winston came to THE U as a TE, but just kept growing," Williamson wrote me. "Before blowing out his knee, many considered him a truly elite LT prospect. He fell in the draft a bit after his injury, but remains long, athletic and very mobile. Perfect for the system he was in with the Texans, and I thought he had a very good year. I bet the Skins would kill to get him."

Never mind Mario Williams.

If the Colts are taking calls and accepting trade offers for Dwight Freeney, the Titans should pick up the phone.

He’s 32, and that can be scary. But the guy is a supreme pass-rusher.

Tennessee GM Ruston Webster has spoken of the need for a guy with special pass-rushing skills and an understanding he might need to overpay for one. Williams has those skills, too, of course -- but he’s younger and bigger, and he’ll demand a bigger contract and a different kind of competition for his services. He also has at least a bit of a durability question.

Because this could be a precursor to a release, start by offering your second-round pick. But ask the Colts not make a move without checking in. Pray they don’t care about dealing him within the division.

Get permission to negotiate with him in advance of the swap, and draw up a three- or four-year deal for him.

Then, as you play the game, be willing to give up No. 20 this year -- or your first-round pick next season, if you’re certain you will be better and it will be a worse pick.

Freeney is worth the 20th pick and big money, provided you can strike a contract deal.

That’s a move that would amount to the Titans saying they are about right now, not 2014. That’s when a first-round defensive end picked at the end of April will likely be ready to be a consistent factor -- if he emerges as a top-level pass-rusher at all.

This is not a great defensive end class.

The odds are against getting an immediate impact rusher at No. 20.

Meanwhile, Freeney is a matchup nightmare whose spin move and quickness are incredibly difficult to slow. He’ll always draw a double, making life easier for everyone else on the line.

And the pressure he brings will make each of the other 10 guys on the field better.

Be bold. Back off the get-bigger philosophy for this guy. Get on the phone.