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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- I came to the Jaguars' headquarters at EverBank Field in search of specifics.

Blaine Gabbert’s terrible rookie year was well-documented. But his new coaches believe he still can become a quality NFL quarterback.

What have they seen that fuels their confidence in him? And can we expect to see improvement in summer camp and fall games?

We’ve heard from coach Mike Mularkey about how he respected the way Gabbert dealt with all the negativity connected to his completion percentage of just over 50.0, the 40 sacks he absorbed, the 12 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions, his 14 fumbles (five of them lost) and 65.4 passer rating.

Offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski offered some analysis of what needed fixing in this “Evening with the Coaches” talk early in the offseason.

I wanted to pick up on that.

Enduring early lumps is part of the deal for virtually every quarterback early in his career. Now, with a new start, tell me about what he’s doing better, I asked.

The initial request was a long shot, but I was still disappointed that Gabbert and his coaches were unwilling to show me one play on film -- comparing and contrasting what Gabbert did with it in last year’s training camp or during last season, and what he’s doing now. No, they don’t need to go into that sort of detail or offer that level of information. But what would it have hurt?

Short of that, Bratkowski offered the most detail in discussing Gabbert’s improvements so far, circling back to what he touched on in that chalk talk.

“Fundamentally, there were some times last year in his drops when he was getting a little bit long with his footwork and getting a little too fast,” Bratkowski said. “So what we’ve tried to do is get him to slow his feet down just a little bit, take shorter steps and stand taller in the pocket.

“Those are some things we identified when we first looked at him, and he’s improving on those things out there right now. You can see him carrying it into the actual plays we’re running in team situations.”

After a fast drop that took him too deep, he typically wound up shuffling forward as soon as he completed his drop, and his busy feet hurt his ability to make sound throws.

Gabbert said forming the new habit isn’t hard.

“The biggest thing all the quarterbacks are working on is just calming our feet down, staying in the pocket, not getting too long, not taking too long of a drop,” Gabbert said. “Because at some point in time, the angles get off with our offensive tackles when they’re trying to block a rush end …

“A lot of the footwork is dictated on the route concepts, the type of offense you run, the style of offense you run. And we have a different offense. We have different plays, and the drops go with those types of plays.”

Mularkey said the Jaguars' offense is about half installed at this point. Reporters are dismissed from OTA sessions once the team reaches the installation phase.

So, despite the reportorial desire to be shown, not told, those of us trying to track the team are left to rely more on conversations than observations regarding Gabbert and everything else.

In the handful of team plays I saw, one horrific pass stood out: a short throw over the middle that bounced well behind the intended receiver. At another point, as the quarterbacks threw to a couple of stationary receivers while running through some red zone possibilities, they were aiming for a target at the front left corner of the end zone.

The situation required a high, firm pass. After Gabbert’s first try wasn’t loopy enough, quarterbacks coach Greg Olson assumed the position of a cornerback the pass needed to get over. He stood with his back to the throw, an arm extended. But as he anticipated the ball’s arrival, he jokingly pulled his hands back to cover his head.

“Can I trust you?” he joked as he turned back to Gabbert, whose second attempt at the pass had cleared Olson and landed where it needed to, proving him trustworthy.

It was rhetorically symbolic, I thought.

"It really is about that to me, at any position with any position coach -- there's got to be a trust factor," Olson said. "He's got to feel that everything I tell him is meant to get him better. Three months into the relationship, I think we are developing that trust factor. If there is no trust there, you have no chance to grow."

Gabbert's teammates have big expectations for a big bounce-back after a rookie season that included the team's being sold and former coach Jack Del Rio getting fired during a 5-11 season.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of a situation where a quarterback gets thrown into a starting role that early with the deficiencies in personnel that we had at that time, with a lot of things stacked against him,” said guard Uche Nwaneri.

“I think people kind of teed off on him. There were some things that he did that weren’t particularly the best, but, you know, he was a rookie. There were so many things happening that affect the quarterback as the result of protection, route running, guys getting open.”

Look, it’s somehow fashionable to say that the bad things Gabbert put on display last year serve as indisputable evidence he can’t be a successful NFL quarterback. I understand his footwork isn’t the only thing that gets sped up -- our assessments come faster than ever.

But judging a quarterback on 15 games and 13 starts with a bad team is simply too hasty.

Gabbert is not going to be Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman. But those guys were awful as rookies, too. Manning threw 28 interceptions, and his Colts were 3-13. Aikman threw 18 interceptions and didn’t win a game for the Cowboys.

Two things struck me as I spoke with Gabbert that I think are significant for right now.

Several times he talked about how’s he’s having fun, how football is fun, how the new offense is fun.

And he still looks and sounds the part -- he’s got confidence as he talks, and in the way he carries himself. He doesn’t look like a broken guy. He looks like a kid ready to go give it another try.

The biggest issue is dealing with the rush. Olson said the team is trading some seven-on-seven passing situations (where there are no linemen) for team periods where Gabbert has to feel pressure and sort it out. In drills without defenders, a coach or an equipment guy typically charges at him with flailing arms.

"For a guy coming out of a system in college where he wasn't only in the shotgun, but they had him lined up 7 yards deep, it was new to him last season," Olson said. "We're just hoping he'll be more comfortable with that environment, coming out from underneath center, taking a drop with an oncoming rush. That's all you can hope for right now, is the comfort level gets much greater. And it's been good."

Not having OTAs and minicamps didn’t hurt Cam Newton when it came to posting big rookie numbers for the Panthers, and it didn’t stop Andy Dalton from leading the Bengals to the playoffs.

Gabbert didn’t get off to the same kind of start, and maybe he’ll never earn his way into a conversation about the top quarterbacks of the 2011 draft class.

He’s getting that OTA time now. There is time to build slowly. It’s a different deal.

I wondered if Gabbert was appreciating the pace now, or finding himself anxious to get to the Jaguars' Sept. 9 opener in Minnesota, so he could do something to start to erase the dud of a first season.

“Everybody’s eager,” he said. “When you have a season where things don’t go the way you want them to, you’re always eager to get back out there. But it’s a process.”

The important people are willing to give him the time to go through it. The rest of us will just have to wait.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Weapons and protection. Protection and weapons.

In any fair-minded conversation about what around Blaine Gabbert needs to improve for him to fare far better in his second season as the Jaguars' quarterback, those have been the two huge themes.

And the weapons have been upgraded. The team brought in free agent receiver Laurent Robinson and traded up to draft receiver Justin Blackmon fifth overall.

But they did nothing of note on the offensive line outside of adding undrafted free-agent center Mike Brewster, who shouldn’t see the field on offense if he makes the team.

So why are we expecting Gabbert to benefit from better protection when he’ll be operating behind a line made up of the same guys? The one significant change will be the return of right tackle Eben Britton, who missed 12 games last season because of a herniated disk.

“It’s a different offense, it’s a different scheme, it’s different coaches, it’s a different offseason,” coach Mike Mularkey said. “There are a lot of different things going on. We run a different offense here and we will do what we have to do to protect him.”

Right guard Uche Nwaneri said running backs will be more involved in blocking the edges, that the protection schemes are called using numbers instead of words and that there are a lot more small nuances that will allow the Jaguars' offensive line to have more control in reacting to what a defense is doing.

Gabbert took 40 sacks last season and the Jaguars allowed 44. Not all of them were on the offensive line, of course. Placing blame for sacks can be subjective. Gabbert often held the ball too long or moved into trouble.

The progressions in the new offense should give him the ability to get rid of the ball more quickly when he needs to, and his pocket presence should improve. (More on that and Gabbert coming soon.)

Britton’s return and a season of experience for left guard Will Rackley should also help reduce the number of sacks the Jaguars allow.

“It’s about all five guys working in unison,” Nwaneri said. “With injuries and with young talent out there, that can shake up consistency at times and those are some of the things we dealt with last year. This year I think it’s going to be a lot better.

“We’re going to have a healthy line, a young guy like Will will know what’s expected and how to prepare for games. It’s going to give us a better opportunity to succeed.”

Who played the most on offense in the AFC South in 2011?

Here’s a rundown, with percentage of offensive snaps played:

QB – Matt Hasselbeck, Titans, 90.4

RB – Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, 74.93

FB – Greg Jones, Jaguars, 38.71

WR – Reggie Wayne, Colts, 98.8

WR – Pierre Garcon, Colts, 95.5

TE – Owen Daniels, Texans, 79.13

C – Brad Meester, Jaguars, 100

G – Wade Smith, Texans, 100

G – Uche Nwaneri, Jaguars, 100

G – Jake Scott, Titans, 100

T – Jeff Linkenbach, Colts, 100

T – Michael Roos, Titans, 100

A few notes:

Chris Johnson was the only back other than MJD to play as much as 60 percent of his team’s snaps (70.23).

Jones was the only fullback to play at least a third of his team’s snaps. Houston’s James Casey was next in fullback playing time, working 32.39 percent of the Texans’ snaps.

Wayne missed just 12 snaps and Garcon only 44 for the Colts. They are both heading for unrestricted free agency, and if both are lost that’s a lot of playing time to fill in. The next biggest number for a receiver in the division? The Titans' Nate Washington at 82.9.

Daniels didn’t beat out Jacksonville’s Marcedes Lewis (76.75) by much. I’d bet guessing the No. 3 tight end would be tough. Prove me wrong in the comments section below.

Two other offensive linemen narrowly missed 100 percent: Titans guard Eugene Amano missed only one play and Colts center Jeff Saturday was off the field for just six.

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.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

The run game will make for an easier transition for Matt Leinart, says Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. I’m with the consensus opinion. It would be hard to find a better situation for a backup quarterback to be stepping into.

Indianapolis Colts

Writes Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star: “…(T)his isn't the time for sentimentality. This is the time for cold, hard business calculations. The two best options, as painful and unpalatable as they are, look to be either trading (Peyton) Manning or letting him walk as a free agent.” Kravitz may be right, but it’s still a hard thing to swallow at this point. Colts fans should begin preparing for anything.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are fired up about guard Uche Nwaneri, who GM Gene Smith says is playing as well as he has since he’s been with the team. Tania Ganguli of the Times-Union tells us about it. He’s a rare positive on a horrible offense.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans were happy with rookie Colin McCarthy’s play as a fill-in middle linebacker, but they will turn back to veteran Barrett Ruud Sunday in Atlanta, says John Glennon of The Tennessean. The team likes Ruud’s leadership and calm, and I understand the value of those things. But the equation must measure the level of play above other things.

Reading the coverage ...

Join our Pigskin Pick'em pool and see if you can beat a coin flip picking games.

Houston Texans

Clearly unsatisfied with their depth, the Texans signed receiver Bryant Johnson, says John McClain.

Richard Justice looks at what Wade Phillips had to say.

Adam Clanton talked to a whole bunch of Texans about sports movies. (Video.)

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts will ease Peyton Manning back in to practice, says Mike Chappell.

Jeff Saturday said Manning did most of his work in the positional segment of practice.

A season preview from Evan Reller.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew is ready to burst in his preseason debut, says Tania Ganguli.

Jeremy Mincey’s concussion came from a practice collision with Uche Nwaneri, says Vito Stellino.

Kassim Osgood is looking for ways to entertain himself during kickoffs, says Ganguli.

What are the Jaguars accomplishing by continuing to start David Garrard, asks Adam Stites.

Tennessee Titans

Jovan Haye fell victim to a trio of draft picks in Karl Klug, Jurrell Casey and Zach Clayton, says Jim Wyatt.

Kevin Curtis has another chance with the Titans, says John Glennon.

Mike Munchak’s ascension to head coach of the Titans provides the opportunity for a reassessment of offensive linemen and their mental acumen, says David Boclair.

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

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

Running backs

2: Chris Johnson

4: Maurice Jones-Drew

6: Arian Foster

22: Joseph Addai

I think: Foster might be too low.

Fullbacks

7: Lawrence Vickers

8: Ahmard Hall

9: Greg Jones

I think: I might flip Jones and Vickers.

Tackles

14: Eric Winston

22: David Stewart

23: Michael Roos

28: Duane Brown

33: Eugene Monroe

49: Ryan Diem

52: Wade Smith (actually a guard)

68: Eben Britton

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

Guards

22: Jake Scott

41: Jason Spitz

55: Eugene Amano (actually a center)

56: Leroy Harris

61: Mike Brisiel

62: Uche Nwaneri

70: Kyle DeVan

71: Mike Pollak

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

Centers

7: Jeff Saturday

9: Chris Myers

24: Brad Meester

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

General manager Gene Smith and the Jaguars have been about foundation building the past couple years.

The offensive line foundation isn’t in great shape right now.

Right guard Uche Nwaneri has received mediocre reviews, at best, so far in camp, and right tackle Eben Britton has even worse buzz. And, according to Tania Ganguli, Britton had a minor procedure done on his back during the last week that will keep him out for the remainder of the preseason.

He’s expected to be ready to return for the season opener Sept. 11 against Tennessee.

Undrafted free-agent Daniel Baldridge out of Marshall is listed as Britton’s backup. Veteran backup Guy Whimper, who played a bit for the Jaguars last year, is backing up Eugene Monroe on the left side and can flip over.

The team has the salary cap flexibility to seek a better veteran option as insurance. New Orleans just released Jon Stinchcomb, who’s played nine years.

Meanwhile, as Pete Prisco pointed out on Jacksonville radio today, the left side of the line, which was not supposed to be as strong as the right, appears in good shape with a very fit Monroe at tackle and rookie Will Rackley at guard.

The Jaguars took a hit to their offensive line depth in Saturday night’s scrimmage, when Kevin Haslam suffered a knee injury that will take months to heal according to Jack Del Rio.

That means Haslam is expected to land on IR soon.

Here’s Vito Stellino’s report.

Haslam was listed as the backup right guard behind Uche Nwaneri on the just-released first version of the team’s unofficial depth chart. With Jason Spitz at left guard competing with rookie Will Rackley, the guy who doesn’t start will likely be the third guard now. Odds are Haslam was going to rate fourth with everyone healthy.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Right tackle Eben Britton and end Austen Lane scrapped last year in camp and fought again Saturday night.

That’s just the scenario the team is looking for when pairing players in the annual Oklahoma drill, which will unfold at the EverBank Field practice fields this evening.

The drill is basically a one-on-one battle in a tight alley, as the offensive lineman looks to hold off the defensive lineman and create room for a running back to get by.

The media are involved in helping select match-ups.

My request wasn’t for a specific match-up, but for an impartial coach to serve as judge, declaring a winner or a tie, as it’s not always as easy to judge as you might think. Whether we get such verdicts remains to be seen.

“Here’s the thing, sometimes it’s a tie when you’re seeing it from the stands,” Lane said. “But if you’re in it, you’re going to know if you won or not. Definitely, you are going to know.”

The remainder of the match-ups:

• G Will Rackley vs. DT Tyson Alualu
• TE Zach Miller vs. LB Scott Lutrus
• OL Kevin Haslam vs. DE Marc Schiechl
• OT Daniel Baldridge vs. DE Larry Hart
• C John Estes vs. DL C.J. Mosley
• DT D’Anthony Smith vs. G Uche Nwaneri

With the release of defensive end Derrick Harvey, the Jaguars have finally reached a place where the rubble from the disastrous run of Shack Harris as GM is about cleared.

Gene Smith did a lot of work to clean things up, but the replenishing of the roster continues.

Consider this:

• The 2011 Jaguars will have one of Harris’ six first-round picks on the roster, tight end Marcedes Lewis (who is under a franchise tag).
• The 2011 Jaguars will have five players drafted in the first, second or third round from Harris’ drafts (presuming free agent linebacker Justin Durant is not re-signed).
• The Jaguars current roster, which can be 90 players, includes seven players from those six drafts. That’s seven of 49 picks or 14.3 percent.

Those seven players are Rashean Mathis, Daryl Smith, Greg Jones, Josh Scobee, Lewis, Maurice Jones-Drew and Uche Nwaneri.

For comparison purposes, I looked at Indianapolis.

The Colts currently have two (of five) first round picks on their roster from 2003-08. (That could grow to three if free agent Joseph Addai is re-signed.)

The Colts have five players drafted in the first, second or third round from that period. (That could grow to six with Addai.)

The Colts have 10 of 52 picks from the same span on their roster. That’s 19.2 percent. (It could grow to 14 and 27 percent depending on the fate of Addai and three other free agents.)

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Plaxico Burress has expressed interest in the Texans. But according to Pro Football Weekly's Arthur Arkush, citing a source close to the team, Burress signing with the Texans is unlikely.

Speaking to reporters Thursday night, Bob McNair said the owners and players will have to make sacrifices in the new labor deal. "We didn't get everything we wanted and the players didn't get everything they wanted," McNair said. "We got enough modifications in there so that we have a business model that works for the next 10 years."

Indianapolis Colts

Owner Jim Irsay is looking forward to team doctors being able to meet with Peyton Manning. Irsay: "We haven't seen him, and we haven't seen the medical records. We need to get that information as quickly as we can." Irsay said he already has made an offer to Manning that tops Tom Brady's contract, and he expects a five- or six-year deal to be completed shortly after a new CBA is ratified.

If the Colts cannot reach a long-term deal with Manning, the team could theoretically retain Manning with the franchise tag -- but that would be very costly. It's worth $23.1 million in 2011 and would cost the team $27.72 million in 2012 and $33.264 million in 2013.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Linebacker Kirk Morrison says the players can't rush into a new CBA deal until they understand all of the aspects of it, especially since it would be a 10-year agreement. Maurice Jones-Drew also stressed that players have a lot at stake in a 10-year deal.

More caution urged by Jaguars players. Uche Nwaneri: "Honestly, I just feel like with any situation there has to be diligence about what it is that you want to do. You have to go through a process understanding where you stand as a group."

Tennessee Titans

Guard Jake Scott isn't buying the owners' stated concern over player safety. "For us, player safety was a massive issue and is a massive issue. And to the owners, honestly, I really don't think that they care that much because it doesn't affect their bottom line, you know, whether we do two-a-days or one-a-days or how many OTAs we have," Scott told SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio Thursday.

As the lockout appears to be winding down, several Titans players expressed an eagerness to get back to work.

In general, we expect too much from late-round picks. (And from overall draft batting averages.)

In a recent conversation with former Denver general manager Ted Sundquist, he pointed to an article he once read in Ourlads by Joe Landers. Apologies, I couldn’t find the link.

“Using some common sense and a little investigative research, you'll find that it's rare, at least according to Landers’ study, to find a cornerback or running back or wide receiver that's really going to help you in the last three rounds,” Sundquist said. “And yet you'll find teams constantly take a reach on one of these positions.

“Evidence shows you're more likely to find a defensive tackle, offensive lineman, safety or tight end in the later rounds. Why? Most conventional wisdom says don't draft a safety or tight end high due to escalating rookie salaries and the going market at the position. As for defensive tackles or offensive linemen, it’s probably because of the greater numbers at the position. Both circumstances force down talented players at those positions.”

I went back and combed over the AFC South drafts since 2002, to see how many picks they spent on each side of the ledger Sundquist sets forth and how often the Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans did well with a fifth-, sixth- or seventh-round pick at those spots. This is, of course, highly unscientific. Metrics guys can probably shred it. But I thought it worth fiddling with.

Notables are players who played significantly, even if it’s been with another team, or recent picks who appear on track to contribute.

Houston Texans

WRs, RBs. CBs: 9

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 14

Most: Six safeties, four receivers, corners and defensive tackle

Notables:

• Cornerback Brice McCain, 2009 sixth round
• Safety Dominique Barber, 2008 sixth round
• Receiver David Anderson, 2006 seventh round
• Safety C.C. Brown, 2005 sixth round
• Corner Demarcus Faggins, 2002 sixth round
• Defensive tackle Howard Green, 2002 sixth round

Colts

WRs, RBs. CBs: 7

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 13

Most: 13 offensive linemen

Notables:

• Tight end Brody Eldridge, 2010 fifth round
• Receiver Pierre Garcon, 2008 sixth round
• Guard Jamey Richard, 2008 seventh round
• Tackle Charlie Johnson, 2006 sixth round
• Safety Antoine Bethea, 2006 sixth round
• Guard Jake Scott, 2004 fifth round

Jaguars

WRs, RBs. CBs: 12

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 9

Most: Five receivers, four offensive linemen

Notables:

• Tight end Zach Miller, 2009 sixth round
• Running back Rashad Jennings, 2009 seventh round
• Guard Uche Nwaneri, 2007 fifth rounder
• Defensive tackle Derek Landri, 2007 fifth round
• Safety Gerald Sensabaugh, 2005 fifth round

Titans

WRs, RBs. CBs: 14

DTs, OL, S, TEs: 16

Most: Seven offensive linemen, six wide receivers

Notables:

• Corner Cortland Finnegan, 2006 seventh round
• Running back Quinton Ganther, 2006 seventh round
• Defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, 2007 fifth round
• Offensive lineman Daniel Loper, 2005 fifth round
• Tight end Bo Scaife, 2005 sixth round
• Guard Jacob Bell, 2004 fifth round
• Center/guard Eugene Amano, 2004 seventh round
• Safety Donnie Nickey, 2003 fifth rounder
• Guard/center Justin Hartwig, 2002 sixth rounder

Of the notables from the division drafted since 2002, 73 percent (19) have been from the positions Sundquist says teams should concentrate on late while 27 percent (seven) play positions he believes should generally be avoided.

I'd be fine with the Titans not wasting yet another late pick on a receiver and with the Texans using late-rounders on something other than corners and receivers for sure. But it's not like Houston's spending late picks on safeties or the Colts use of such selections on offensive linemen have paid huge dividends either.

I'd love to read your thoughts.

Portray coaching as an amazingly intricate and complex task all you like. But the guys who succeed at keeping it simple are often the guys who succeed, period.

If your team is incomplete, if you’re not stocked with every ingredient -- and it’s a rare team that is -- then maximize what you can do well and minimize the need to try what you don’t.

Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is doing just that, and with an effective effort Sunday in Indianapolis, the team can complete an improbable worst-to-first run in the AFC South. Through 13 games, I think Koetter is the division’s most effective assistant coach.

The Jaguars have won five out of six to jump to the top of the division at 8-5, and the run game has been the backbone of the team -- just as it’s designed to be. And a team that was held to 3 points in each of its two worst losses of the season has been averaging 27.5 in that six-game stretch.

Since returning from the concussion that knocked him out of an Oct. 18 loss to Tennessee and cost him the next game at Kansas City, David Garrard has been efficient, completing 65.4 percent of his passes while posting a 99.3 passer rating.

He’s benefited from a run game that’s averaged 193 yards a game during that stretch. Koetter’s balanced things nicely, calling for runs 54 percent of the time.

According to one opponent, the Jaguars and Koetter have done smart work stripping things down.

“When you look pre-Garrard’s injury and now, they’ve really gotten back to basics,” said Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil. “I hate saying simplify, but that’s exactly what they’ve done. Their route structures are slant-flat, tear (an out into the flat and another behind it), curl-flat. I mean it’s as basic as it gets. But now they couple it with turning and handing it off to Maurice Jones-Drew. And that’s what drives their engine ...”

“It’s a smart thing. They’ve made the reads very easy. It’s a situation where you are setting yourself up for success. I think they’ve basically gotten rid of all the mumbo jumbo in their offense and they’ve gone, ‘OK we’re going to hand it to that guy and when we need to pick up yards throwing it, we’re going to do this.’ ”

Abridging an offense can be seen as a bad thing, suggesting a quarterback can’t handle it all. But effectiveness is the goal. The Jaguars are finding a rhythm, hardly ever going three-and-out and getting themselves into highly manageable third downs.

Getting Garrard into situations where he can best make plays means Koetter’s scheme is working.

Koetter said Garrard responded to owner Wayne Weaver’s public call during the offseason for the quarterback to match the preparation work of the top guys in the league. The coordinator shied away from the characterization that anything’s been simplified for Garrard.

“I wouldn’t say it that way because we aren’t doing any less,” he said. “I think Dave is preparing Monday through Saturday better than he ever has, and I think that’s paying off. Any quarterback benefits when you can run the football. Dave’s rededicated himself to preparation during the week. I think he has more confidence in his protection and his playmakers.

“I told people every time they’d listen that Dave would return to 2007 form when we played better around him, and we’re playing better around him right now. Other guys are helping him. He’s always been an accurate passer. He’ll stand in there until the last second. He’ll take the hit. We’ve got more guys making plays. He throws a beautiful ball last week to Jason Hill and Jason Hill is fast enough to go get it and make a play. That’s great to have that.”

A Jaguars’ win at Indianapolis on Sunday would produce the franchise's first division title since 1999. The recent success on offense has the team's confidence at its highest point since Koetter’s first season in 2007, when Garrard threw just three interceptions in 12 games and the Jaguars went two rounds into the playoffs as a wild card.

“I think he's tailored to David's strengths, he's tailored to the fact that as an offense we're a team that's more about physicality than finesse,” right guard Uche Nwaneri said. “He's really come up with a lot of good game plans and a lot of good strategies on how to use that to our advantage. It's really become more evident now because it's like we're almost exposing other team's weaknesses with the plays that he calls.

“It's really a good asset for us to have. There are a lot of teams in the league that have good personnel but they don’t call plays to the strengths of their personnel. It's really a privilege to have somebody that's able to adjust how he structures his game plan each week to take advantage of what we do well against what another team may not do so well.”