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A running list of Saturday cuts around the AFC South so far, per reports from people in the know…

Houston

• LB Xavier Adibi
• WR Dorin Dickerson
• DE Damione Lewis
• TE Anthony Hill

Indianapolis

• DT Tommie Harris
• DT Ricardo Matthews
• TE Michael Matthews
• WR Taj Smith
• DE John Chick
• QB Dan Orlovsky
• LB Kerry Neal
• G Kyle DeVan
• RB Javarris James
• P Travis Baltz

Jacksonville

• OT Daniel Baldridge
• DE Larry Hart
• DL Andrew Lewis
• CB Terrence Wheatley
• CB Jalil Johnson
• LB Mike Lockley

Tennessee

• WR Justin Gage
• DE Jacob Ford
• S Vincent Fuller
• S Robert Johnson
• OT Adam Terry

Cut questions as we wait for news on who’s in and who’s out …

Houston Texans

I’ve confirmed outside linebacker Xavier Adibi will be released, which is a surprise. The Texans are going younger at the spot, which could mean good things for undrafted Bryan Braman. He is raw and probably best suited for the practice squad, but may have done too much to risk cutting first. Can Steve Slaton stick? Odds are against him as he ranks as the team’s fourth back, at best. But he’s got to be a hard guy to let go even after a preseason limited by injury. He’ll be scooped up for sure by a team in need at the position. And he likely still qualifies as one of the team’s best 53 players.

Indianapolis Colts

I know a lot of fans want to see the end for players like Donald Brown, Jerry Hughes and Anthony Gonzalez. But we must ask who are the better options? I’m not sure about Gonzalez, but I suspect that Brown and Hughes are on this team. One guy we presume to have made it who might not is veteran defensive tackle Tommie Harris. One guy we presume not to have made it who might is undrafted rookie tight end Mike McNeill.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Former sixth-round pick Scotty McGee, a return specialist, was among the cuts we learned of Friday. They also included undrafted receivers Armon Binns and Dontrelle Inman. Does that mean another receiver, Jamar Newsome, separated himself and will make it? A team that loves to keep an undrafted guy or two may not this time around. Larry Hart, a 2010 fifth-round defensive end, is probably in trouble.

Tennessee Titans

There looks to be a battle for a backup safety slot between Vincent Fuller, Robert Johnson and Anthony Smith. I wish I had a better feel and could pick a favorite there, but I can’t. It’s a tough call to whittle down from seven receivers, too. Can recent addition Kevin Curtis dislodge Justin Gage and does the team still have patience for Lavelle Hawkins? I can’t see Gage getting cut, even though he is due $3.5 million. Linebacker Rennie Curran sounded like a goner in Mike Munchak’s news conference Friday.

The big storyline or two for the AFC South preseason finales, all of which will be played tonight…

Colts at Bengals

It would be silly for Kerry Collins not to start, and Jim Caldwell has said the new quarterback will play “a lot.” They should give him a reasonable amount of time with the starting line and the weapons he needs to sync up with if he’s starting on Sept. 11 in Houston. That would stray from the typical philosophy in the fourth game, but the change of circumstances dictates a change in approach. Unfortunately, Collins won’t have a chance to work with Austin Collie (foot) or Anthony Gonzalez (hamstring).

Titans at Saints

Depth decisions are the big story for Tennessee at this point. It’s a big night for wideouts Lavelle Hawkins and Kevin Curtis, defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, offensive tackles Mike Otto, Troy Kropog and Pat McQuistan, linebackers Rennie Curran and Patrick Bailey and safeties Vincent Fuller, Robert Johnson and Anthony Smith. Jake Locker should see significant time and it would be nice to see him cap the preseason with a performance that shows his growth since the starts of camp.

Rams at Jaguars

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and defensive end Aaron Kampman are both coming back from knee injuries and they will see their first action of the preseason. Odds are we don’t get great reads on either, but it’s a significant thing for them to be involved in a bit of live action. A sack, at any time, by anyone, would really help in dealing with pass rush concerns. David Garrard will only get a series or two. He can do a lot for himself and the team but putting together an effort that helps create confidence.

Texans at Vikings

We’ll see some kids play a lot, a whole game in some instances. Matt Leinart will have a big chance to show why Gary Kubiak is so high on him, and it would be good if he could connect some with newcomer Bryant Johnson. Like the Texans, the Vikings are expected to have a bunch of guys in street clothes. So while I’d like to see guys who’ve shined for Houston in a great preseason -- like Xavier Adibi, Jesse Nading, Troy Nolan -- fare well early in this game, it won't mean much more than them faring well a bit later in previous games.

My plan

From AFC South blog HQ, I expect to watch the first hour of the Colts and the first hour of the Titans and post something on those two games when they are over. The Jaguars and Texans may need to wait until morning depending on how things unfold. Odds are against me seeing all four games start-to-finish by the time I post some thoughts on them. And by "odds are against," I mean it can't happen.

Quick observations and thoughts on the Houston Texans 27-14 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints at Reliant Stadium Saturday night:

The big guns: The three main guys on offense all looked great. Matt Schaub threw with precision and was in control, hitting on 12 of 16 passes for 163 yards and a 107 passer rating. In his first preseason action with Andre Johnson in the lineup, he found his No. 1 guy four times for 100 yards, even with a Johnson drop. Arian Foster ran very well, with 47 yards and two touchdowns on five carries.

Emerging: Ben Tate did some very nice work as the second running back behind Foster, showing just why the Texans found him such a system fit when they used a second-round pick on him last season. He carried nine times for 95 yards and a score and also caught a 13-yard pass. Once Derrick Ward and Steve Slaton are healthy, the Texans will have quite the loaded backfield.

Run room: The defense did well sniffing out screens and short stuff from Drew Brees and frustrated the quarterback. But New Orleans ran well with their frontline offense finding 86 ground yards and a 4.6-yard average in the first half including a 17 yard run and a touchdown run. The new defensive front would surely like to be more discouraging to an offense looking to hand it off.

Also: First round end J.J. Watt was disruptive and energetic, again. … Kareem Jackson did well to let Devery Henderson get in trouble for taking a couple swings in an after-the-whistle incident. … Xavier Adibi started in place of DeMeco Ryans (elbow) as one of the inside linebackers. Adibi was way late diving in to hit an already-down Lance Moore, drawing a personal foul early. … Chase Daniel's 56-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Morgan came over new safety Danieal Manning.

Three things to look for in tonight’s preseason game for the Texans against the Saints at Reliant Stadium, where kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.

How do the defensive starters look in their second go-round working out of the 3-4? Mario Williams wasn’t super-smooth or super comfortable in his debut as a standup linebacker, but it’s unreasonable to expect the transition to be seamless. What the team hopes to see is forward progress from him and the rest of the front. They’d also like guys lower down the depth chart like Jesse Nading, Xavier Adibi and Bryan Braman to build on great performances in the opener.

Andre Johnson should make his preseason debut after sitting out last week while a finger continued to heal. As always, it’d be nice to see the starting quarterback and the top weapon connect in a reassuring way that says things are business as usual. And if the Saints pay extra attention to Johnson, can Schaub and the Texans make them pay with throws to Owen Daniels, Kevin Walter and/or Jacoby Jones?

The Saints were pretty blitz crazy in their preseason opener, a win against San Francisco. Houston needs to be ready to match up with such pressure, picking up defenders making runs at Matt Schaub, Matt Leinart and T.J. Yates and seeing all three make sound decisions about getting rid of the ball in the face of such pressure.

The Houston Texans are scheduled for only one prime-time game in the regular season, Week 16 at Indianapolis. But the new-look Texans got the Monday Night Football spotlight on the opening weekend of the preseason.

Viewers saw a team already thinned out at running back get thinner as a revamped defense did some nice things in a 20-16 win over the New York Jets.

One man's quick observations…

1. The Texans lacked some of firepower, with Andre Johnson (finger), Arian Foster (hamstring), Brian Cushing (knee) and prize free-agent cornerback Johnathan Joseph (groin) sitting out. We saw more, sooner, of Jacoby Jones, Derrick Ward, Darryl Sharpton and Jason Allen as a result.
2. Ward started and didn’t last long before suffering a head injury, leaving the team with only Chris Ogbonnaya and Javarris Williams as its running backs. Houston tried running Ogbonnaya inside too much, but got him going more as a bootleg pass target for Matt Leinart. He caught a short touchdown pass among his team-high six receptions for 67 yards. He ran for the game-winning touchdown from a yard out with just under 2:00 left.
3. Ankle injuries to Antoine Caldwell and Kasey Studdard could mean the team could be thinned for a time at guard as well.
4. Matt Schaub hit on just 2 of 5 passes before yielding to Leinart. Schaub was just a touch off and two of his targets, Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter, were unable to pull in balls they got their hands on.
5. The Texans shouldn’t feel obligated to use James Casey as the first-string fullback just because he was the primary plan once Vonta Leach left. They later signed free-agent Lawrence Vickers. He shouldn’t be waiting until the second half for a chance to impact the game. He quickly had a 22-yard catch and run.
6. Second-string inside linebacker Xavier Adibi had a nice night, though he was unblocked on one of his two sacks. Another No. 2, outside linebacker Jesse Nading, was also productive with a sack and a forced fumble. Second-round pick Brooks Reed looked good, showing good burst at the snap. He had one good rush followed by a nice recognition in which he stopped chasing to jump and knock down a pass.
7. The late work of undrafted rookie outside linebacker Bryan Braman out of West Texas A&M is the sort that makes a guy impossible to hide for a practice squad spot. No matter the caliber of the people attempting to block him, he showed a knack for getting to the quarterback, even if he allowed rookie quarterback Greg McElroy to shrug out of a sure sack on the final possession of the game.
8. Quintin Demps fielded kickoffs and punts early on without much affect. Trindon Holliday was out hurt and the team wisely didn’t choose to look at Jones and Danieal Manning, veteran starters who didn’t need to be exposed to injury risk on special teams.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. The Jaguars’ run defense: Jacksonville got gashed by the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and in yielding 236 yards, a 5.6-yard average and three rushing touchdowns, the Jaguars dropped six spots in the league ratings to 25th. On a day when only 13 passes were completed against the Jaguars, 28 of their 65 tackles were credited by game-day statisticians to defensive backs.

2. Colts kickoff coverage: Pat McAfee has been good for nearly two kickoff touchbacks a game and consistently puts the ball deep. The team’s substitute punter, Jeremy Kapinos, punted in 20 games for Green Bay in 2008-09 and one for the Jets in 2007, but doesn’t look to be a kickoff guy. Odds are Adam Vinatieri kicks off to Steve Slaton or Jacoby Jones. Vinatieri’s short kickoffs were a reason McAfee was so attractive to the Colts in the 2009 draft. The Colts are currently 19th in the league defending kick returns.

3. Titans’ tight ends: Bo Scaife was played against Philadelphia with a groin injury. But in the team’s last seven-plus quarters, when Kerry Collins has been the quarterback, Tennessee has seen six connections on 13 passes aimed for the tight end for 32 yards, with a long of 12 and a 2-yard Collins-to-Scaife connection in Jacksonville. More balls to receivers is generally a good thing for the Titans, but Jared Cook still not earning chances isn't

RISING

1. Damian Williams, Titans receiver: He’s jumped Lavelle Hawkins, who the Titans spent the offseason hyping, and been a reliable target for Collins the last two weeks. I believe he should remain in the top three even if Justin Gage is recovered from a hamstring injury. Williams lost out to Marc Mariani in the return jobs competition. But when the Titans drafted him in the third round they said they thought he could develop into an eventual No. 1 and they’d be wise to let him get some chances.

2. Kevin Bentley, Texans linebacker: Bentley is coming off knee surgery while Xavier Adibi’s had a hamstring injury. Perhaps Bentley is just healed up better, but he’s gotten the nod over Adibi, at least initially, to take over Brian Cushing's strong side linebacker spot. Cushing is moving to middle linebacker for the remainder of the season to replace the injured DeMeco Ryans.

3. Jacob Tamme, Colts tight end: A big opportunity has arrived for Tamme, who’s been used infrequently on offense in his three seasons. He’s now listed as the starter for the Colts in the spot typically occupied by Dallas Clark, who’s finished for the season with a wrist injury. Tamme is fast and has good hands, but we don’t know how polished he is running routes or finding seams. Odds are we find out Monday night.

Gary Kubiak’s had time to pause, ponder and plan. What he came up with following a season-ending Achilles injury to stalwart middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans is this: Brian Cushing is moving over.

I think it makes sense for a couple reasons.


The collection of other candidates for the spot is thin or unqualified. Kevin Bentley is coming off knee surgery. Xavier Adibi is better suited to play outside -- he was Cushing’s fill-in during his four-game suspension. Rookie Daryl Sharpton is inexperienced and fomer Titan Stanford Keglar just joined the team. Interestingly, John McClain reports that Bentley will be put into Cushing’s spot even though Adibi (groin) is expected to be available Monday night in Indianapolis.

Cushing has both a great football IQ and great instincts. I think it’ll be a relatively easy adjustment for him to make after a crash course.

This is the best way for Kubiak and defensive coordinator Frank Bush to get their best three linebackers on the field. Cushing and strong safety Bernard Pollard are good leaders who need to pick up some of Ryans’ role in that department to help offset the loss.

Seems to me Cushing will have an easier time doing so from right splat in the middle of it all.

In addition to adding Keglar, McClain says the Texans dropped defensive tackle Frank Okam in favor of Damione Lewis.

Here's what Mat Williamson of Scouts Inc. had to say when I asked him about Cushing to the middle:

"It is obviously a small sample size, but Cushing hasn't been impressive in 2010. Maybe he was just 'Getting his feet wet' or maybe he was enhanced as a rookie-and isn't now. But let's assume that the 2009 version of Cushing is on the horizon. If so, he can handle the middle. He is quick to recognize and a very good take-on player. I do think he is best off at strongside linebacker, but my guess is that Kubiak trusts him most to make all the calls and be the 'Quarterback of the D' -- which makes sense. He surely will not be as potent of a pass rusher from that spot though and this team is short on rushers other than Super Mario."

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Kareem Jackson, Texans cornerback: He got muscled by Hakeem Nicks on an early touchdown, a tough play for any corner. But Jackson looked to grow increasingly hesitant, getting blocked out of one big-gain screen and failing to stick with Nicks on a big change of direction on a 27-yarder. Ultimately, the Texans looked to minimize his role, though they lack a solid alternative and a hamstring injury to Sherrick McManis meant he wound up back with a good share of work.

2. Cortland Finnegan, Titans cornerback: He has tremendous talent, but isn’t playing up to his standards right now and admitted as much on his weekly radio show in Nashville. He gave up too many plays in Dallas and may have let the fines and discussion of whether he’s feisty or dirty get in his head some. If he’s not playing close to his best, Tennessee’s defensive backfield isn’t nearly as good as it can be.

3. Texans early special teams: Two of the team’s first three drives started too deep in Houston territory because of penalties against the kickoff return team byDarryl Sharpton and Frank Okam. And before either of those, when Darius Reynaud muffed a Matt Turk punt, the Texans could have had possession in the red zone. Instead they watched Chase Blackburn recover the ball at the 15-yard line. Antwaun Molden and McManis didn’t seem to track the play as long as they should have and Xavier Adibi lost a race to the loose ball.

RISING

1. Stephen Tulloch, Titans middle linebacker: He was all over the place for the Titans at Cowboys Stadium with a career-high 15 tackles and a game-sealing interception late. He spent the offseason away from the team because he was unhappy about having to play for a restricted tender instead of getting a long-term deal. He’s certainly doing fine work building his case for a contract.

2. Antoine Bethea, Colts free safety: In many ways, he is the glue of the Colts defense. He’s playing beside a third-string strong safety and along one corner, Kelvin Hayden, who has seemed off his game. I don’t know that the Chiefs were ever going to score a touchdown. But Bethea eliminated one opportunity with a big, fumble-causing hit on Jamaal Charles with 1:07 left in Colts’ territory.

3. Aaron Kampman, Jaguars defensive end: In the win at Buffalo, Kampman had a tone-setting defensive effort with a team-high 10 tackles, four quarterback pressures, two tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks. The Jaguars are very happy with what they are getting from their big free agent addition, who’s leading a young group.

The Texans and Titans face similar circumstances for the first month of the season, as they both will be missing a strong presence at outside linebacker.

Both Houston’s Brian Cushing, the reigning defensive rookie of the year, and Tennessee’s Gerald McRath, a second-year player expected to be a big factor for the defense, are suspended for the first four games for violations of the league’s policy against performance enhancers.

Their first-choice replacements both have durability issues.

The Texans' Xavier Adibi and the Titans' Colin Allred are constantly nicked up. Adibi’s healthy at the right time and will start Sunday against Indianapolis. Allred’s been limited this week with an ankle injury but practiced Friday. The Titans could go with Jamie Winborn instead, but linebackers coach Dave McGinnis said Allred is ahead because he's been around longer and knows the defense better.

The drop-off at both spots is significant -- certainly more so in Houston than in Tennessee as McRath hasn’t proven much yet.

But both defenses might be quicker to go to nickel packages and take that extra backer off the field. Houston would be kicking Glover Quin inside with Brice McCain taking his spot. Tennessee would be pulling Allred or Winborn in favor of Vincent Fuller, a safety who covers slot receivers.

Against the Colts, the Texans are going to play plenty of five-defensive back sets. How much the Raiders will go three-wide with new quarterback Jason Campbell under center remains to be seen.

But for both teams, it’s something we’ll be monitoring.

Maybe after the weekend, the Titans will talk against with Oakland about trading for Thomas Howard.

Some bullet point thoughts on the Texans’ 24-17 loss to the Buccaneers Thursday night:

• Houston sat 29 players.
• Neil Rackers hit a 21-yard field goal while Kris Brown was short on a 56-yarder in the final chances in the kicking competition. Expect the guy who doesn’t stick to find work with relative speed.
• Jeremiah Johnson turned three carries into 20 yards while Chris Henry needed 15 carries for 51 yards as the Texans got a look at their third and fourth backs. I like Johnson as the third.
• After Dan Orlovsky threw two interceptions to Corey Lynch -- one for a 91-yard touchdown -- John David Booty threw two touchdown passes. Gary Kubiak expressed continued confidence in Orlovsky after the game, but what is he supposed to say?
• The Texans went for it on fourth down five times and converted four.
• Even without Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Jacoby Jones, Arian Foster and Steve Slaton Houston managed 417 total yards. The Texans ran 76 plays compared to 49 for Tampa Bay, though time of possession was only 32:55 to 27:05.
• Dorin Dickerson’s one-handed 27-yard reception from Booty was the best catch I remember seeing from an AFC South player in the preseason.
• Rookie linebacker Darryl Sharpton got the start and was credited with six tackles and a sack. Xavier Adibi started on the strong side. The Brian Cushing replacement strategy looks like it will be Adibi in his spot or Sharpton at weakside with Zac Diles moved to strong.

Three things I'll be looking for in Buccaneers at Texans:

A right guard: Antoine Caldwell and Mike Brisiel are still fighting for the last unresolved starting offensive spot on the team. I have no gut feel in handicapping it and can make a case both ways for who they'd like to win it. But coach Gary Kubiak and his staff will have the last bit of film on which to decide once the night is over.

Kickers: The Texans would get killed for it, but on third-and-longs in long field goal range they should send Chris Henry up the middle and get into field goal situations. Then they should urge the crowd to pretend the attempt is to win the Super Bowl with two seconds left. Maybe that would produce something to differentiate Kris Brown and Neil Rackers.

Cushing replacement candidates: Darryl Sharpton's hype has dropped off significantly in short order and Kevin Bentley is getting talked up as the third starter during Brian Cushing's four-game suspension. Who knows if or what they can see from Xavier Adibi (groin) or Danny Clark (knee) in this game. Someone get in, play well, raise your hand and tell the coaches you want it.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 14

For three years, they’ve been picked as a breakout team. In those three years, the Houston Texans went 25-23 with zero playoff appearances.

So why are the 2010 Texans going to be different? Why do they deserve that sort of faith yet again? What’s changed when the personnel alterations have been pretty minor?

“What’s different? Experience, togetherness,” Amobi Okoye said. “I feel like by the time we will kick off, we will have the full definition of team. If there was a meter of T-E-A-M, we are right at the halfway of M… By the time the season starts, we’re going to completely spell TEAM.”

Said Bernard Pollard, the feisty safety who didn’t arrive until a few games into last season: “We have so much more team chemistry. We know and understand what we are good at. We know and understand that we can’t step out of the box and have to play our game. We’re turning that corner.”

To finally get to the postseason, the Texans have to play more complete games. They have to play better in the red zone. Perhaps above all else, they have to play better in the AFC South, where they were just 1-5 last season.

Catching the Colts is a tall task. The Texans aspire to do it, but they also know there is a route to the playoffs without a division crown. They just have to drive it more smoothly.

THREE HOT ISSUES

Can the pass rush pick it up?

Mario Williams had nine sacks to go with a bum shoulder he’s still reluctant to talk about. He needs more support in chasing the quarterback, and the Texans need to hurry and hit quarterbacks more often to help those three young cornerbacks -- Kareem Jackson, Glover Quin and Brice McCain -- cover.

Connor Barwin should be opposite Williams on clear rush downs, and he might be the most improved player on defense. Inside, there are now alternatives to Okoye, who might just not be a good pass pressure guy. Rookie Earl Mitchell could wind up part of the nickel package along with Antonio Smith, who will shift inside to make room for Barwin.

Will the run game do its part?

Everyone is encouraged about the run game, but what’s changed? Second-round pick Ben Tate is lost with an injury. Guard Wade Smith was the only significant addition to the line, where interior issues were a big part of the problems. Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison is from the same school as predecessor Kyle Shanahan, and line coach John Benton learned under the departed Alex Gibbs.

“We have to get better running the football,” Andre Johnson said. “That helps win games, especially in the fourth quarter when you’re up and you want to kill the time, you have to go on those four-minute drives where you have to get those big fourth downs. We have to get better in that part of our offense.”

They are largely counting on young guys getting better, which begs the question: What if they don’t?

Are the supplementary pieces good enough?

The Texans' stars match up with virtually anyone’s. But beyond Johnson, Williams, Brian Cushing, DeMeco Ryans, Matt Schaub and Owen Daniels, have head coach Gary Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith done enough to unearth the right sort of players on the next tier?

Pollard and Eric Winston certainly fit the bill. Antonio Smith, Kevin Walter and Zac Diles might. That next level of player might be where this team is a little short, and it’s those kinds of guys who might well be the key to transforming a good team into a very good team.

And so we’re watching the likes of Quin, Barwin, Joel Dreessen, James Casey, Jacoby Jones and the offensive line beyond Winston, because they might wind up telling the story.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Linebacker Darryl Sharpton: The Texans figured one of three veteran linebackers would be in the lineup during Cushing’s four-game suspension. But a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness has put Xavier Adibi, Danny Clark and Kevin Bentley on the backburner because rookie Darryl Sharpton's been such a consistent playmaker. He might be short, but he packs a good punch.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Injury to Ben Tate: As the Texans search for the right combination of running backs to help balance their offense, second-round pick Tate figured to be a key piece. But he was lost for the season with a serious ankle/leg injury in the preseason opener. That puts the load on Arian Foster, Steve Slaton and either Jeremiah Johnson, Chris Henry or a back not yet on the team.

OBSERVATION DECK

• The Texans are regarded by some as a finesse team, but the defense is emphasizing physicality. Cushing, Pollard, Smith, Jackson, Quin and Mitchell have all joined the team in the past two years and are physical players.
• Expect Foster to get first crack at the carries closest to the goal line as the Texans really concentrate on running better at close range. Johnson definitely could be heard from in the running game, too -- he might be the best fit for the one-cut and go zone scheme Houston uses.
• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Rick ScuteriKicker Neil Rackers has a chance to beat out incumbent Kris Brown.
  If Kris Brown and Neil Rackers continue to be virtually even in the kicker competition, it makes sense for the team to go with Rackers. Sometimes guys just need a change of scenery. If Brown stays and fails on a crucial long field goal on opening day against the Colts, the thinking will be, “Why didn’t they make a change?” If Rackers does the same thing, I’ll think, “At least they tried someone different.”
• Houston’s defensive tackles are quick, up-the-field types. But they’d sure love if their one big space-eater, Frank Okam, forced his way into action.
• The Texans want to get the ball in the hands of Jones since he averaged 16.2 yards a catch on his 27 receptions. But I am not so sure that means he’s going to nudge ahead of Walter for the No. 2 receiver job. Walter is smart and super reliable, and reliability is awfully important. Jones might displace Walter or get a share of snaps in two-wide formations, but look for Jones most in a heavy dose of three-wide formations.
• Troy Nolan might be a credible alternative to Eugene Wilson at free safety if Wilson gets hurt again. I’ve been critical of the team for not adding to the spot, but Nolan missed his rookie season with an injury and appears to be a high-caliber special-teamer.
• Daniels’ speed is a big part of what helped set him apart. When he returns soon from another ACL reconstruction, will he still have it in the same way? That's the big question with him.
• The offensive line is set with Duane Brown at left tackle, Chris Myers at center and Winston at right tackle. Guard jobs remain up for grabs. It seems to me that Wade Smith, a free-agent acquisition tailored to the system, and Antoine Caldwell, a third-rounder from 2009, would make the most sense.
• It sounds less likely that Trindon Holliday has to be a serviceable receiver to make the team than it did during OTAs. If he convinces the team he can be a consistently special return guy, he’ll stick. He looked good to me when the Texans worked with the Saints.

When Brian Cushing's suspension came to light, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak said pretty strongly that Zac Diles has settled in so nicely on the weak side that flipping him to the strong side while Cushing misses four games wasn’t an alternative.

Things have changed according to what the coach said to Houston media Tuesday about rookie fourth-rounder Darryl Sharpton out of Miami.

From a transcript provided by the team:

On if he’s considering Darryl Sharpton as a starter: “Well there’s consideration for him being one of our top three. He’s in the mix right now. Would we flip him to Sam? Probably we would move Zac before we move him. He’s in consideration right now and we’re going to play our three best however we go to play him.”

On if Sharpton is in the running to become a starter this season: “There’s no doubt. He’s made statements since he’s been out here in camp. Obviously, the other night he did it again.”

So while Cushing’s out, instead of seeing Xavier Adibi, Kevin Bentley or Danny Clark in his place, we could see Diles flipped and Sharpton starting -- provided Sharpton keeps playing like he’s been playing.

Maybe from there we could even see him push Diles?

I’ll have an eye on Sharpton Wednesday and Thursday when I watch the Texans practice against the Saints in Louisiana.

HOUSTON -- Some quick early impressions after watching the Texans in an organized team activities session that got pushed into their practice bubble by some serious rain.

• As a group the running backs look good –- which they are supposed to. Steve Slaton is in a red shirt to discourage any contact as he gets back from a neck injury. He’s lighter. Further down the depth chart, Chris Henry has bulked up. Ben Tate is still catching up after missing early time. Arian Foster is still at the head of the line and could put me in a spot where I have to give him a bit more credit, though I am weary of banking on much from him off a few good games at the end of 2009. Ryan Moats is the old man of the group and he’s just 27. One OTA practice should tell me little, but I can’t help but feel a little better about their depth.
• This was just the second day of the kicker competition, and after a draw in round one, Kris Brown was a bit better than Neil Rackers. Brown hit five of five from 38 yards, Rackers four or five with a couple narrowly inside the right upright. I love a kicker competition -- because I don’t need a lot of help to see who’s doing better. This should be a good one, but it’s hard to replicate the sort of pressure the Texans need to be sure they can handle in a way Brown didn’t last year. Gary Kubiak is certain the guy who’s not kicking for him will be kicking for another team.
• Brian Cushing is working as the starter. Kubiak said he won’t mess with the lineup through the remainder of the offseason since Cushing is going to be around for 12 games. In camp the coach will start to juggle, and he forecasts a three-way battle to sub for Cushing between Xavier Adibi, Kevin Bentley and Danny Clark for a four-game starting stint on the strongside.
• I don’t know what becomes of young long snapper Ryan Weeks or undrafted tackle Steve Maneri. But I feel sure that they will be telling their children and grandchildren about moments like today, when each had one-on-one coaching from Hall of Fame lineman Bruce Matthews. Matthews, a quality snapper, helped Weeks early and stayed late to work with Maneri on pass-protection drops.
• Matt Schaub looked crisp and confident, and I saw way more of that from backup Dan Orlovsky than I did this time last year. The visual matched up with what I’d read about Orlovsky, who was third behind Schaub and since-departed Rex Grossman the previous year, appears more equipped to play if needed.
• Kubiak said he wanted to bring some chaos to practice, and since the team was inside, he used crowd noise for the first time this offseason. It was loud and ran pre-snap to a second after a receiver caught a pass or a running back was to the second or third level. It left me with a headache. I’m tough and will shake it off as soon as a Diet Coke finds me.