NFL Nation: AFC South
Who is one highly drafted or highly paid player from each AFC South team who needs to show something during the remainder of the offseason?
Houston Texans: I can’t find a highly paid or highly drafted player who could be in jeopardy. Shiloh Keo was a fifth-round draft pick in 2011 and ranked as a Wade Phillips favorite. Keo played in every game last year, even seeing time as the often-used third safety when Quintin Demps fell out of favor. But Keo is limited, primarily because he’s slow. The Texans replaced Glover Quin with Ed Reed, which doesn’t really affect the bottom of the safety depth chart. Demps is an unsigned free agent who won’t be back. Second-round pick D.J. Swearinger will be the third safety. Keo and Eddie Pleasant are the fourth and fifth safeties now, and the team had five on the roster at the end of last season. But a good player at the back end of another position could prompt them to keep just four, which could put the limited Keo in jeopardy if he doesn’t perform well in camp.
Indianapolis Colts: A team that didn’t have a true nose tackle option last season because of injuries and personnel deficiencies will have a glut this summer if everyone remains healthy. Now they have Aubrayo Franklin and 2012 fifth-rounder Josh Chapman, who’s back from the knee injury that kept him out last year. They also have new fifth-round draft pick Montori Hughes as well as Ricky Jean Francois, a versatile lineman who can man the middle on occasion. I don’t expect Martin Tevaseu to stick, and if the rest of that pack remains healthy, one player who will need to have a solid camp to make his case to stay is Brandon McKinney, who’s due $1 million this year. Brought in as a free agent from Baltimore last year, he too is coming off a serious knee injury. He’s expected to be ready for camp but could have already lost some ground in organized team activities and minicamp.
Jacksonville Jaguars: While the Texans don’t have a highly paid or highly drafted veteran who could be in trouble because they have drafted well and their roster is solid, the Jaguars don’t really have one because they are young and largely unproven. They already parted with an expensive guy who wasn’t worth his contract in strong safety Dawan Landry. Tight and Marcedes Lewis ($4.2 million base this year) and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu ($1.8 million) are overpaid based on recent production, but the Jaguars have money and don’t have promising replacements for either.
Tennessee Titans: I don’t think right tackle David Stewart is in jeopardy. But he’s coming off a down year when he committed too many penalties, is recovering from a broken leg, has an ankle that seems to be a lingering concern and is due a $5 million base salary. I’m not sure Mike Otto or Byron Stingily, the team’s two primary backup tackles, are starting-caliber guys. But the team did visit with free agent Eric Winston, who worked with offensive line coach Bruce Matthews in Houston. If Winston remains on the market and Stewart doesn’t look ready to bounce back, perhaps the Titans would still consider adding Winston and allowing him to slug it out with Stewart. That could be an epic battle.AFC
Baltimore Ravens
Minicamps: May 3-5 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 29-31, June 4-7
Buffalo Bills
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 13-15, May 20-21, May 23, May 28-31
Cincinnati Bengals
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Cleveland Browns
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 14-16, May 21-23, May 28-31
Denver Broncos
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 20-22, May 29-31, June 3-6
Houston Texans
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Indianapolis Colts
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 20-22, May 28-30, June 3-6
Jacksonville Jaguars
Minicamp: June 11-13
OTAs: May 13-15, May 20-21, May 23, June 4-7
Kansas City Chiefs
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 14-16, May 21-23, May 28-31
Miami Dolphins
Minicamp: June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 29-31, June 3-6
New York Jets
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 20, May 22-23, May 28, May 30-31, June 3-6
Oakland Raiders
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Pittsburgh Steelers
Minicamp: June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
San Diego Chargers
Minicamp: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 13-15, May 20-22, June 3-6
Tennessee Titans
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 18-20
OTAs: May 29-31, June 3-4, June 6, June 10-11, June 13-14
NFC
Arizona Cardinals
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 14-16, May 21-23, June 3-6
Atlanta Falcons
Minicamp: June 18-20
OTAs: May 28-30, June 4-6, June 11-14
Carolina Panthers
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Chicago Bears
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 13-14, May 16, May 20-21, May 23, June 3-6
Dallas Cowboys
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Detroit Lions
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Green Bay Packers
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 20-22, May 28-30, June 11-14
Minnesota Vikings
Minicamp: June 18-20
OTAs: May 28-30, June 4-6, June 10-13
New Orleans Saints
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 10-13
New York Giants
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 22-23, May 29-31, June 3-7
Philadelphia Eagles
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 4-6
OTAs: May 13-15, May 20-22, May 28-31
St. Louis Rams
Minicamp: May 10-12 (rookies)
OTAs: May 21, May 23-24, June 3-4, June 6-7, June 11, June 13-14
San Francisco 49ers
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 21-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Seattle Seahawks
Minicamps: May 10-12 (rookies), June 11-13
OTAs: May 20-21, May 23, May 28-29, May 31, June 3-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Minicamp: June 11-13
OTAs: May 20-21, May 23, May 29-31, June 3-4, June 6-7
Washington Redskins
Minicamp: June 11-13
OTAs: May 20, May 22-23, May 28-30, June 3-6
Countdown Live: 2013 NFL draft, Rds. 4-7
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Is Zaviar Gooden too similar to Brown?
The Titans drafted a different version of him last year named Zach Brown.
Brown was selected 52nd overall in the second round.
Gooden was selected 97th overall in the third round.
There is nothing wrong with adding an additional, fast outside linebacker. But it’s not the position of most concern in the Titans' linebacking corps. That would be an alternate middle linebacker, as Colin McCarthy is injury-prone and can miss time.
Veteran addition Moise Fokou can play any spot, but depth is paramount in the middle.
Maybe the Titans could have gone a different direction here, and concentrated on a linebacker capable of playing in the middle later. Or perhaps they’ll draft that guy too.
Gooden ran a 4.47 at the combine, and says he ran a 4.34 at Missouri. It should help make him an excellent special teamer, and it should mean if Brown is hurt and misses any time the Titans are OK at linebacker.
The third round seems a little early for filling those roles.
Countdown Live: 2013 NFL draft, Rds. 2-3
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Al Bello/Getty ImagesIt's been 30 years since the Titans franchise drafted a guard in the first round.Alabama’s Chance Warmack is so football-focused, he only got his license last year. He's so strong, the Titans said he moved SEC defensive linemen like no one else. He's so in love with the idea of playing for these two coaches, he didn't hold a private workout for anyone else.
I’ve known Munchak and Matthews since 1996. I can’t recall ever seeing the two low-key, business-like football men beam quite so brightly. The glow they gave off at the news conference at Titans headquarters after making the 10th pick made me believe it when they said there was no question he was their man early on -- something virtually every coach stated Thursday night.
A few days after Alabama’s pro day, Munchak and Matthews got Warmack on the field with Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker in Tuscaloosa. The coaches put the prospects through a difficult 90-minute workout that helped transform Matthews into a believer.
“Really for me, I go in very skeptical on linemen that I’ve heard about,” Matthews said. “Because typically they’re a product of the team they play on. Alabama having such a great tradition and on such a hit streak, you kind of think they’ve got a bunch of other guys on the team pumping him up.
“I went in very skeptical, wanting to shoot him down at every turn. And really I think what sold me on him was every time I was with him, I got excited about the opportunity to watch him play and coach him. He has the demeanor and the mindset and he plays the style that we are looking for.”
Warmack spoke in advance of the draft about Tennessee being a dream destination. He’s from Atlanta and went to Alabama. In addition to playing in the Southeast, he craved the coaching the Titans could offer, considering he’d never played for a coach who’d actually played offensive line before.
“They put me through the wringer,” he said, recounting the private workout. “I felt like I put everything into what I did and throughout my visit we had a great time going over plays and I felt like we hit it off pretty well.”
The franchise hasn’t drafted a first-round guard since Matthews in 1983, ninth overall, and Munchak in 1982, eighth overall. Years later, they presented each other into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
As a long-time offensive line coach, Munchak frequently develops mid-round picks into capable players. He was promoted to head coach in 2011 and hired Matthews, his closest friend, to take over his old job.
Fifth-rounder Benji Olson and third-rounder Zach Piller were the starting guards on the Titans Super Bowl team in 1999. Free agents like Kevin Mawae, Fred Miller, Jake Scott have been splashed in, but homegrown and developed guys were far more frequent pieces.
None came in the first round since Brad Hopkins in 1993, and only 1996 bust Jason Layman and current left tackle Michael Roos were drafted as high as the second round.
Investing through the draft has proven insufficient recently. Leroy Harris and Eugene Amano were counted on to develop into reliable pieces and didn’t do enough.
The Titans thought they could make it through last season. They added Steve Hutchinson, the well-credentialed veteran guard. He didn’t bring much and then got hurt, like virtually every other lineman on the team.
General manager Ruston Webster and Munchak huddled after the season and decided it was time. When free agency opened, they landed top available guard, Buffalo’s Andy Levitre, with a six-year, $46.8 million contract.
Now they drafted Warmack. He will shift from his college position on the left to the right and be a fixture on the more powerful side of the line.
“To me, he is the complete package,” Munchak said. “He loves the game; he has a passion for it. Spending time with Bruce and I, he loved hearing the stories of linemen of the past, talking about the history of the game. For a young guy, that’s rare, that he’s interested in those types of things. Obviously, we all hit it off pretty well …
“I think he wanted to be a Titan the whole time and he didn't hide his feelings on that.”
Warmack said he weighs 325 pounds and anticipates playing at 325 or 330.
Tim Ruskell scouts the Southeast for the Titans and said the sort of power he saw from Warmack is rare in the NFL. He saw Hutchinson up close in Seattle where he was dominant at the start of his career. The way Warmack plays will mean the Titans can do anything they want behind him.
“He can explode with his hips and he can get in and get movement versus bigger people,” Ruskell said. “He played against so many good defensive linemen that were strong and stout. We didn’t see a lot of guys moving those guys. But when you watch Chance, he was able to get movement, he was able to seal run lanes -- that kind of power. It’s the power to anchor, it’s the power to explode and get movement versus bigger people.
“… It just sets him apart from the normal offensive linemen that you tend to look at. That is what got our attention and then it is aggression, the aggression and the want-to and to sustain and finish the block. Coaches always talk finish. This guy has finish. It is a big thing that seems simple, but it is a big deal. When you see it and the combination of what he has, I think it is a rare trait.”
Could the Tennessee Titans have the best offensive line in the NFL in 2013? Matt Williamson, who scouts for ESPN.com, thinks so.
With Alabama guard Chance Warmack drafted to play right guard, the Titans will be, left to right, Michael Roos, Andy Levitre, Fernando Velasco, Warmack and David Stewart.
It’s the best line this team will have had in some time, and it bodes well for Jake Locker, Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene. Johnson just tweeted "THANK GOD."
THANK GOD
— Chris Johnson (@ChrisJohnson28) April 26, 2013
Back with more after talking to Warmack and Titans brass.
Warmack said earlier this month he loved the idea of playing in Tennessee.
In 2009, with his first pick as an NFL general manager, Gene Smith selected Eugene Monroe at No. 8 overall. Smith believed the foundation of his Jacksonville Jaguars should start with a cornerstone lineman.

Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M was long presumed to be the top pick in this draft, but Kansas City chose Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher instead.
New Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said recently that if the team drafted a premier tackle at the top, the newcomer would play on the right, with Monroe remaining on the left. That, of course, could change.
Monroe has been a good player for the Jaguars, not a great one. I don’t think longtime line coach Andy Heck maximized the talents of many of the team’s guys. Now Heck is, interestingly, with the Chiefs and will coach Fisher, while George Yarno will work with Monroe and Joeckel.
Having two left tackles and playing one on the right side isn’t a crime. A year from now, Monroe might leave as a free agent. We’ll have to see how he plays, how much the Jaguars want him, how much he wants to stay. If Caldwell had drafted a defender, all those questions still could have been in play for Monroe after 2013.
At worst, in a year, the Jaguars would shift Joeckel to left tackle and probably get an upgrade.
For 2013, the Jaguars just became a significantly better pass-protecting team, which helps Blaine Gabbert's chance to improve or creates a better setting for a new quarterback. They get better blocking for Maurice Jones-Drew, too.
Right tackle was a disaster area last year with Cameron Bradfield starting 12 games and Guy Whimper starting four. Neither was up to the task.
Cross it off the list of issues.
Pass rush, cornerback and strong safety remain massive holes, and a quarterback could be in play with the first pick in the second round Friday night. Or sooner, if the Jaguars trade back into the first round.
Countdown Live: 2013 NFL draft, Round 1
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What’s the ideal first-round scenario for each team?
Houston Texans
The first 26 picks of the draft probably won’t hit a lot on wide receivers, giving the Texans their choice of a large group. West Virginia’s Tavon Austin likely will be gone, and Cordarrelle Patterson of Tennessee will probably be intriguing to some team. Ideally, if all of the other receiver prospects are on the board, there will be one the Texans believe is an ideal complement to Andre Johnson, whether it’s Cal’s athletic Keenan Allen, Tennessee’s burner Justin Hunter, Clemson’s sure-handed DeAndre Hopkins, USC’s daring Robert Woods or Louisiana Tech’s Quinton Patton.
Indianapolis Colts
Beyond Alabama’s Dee Milliner, it’s a quiet first round for cornerbacks and the Colts get Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes. He’s got the size, skills and mentality that should make him a great candidate for coach Chuck Pagano to deploy in man coverage against big receivers like Andre Johnson and Justin Blackmon. A cornerback crop of Vontae Davis, Rhodes, Greg Toler and Darius Butler should be significantly better than last year’s, and improved coverage will help the pass rush, where the Colts also need to add an outside backer.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Chiefs take a left tackle at No. 1 and leave the Jaguars to take a pass-rusher like Oregon’s Dion Jordan or BYU’s Ziggy Ansah. Although Jacksonville has gaping holes at right tackle and cornerback, the prospects at those positions do not seem as valuable as the draft's top pass-rushers. And the Jaguars have had pass-rush deficiencies for years. Coach Gus Bradley has a defensive background, and a premier player who can put heat on quarterbacks is an absolute priority.
Tennessee Titans
The top nine teams in the draft lay off guards, or if one is drafted before the Titans are on the clock, it’s UNC’s Jonathan Cooper. That leaves Alabama’s powerful Chance Warmack there at No. 10 for the Titans, who draft him to play right guard beside right tackle David Stewart. Tennessee pledged a revamp of the offensive line to maximize the opportunities for quarterback Jake Locker and running back Chris Johnson. After the addition of free agent Andy Levitre as the left guard, Warmack would finish the project.
Jacksonville Jaguars schedule analysis
Breakdown: Coach Gus Bradley and the Jaguars’ new regime kick off against the other team that won only two games in 2012 when Kansas City visits Jacksonville on the NFL’s opening Sunday. Like the Jaguars, the Chiefs are under new leadership, headlined by Andy Reid. But he inherited a team with more talent in place, and the Chiefs dealt for veteran quarterback Alex Smith. Although Kansas City earned the top pick in the draft, it’s likely to be favored in this one.
The Jaguars go on the road for back-to-back games three times, and they have a three-game homestand in December. Their Oct. 27 "home" game against the 49ers in London comes after a home game against the Chargers and is followed by a bye week.
Complaint department: I thought two games in 17 days between the Colts and Titans was unreasonable, so the even-faster turnaround for the Jaguars’ games against the Texans is utterly ridiculous. They play Nov. 24 at Reliant Stadium, and then again Dec. 5 at EverBank Field in a Thursday night showcase. Why not just put the games back-to-back?
I’m sure the scheduling puzzle is even more complicated and difficult than I imagine. But the NFL needs to implement a rule that rematches between division opponents must have at least two weeks in between them. It would produce far more intrigue than games played in quick succession where little is likely to change about either team.
Bonding opportunity: After that reasonable opening day home game against the Chiefs, the Jaguars get consecutive games on the West Coast, at Oakland and at Seattle, where Bradley was defensive coordinator before Shad Khan and David Caldwell hired him for the Jaguars' head job.
Back-to-back trips from the Atlantic to the Pacific don’t seem real fair. But I wonder if Bradley and the Jaguars won’t make a move to negate all that travel in a season when they will also play in London. They could do so by finding a place in or near Oakland or Seattle to stay and practice for the week between games. Since the team holds training camp at its facility, the week away would serve as an early season micro-training camp, offering a young team a chance to bond while away from home.
Jaguars Regular Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 8, Kansas City, 1 p.m.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 15, at Oakland, 4:25 p.m.
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 22, at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 29, Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 6, at St. Louis, 1 p.m.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 13, at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 20, San Diego, 1 p.m.
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 27, San Francisco, 1 p.m.
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 10, at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 17, Arizona, 1 p.m.
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 24, at Houston, 1 p.m.
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 1, at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Week 14: Thursday, Dec. 5, Houston, 8:25 p.m.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 15, Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 22, Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 29, at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: A tough early season schedule resulted in a 1-4 start for the Titans last season. They’ll face another big challenge out of the gate in 2013 in what qualifies as a make-or-break season for coach Mike Munchak. Four of the first seven games are against tough teams, at tough road venues or both.
Those include the opener at Pittsburgh, a Week 2 game at Houston, Week 6 at Seattle and Week 7 against San Francisco. The Titans will probably need to fare well in a three-game homestand sandwiched between those two pairs of games -- against San Diego, the Jets and Kansas City.
The Titans play the Steelers for the sixth consecutive season. Tennessee has lost three of the past five matchups against Pittsburgh, including the 2009 Thursday night opener at Heinz Field, a 13-10 overtime loss.
Complaint department: The NFL continues to prove incapable of spacing out divisional rematches at a reasonable interval. The Titans face Indianapolis twice in a span of 17 days, in Weeks 11 and 13. It could, I suppose, wind up being favorable if they catch the Colts at a time of season when they are banged up. But that’s the point, really. The two games between division rivals should be spaced far enough apart that they see each other at different stages of the season and won’t benefit, or suffer, from the same injuries.
The Titans' game at Lucas Oil Stadium is sandwiched between long road trips to Oakland (where the Titans have lost three in a row, including the 2002 AFC Championship Game) and to Denver in what can be a very difficult stretch away from home for a young team.
Potentially big finale: The league has filled the final weekend of the regular season with all divisional matchups. If the Titans are going to surprise people and emerge as a playoff team, odds are it will require an upset in the last week of the season when they host the Houston Texans, the team that’s won the division the past two seasons.
Tennessee has lost three out of its past four against the Texans, winning only the 2011 season finale when the Texans had clinched their playoff positioning and went for, and missed, a 2-point conversion after a late touchdown to ensure there'd be no overtime.
Titans Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)
Week 1: Sunday, Sep. 8, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 15, at Houston, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 22, San Diego, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Sep. 29, NY Jets, 4:05 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 6, Kansas City, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 13, at Seattle, 4:05 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 20, San Francisco, 4:05 PM
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 3, at St. Louis, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 10, Jacksonville, 1:00 PM
Week 11: Thursday, Nov. 14, Indianapolis, 8:25 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 24, at Oakland, 4:05 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 1, at Indianapolis, 1:00 PM
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 8, at Denver, 4:05 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 15, Arizona, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 22, at Jacksonville, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 29, Houston, 1:00 PM

Rd. 2-3: April 26, 7 p.m. ET