Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Tradition and roots go a long way in judging a team's fan base.

That's the primary season why AFC South teams didn't place impressively in ESPN.com's NFL Fan Base Rankings, for which I completed a ballot on each team.

Even though we used the last five years as the measuring stick, it's hard for two transplants and two expansion teams to rub elbows with Pittsburgh, Green Bay or Cleveland.

The results:

16) Indianapolis
18) Tennessee
23) Texans
27) Jaguars

Feel free to let me know how wrong you think I am with comments below or at the mailbag.

But I hope you won't take these numbers hard.

The Eagles (fourth), Chiefs (fifth), Broncos (seventh), Raiders (ninth) and Bills (11th) all beat you on this list. None of them posted a record better than any of the four AFC South teams in 2007.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean has been cranking all day and has produced this list of cuts:

QB Ingle Martin

CB Cary Williams

K John Vaugh

WR Edward Williams

S Tony Joiner

RB Omar Cuff

CB Marquice Cole

DB Tuff Harris

OL Jason Murphy

OL Enoka Lucas

OL Fernando Velasco

OL Isaac Snell

LB Jerrell Freeman

Martin is a local guy who could be brought back to work on the practice squad as the Titans will stick with just two quarterbacks. Williams is a seventh-round pick out of Washburn who dealt with hamstring and quad problems throughout the preseason and also could be brought back as a practice-squader if he clears waivers.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

The Houston Texans announced the following cuts:

FB Jon Abbate

QB Shane Boyd

QB Alex Brink

LB Kevis Coley

DE Rosevelt Colvin

S Glenn Earl

C Greg Eslinger

CB Jamar Fletcher

WR Darnell Jenkins

TE Ryan Krause

DT Gabe Long

DT Anthony Maddox

WR LeRon McCoy

LB Ben Moffitt

DE Jesse Nading

CB Derrick Roberson

RB Marcel Shipp

WR Mark Simmons

T Torrin Tucker

RB Darius Walker

CB Dexter Wynn

Colvin is the biggest name. The Texans signed the veteran to be a pass rush specialist, but Gary Kubiak said Colvin's work wasn't good enough to justify keeping him for such a narrow role over a player who could contribute on special teams.

They have one more cut to make. Officials said they are conducting further tests on running back Chris Brown, who's dealt with back problems this summer. The Texans will sort that out tomorrow.

Kudos to the Texans. While some teams will leave everyone unnecessarily digging until the last second to learn of cuts, they showed why they are considered the most fan- and media- friendly team in the league this afternoon.

The press conferences of Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith discussing the cuts were aired on Texans Internet TV on the team's web site.

	Brian bahr/Getty Images
	Ron Dayne rushed for 773 yards last season with Houston, but he's still looking for work this year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Ron Dayne didn't figure he'd be available for this weekend's festivities connected to the 10th anniversary of Wisconsin's 1998 Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl win. He figured he'd be playing.

He ran for 4 yards a carry last season and 773 yards total in Houston, missing a couple of games.

Now he's waiting for a call and hoping for another chance to carry the ball. He's got two things working against him: He is 30 and was last listed at 245.

Old backs are not a hot commodity. And big backs are less popular than they used to be, as fewer teams want the rugged type who needs a lot of carries to be most effective. Instead, more teams pair an average-sized back with an elusive, change-of-pace back that is more a big-play threat. In the AFC South, the Jaguars and Titans do it that way, while the Colts use two smaller backs.

Houston is still sorting out its backfield after starter Ahman Green (218), but the three other AFC South teams have their tandems established:

In Indianapolis it's Joseph Addai (214) and Dominic Rhodes (203).

In Jacksonville it's Fred Taylor (228) and Maurice Jones-Drew (208)

In Tennessee it's LenDale White (235) and Chris Johnson (200).

As NFL teams prepar to cut their rosters down to 53, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner is still floating around, hoping to find work. He said Tennessee and New Orleans check in on him.

"I'm still getting phone calls from teams," Dayne told the Badger Beat of the Wisconsin State Journal. "And I'm waiting until the final cuts to see if anyone will bring me in ..."

"There are not many big backs left in the league anymore. A lot of teams are getting away from them."

As Dayne waits, he said he's disappointed in Houston and can't figure out what he did wrong. The divorce was partly getting out from under his contract, partly a shift in philosophy and partly a desire to upgrade.

The Texans are definitely going smaller. A bruiser like Dayne isn't a good fit for the one-cut-and-go scheme they are working under new assistant coach Alex Gibbs. After Green, odds are they'll be looking for touches for Steve Slaton (203) and Chris Taylor (222).

Tennessee likely wants Dayne as a potential backup plan for their big back, White, if he should go down.

Dayne said he understands the label sometimes pinned to him, but disagrees with it.

"On paper, you could say I was a first-round pick who should have done better," said the 11th overall pick of the New York Giants in the 2000 draft. "I don't think I was a bust. I don't feel like I ever got a chance to establish myself."

I expect he'll find another job, though it could take an injury. But he'll be cast as a role player again, and need to make the most of it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Your tailgate party is extensively planned and exquisitely prepared.

A friend brings you a beer and offers a compliment.

"Wow, that shrimp is tasty."

You casually use the reply you've been keeping in your pocket for just this instance: "Oh, I'm glad you like it. I got the recipe from Fred Taylor."

Yes, this scenario can unfold for you and fans in every NFL market thanks to "The Sunday Night Football Cookbook."

Entries include Taylor's shrimp creole, Dwight Freeney's brown stew chicken, Bob Sanders' lemon pepper tilapia, Chester Pitts' potato casserole and Craig Hentrich's Chicken Marbella.

John Madden and Faith Hill wrote the introductions. The book includes 150 recipes from Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, executive chefs from football cities across the country and players from every NFL team. A portion of the proceeds go to two charities NBC is connected to, Feeding America and Taste of the NFL.

The book, steep at $27.95, will be in stores Sept. 2.

Some of it could be too fancy for a tailgate, I imagine, but feel free to give it a shot. I'm available for a quick taste test before the game.

Now, time to find some lunch.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

As soon as names surface for cuts around the division, I'll have a blog post up on each team. If everything doesn't come out at once, I'll provide updates as warranted.

In the meantime, I wanted to give you the best sense I could of when news of cuts will arrive for the four teams of the AFC South:

Houston: The Texans will announce their moves at 4:30 Friday afternoon and you can watch the news conference on their Web site. See you there, perhaps.

Indianapolis: The Colts don't know for sure yet, but the best guess is their news will come close to the deadline Saturday evening. That always allows for the possibility that some news trickles out earlier from players and agents who've been notified of their status.

Jacksonville: Players are available to media this evening at 6:15. But the team won't announce cuts today and no news conferences are scheduled. I'm told they'll come to light tomorrow afternoon.

Tennessee: The Titans will make all or most of their moves today, but Jeff Fisher won't reveal anything at a press conference this afternoon. The team will announce its moves close to or after the deadline Saturday. Many of the cuts will be fleshed out before then by the writers who cover the teams on a daily basis.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Apologies in advance for being briefer in these observations of Jaguars-Redskins than I was with Titans-Packers.

A) The Titans went into the third quarter with the majority of their starters while the Jaguars wanted to get theirs out of dodge as quickly as possible.

B) I cannot pretend to be good at watching two games at once. Perhaps someday. Not yet by any means.

• I've liked Marcedes Lewis since the 2006 draft, though I know he's not panned out as many would have liked. He took a short pass over the middle early on and turned it upfield and those strides are something to see. Talked to him during one of my visits to Jacksonville and he seemed very likable. I hope things click for him and the Jags use him in a way in which he's a bigger factor this year. Surely he can do better than 37 catches for 391 yards and two TDs.
• On the first defensive play for Jags, Jason Campbell's pass bounces off Devin Thomas, Mike Peterson kind of tips it to himself and collects it. It sure is easier to be opportunistic when you're well-positioned.

	AP Photo/Nick Wass
	Reggie Williams (right) catches a three-yard touchdown pass against the Redskins during the first quarter of their preseason game Thursday night.

• When I watched the Jaguars-Dolphins game earlier this month in Jacksonville, I pointed out that David Garrard didn't seem to be really scanning the field. On his short, easy TD pass to Reggie Williams, he started looking right, then found Williams in the middle, followed him to the left, then delivered an easy ball. He looked different, and better, to me.

Later, Cleo Lemon hit giant Greg Estandia in the right side of the end zone. He went up and got it over a helpless defender. I couldn't help but think how much more effective Jags are in the red zone right now than the Titans are. If that holds Week 1, the road team will have an advantage at LP Field.

• Garrard got very good protection from his offensive line. On NBC's national broadcast, John Madden raved about how it was making life easy for the QB when he dropped back. (Love him, of course. Just one pet peeve: How does anyone say "Jag-wires?" Find me the W in there, please.) Apparently the line got the message when Jack Del Rio said he needed to see more after last week's game.

Starting right guard Maurice Williams, though, suffered a right leg injury when he got rolled up on, and that could throw things off. They are already working without center Brad Meester, whose biceps injury during training camp is an eight-to-10 week deal. The report on the broadcast said a sprained knee for Williams. Tutan Reyes is listed as his backup and could have to start in Nashville against the Titans Sept. 7.

• Troy Williamson needed a good night to help his cause and I really wasn't expecting to see anything that would change minds that had been made up. But he had a big play early in the fourth quarter -- a 51-yard TD pass from third-stringer Todd Bouman. That boosted Williamson's totals to four catches for 84 yards. He still probably has a nervous day or two ahead of him. If he doesn't make it, two failures will hardly stop other teams in need of speed from grabbing at him.
• I like that the Jaguars went ahead and got Derrick Harvey some second-half snaps. Of course had he gotten hurt, the second-guessing flood gates would have opened. He didn't get hurt, did he?

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

The first surprise of the night for the Titans came in the broadcast booth of Nashville's ABC affiliate. Eddie George got caught up by travel delays from California to Green Bay and Keith Bulluck was called out of the bullpen. He was held out with a calf injury.

Bulluck, a consistent quote machine for reporters who cover the team, had some good moments of insight and candor, especially considering the last-minute notice.

Some notes from my first half viewing as I tried -- without a lot of success -- to shuffle back-and-forth from the Jaguars-Redskins game.

-- The Titans have to like the aggressiveness of their young players in the secondary, but both free safety Michael Griffin and corner Cortland Finnegan probably need to pull it back some when the games start counting.

Griffin cut too hard to the sideline of the first play from scrimmage, and when Nick Harper skied and failed to get Aaron Rodgers' pass for Greg Jennings, he was counting on Griffin behind him. But Griffin went right by Jennings, who raced to a 68-yard touchdown.

Finnegan was flagged for a facemask on running back Noah Herron at the Packers' sideline, then jawed with Vernand Morency at the bench. Finnegan's feistiness is one of the qualities that makes him an excellent player, but he needs to keep it in check and not be in the middle of something so often. (Big story on Finnegan coming soon. Have I advertised it enough?)

-- Even against the Packers' second-teamers, the Titans could not cure red-zone issues that linger from last year. Four first-half trips, four field-goal attempts, three field goals from John Vaughn.

-- Jeff Fisher likes to run a trick play every preseason, and called a beauty in this game with a direct snap to Vincent Fuller on a punt. Fuller made a nice cut to evade the return man and score a 40-yard TD.

And all of Nashville took note of the preseason touchdown tally: Special teams 1, first-team offense 0. The offense finally got one on the first drive of the third quarter, on a short plunge by Chris Johnson to finish a drive engineered by Kerry Collins.

-- The danger of juggling games on TV is the potential for distraction. As I logged on to AOL I got a big one. The Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville won the America's Best Bathroom Award. Been there. Would have gotten my vote. I did not get a ballot.

-- Vince Young made some good throws and his receivers made some better plays than they've been making. Exhibit A was a 50-yard gain on a roll-out to the right and nice, arching pass to Justin McCareins between two defenders. Odd play by Packers DE Cullen Jenkins, who was picked up by Chris Johnson as Young rolled the other direction and made absolutely no effort to get around him and chase the quarterback down. Was that him holding contain?

Several other pass plays, though, have featured the lack of separation that's been an issue for the receivers. While they did better to try to go up and fight for balls, they wouldn't have needed to if they had actually gotten away from defenders or if Young had placed some balls more accurately.

A slant was behind McCareins; Young hung in the pocket to deliver a ball under pressure to Alge Crumpler, but it was a bit long and led the tight end out of bounds; an underthrown ball to McCareins drew a pass interference call as he fought to get back to it; A fade pattern to McCareins at the end of the first half was too wide, out of the end zone's left side; A slant to Justin Gage in the red zone short of the goal line had no chance if Gage couldn't catch it smoothly on the move, and he couldn't since he had to reach behind him. Lack of help was an issue, too: Ahmard Hall and Bo Scaife had drops.

Young didn't come out for the first drive of the third quarter as was the plan, perhaps because of a hand contusion suffered earlier.

-- Young ran great. Three takeoffs for 57 yards.

-- Bulluck's best moments:

On the subject of the Titans playing starters into the third quarter tonight:

That's what Jeff does. I don't necessarily agree with it... Since it's the last game the guys who are trying to make the team should play more. But I understand he wants everybody to get out there, hit the field running so we can get out there next week and get ready for Jacksonville.

On his replacement's Stephen Tulloch's fumble recovery, on which Tulloch beat a running back to the ball:

Of course if I was out there I would have tried to pick it up and score.

Bulluck's worst moment:

On Jevon Kearse:

It's hard to play this game when you're not 100 percent.

Really? C'mon KB, I've heard you say plenty of times how no one is ever 100 percent and guys have to find ways to deal with it.

Credit Jeff Fisher for his halftime interview: Before he answered a question he asked how Bulluck was doing upstairs and waved hello.

-- Roydell Williams moved from showing nothing to showing bad things with an offside penalty.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

I'll be flipping back and forth between Titans-Packers and Jaguars-Redskins tonight and am sure to share some thoughts.

Yes, it's only preseason and all four teams can show nothing tonight and play spectacularly on opening day. Nevertheless, heading into the final four preseason games for the division, if coaches could write scripts for what they'd like to see, they would look something like this:

Colts vs. Bengals

Tony Dungy doesn't intend to play many starters. Whether Jim Sorgi (knee) plays or not, you'd have to expect undrafted rookie center Steve Justice from Wake Forest to be in the lineup. No matter who he's snapping to, is he on target and does he look comfortable? Odds are he's about to play at least six games in place of Jeff Saturday, and the injured veteran center is rated as a key cog in the Colts' system and his spot now rates as a huge concern. Punts and kicks needed to be handled cleanly by those vying to replace injured T.J. Rushing.

Jaguars at Washington

Jack Del Rio will play most of his healthy starters little, or maybe not at all. This game is a last chance for some veterans to make a case for being around past the weekend. So keep a close eye on receiver Troy Williamson, safety Pierson Prioleau and defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy. If they make a couple significant plays, the work could go a long way to them surviving upcoming cuts. Running back Ciatrick Fason, signed recently, probably gets a lot of work as a temporary fill-in. David Garrard will play a bit behind the first offensive line and it would be nice to see left tackle Khalif Barnes play welll. Derrick Harvey, added to the active roster today, could actually get a couple snaps.

Texans vs. Buccaneers

Gary Kubiak won't play veteran starters, but younger guys will get work. At running back, Chris Taylor and Steve Slaton could firm up their roles and Chris Brown can make a final case to stick. There are roster spots still being sorted out at safety and on the defensive line because a lot of guys are bunched up. One of them is veteran Rosevelt Colvin, the linebacker turned end brought in to help spark the pass rush opposite Mario Williams. He's done little so far. Here's a quality roster analysis from John McClain that I missed earlier today.

Titans at Packers

The team's passing offense is a big issue and I don't care what anybody says, it would be a lot healthier for Vince Young and his receivers to spend the next 10 days knowing they can drive the ball in a game setting than wondering if they can. Receivers need to get separation from defenders and Young needs to find them. Tennessee starters will play into the third quarter. Green Bay's may go just 10 plays. That should be a recipe to get something accomplished.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

He was signed Aug. 19 and he's likely to be cut Friday or Saturday.

We've probably got just a small window to get to know Titans safety Tuff Harris.

I asked him to cut to the chase and he did:

"When I was a few weeks old I came down with pneumonia and almost died a few times. I stopped breathing. And a few of the times they brought me back, I was smiling. The doctor came out to talk to my parents and he said, 'Your boy is going to make it. Every time we brought him back, he kept having this little smile on him. Any kid that can go through all this is a pretty tough kid.' So they named me Tuff after that. I've been called Tuff all my life, but my real name is Chester. I was named after my grandpa and he was a pretty tough dude. They called him Chuck. He was a tough cowboy in Lodge Grass, Mont."

Harris was with New Orleans early on in training camp. After spending the first nine games of 2007 on Miami's practice squad, he was added to the 53-man roster. He dressed for two games with the Dolphins, appearing in one.

At Montana, Harris was teammates with Brandon Fisher, Jeff Fisher's oldest child.

Posted by Scouts Inc.'s Keith Kidd

Anytime a team must replace an All-Pro it puts added pressure on the rest of the team, especially if it is on the offensive line at center. The Indianapolis Colts must deal with such a situation as 10-year veteran Jeff Saturday will be out for at least six weeks with a knee injury. His replacement on the line is still unknown.

Offensive line coach Howard Mudd wants rookie C Steve Justice to start in Saturday's place. If Justice fails to seize the spot, G Ryan Lilja could stabilize the position but would force Mudd to shuffle the offensive line.

This has to be a bit of a concern for the Colts offense because, in addition to having a new center, Peyton Manning has not worked with either player during the preseason. Had Manning had time to become familiar with Justice or Lilja, it would be a different story. However, Manning's knee injury has kept him off the field for much of the preseason.

Saturday and Manning have worked together nearly their entire careers. Saturday takes care of protections, identifies the middle linebacker, adjusts the blocking patterns based on the defensive line's movement and makes sure no defender has a free lane to the ball. It remains to be seen how Justice or Lilja would handle all that.

The Colts should still be able to have an up-tempo offense but Manning will need to be more in tune with the protections to help his new center. Manning is one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league and he can handle the added pressure, but the fact that he is coming off an injury makes it even that much more difficult.

Justice or Lilja will be thrown into the fire during the first few weeks of the season, especially against Chiacgo DT Tommie Harris in Week 1, Minnesota DTs Pat Williams and Kevin Williams in Week 2 and Jacksonville DT John Henderson in Week 3.

With Manning sure to have trouble moving in the pocket and the new center lacking experience at the position in the NFL, don't be surprised if opponents target the Colts' interior protection. The shortest distance to the quarterback always is up the middle, so defensive coordinators often respond with pressure packages designed to exploit situations such as this.

A simple inside game -- say, the right defensive tackle attacks the A gap, the left tackle loops around the right tackle and a blitzing linebacker comes through the free alley vacated by the left tackle -- will put a lot of pressure on the Colts' center to protect the hobbled Manning.

To counter these pressure defenses and help Justice or Lilja, the Colts could use double-teams and provide extra help from a guard or a running back. Whoever gets the job will have to spend plenty of time in the film room to soften the blow of losing Saturday.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

Posted by Scouts Inc.'s Ken Moll

QB Peyton Manning is coming off an injury and hasn't played one snap during the preseason. As a result, he will be less mobile, struggle to make all his throws and depend on his teammates more than usual.

	Brian Spurlock/US PRESSWIRE
	Peyton Manning's mobility will likely be limited in the early part of the season.

Manning's bursa sac injury in his left leg is likely to affect his delivery and weight transfer on certain routes. The Colts' favorite play -- the stretch -- requires Manning to move quickly to his landmark and hand the ball off or set up quickly, transfer his weight to his front left leg and deliver the pass effectively. This process will be tough on Manning in the beginning.

The universal pattern, which Manning uses to pick apart defenses, attacks all three levels -- one receiver crosses over the middle shallow, one receiver runs an intermediate dig route and one receiver runs a deep post. This scheme is tough to defend, but is also tough to execute without full mobility. As a result, Manning may need to stay in the pocket and drop back or use the shotgun to complete passes that require less foot work and stress to transfer his weight -- like dump-offs, screens and seam routes.

In order to take pressure off Manning, the Colts will also likely pound the ball with their ground attack more and rely on their defense and special teams until Manning develops his timing and is fully healthy.

Scouts Inc. watches games, breaks down film and studies football from all angles for ESPN.com.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Who's No. 1?

In Indianapolis, it's Marvin Harrison, with Reggie Wayne ready, willing and able to handle the designation.

In Houston, it's unquestionably Andre Johnson.

In Jacksonville, the hope is it will be Jerry Porter.

In Tennessee, there isn't one and the team is hardly hell-bent on finding one.

Is a No. 1 receiver necessary for a team to win big?

All sorts of statistical markers can be used to assign the title, but more important is the ability of a top receiver to dictate coverage and the potential for him to turn a game around with one catch.

Think of all-time Super Bowl teams in the last 25 years and a receiver jumps out: San Francisco with Jerry Rice, Dallas with Michael Irvin, Denver with Rod Smith. Look at the last three Super Bowl winners and find Hines Ward -- certainly a No. 1 in the context of the 2005 Steelers -- Harrison and Plaxico Burress.

Indianapolis president Bill Polian is quick to say he's had a clear-cut top receiver at each of his stops -- Andre Reed in Buffalo, Muhsin Muhammad in Carolina and now Harrison and Wayne. While Polian drafted Muhammad in 1996, his prime seasons came in 1999, 2000 and 2004, when Polian was already with the Colts.

"It's an absolute must," he said of having a No. 1. "If you're going to throw the ball successfully, obviously, you're going to have to have a guy you can go to who's consistent and durable and out there every week. That's been the kind of offenses I've been used to being with now. There are other kinds of offenses where they can be interchangeable."

The Titans see themselves as that sort of offense. They've invested little in high draft picks and big-ticket free agents over the years, and had their share of injury bad luck at the position while focusing on defense and the running game. But through four coordinators, with Mike Heimerdinger now at the start of a second term, the team's philosophy has been that it can effectively spread the ball around rather than funneling passes to one wideout who's the best of their bunch.

"I think it depends on the scheme," said Heimerdinger, who worked with Brandon Marshall last year in Denver as he emerged as a No. 1. "A guy like Brandon Marshall, a guy like T.O., the two at Indy, those guys can all turn a game around. I've seen Brandon catch 6-yard passes and make 40-yard runs because guys couldn't tackle him. That makes you a real good coach. If you can get those guys or people develop into those guys, that's special for you."

In Derrick Mason's best year as a receiver in Tennessee -- he had 95 catches for 1,303 yards and eight touchdowns in 2003 -- the Titans went to the AFC Championship Game.

Teams can succeed on a top level without a No. 1, but it sure seems a difficult route. In 2000, Baltimore won the Super Bowl with the sort of defense and run-first formula that the Titans and Jaguars both lean toward now.

And at least two of New England's three Super Bowl wins came with teams that didn't have a receiver who qualified as a No. 1 in terms of passing distribution or dictating coverage. But with a top-flight quarterback like Tom Brady playing great, a group of receivers who would be designated as twos or threes by most can be plenty good enough.

The Titans could certainly work harder to find a No. 1. But they shouldn't be blamed for not getting him this offseason, as the top of the draft and the free-agent pool simply didn't include a can't-miss candidate. There is often a misperception that teams can or should just go get one. But by my count only 13 of 32 teams can say they have one for sure and the two top ones -- Terrell Owens and Randy Moss -- have proven to be combustible locker room forces when things haven't gone well.

"You don't have to have a one," Heimerdinger said. "I don't think there are a lot of those in this league. But then you need guys that fit in the scheme and can get open when they are one-on-one. They have to have the ability to separate when they get single coverage and make a play."

Polian disagrees.

"The teams that win, it seems to me, have one," he said. "There are teams that don't who come close, but I think it's hard to win it all without one."

As Houston looks for its first winning season, it's banking on Johnson, who eats up a cornerback's cushion with superb explosion when he's healthy. The Texans were 6-3 with him and 2-5 without him last season. If he's playing, others such as Kevin Walter, Andre Davis and tight end Owen Daniels benefit greatly.

More troubling than the lack of a No. 1 in Nashville is the personality of the group. While a receiving corps and an offense can be disrupted by a just-give-me-the-damn-ball type, I'd argue they need a guy or two with at least a bit of swagger in the meeting room and huddle. The Titans, instead, have a universally mild-mannered bunch that doesn't seem to aggressively go get the ball.

As Bo Scaife stands to improve because of the addition of Alge Crumpler and as LenDale White should be better because of Chris Johnson, players such as Justin Gage, Justin McCareins and Brandon Jones could all profit from having a standout at the head of the line.

Jacksonville grabbed Porter in free agency, though he missed all of camp and the preseason as he recovered from hamstring surgery. He is not expected to play Week 1 at Tennessee, and there is no guarantee a player who only posted two big seasons in Oakland will be able to transform a group. But at least Jacksonville took a swing.

"If you don't have that dominant presence that demands double coverage, you go through the progressions and deliver the ball on time," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "It takes maybe more of a team approach. I think that can be healthy. It's harder to zero in on where the ball is going defensively if everybody is an option. There can be some benefits to that.

"We all want dominant guys. It's about playmakers making plays. You're always looking for the dominant guy. [But] I don't think you need to manufacture it, I don't think you need to try and name a guy that particular guy. If you have one, it becomes apparent to everybody. Defenses will let you know because they'll start rolling coverages there consistently. That's what a dominant guy can do."

While the Jaguars' defense will key on Harrison and Wayne and Andre Johnson twice each year, Jacksonville knows it has players on offense that other teams will have to account for in a similar manner, even if they don't line up wide.

"Our dominant guys right now are in our backfield, they're the ones that are dictating how defenses play us," Del Rio said, pointing to Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. "Because if you don't get down there and load the box, you're going to have a hard time slowing our guys down. Our No. 1 happens to line up in the backfield."

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Buckle the seat belt, Here's the high-speed division tour this morning. Have I mentioned I like it when you load up the mailbag? 

Houston Texans

• Running back Ahman Green restructured his contract, the Houston Chronicle reports. The team has incentivized his health. Green agreed to give up $2 million in base salary and a $500,000 bonus for a chance to make $3 million in per-game bonuses. In addition to his $1.8 million base, beginning with the second game -- the home opener against Baltimore -- Green will get $200,000 for every game in which he's active. It's a great move for the team.
• John McClain checks out DeMeco Ryans.
• Megan Manfull looks at laundry.

Indianapolis Colts

• Jeff Saturday is going to miss at least six weeks, a terrible development for the Colts. Mike Chappell says Steve Justice is expected to fill in. No team relies on its center as much as the Colts count on Saturday, as he's an intricate piece of all those calls on the line.
• Peyton Manning felt good after his first practice.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Vito Stellino takes a close look at Derrick Harvey's contract.
• The Jags' priority tonight in Washington is not to win their preseason finale, but to stay healthy. In other words, same as virtually everyone else.

Tennessee Titans

• Mike Heimerdinger is turning up the heat on the receivers, writes Jim Wyatt.
• A preview of Titans at Packers
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

I've cursed New England and New Orleans by predicting they'll make it to the Super Bowl, and want to formally apologize to the Patriots and Saints.

ESPN.com's forecasts can be found here.

Ten of 16 voters have Indianapolis winning the AFC South, with the other six going for Jacksonville. I think it's going to line up with the Colts on top, Tennessee second, Jacksonville third and Houston fourth.

But I think the Titans and Jaguars will be neck-and-neck. Questions about the Jaguars' offensive line and pass rush prompted me to give the Titans a slight edge. I also think expectations may weigh on Jacksonville a bit, while the Titans aren't facing much of that. But neither team has done enough to become a threat to the Colts atop the division.

Do all three make the playoffs again? While I know it's unlikely the AFC playoff field is the same as last year's, I could not decide that Cleveland, Buffalo, the Jets or Denver will be better than Tennessee or Jacksonville, who will play good defense and run the ball effectively.

Don't like my thinking? Don't worry. I'm hardly ever right.

The other AFC South highlights:

My colleague Kevin Seifert, who covers the NFC North, has the Jaguars beating Dallas in the Super Bowl.

Seth Wickersham of ESPN the Magazine has Titans running back Chris Johnson winning AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.

At the risk of being called a homer, I've got Albert Haynesworth as my Defensive Player of the Year. He's got incentives that can get him to free agency after this season and is determined to prove his play last year wasn't a one-year thing. I'm expecting a repeat performance.

NFC West guru Mike Sando breaks down all our picks division-by-division and links to a spreadsheet that has all this sorted out, if you're interested in more. He also put a good headline on his blog entry about these predictions. Wish I beat him to it.