Houston Texans:
— At BattleRedNation.com, Charlie Bernstein and John Scott break down a
new addition and Bernstein
talks about the various holdouts
that are holding the Texans back.
— Houston Chronicle blogger Lance Zierlein predicts the
final standings for the AFC South. No issues with the end result, but
I have some trouble with the records and how the teams are stacked.
— Some thoughts on training camp and
a few other Texans items of note, including Houston's signing of Andre Hall
and Deltha O'Neal. The Texans have issues at cornerback — more on that
from Charlie below — but it's tough to believe that O'Neal is the answer.
Robinson's holdout is just one of several issues plaguing the Titans
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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There isn't much in the way of veteran cornerback talent on the market, though,
so Houston must hope for the best, as well as hoping that Dunta Robinson reports
and Jacques Reeves gets healthy.
Charlie's Two Cents on Texans Camp:
"Thus far, the Houston Texans training camp has been somewhat of a nightmare.
The lead story of the opening weekend was the unhappiness of stars Dunta
Robinson (missing in action), DeMeco Ryans, and Owen Daniels, all of which are
requesting new contracts. Just a few days into camp, high priced free agent
acquisition Antonio Smith (who is happy with his contract) had a verbal
altercation with Texans defensive assistant Bill Kollar.
"Just when the team
thought things couldn’t get much worse, both starting center Chris Myers and
cornerback Jacques Reeves went down with injuries and are expected to miss
significant time.
"All of the attitude and injury issues have overshadowed a somewhat productive
start of camp for the league’s third-ranked offense, which is returning all of
their key cogs. On top of that, defensive rookies Brian Cushing and Connor Barwin have been impressive, and the Texans defense figures to be improved from
the unit that routinely gave up big plays a year ago."
Jacksonville Jaguars:
— At JagNation.com, Charlie Bernstein discusses the
impact of Torry Holt on an
inexperienced receiving corps and Alfie Crow offers a
few observations from Wednesday
evening's practice.
— Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com talks about the role of
Greg Jones in the Jaguars offense. This is interesting reading for
fantasy purposes, as it gives a glimpse into how carries he'll vulture from
Maurice Jones-Drew and possibly how many of those will be inside the-ten yard
line.
—
Interesting feature on Mike Walker. Considering that Jacksonville
doesn't have much, if any, experienced depth behind Holt, it will be interesting
to see who steps up. There are a lot of things that can change between now
and the final cutdown, but so far, it looks like Walker.
Tennessee Titans:
— TitansInsider and Scout.com NFL Draft Analyst Chris Steuber bring you the
Top 10 Titans Prospects.
— The Tennessean reports that Tony Brown is
ready to step out from under Albert Haynesworth's shadow. Compelling
stuff, but I'd be more concerned with how second-year man Jason Jones is going
to replace Haynesworth. The defensive line should actually be fine, but
it's doubtful that Brown will be the new focus of it. There's also a good
piece about
new
defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil and his plans for the post-Jim Schwartz
era.
— Everything you wanted to know about Tennessee's
Thursday afternoon practice but were afraid to ask.
Charlie's Two Cents on Titans Camp:
"The Tennessee Titans may be the most underpublicized 13-win team in
recent history. Few in the national media have given the Titans much of a
chance of repeating as AFC South division champions, due to the loss of
defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in the offseason. Through the first week of
Titans camp, Haynesworth doesn’t seem to be missed as Tony Brown, Jovan Haye,
and Jason Jones look dominant and should make the transition mostly seamless.
"One look at the Titans and the word physicality immediately comes to mind, as
Jeff Fisher’s team certainly looks as tough as ever. The Titans offensive line
is as devastating as ever, and Chris Johnson looks like the second coming of
LaDainian Tomlinson, as the first man almost never brings him down. Say what
you want about LenDale White’s diet, but he looks as if he’s in great shape
entering 2009. Add in some legitimate weapons in Nate Washington and Jared Cook
to go along with the gritty Justin Gage, and quarterback Kerry Collins should be
able to move the chains through the air when necessary."
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