By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

AFC South Predictions

1. Indianapolis Colts

Hard to pick against five consecutive division titles – especially if the defense continues to perform so well.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

If they were in the NFC, they would maybe be the Super Bowl favorite.

3. Houston Texans

Capable of winning 10 games if everyone stays healthy, but they’re in an unfortunately tough division.

4. Tennessee Titans

The offensive and defensive lines have both taken a step back. Thus, this team gets doubted for another year.

Best Offseason Move

The Titans franchising defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, ensuring another contract-year effort from the star and forcing him to prove his long-term value.

Worst Offseason Move

The Titans allowing guard Jacob Bell to get away in free agency.

Biggest Question

What force is needed to disrupt the status quo that has come to define this division?

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By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Predicted: 4^th

2007 Record: 10-6 (3^rd AFC South)

Head Coach: Jeff Fisher (15^th year)

Roster Quick View

*rookie

**new veteran

Offense

QB: Vince Young Electrifying talent who has a knack for winning games. Can these traits continue to overshadow his flaws as a passer?

RB: LenDale White A poor man’s Jerome Bettis. Was showing commendable maturation until his run-in with Denver police in March.

FB: Ahmard Hall Adequate lead-blocker who is slightly more finesse oriented than the archetypal FB.

WR: Justin Gage A decent 55-catch season earned him a four-year contract in spring. But still, he’s your No. 1 WR? Really?

WR: Roydell Williams Had 55 receptions in ’07 but spent all offseason recovering from a serious ankle injury. Still wasn’t ready to go in mid-June.

TE: Alge Crumpler** Missed playing with Michael Vick so much that he decided to team up with Vince Young. Expect his career to be revived.

LT: Michael Roos The best kept secret in the NFL. Easily a top 10 OT––might even be top 5.

LG: Eugene Amano A backup C who, quite frankly, should still be playing backup C.

C: Kevin Mawae Thirty-seven years old but remains one of the upper-echelon players at his position. President of the Players Association.

RG: Jake Scott** Solid tactician who can survive any matchup, but Titans are kidding themselves when they say he’s an upgrade over departed LG Jacob Bell.

RT: David Stewart If 10 is great, 8 is good, 7 is solid and 5 is average, he’s a 6.

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QB: Kerry Collins Strong-armed veteran who offers a lot off the bench. His presence is important for this team.

RB: Chris Johnson* A multipurpose weapon who possesses 4.24 speed. How will he translate to the pro level?

WR: Justin McCareins Athleticism and good-looking 6’2”, 215-pound frame suggest he should be better than he is. But at 29, he’s a finished product. A very mediocre finished project.

WR: Brandon Jones Effort is there, but doesn’t capitalize on enough playmaking opportunities.

TE: Bo Scaife Serviceable receiver whose long arms help his run-blocking. Great rapport with former college teammate Vince Young.

Defense

LDE: Jevon Kearse** Hoping to enjoy a Renaissance back home after injuries depleted his career in Philly.

DT: Albert Haynesworth Ah, so he can play. Incredibly well, in fact. Titans would love to have him in a contract year for the rest of his career.

DT: Tony Brown On just about any other team he’d be a pass-rushing reserve.

RDE: Kyle Vanden Bosch Owner of the hardest-working motor in football. An everydown impact.

LOLB: David Thornton Was more physical last season, leading the team with 122 tackles.

MLB: Stephen Tulloch Will start for a suspended Ryan Fowler the first month. Superior speed suggests he should start for Fowler the rest of the season.

ROLB: Keith Bulluck Raw athleticism has carried him thus far. But at 32, how much further will it go?

CB: Nick Harper Solid zone defender who is really more of a No. 2.

SS: Chris Hope Productive all-around player but is coming off neck surgery. Titans need him in the lineup.

FS: Michael Griffin Shows star potential but someone needs to tell him that. Won’t fully blossom until he becomes more confident and aggressive.

CB: Cortland Finnegan Should be used as a case study for how to progress as a professional CB. Once a 7^th-rounder, now an excellent all-around defender.

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DL: Bryce Fisher Can make plays against the run and pass but must be on the move in order to do so.

LB: Ryan Fowler Good size but not asked to carry nearly as heavy a load as most MLBs. Recorded a measly 53 tackles in 14 starts last season.

NB: Reynaldo Hill Possesses natural man-coverage skills but lack of technique gives him trouble playing the ball.

Players Acquired

TE Dwayne Blakely (Atl)

DB Chris Carr (Oak)

TE Alge Crumpler (Atl)

DE Jevon Kearse (Phi)

WR Justin McCareins (NYJ)

G Jake Scott (Ind)

LB Josh Stamer (Buf)

Players Lost

G Jacob Bell (Stl)

RB Chris Brown (Hou)

LB Gilbert Gardner (Det)

WR David Givens

TE Ben Hartsock (Atl)

CB Kelly Herndon

CB Pacman Jones (Dal)

DE Travis LaBoy (Ari)

WR Eric Moulds

DE Antwan Odom (Cin)

G Benji Olson (retired)

DT Randy Starks (Mia)

TE Ben Troupe (TB)

CB Michael Waddell (Oak)

Regardless of what the Titans may say, Scott is a downgrade from Bell and Olson. He doesn’t match their sheer power in the run game. If Crumpler stays healthy, he will be the veteran go-to receiving threat that Moulds never became. He already has the blocking abilities that Troupe couldn’t offer. Carr can play in dime packages, but he was brought in to be a return specialist. The Titans would be pleasantly surprised if McCareins and Kearse prosper in their second stint with the organization. LaBoy and Odom both broke out last season––just in time to garner bigger contracts elsewhere. Starks never developed, Brown never stayed healthy and you’ve probably heard about that Pacman guy.

2008 - Tennessee Titans

Rd Sel # Player Position School

1 24 Chris Johnson RB East Carolina

2 54 Jason Jones DE Eastern Michigan

3 85 Craig Stevens TE California

4 103 William Hayes DE Winston-Salem State

4 126 Lavelle Hawkins WR California

4 134 Stanford Keglar LB Purdue

7 229 Cary Williams CB Washburn

The Titans needed a receiver, which is why there was a noticeable murmur when they passed on a chance to take the first wideout off the board and instead went with the small school RB Johnson. His 4.24 speed (fastest at the combine) was obviously a factor. Jones is a former TE who the team believes can learn to play DT and contribute right away. Stevens is a blocker. They traded a 5^th-round pick to move up and get Hayes. Hawkins is one of nine WR’s who has a chance at making the final roster. Keglar and Williams are both special teamers for now.

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The Titans are still looking to get Albert Haynesworth back in the fold for the future, but while they work on that, they made a huge move Friday to protect Vince Young, signing right tackle David Stewart to a six-year deal worth $38.9 million, $10 guaranteed, and a $6 mil signing bonus.

That means the team has now signed both its tackles to extensions this offseason, as in April they inked left tackle Michael Roos to a six-year, $43 million contract.  Big Country Stewart is just 25 years old, and has his best playing days ahead of him.  He was the teams 4th round draft pick back in 2005, and last season started all 16 games.

The move basically means that the Titans should have both their tackles paid for and happy for a long time to come, which should also make Young and the running game happy as well.

Titans DE Jevon Kearse isn’t talking about his arrest on drunken driving on Sunday morning, but that’s not stopping coach Jeff Fisher from sharing his feelings on it. “I did speak with Jevon and I can say that clearly the entire organization is disappointed in the incident,” Fisher said. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop what we’re doing. We’re going to continue to do what we’ve done. … We’re going to continue with the seminars and the tapes and the life skills presentations and the discussions that we have.”

Kearse, who just came back to the Titans after signing with them this past offseason, was stopped at 4:42 a.m. on Sunday morning by Vanderbilt University police after they saw the SUV he was driving weaving across the road. He failed a field sobriety test and refused a breathalyzer test. He was then taken to the Metro Nashville Criminal Justice Center where he was booked on the DUI charge.

The Titans are trying to put an end to all their off the field issues. They have had to deal with Adam “Pacman” Jones and his off the field antics the last two seasons before finally shipping him to the Cowboys. Now they have this incident with Kearse, which they want to quickly put behind them as they get set to start training camp next month.

“What they’ll see happening is because the organization has had another incident, you’ll go back and list all the others and his name will go to the top, and those guys who were involved as far back as 10 years ago, unfortunately, will resurface again,” Fisher said. “That’s part of it. That’s the world we live in. But the only way can eliminate that is to eliminate the incidents.”

I have never understood athletes that drive after drinking, and it appears that Saturday that very thing took place again, as Titans DE Jevon Kearse was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. The “Freak” was arrested by the Vanderbilt Metro Police, then transported to Nashville’s Metro jail and booked.

Sounds like Kearse took to the roads in pretty messed up shape, as police say when he was stopped, Kearse exhibited slurred speech, red eyes and smelled of alcohol. Kearse refused to take a breath test. While it’s not an excuse for a young player to get in trouble, it’s even more of a head scratcher for a veteran like Kearse to do something that dumb.

The Titans signed Kearse back in March after he was released by the Eagles this offseason to a two-year deal worth $6 million.

In the NFL, there is always a list of players that come back after subpar seasons to light it up the following year. Most of those players either are coming off an injury, move to another team that fits them as players better, or just finally “gets it” within the team and system they are in. Below are a list of players we think will be back in 2008, and these may be players that make it back to where they were, or players that make it there for the first time.

1. Marc Bulger QB Rams - Last season the Rams slumped to 3-13, and this after a coming off a strong end to 2006. Bulger had a tough time behind a line that was beat up by injuries most of the year, and by a running game that struggled with Steven Jackson hurt a good part of the year. While the Rams take a turn to get better in 2008, Bulger will too, and he should bounce back from his 07 season that saw him throw for 2392 yards, 11 TD’s and 15 picks.

2. Julius Peppers DE Panthers - Peppers all but vanished for the Panthers in 2007, putting up just 2.5 sacks and getting beat up by the media around the country for being a player that was nowhere to be found. He’s making the move to right end, which should help right off the bat, and the Panthers defense will look overall to be a much better unit in 2008, and with it Peppers could return to being a force on defense for the cats.

3. Laveranus Coles WR Jets - With an uncertain QB situation and some injuries to deal with, Coles was not the explosive player the Jets have come to count last year, as he slumped to just 55 catches in just a handful of games. With a better O-line, whoever is throwing the ball in the Big Apple will have more time to throw, and that should right away put Coles up above the 11.7 yards per catch average he had last year and six scores.

4. DeAngelo Hall CB Raiders - This is a classic case of a player moving to a new team with a new deal in hand, and having a big season. That’s what’s ahead for Hall, who will be as good if not better than the Pro Bowl form he’s shown in the past. The Raiders have some playmakers in their secondary, and Hall will fit the bill and be a big time player for them in 2008.

5. Frank Gore RB 49′ers - As the Niners had a tough 2007, Gore followed. He still ran for 1102 yards, but didn’t have that dominant season that the team and many around the league thought he would have coming of a big 2006 that earned him a huge deal. This is a case though of others playing better around Gore in 2008 as well. If the Niners do that, he’ll have a big comeback season.

6. Vince Young QB Titans - We’re on the Young bandwagon, and can’t believe that this guy will stay in rut that he was for a large portion of the 07 season. Let’s remember though, he was a big part of the reason why the Titans did make the postseason, and despite the only 9 throwing TD’s and 17 picks, he still has a special ability with his legs, and with the Titans growing as a team, Young’s third season in the NFL will by far be his best.

The Titans must realize they can still get better at the RB spot, why else would today’s Tennessean point out that the team is still very interested in the services of running back Kevin Jones? The paper says that Jones is on the team’s radar, and that the team will be in attendence when Jones has a workout on June 28th.

On the other hand, two players that the Titans have little or no interest in are recently released running backs Travis Henry and Cedric Benson. Henry was let go by the Broncos after one subpar season, and Benson has been a bust for the most part since being handed the starting job when the team traded Thomas Jones to the Jets two offseasons ago.

The word on Jones, who the Lions let go this offseason, is that he is coming back well from ACL surgery, and that he will be able to pretty much show his stuff for that workout on the 28th. Several teams are expected to attend that workout, and likely Jones will be able to land a deal with some team once that workout is over with.

It’s been an offseason filled with what seems more players refusing to practice or show up for OTA’s and minicamps than those that are there doing there jobs. Below we give a quick breakdown of 10 players that have chosen the stance to stay away and/or practice and where they may be come training camp come July.

1. Albert Haynesworth, Titans - The All-Pro DT is a big reason the Titans defense played so well last season, and word is a long-term deal that he hoped to get from Tennessee seems not likely to happen by July 15th. Expect Haynesworth to sign the teams one-year franchise deal during training camp and play out his last season before hitting free agency in 2009 and moving elsewhere.

2. Chris Simms, Buccaneers - The QB hasn’t played since a spleen injury in 2006, and his relationship with the Bucs seems to be over. Simms is not even listed on the depth chart, and with a bunch of QB’s on the roster, it seems like a slam dunk that Simms will eventually get his wish to be released and move on to another team. He has said if he’s still a Buccaneer in July, he’ll report to training camp.

3. Jason Peters, Bills - The teams best O-lineman wants a new deal, and won’t show up till he gets one. He’s watched lesser players on the O-line get bigger contracts then him, and simply wants what he feels he’s owed to him. He deserves a new deal, and look for he and the Bills to get on the same page before training camp starts.

4. Ryan Grant, Packers - Grant came out of nowhere in 2007 and saved the teams floundering running game, and now wants a deal that will pay him like a feature back. He showed up to minicamp, but refused to practice. Reports say the two sides are close, and a deal may even take place before the end of the camp for he and the Packers.

5. Chad Johnson, Bengals - C.J. should simply realize that the Bengals are not going to move him, and he’s not going to get a new deal, pure and simple. He did man up a little bit by showing up to minicamp last week, and after some early drama did practice and make some grabs. He’d be smart to put on a happy face and be at camp on time and try and be the best player he can be for the stripes.

6. Earnest Graham, Buccaneers - The back came in for the Bucs last season and kept their running game afloat when injuries hit hard. Now he, like Ryan Grant, wants a deal to fit what he did in 2007. He’s already showed up to the Bucs fanfest and now minicamp, so look for something to be done for him rather soon.

7. Terry Glenn, Cowboys - The veteran WR is being asked to sign an insurance policy since he’s prone to injuries, and Glenn is using that as a sounding board to demand a trade or release to play elsewhere. He should realize that he’s damaged goods at this point, and his best shot at getting some playing time and a ring is in Dallas, but for whatever reason he wants no part in signing that policy.

8. Plaxico Burress, Giants - Another unhappy WR that wants a new deal based on gutting it out on one foot last season for the Super Bowl champs. It was poor timing on his part to complain last week in the middle of Michael Strahan retiring and Jeremy Shockey also playing whinner. Burress said on WIP in Philly Tuesday he feels a deal will get done before camp. If so, they why make a scene like the one made last week?

9. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals - Our 4th WR on the list, Boldin saw Larry Fitzgerald get a big deal from the Cards, and now he wants one too. I can understand his desire for more money, but he had just gotten a deal not that long ago, and the Cardinals can’t overpay two WR’s when they have other concerns. He says he hasn’t decided if he’ll be at training camp, but if he is smart he’ll avoid fines and be there.

10. Jeremy Shockey, Giants - The mouthy tight end probably should be in a Saints uniform today, and likely he and and the Giants will regret not making that deal on draft day. While the team has said from day one that he’s the starting TE, Shockey claims the Giants are leaking info about him not being happy and demanding a trade. Not so. Seems that the TE may have pushed the button too far, and he’d better be careful what happens next as Kevin Boss seems more than ready to be the Giants starting TE.

It appears that Titans All-Pro DT Albert Haynesworth may not be getting the long-term deal he’s looking for with the Titans by the July 15th deadline. Haynesworth’s agent, Chad Speck, says that there has been little movement to speak of when talking to the Titans about a long-term deal for his client. “There has been no significant movement from the Titans on a long term deal since prior to the Combine in February and I don’t think this will change before July 15th,” Speck said in his e-mail.

If Haynesworth does not sign a deal by the 15th of next month, the Titans can only guarantee the 2008 season in Tennessee, as he can then only sign the one-year franchise tender the team gave him a few months back. He also cannot sign a multi-year deal then with the Titans till after the regular season is over.

The DT has not taken part in any offseason workouts with the team, but has given no indication if he’ll show up for training camp next month. Haynesworth played in 13 games last season, putting up a career-high 6 sacks and 69 tackles, on the way to being an All-Pro. The team played a heck of a lot better both vs the run and against the pass when Haynesworth was in there, so you can bet the Titans will remain a better team if they can get him a long-term deal, but right now it does not look like it’s going to happen.

The Titans felt with getting rid of Adam “Pacman” Jones that their off the field issues would be behind them, but apparently that is not the case.  Today wide out Brandon Jones was arrested and charged with the misdemeanor of possession of an unlawful firearm at Metro Nashville Airport.  The incident took place around 11:40 a.m. according to the Nashville City Paper.  “A routine screening found a .32 caliber handgun in the baggage, and the incident was handled in the normal manner. After he was charged, Mr. Jones was allowed to board his flight,” said Mary Margaret Miller of the Nashville Airport Authority.

The paper says that the gun was found in his baggage.  He was issued the misdemeanor citation, then allowed to proceed aboard his flight to Arizona.  Jones came out later in the day and issued a statement about the issue:  “Today I was cited for carrying a handgun when going through security at Nashville International Airport,” Jones said. “Obviously I did not know I was carrying my gun. This morning I grabbed a bag and placed my clothing in the bag, then rushed to the airport. I had forgotten that the last time I had used the bag was when I went target shooting.

“I fully cooperated with authorities who confiscated the handgun at the security gate. I have a license for the handgun and a permit for carrying one. Realizing that I was not intentionally carrying the handgun nor did I have any intention of harming anyone, I was allowed to board my airplane and continue my travels. I want to apologize for any embarrassment this might cause my family, the Titans organization or my teammates.”

Jones, a third round pick of the Titans back in 2005, caught 21 passes in 9 games last season for 248 yards with two touchdowns.  He has 71 career catches for 931 yards and 8 TD’s.