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Former Colts GM Bill Polian joins Pardon The Interruption to lend them Five Good Minutes.

A close friend of Dwight Freeney's doesn’t expect the Colts defensive end to go for the idea of standing up and working as a 3-4 outside linebacker in a new defensive scheme.

Former Titans and Giants linebacker Keith Bulluck, a long-time friend of Freeney’s, said his pal wants to continue to play as an end. The two recently vacationed together in Australia and New Zealand.

I asked Bulluck for Freeney's thinking about the posibility of standing up in a 3-4.

“Dwight’s thinking is, he ain’t standing up,” Bulluck told us on the Nashville radio show "The Midday 180." “Dwight’s had his hand in the dirt for 11 years, now all of a sudden in Year 12 you want to ask him to stand up. I don’t know if that’s his answer, but that’s probably not far from it. I’m sure he’d do whatever he could do to help the team.”

Freeney’s counterpart at defensive end, Robert Mathis, is heading for unrestricted free agency.

There has been some speculation that if the new regime of general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano really wants to clean house and start fresh, they could even part ways with Freeney. Heading into the final year of his six-year contract, his cap number is slated to be more than $19 million. The team could save more than $14 million of it by cutting him.

Bulluck doesn’t think Freeney is expecting that.

“For any indication I get, he plans on being a Colt this football season,” Bulluck said. “But we haven’t really talked too much about that.”

Our news desk just passed me this:

Peyton Manning is at Duke University with former UT teammate Todd Helton this week on a "social visit" with Duke coach David Cutcliffe, the school confirmed Thursday to ESPN.

Manning is also continuing his rehab as Duke offensive lineman Matt Skura tweeted that he "got to stretch next to Peyton Manning" on Wednesday.

Last week Manning said he hoped to sit down with Colts owner Jim Irsay this week to discuss his future with the team but that meeting has not happened yet. There is a March 8 deadline in which Manning is due a $28 million option bonus that will trigger the final four years of a five-year, $90 million contract he signed before the 2011 season.

Cutcliffe, a family friend and adviser, was Manning's QB coach at Tennessee.

It makes sense for Manning to spend some time outside of Indianapolis. If we want to take it a step further, since he has said the Colts' facility isn’t a great environment for healing right now, it makes sense for him to do some healing elsewhere.

Even on a social visit.

Brian McIntyre of Mac’s Football Blog has done a tremendous job tracking base salary increases for 2012 triggered by things that happened in 2011. (Hat tip to Alan Burge of the Houston Examiner.)

McIntyre's updated list currently includes 10 players from the AFC South:

Here they are, with their base salary increases:

• Houston LT Duane Brown, $1.3 million
• Houston CB Brice McCain, $693,000
• Indianapolis WR Austin Collie, $693,000
• Indianapolis punter Pat McAfee, $693,000
• Jacksonville CB Derek Cox, $645,000
• Jacksonville WR Jarett Dillard, $645,000
• Jacksonville LT Eugene Monroe, $500,000
• Jacksonville G Uche Nwaneri, $1.926 million
• Jacksonville DT Terrance Knighton, $645,000
• Tennessee CB Jason McCourty, $645,000

Brown did good work establishing himself as a premier left tackle and is now slated to earn $2,081,500 -- still quite a reasonable price. Nwaneri is not quite at that level, but he set the tone for a line that produced the league's leading rusher. Nwaneri will now make $2.775 million.

On the other end of the spectrum, Dillard is now scheduled to make $1,260,000. He’s going to have to have a big offseason and camp to prove he’s worth that.

After taking Super Bowl week off from chatting, we return with great fanfare today.

Please join me and the core gang of AFC South aficionados at noon ET, 11 a.m CT for an hour of fun discussion of the division and any other topics that pop up.

It's always a good time.

I look forward to seeing you here.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

T.J. Yates was honored by his high school, says Alan Burge of the Houston Examiner. Burge asks if Yates is the unquestioned No. 2 for the Texans next season. I say he should be.

Dylan Sognalian of Toro Times considers South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery as a draft possibility for the Texans.

Indianapolis Colts

Tom Telesco’s been promoted to vice president of football operations, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star. This clearly indicates that he and general manager Ryan Grigson have hit it off.

A good spot to check frequently: The Indy channel is aggregating Peyton Manning stories.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Assistant offensive line coach Ron Prince is the last piece for Mike Mularkey’s staff, says Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union.

Big Cat Country runs through the Jaguars' needs in detail.

Tennessee Titans

Jonathan Gannon is the Titans' new defensive quality control coach, and Arthur Smith is shifting from that post to offensive quality control, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Do the Titans still rate as good at developing offensive linemen? Tom Gower of Total Titans examines the question.

Frank Reich doesn’t hold the keys to the kingdom.

But as we take every item we can find that has even a slight connection to Peyton Manning and put it into the equations, Reich comes into play today.

He’s the Arizona Cardinals new wide receivers coach, which is the same position he had in Indianapolis last year after a term as the Colts quarterbacks coach.

Writes NFC West blogger Mike Sando: Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwell “affirmed the team's intention to pay a $7 million bonus to incumbent quarterback Kevin Kolb, but his wording left open the possibility things could change." Bidwill cited rules against tampering in discussing Manning specifically.

“On Kolb and the bonus, he said this: ‘You sort of cross bridges as you get there, you know, but I wouldn't say we are going to deviate from the plan at this stage.’

“Hiring Reich only strengthens perceptions the Cardinals will pursue Manning if given the chance. Lots of other teams will likely have interest as well. Whatever edge Reich might offer will belong to the Cardinals.”

We know the Indianapolis Colts’ best-case scenario: Andrew Luck reinforces all the great opinions of himself between now and the draft and holds up a Colts jersey on April 26.

I asked Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. to give me a best-case scenario for the other three teams of the AFC South given the three primary needs I listed for each.

Here’s his thinking at this point:

7) Jacksonville Jaguars (rush DE, WR, CB)

Muench: "I don't know if you checked out Todd McShay's latest mock or not but he has the Jaguars taking North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples at seven. That's the ideal situation for them. Coples is a top-five talent coming off a strong performance at the Senior Bowl and projects as a Day-1 starter. If he's not there that means there's a good chance they can get LSU corner Morris Claiborne or Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon. Claiborne is a slightly better value."

20) Tennessee Titans (rush DE, S, G)

Muench: "McShay also has Tennessee taking Southern Cal defensive end Nick Perry, which fits in terms of value and need. I think the 'dream' pick however is Alabama's Mark Barron who could last until 20 and is by far the best safety prospect.”

26) Houston Texans (WR, 3-4 NT, 3-4 OLB)

Muench: “For Houston, getting Baylor's wide receiver Kendall Wright would be ideal but there's an excellent chance he's not there. Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones is a name to keep an eye on because he projects as a late first-round pick and he has the potential to develop into an effective 3-4 outside linebacker.”

Reading the coverage…

Missed this and apologize. But USA Today’s All-Joe Team is always worth noting. All our teams have a mention, with Houston guard Mike Brisiel as captain.

Houston Texans

Lance Zierlein’s first mock draft for his Houston Chronicle blog has the Texans taking LSU receiver Reuben Randle.

Indianapolis Colts

Mocking the draft takes an early shot at the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mike Mularkey will use the extra time a new coach is allowed to hold a voluntary veteran orientation camp in April, says John Oehser of the team’s web site.

Tennessee Titans

GM Ruston Webster talked about his quarterbacks, Kenny Britt’s recovery and defensive improvements in a conference call with ticket holders, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Gene Wojciechowski does a nice job in this piece of recounting Joe Montana’s separation from the 49ers and comparing it to what’s unfolding for Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts.

“NFL history repeats itself. The circumstances aren't exactly the same, but they're similar enough. Bottom line: Divorce proceedings between a generational player and the franchise he helped make famous are never easy. ‘It was horribly difficult,’ (Niners team president Carmen) Policy said the other day by phone, describing Montana's departure from the 49ers in 1993. ‘At that time he had won four Super Bowls. He was the quintessential comeback kid. He was so revered in the community, so loved in the locker room.

[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Frederick BreedonIt's difficult to miss all the signs that point to the Colts separating from QB Peyton Manning.

"In a strong, strong way there are similarities in terms of what Peyton Manning has done for that franchise in Indianapolis. You almost can't think of the franchise without thinking of Peyton Manning. … To separate is really, really difficult and heart wrenching."

But I have to disagree with Wojciechowski’s conclusion. He believes the Colts should do whatever necessary to hold on to Manning.

“Maybe you push back the March 8 due date on Manning's $28 million option bonus. Maybe you say, ‘I want you to begin and end your career wearing the horseshoe, but you've got to work with me on this $28 mil. Can we restructure it?’

“Maybe you tell him, ‘Come back, play another year, help mentor (Andrew) Luck or RG3 and then we'll put together an organizational golden parachute for you. And if you play like pre-neck surgery Peyton, then we'll re-up you for another year or you go somewhere as a free agent.’

“Professional. Reasonable. Logical.”

But not feasible.

The NFLPA tells me the first renegotiated of a contract can take place at any time. Then the second cannot happen within a year if it causes a salary increase over the first redo.

So Manning's contract isn’t the big issue, actually.

The issue is every move the Colts have made since the end of the season has been intended to set up a fresh start and a new era. And as much as the Colts love Manning and appreciate his work for them, finding a way to keep him on a team that’s going to undergo a major rebuild under a new GM with a new coach and staff and with the No. 1 pick coming to town is impractical.

It’s too late to take the path Woj wants, and while taking it is in some way the noble thing to do to preserve what’s been a beautiful thing, it’s not the practical thing to do for the long-term health of the franchise.

It’s in no way easy. It’s incredibly emotional for all parties involved.

The odds that all these factors would arrive at the same time were incredibly low: Manning’s continued uncertain health; the secondary bonus coming due that triggers the remainder of his contract; the Colts’ terrible season without him that resulted in the No. 1 pick; the availability of Luck with that pick; Irsay’s frustration with Bill Polian and Chris Polian coming off that failed season that led to their dismissals; the hiring of Ryan Grigson as the new GM; the removal of Jim Caldwell; the hiring of Chuck Pagano as the new coach; looming decisions on three old-guard guys heading to free agency -- center Jeff Saturday, receiver Reggie Wayne and defensive end Robert Mathis.

If Irsay had decided to attempt to load up for a three-season push for another Super Bowl with Manning, I wouldn’t have had a problem with it. But he either had to go all-in in such fashion, or bail and start anew.

He’s already well down the path to the second strategy. And the Colts brass needs to line up with the approach Policy took with Montana.

There is a Jim Irsay-Manning meeting looming. There is a lot of talk about a decision still to be made. It's hard for me to imagine Irsay hasn't already made it and we aren't just waiting for it to play out.

The Colts held out too much hope for a Peyton Manning return early on, then didn’t do well enough scaling things down as they went 2-14. That’s the view of the team’s former offensive line coach, Pete Metzelaars, who is now Buffalo’s tight ends coach.

Here’s a snippet from comments he made today in a transcript provided by the Bills.

“We were so dependent on (Manning) and what he did. The whole offensive structure was built upon what he could do and how he did it. The way his injury took place, there was always kind of the thought that, ‘Well, he could come back, he might come back, maybe the recovery time is going to be X.’ So we found ourselves kind of holding out hope, ‘Well, let’s not change everything because there’s a chance he’s going to come back and when he comes back then we’re going to run it this way.’ Unfortunately, he never did come back. So we got stuck with kind of trying to change in midstream and put some things together, and the people we had trying to do some of the things that Peyton did, even then we cut it down, but obviously they’re not Peyton Manning."

Obviously, they should have realized that without Manning -- even for an unspecified time -- they needed to change everything. Doing so might have allowed them a better chance to win.

Not doing so meant the end for Bill Polian, Chris Polian, Jim Caldwell and most of his staff including Metzelaars.

But it also means the franchise is going to get Andrew Luck.

Don’t expect the Titans to be a Peyton Manning suitor if the quarterback comes free as expected.

“Obviously [Manning] is a great player in the league,” Tennessee general manager Ruston Webster told season-ticket holders in a conference call, as reported by John Glennon of The Tennessean. “But on the flip side of that, we’re excited about our quarterback situation.”

Webster went on to heap praise on Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker and to talk about the team’s list of other needs.

Independent of that, I’ve fished around to see if I should allow the idea of Tennessee pursuing Manning to breathe or do my part to snuff it out. And all indications have been that wise reporting would be to do the latter.

So, Titans fans, pick another free-agent-to-be to covet.

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star spoke with Peyton Manning sometime after the Giants won the Super Bowl and learned the quarterback had taken a call from Colts owner Jim Irsay. Manning said he's thrilled for his brother, Eli, who won a second Super Bowl and that there is no envy regarding his accomplishments.

"[Irsay] called to congratulate Eli and I told him I would pass that along. He said, 'I look forward to sitting down with you soon,' and I told him the same thing. It'll happen.

"One thing he and I are not going to do is give a set date where it's like a game. We'll handle it the way it should be handled."

So the next big chase among NFL information men will be when the meeting occurs and what is said and decided in it.

It makes little sense for the sides to wait much longer, and Irsay said last week he anticipated a get together this week.

Nothing has changed in terms of the expectation that Manning will be released ahead of a scheduled $28 million bonus that is due on March 8.

Where will he land? Adam Schefter declared a favorite in this piece of his recent mailbag:

Q: With the Super Bowl now over, talk this offseason will surely focus on Peyton Manning. Where do you think he will land? Any chance that he goes to Minnesota or San Francisco?

-- Herbert (Iowa)

A: No, Herbert, Minnesota and San Francisco will not be in play. Remember, Manning will pick his team even more than it will pick him. Minnesota can't offer as much as other teams, and San Francisco will not pursue Manning when it wants to re-sign Alex Smith. The team that is the favorite in my mind to land Manning is Miami. The Dolphins can offer warm weather and a favorable contract, and the team has been screaming for a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino left. Make Miami the favorite for now. But we've already seen what being a favorite meant to New England in this Super Bowl.

Reading the coverage…

Houston Texans

The Patriots, Packers, Steelers, Eagles, Giants, Saints and 49ers all have better odds than the Texans to win the Super Bowl next season, writes Nick Mathews of the Houston Chronicle.

Indianapolis Colts

Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star grades the Indianapolis Super Bowl and it’s hard to argue with anything he has to say.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars should make a charge for Peyton Manning to jump start the franchise, but it’s not going to happen, says Chet Fussman of the Florida Times-Union.

Tennessee Titans

Manning’s not going to have a Tennessee encore and it’s a bad idea, says David Climer of The Tennessean. (I’m late to this, but it’s a good, sensible stance.)

The cities of the AFC South loved the Super Bowl.

The TV ratings for Super Bowl XLVI show three of our four cities to rank in the top seven, according to News Channel 5, the CBS affiliate in Nashville.

Host city Indianapolis posted a 56.4 rating, second only to Boston (56.7). Nashville and Jacksonville tied for sixth at 53.5.

Ratings estimate the size of the TV audience as a percentage of a market.

Shares represent the percentage of households with TVs on that are watching a given show at a given time. Those numbers were also big in Indy (79), Nashville (74) and Jacksonville (70).

What’s it mean?

Indianapolis certainly wanted to see itself on display. Nashville is a big-time NFL city where the Titans regularly draw gigantic ratings. Jacksonville is more of a surprise to me. No Jaguars connections. No Tim Tebow connection. It’s a nice signal about the market’s interest that I bet new owner Shahid Khan uses to show his market’s potential.