Everyone in Tennessee is on notice going into 2013. Since Mike Munchak took over as the Titans' head coach, their record dropped from 9-7 his first year in Tennessee to just 6-10 a season ago. With such a drop off, it seems anything short of a winning record would leave Munchak without a job, and the Titans would begin evaluating who on their roster would follow him out the door.

Also on trial heading into the season is Titans quarterback Jake Locker. The Titans spent the eighth overall pick in 2011 to bring Locker to Tennessee, but since that time, he's been something of a disappointment. Last season, Locker completed just 56.4% of his passes, and worse yet, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns.

Still, Locker has been given a very good chance to succeed in Tennessee. Chance Warmack will beef up protection around Locker, and Justin Hunter will give Locker an explosive target to throw to. In addition, Chris Johnson is the most exciting homerun threat at the running back position. If the Titans' pass offense can loosen up the defense, holes will begin to open up for Johnson, and that's when the Titans could become a very fun team to watch.

Jake Locker is not the only quarterback from the 2011 draft class that's found his way into a proverbial "do-or-die" situation. Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville, Cam Newton in Carolina and Christian Ponder have also been just 'meh' at points, and that's not good enough in the NFL.

Despite the challenge at hand, Locker has the tools around him that should allow him to succeed, especially in a division with only one playoff caliber team. Obviously, we won't know for some time whether Jake Locker will succeed as a starting quarterback, but he'll have no excuses to fall back on this time. He has the weapons and the blocking, and it's up to him to make it happen. Period.

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a young, talented team, but we can't understate how much the Colts overachieved last season. What's more, the man that lead that overachieving bunch is now the head coach in Arizona.

This season will be largely determined by the success, or struggles, of second year quarterback Andrew Luck. With success, the Colts can likely come close to their success of last season, but in a tough conference, a wildcard birth for the Colts seems extremely unlikely. Don't get me wrong, the Colts are still moving in the right direction, but they're not quite there yet.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are gearing up for a complete overhaul following the 2013 season. Last year, for the second consecutive season, the Cowboys lost a de-facto divisional championship game in week 17. I don't expect the Cowboys to be playing meaningful football so late in the season this time around.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens simply lost too many impact players this offseason to make it back to the Super Bowl next winter. The Ravens are still the best team on this abbreviated list, but even for them, it'll be a stretch to make a postseason run. The Bengals are a quickly rising team within their division, and the Steelers rarely miss the playoffs in consecutive years. In addition, Joe Flacco may be the most overpaid player in the league, eating up a lot more salary than he should. With so many factors against them, I fully expect the Ravens to miss the playoffs this season.

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The Jets are apparently very impressed by rookie quarterback Geno Smith. Brian Costello of the New York Post went so far as to call some within the Jets organization "smitten" with Smith.

That bit of news is great for Geno Smith, who could win the Jets' starting quarterback job over Mark Sanchez and David Garrard. If that happens, Garrard, barring injury, will likely remain with the team. Mark Sanchez, however, would likely be cut.

With Smith impressing coaches, Sanchez's hopes of staying with the Jets as a starting quarterback seem to be dwindling rather quickly. It's conceivable that Sanchez could be gone rather early in the process of the quarterback competition. Once the Jets realize that he's not their top quarterback, he'll be sent on his way. Still, that shouldn't happen for a while yet, giving Sanchez one last shot at keeping his post.

While there's no inherent problem with keeping Sanchez around after he's out of the running for the starting job, there's also no sense in keeping him around either. With his contract, it would be stunning to see any team make a trade for the struggling quarterback, especially knowing he will likely hit free agency after he's cut.

The real quarterback competition will likely boil down to Smith and Garrard. Garrard has been sidelined the past two seasons with injuries, and he's still looking for redemption after Blaine Gabbert and Luke McCown (of all people) beat him out for the Jaguars' top spot a couple seasons ago. While Garrard may be better now, if the Jets' staff continues to fall in love with Smith, there's a solid chance Smith could take the snaps week 1.

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Earlier this offseason, Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, meaning his must recent run-in with the NFL's substance policy wasn't the first instance of testing positive for a banned substance.

Blackmon has since apologized, once again promising that he's committed to football.

"No, I would say I don't," Blackmon said at Jaguars OTAs after being asked if he had a substance abuse problem. "Out of this whole thing one of the main things I would say that I had a problem with was just making a poor decision, making a selfish decision at that and not thinking about the long-term of it and just thinking about at the time."

"If you want to ask if I have a problem? I have a problem with making a poor decision."

Blackmon went on to say that the's been leaning on coaches and other players for support moving forward.

"Just lean on my support group. [Coach] David [Caldwell] and [general manager] Gus [Bradley] have been very supportive ever since they've been here," Blackmon said. "I've been going in and talking to them almost every day so having them there, having the teammates here that I have here have been very supportive here and it feels good to have people I can lean on and talk to."

Whether Blackmon actually puts his problems with substances and drugs in his past will be seen down the road. He said that he's "very confident" that his off-the-field issues are in the past, but actions speak louder than words. It's likely that Blackmon is on his last chance with the Jaguars, and maybe the NFL. If Blackmon breaks the league's substance policy again, he'll be suspended for an entire year, and the Jaguars could already cut him without owing him another dime. Blackmon has talent, but he has to be on the field to actually make that count.

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After just over three years as the Bills' general manager, Buddy Nix has stepped down, leaving a vacancy that will likely be filled by Assistant General Manager Doug Whaley. Nix will act as a special assistant to the new general manager according to the team.

While it's not official that Whaley will be elevated to the post of GM, that seemed to have been the intent when Whaley's contract was extended a few months ago.

Buddy Nix was hired as a national scout by the Bills in early 2009 and was elevated to the role of general manager at the very end of 2009. Under Nix, the Bills went 4-12, 6-10 and 6-10 respectively from 2010 through the 2012 season, finishing last place in the AFC East all three years. The Bills have not finished better than fourth place in their division since 2007.

"I've made this decision to step away from the General Manager's position because I feel it is the right time," Nix said in a team statement. "By the 'right time' I mean I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach with a good staff, and it's time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together. Timing is the main thing, but there are other benefits as well. This job is very demanding with a 24-7 schedule of responsibilities. This new position will enable me to spend more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Mr. Wilson and Russ (Brandon) and I'm fortunate to step away from the job and still remain a part of the team."

It's unclear exactly what role Nix will play as the team transitions to a new general manager, but it would seem that he'll be involved to simply make that transition as smooth and easy as possible.

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Titus Young was a highly-touted second-round pick only two years ago. The guy isn't even 24 years old yet. But Young's NFL career is already a memory and now we have to begin to fear for Young's long-term health and security. 

The former Detroit Lions wide receiver has been arrested three times this week. 

Young, who was arrested two in less than 15 hours last weekend in Moreno Valley, Calif., was cuffed again late Friday night after allegedly breaking into a home in San Clemente, Calif.

From the Detroit News: 

When officers arrived at the home, Young fled on foot, and after a brief pursuit, he fought with the officers, Balicki said Sunday.

"There was a brief struggle," he said. "He wanted to fight with the deputies. They ended up subduing him."

Young has been charged with burglary, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. As of 1 p.m. Sunday, he was still in custody with bail set at $75,000.

So now Young in trouble for suspicion of DUI, an alleged burglary attempt to steal back his car after said (alleged) DUI, and has been charged with burglary, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. 

This is why he slipped in the draft in the first place. The guy just can't stay out of trouble, and it's a shame. It's a sad waste of talent, but it could also become a sad waste of a life if Young doesn't seek and get help. We're all entertained by the sideshow, but sometimes guys like this were never given an out. I'm not letting him off the hook, but circumstances have to be considered here. 

We can't give up on people this quickly. Writing Young off is the easy thing to do, but it's lazy. We're only as strong as our weakest links in this country. Let's home that someone reaches out to help rehabilitate this kid, rather than letting him continue to spiral toward a life behind bars.

In the United States, there are four major professional sports leagues. The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL are the kings of American sports. College sports provide some overlap in major sports coverage, especially in football and basketball. With the rise of soccer, it seems that the MLS may some day join the ranks of the big four, but that day is still beyond the horizon.

If the NFL has its way, the next big sport in the United States could be rugby, not soccer.

Tom Dart of The Guardian reports that the NFL may be interested in televising rugby matches on the NFL Network to help fill the offseason void that naturally occurs with 24/7 football coverage.

Premier Rugby Limited and the NFL are engaged in efforts to try to bring professional rugby to the United States. The plan involves hosting a match between the London Irish and a "U.S. Barbarian" style team that would combine young talent with international stars. If the event, which will be hosted at Gillette Stadium, is successful, plans to establish a small east coast league in the United States could be pushed forward.

The NFL could benefit from year-round physical sports. The NFL is likely the most violent major sport in the United States with professional hockey coming in second place. If there was a successful summer league that incorporated a similar level of physicality, it may satisfy NFL fans through the summer monthes as well as driving rugby fans to the NFL.

Whether the carrying capacity of the United States is already full is also yet to be seen. With four major sports leagues, in addition to NCAA college sports, it's hard to imagine a new league, especially a rugby league, being highly successful, but the NFL likes to be on the forefront of money-making ventures, and there's a chance that someday, it could pay off in a big way for the NFL.

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Staying ahead of the curve in football is directly related to a team's ability to innovate. The Colts and the Patriots brought a full-blown "air it out" mindset to football throughout the last decade, and now more and more teams are adopting an offensive strategy that leaves running backs wondering when it's their turn to carry the ball.

The problem with such a philosophy is that it requires a quarterback that can make all the right reads at the right times. The Colts had Peyton Manning, and the Patriots had Tom Brady, but many teams aren't sure about the effectiveness of their starting quarterbacks.

The Bears are one such team that isn't quite sure what they have at quarterback. Jay Cutler has had something of an up-and-down career. In Denver, it appeared that he would lead the Broncos for his entire career, but after a startling fallout with the team, and then head coach Josh McDaniels, Cutler found his way to Chicago where he's suffered behind possible the worst offensive line in the league.

Because the Bears are never sure about what they have at the quarterback position, the team is using a helmet camera to evaluate backup quarterback Matt Blanchard, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. This is a piece of technology that could catch on very quickly around the league.

As shown in the picture above, the camera is mounted off the left side of Blanchard's helmet, allowing coaches to see exactly what the quarterback is seeing. The angle allows coaches to determine how Blanchard looks over the field more accurately as well as being able to see definitively what the quarterback may be missing from play to play.

By itself, the helmet mounted camera wouldn't be as affective, but it's combined with other camera angels from practice. In a league where having a quarterback is absolutely essential, seeing helmet mounted cameras popping up in practice would be no surprise to anyone. Coaches want all the information they can get their hands on, and this idea gives head coach Marc Trestman just a little bit more knowledge about his quarterback situation in Chicago.

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Green Bay Packers, RISING: The Packers spent much of their 2013 draft on plugging holes that had slowly grown in their roster. The addition of a pair of running backs and a pair of offensive linemen will help their offense become less reliant on Aaron Rodgers. With eleven picks in last month's draft, the Packers are pulling in a lot of young talent. Those young players, being surrounded by many very successful veterans, should pan out well for the Packers. Throw in the point that the NFC North isn't the most difficult division in football, and the Packers should be a lock for postseason play in 2013.

Minnesota Vikings, FLAT: The Vikings had three first round picks in the draft, and they spent two of them on defense. When they did decide to spend a pick on offense, they gave Christian Ponder someone to throw to by selecting Cordarrelle Patterson. That pick will help, but the Vikings can't rely on Adrian Peterson to run for over 2,000 yards again, and Christian Ponder is still only a "meh" quarterback. The Vikings might not fall below second place in their division, but don't count on a wildcard playoff birth either.

Chicago Bears, FALLING: The Bears' draft class is perceived to be a weak one, and for good reason. They started off with the selection of Kyle Long, an offensive guard, and they followed that pick with Jon Bostic, an inside linebacker, in the second round. Those aren't bad players, but the Bears paid a premium for interior players instead of play makers. There seems to be no reason the Bears will be any better in 2013 than they were in 2012.

Detroit Lions, FALLING: Sometimes I wonder if general managers are just throwing poop against the wall, hoping something will stick. That's the feeling I get every time I look at the Lions' draft class. There's nothing overtly wrong with the picks, but they started off by taking an elite defensive lineman. Have we seen that before? They followed up that pick with a cornerback and an offensive guard, both areas of need and solid picks. Then the Lions went back to the well for another defensive end. It finally occurred to me that defensive linemen are to Martin Mayhew as wide receivers were to Matt Millen. As with the Bears, the Lions aren't any better than they were in 2012, they're just a little bit different.

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Is Tim Tebow being blackballed by the NFL? The short and simple answer is that Tim Tebow is not good enough as a player to be a distraction in the NFL, and the media circus around him is a distraction.

There's no question Tim Tebow is one of the biggest media stories as an athlete. Forbes just named him America's most influential athlete. The Onion just named him America's most influential former athlete. He inspired a potential change in Alabama's state law as a high school recruit. He helped lead the Florida Gators to two national championships, including key contributions as a freshman backup. He won the Heisman Trophy.

His play for the Denver Broncos in 2010 and 2011 showed, though, that he is, at best, a work in progress when it comes to throwing the ball at an NFL level. He posted the worst completion percentage in the league. He was sacked a phenomenal amount behind an offensive line that did not have trouble pass-protecting for Kyle Orton (or for Peyton Manning in 2012). The Broncos tried to get around his limitations as best they could by instituting a run-heavy option offense. Tebow's experience should have made him a good fit there, but as long as he's played in an option-oriented scheme, his option decision-making has been relatively poor.

The Jets in 2012 tried to find a use for Tebow in the right niche, as a backup who drew occasional use in goalline and maybe some third down situations. The result was an unsuccessful season. Mixing Tebow in with Mark Sanchez only prevented either player from getting into anything like a rhythm and produced perhaps the league's most dysfunctional offense. Tebow barely threw the ball, but not because he didn't have opportunities to make plays in the passing game. He ran the ball much more than he threw it but his runs were inefficient. After drafting Geno Smith in the second round, the Jets released Tebow.

And now we come to the point where we were. What Tim Tebow has done at the NFL level indicates he does not do many things that can help an NFL team win games. Could he in time? Perhaps. Notwithstanding his flaws as an NFL quarterback, he remains an incredibly popular player, one who has won some games in the NFL thanks to a low-scoring defense and a healthy dose of luck, with a personal fanbase that will pepper his team with questions and claim he should be starting notwithstanding his lack of NFL success.

A good contrast with Tebow came in April's NFL draft. The biggest off-the-field distraction in terms of potential prospects came from Notre Dame middle linebacker Manti Te'o. His fake girlfriend story earned him a great deal of media attention, very little of it positive. His presence on an NFL team would inevitably produce jokes aimed at him and the team that drafted him. And where he did he go? Early in the second round, precisely where his on-field football talent indicated he should have gone. The San Diego Chargers drafted him because they thought he could fill the void at inside linebacker created by the loss of Takeo Spikes. That was enough to get him drafted pretty highly.