Here are some of the bigger stories around the National Football League today:

Chiefs Hire Chris Ault as a consultant – Pro Football Talk

Redskins Sign Brandon Jenkins and Bacarri Rambo – HTTR4LIFE

Titans Rookie OTA Report: C Brian Schwenke Leads By Example – Music City Miracles

Ravens Sign Four More Undrafted Rookies – Baltimore Beatdown 

Bears Could Cut Carimi, two years after taking him in Round 1 – Pro Football Talk

Patriots cut Brandon Deaderick – Pro Football Talk

Police Say Titus Young's Car Was Involved in Two Incidents Before Arrest – Pro Football Talk

The 5-3 Colts will head into Jacksonville this Thursday for Andrew Luck's first ever primetime NFL match up. The 1-7 Jaguars won't be an easy win though for the Colts in the AFC South. Simply put, this game is a classic trap game for the Colts. When it comes to the Jags and the Colts, they have a lot of history and you can throw the records out of the window.

If someone told you before the season that the Colts would be in a position to go 6-3 then you'd likely think they were crazy. Indy enters this game averaging over 390 yards in total offense per game to the Jags 254 per game. Andrew Luck has been very good and has also looked like a rookie at times. Helping the youngster is the sure hands of Reggie Wayne who has caught 61 balls for 835 yards and 3 touchdowns after shocking the NFL in his move to return to Indianapolis despite a veteran exodus this summer. Vick Ballard and Donald Brown have also been solid in the backfield for Luck combining for 585 yards on the year.

The Jaguars are a team still searching for an identity and without their start running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Blaine Gabbert has improved slightly but he's still only averaging 178 yards per game. Cecil Shorts has been a pleasant surprise for a team still lacking weapons. The Mount Union alum has 456 yards and 3 touchdowns this year.

Prediction: Jaguars 16, Colts- 13, Whhhaaaat? Yes people. This game has all the makings of a trap game. Look for the Jags crowd to be pumped up and for Rashad Jennings to have a big night toting the rock. But really defense will be the game changer for this one.

1. Atlanta Falcons

2. Houston Texans

3. New York Giants

4. Chicago Bears

5. San Francisco 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers

7. Baltimore Ravens

8. New England Patriots

9. Denver Broncos

10. San Diego Chargers

11. Minnesota Vikings

12. Philadelphia Eagles

13. Minnesota Vikings

14. Cincinnati Bengals

15. St. Louis Rams

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. Arizona Cardinals

18. Buffalo Bills

19. Indianapolis Colts-

20. Washington Redskins-

-The Redskins evened up their record to 3-3 with a strong offensive performance against the Minnesota Vikings, unfortunately the defense is nearly as bad as the offense is good. If not for an amazing run by Robert Griffin III to seal the game late in the 4th quarter the Redskins could have very well lost. Washington faces a big test this week as they head on the road to New York where they face the Giants.

21. New Orleans Saints-

22. Detroit Lions-

23. Miami Dolphins

24. Carolina Panthers-

25. Seattle Seahawks-

26. Tennessee Titans-

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-

28. New York Jets-

29. Oakland Raiders

30. Jacksonville Jaguars-

31. Cleveland Browns-

32. Kansas City Chiefs-

1. Houston Texans

2. Atlanta Falcons

3. San Francisco 49ers

4. Chicago Bears

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. New York Giants

7. New England Patriots

8. Minnesota Vikings

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

10. San Diego Chargers

11. Cincinnati Bengals

12. Philadelphia Eagles

13. Denver Broncos

14. Green Bay Packers

15. St. Louis Rams

16. Dallas Cowboys

17. Arizona Cardinals

18. Buffalo Bills

19. Indianapolis Colts-

20. Seattle Seahawks-

21. New Orleans Saints-

22. Detroit Lions-

23. Miami Dolphins

24. Carolina Panthers-

25. Washington Redskins-

-The Washington Redskins lost another close game, falling to 2-3 this season. The running game continues to impress, but the passing game took a big step back this week. Making matters worse star rookie Robert Griffin III was forced to leave the game after sustaining a concussion, leaving his status as questionable for this coming week. The Redskins defense looked a little better, but was still a major weak point, while once again special teams miscues hurt their chances of winning.

26. Tennessee Titans-

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-

28. New York Jets-

29. Oakland Raiders

30. Kansas City Chiefs-

31. Cleveland Browns-

32. Jacksonville Jaguars-

1. Houston Texans-

2. San Francisco 49ers-

3. Atlanta Falcons-

4. Baltimore Ravens-

5.Philadelphia Eagles

6. New England Patriots

7. New York Giants-

8. Green Bay Packers-

9. San Diego Chargers-

10. Pittsburgh Steelers-

11. Arizona Cardinals-

12. Denver Broncos-

13. Chicago Bears-

14. Minnesota Vikings-

15. Cincinnati Bengals-

16. Detroit Lions-

17. Dallas Cowboys-

18. Buffalo Bills-

19. Carolina Panthers-

20. Washington Redskins-

-The Redskins evened their record to 2-2, while continuing to show one of the best offenses in the league. The rookie combo of Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris has been nearly impossible for opposing defenses to stop. Unfortunately the defense still hasn't shown any ability to stop opposing offenses and special teams miscues have really hurt the Redskins. The Redskins schedule is about to get a bit tougher as the Falcons and Vikings come into town the next two weeks.

21. Tennessee Titans-

22. New York Jets-

23. New Orleans Saints-

24. St. Louis Rams-

25. Miami Dolphins-

26. Seattle Seahawks-

27. Indianapolis Colts-

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-

29. Kansas City Chiefs-

30. Cleveland Browns-

31. Jacksonville Jaguars-

32. Oakland Raiders-

1. Houston Texans:

-The Texans remain undefeated and are clicking on all cylinders. They can beat you in a variety of ways and remain a very dangerous team that no one wants to see on their schedule right now.

2. Atlanta Falcons:

-The Falcons are playing excellent football right now and have one of the deadliest passing attacks in the league. Trying to cover Roddy White, Juilio Jones and Tony Gonzalez is next to impossible.

3. San Francisco 49ers:

-The 49ers dropped a tough one on the road to the Minnesota Vikings, but I'm not going to drop them too far in my rankings, because overlooking a weaker opponent happens. Their wins the first two weeks were still very impressive. .

4. Baltimore Ravens:

-The Ravens won a close game Sunday Night versus the Patriots to go to 2-1. Joe Flacco had another great game, and if he keeps playing like this they will be tough to beat this year.

5. Philadelphia Eagles:

-The Eagles are 2-1, and haven't played that great in terms of turnovers, their talent is still readily apparent.

6. Arizona Cardinals:

-The Cardinals are the NFL's surprise undefeated team, especially given that they beat the Patriots and the Eagles . They have a talented defense and a great wide receiver, but other questions remain for this team. They are off to a good start though and can stay in the playoff mix.

7. Green Bay Packers:

-The Packers should be 2-1, but they also managed to score just 12 points against the Seattle Seahawks. Their high powered offense just hasn't been there this season and is a growing concern.

8. New York Giants:

-The Giants have beaten up on the Buccaneers (though the game was close) and the Panthers, but face a tough test this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.This will be a good test for them, and it will be interesting to see if they can rise to the occasion..

9. San Diego Chargers:

-The Chargers are playing pretty solid ball so far, and very much should win the AFC West (though mainly by default)..

10. New England Patriots:

-The Patriots could easily be 2-1, but they have some questions after that Ravens game. After really shutting down Baltimore's offense the first couple of drives, Joe Flacco and Ray Rice lit up the Patriots defense..

11. Chicago Bears:

-The Bears rebounded in a big way against the Rams, but their offense still doesn't seem to be clicking on all levels. They face a tough Dallas team this week, that would be a big win for them.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers:

-The Steelers all but had that Raiders game locked up and completely sputtered at the end of the game. That is a tough loss, since it was one of the easier games on the Steelers schedule this year.

13. Denver Broncos:

-The Broncos had probably the toughest schedule to start the season, and it showed with a 1-2 start. They have the talent to turn things around but they have to get going soon if they don't want to miss out on a playoff chance.

14. Detroit Lions:

-The Lions get one more week in the top 15 here, but they probably don't deserve it after their pathetic performance of trying to stop Jake Locker last week. The good news is they may have finally found a running game to balance out their passing attack.

15. Dallas Cowboys:

-The Cowboys may be 2-1, but that wasn't a great showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their home opener. Dallas needs to close out drives better as they go up against better teams.

16. Cincinnati Bengals:

-The Bengals won a high scoring game on the road against the Redskins, but some questions still persist. Their running game was completely stopped by a Skins defense that got rolled over on the week before on the ground. The Bengals also couldn't stop the run, which is never a good thing when you play in the AFC North.

17. Seattle Seahawks:

-The Seahawks are 2-1, and even if they should have lost that game, they did play a heck of a game. Their home field advantage is huge if it can make both the Packers and Cowboys struggle that much. Seattle still needs to show that they can be a balanced team, but they should be fun to watch this year.

18. Buffalo Bills:

-They may be 2-1, but the Bills suffered another running back injury to C.J. Spiller. While Fred Jackson may be ready to return it is safe to say their ground game is a little off. That could spell trouble for a Bills team that relies so much on the running game.

19. Carolina Panthers:

-The Panthers had a dud week against the Giants, and need to show that their impressive week 2 win over the Saints wasn't a fluke. Their defense needs to start to find ways to stop teams, and their running game needs to be more effective.

20. New York Jets:

-The Jets squeaked out an overtime win against the Dolphins, but the bigger story is the loss of Darrelle Revis for the season. With the way their defense has struggled so far, this could spell some major issues going forward.

21. Tennessee Titans:

-The Titans looked very impressive against the Lions, though their running game is still non-existent, which doesn't bode well going forward.

22. St. Louis Rams:

-The Rams struggled versus a tough Bears defense, but hung in the game for a while due to their own emerging defense.

23. Minnesota Vikings:

-The Vikings had a very impressive win at home versus the 49ers, and don't look now but Christian Ponder is among the league leaders in passer rating. It is still too early to tell if they are legit though, but the Vikings are playing better football that is for sure.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

-The Bucs played the Cowboys very tough on the road and could have stolen that game. Their offense just isn't fully clicking though and that seems to be a problem. They have to try to contain Robert Griffin III this week which is no easy task.

25. Washington Redskins:

-The Redskins rushing offense looks to be a very effective unit so far, unfortunately that has been the only area of the team that has played with any consistency. Struggles along the offensive line are making the passing offense come back to earth and the defense has been pretty pathetic with the exception of a few big plays that has helped keep them in games. The Redskins will head out on the road for the third time this week, as they go to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in what is turning into a must win game for the Redskins.

26. Miami Dolphins:

-The Dolphins are playing everyone close, and probably should be 2-1 after blowing a close one to the Jets. Ryan Tannehill does look like a rookie sometimes, but overall he's playing well. The real issue is if Reggie Bush is seriously injured as he's been the majority of their offense.

27. Kansas City Chiefs:

-The Chiefs are off the winless list, but just barely. They need to find a way to play up to their talent level.

28. New Orleans Saints:

-The Saints fall to 0-3 with losses to the Chiefs, Panthers, and Redskins. Things don't get any easier as they have the Packers this week.

29. Indianapolis Colts:

-The Colts lost a tough one to the Jaguars on Sunday, but overall are still the better team due mainly to their quarterback Andrew Luck. That defense will keep the Colts at the bottom of this list, but their offense could be a force next year.

30. Cleveland Browns:

-The Browns are 0-3 and having a rough year, especially with Joe Haden out due to suspension (2 more weeks). Both Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson have been okay, but neither has been able to carry this team (esp. when the other is struggling).

31. Jacksonville Jaguars:

-Blaine Gabbert may have grown a little as a quarterback, but that was a lucky play to beat the Colts and doesn't seem to be anything more than that. MJD does seem to be back in mid-season form though.

32. Oakland Raiders:

-It was a great come from behind victory for the Raiders, but essentially through three games they've gotten beat for 15 of the 16 quarters, that isn't a good sign going forward.

This offseason had a flurry of activity around the NFL, but what single addition will mean most to their respective franchise?

1. Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos:
Many of us never thought we'd see Peyton Manning in any other jersey than that of the Indianapolis Colts, but after a lost season and the first without Manning this century. With Manning out for the year, due to a neck injury, the Colts dropped to the NFL's worst team and "earned" the first overall pick in the draft. It just so happened that this year's number one overall prospect may be the best since Manning. So the Colts ended up cutting the veteran and looking to the future with Andrew Luck. After being chased by a number of teams including the, Redskins, Jets, 49ers, Dolphins, and Seahawks, Manning decided to head west and team up with legendary quarterback John Elway with the Broncos.

After running one of the NFL's most unorthodox offenses in 2011 the Broncos now look to install a more traditional passing attack. No one is sure if Manning has fully recovered from his nerve surgery but the Broncos were willing to roll the dice on the future Hall of Famer. To help Manning the Broncos brought in one of his former tight ends, Jacob Tamme. Can Manning get the Broncos back to the postseason by passing to relatively unproven receivers like Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker? It'll be interesting to watch. Remember, we had never heard of guys like Dallas Clark and Austin Collie before Manning made them stars.

2. Mario Williams, DE, Buffalo Bills:
Mario Williams struggled with injuries in 2011 as he missed 11 games in the regular season. With the Texans transitioning to a 3-4 defense under Wade Phillips and the emergence of guys like Brooks Reed and JJ Watt, Williams was a bit more expendable for Houston. The six year veteran and the leagues top defensive free agent only visited one destination on his free agent tour and the spot may have be the most unlikely of destinations.

The Buffalo Bills signed Williams to a six year, $96 million guaranteed contract to help turn the attitude of a franchise around that has not been to the playoffs since 1999. Williams will look to get comfortable back with his hand on the ground in a 4-3 defense and return to his dominate, Pro Bowl form.

3. Carl Nicks, OG, Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Carl Nicks is arguably the NFL's best interior lineman, so it wasn't surprising the 27 year old veteran would get a huge contract on the open market. Nicks is now leaving the New Orleans Saints for a fat paycheck from the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. By signing Nicks for five years and nearly $50 million, along with veteran receiver Vincent Jackson, the Bucs look to improve an offense that was anemic in 2011. Nicks should be a huge asset for quarterback Josh Freeman and running backs Doug Martian and LaGarrette Blount.

4. Brandon Carr, CB, Dallas Cowboys
The knock on the Cowboys the past couple of years has been it's defensive secondary. Due to this Jerry Jones open his check book to take veteran corner Brandon Carr away from the Kansas City Chiefs for five years and $50.1 million dollars. Carr has never been a Pro Bowler but he is a very solid corner who had four interceptions for the Chiefs last year. Carr should also thrive because the Cowboys traded up in the first round of the 2012 draft to obtain cornerback Morris Claiborne from LSU. The combination of these two corners could become one of the best in the NFL.

5. Brandon Lloyd, WR, New England Patriots
Brandon Lloyd has flamed out as free agent before as a Washington Redskin. After two failed years in DC and a brief stint with the Beats, Lloyd resurrected his career in Denver in 2010 where he went for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2011 the Broncos decided to go away from the passing attack and traded the veteran wide receiver to St. Louis where he finished the year with nearly 1,000 yards between the two teams. When the offseason struck Lloyd seemed to want to play for one team and one team only…the New England Patriots. Lloyd signed three year, $12 million deal to become Tom Brady's new weapon and should be a key player for the Patriots this year. When we look back on the 2012 season, Brandon Lloyd may be praised as the biggest free agent pick up by any team.

St. Louis Rams:

2011 Record and Recap:

2011 Record- 2-14, 4th place in the NFC West

Recap-

The Cardinals thought they found their quarterback of the future when they traded for Eagles back-up Kevin Kolb last offseason. Unfortunately that didn't work out as Kolb struggled mightily, and got injured. Though it wasn't entirely his fault as much of the offensive line and receiving corps (outside of Larry Fitzgerald) struggled, he will get most of the blame given what they gave up for him. The Cardinals defense remains promising and keeps getting better, though they do need additional secondary help, if they want to take their game to the next level.

 Offseason Recap:

NFL Draft: DT Michael Brockers, WR Brian Quick, CB Janoris Jenkins, RB Isaiah Pead, S Trumaine Johnson, WR Chris Givens, K Greg Zuerlein

Key Losses: RB Cadillac Williams, WR Brandon Lloyd, WR Mark Clayton, G Jacob Bell, G Adam Goldberg, C Jason Brown, DE James Hall, DT Justin Bannan, DT Fred Robbins, DT Gary Gibson, OLB Chris Chamberlain, OLB Brady Poppinga, CB Ronald Bartell, CB Justin King, K Josh Brown, P Donnie Jones.

Key Additions: WR Steve Smith, OT Barry Richardson, C Scott Wells, DE William Hayes, DT Kendall Langford, DT Trevor Laws, OLB Mario Haggan, OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, CB Cortland Finnegan

2012 Outlook:

Offense-

What a difference a year can make. Sam Bradford won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010, performing very impressively for a St. Louis team that didn't have any play-makers outside of Steven Jackson. However, Bradford's completion percentage dropped from 60.0 in 2010 to 53.5 in 2011, while his YPA remained the same. He also had 18 touchdowns to 17 turnovers (15 INTs, 2 fumbles) as a rookie, but saw that ratio plummet to six scores compared to 13 give-aways (6 INTs, 7 fumbles).

So, what happened? A number of things, actually. Danny Amendola, Bradford's favorite receiver, went down in Week 1. That could have been the culprit for his slow start, but he didn't improve much after the team dealt for Brandon Lloyd. Bradford suffered a high ankle sprain in October, a malady that lingered throughout the season, but he was already struggling before that.

The biggest reason for Bradford's regression was the offensive line. The blocking unit was simply dreadful. It surrendered a league-worst 55 sacks, and was just as dreadful at the end of the season as it was in September. Left tackle Rodger Saffold's play really fell off. He was solid in 2010, but happened to be responsible for 11 sacks and 10 penalties last year. Meanwhile, right tackle Jason Smith didn't see much action because of lingering concussion symptoms. He's been a huge bust anyway, so it's a shame that the Rams failed to find anyone to upgrade the position. Had they stayed at No. 2 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, they could have selected Matt Kalil and moved Saffold to right tackle. But that did not happen, much to the chagrin of Bradford.

The interior of the offensive front was just as anemic. Center-right guard Jason Brown and left guard Jacob Bell were awful, so neither will be back. St. Louis was able to find a replacement at center with former Packer Scott Wells, who signed a 4-year, $24 million contract this spring. Wells is one of the top centers in the NFL, so he'll provide some stability to the offensive line next to Harvey Dahl, who is also decent. Unfortunately, someone named Bryan Mattison is occupying the left guard position, which will probably prove to be disastrous.

It's clear that the offensive line hasn't improved enough, so Bradford will probably struggle and get banged up once again in 2012. He might actually be ruined anyway. Bradford quite frequently appeared as though he felt phantom pressure in the pocket last year. No one can really blame him because he's been knocked around so many times, but it appears as though he may have already developed David Carr Syndrome. And there's no turning back from that.

It definitely doesn't help Bradford's cause that the front office failed to find a No. 1 wideout for him. St. Louis spent top-100 selections on receivers Brian Quick and Chris Givens, but both are rookies and cannot be counted on, especially when the former is considered a raw, long-term project. Lloyd is also gone, but on the bright side, Amendola is back from his triceps injury.

Stephen Jackson is still a top running back, but he needs the line to improve and the passing game to open up some opportunities for him. Otherwise teams will continue to stack the box, significantly reducing his effectiveness. Isaiah Pead was selected in the 2nd round as a change of pace option, and he could be valuable as a returner and receiver out of the back-field as well.

Offensive player to watch: TE Lance Kendricks

-The receiver depth chart is improved, but still a work in progress meaning Sam Bradford will be looking for a reliable option. A role that we should see Kendricks adapt too. He's a nice movement tight end, though not much of a blocker. St. Louis needs to find ways to feature him and create mismatches with his speed. He should be in line for a number of targets this season as Bradford needs a hot read to dump the ball too.

Defense-

While the defense projects to be much better than the offense, it has enough holes to prevent it from becoming an elite unit – including the absence of shamed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

The linebacker position is a mess. James Laurinaitis, manning the middle, is a very good player, but there is little on either side of him. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, a major liability in every facet of the game, will be the starting strongside linebacker. The third man in the group is the recently signed Rocky McIntosh, who underachieved in Washington. If McIntosh can't play well, it'll be up to 2010 undrafted free agent Justin Cole, who has never played a single defensive snap in his professional career.

The safety area is also a problem. Strong safety Quintin Mikell struggled a bit in coverage last year. The free safety position will be a battle between the anemic Darian Stewart and third-round rookie Trumaine Johnson. If Johnson wins the job, the Rams could receive a boost, but he's a pretty raw prospect.

St. Louis' stop unit has a bunch of strengths, however, starting up front. Chris Long is one of the top defensive ends in all of football. He recorded 13 sacks in 2011, which is really impressive because the Rams were often behind, meaning the opposition didn't have to throw very much. Robert Quinn will start opposite of Long. The second-year lineman had five sacks in 2011, four of which came in Week 8 or later, so there's a good chance he'll improve upon his seasonal total this year.

The Rams entered the offseason with two glaring holes at defensive tackle. They may have filled them with Kendall Langford and Michael Brockers. Langford isn't very good against the run, but he can create a consistent pass rush on the interior. Brockers, the 14th-overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, is the complete opposite. He's young and raw, and doesn't have the necessary pass-rushing skills just yet. He can really do a good job of clogging running lanes, however.

St. Louis should produce a decent sack total – it had 39 of them in 2011 – which will make life easier for a solid group of cornerbacks. The Rams' big free-agent acquisition was Cortland Finnegan, who inked a 5-year, $50 million contract in March. Finnegan, formerly of Tennessee, led all corners in surrendered YPA (4.3) last year.

Despite signing Finnegan, the Rams didn't have a worthy No. 2 corner to play across from him entering the 2012 NFL Draft. They may have fixed that by obtaining Janoris Jenkins in the second round. Jenkins has major character concerns, but there's no questioning his unbelievable talent. He would have been a top-15 selection had he not gotten kicked out of Florida for a series of marijuana-related arrests. Jenkins has sworn to the media that those days are behind him, but he'll have to prove it.

Defensive player to watch: DE Robert Quinn

-Quinn had by most accounts a solid rookie year, but there was still some room for improvement. With a bolstered defensive line this year Quinn should have more freedom to operate and could be in line for double-digit sacks. He's got a quick first step and can help cause havoc for opposing offenses.

Overall:

The Rams are still rebuilding so there is no shame in a poor record but they need some individuals to step up. In particular the success of this season is based on the growth of Sam Bradford. If he can get back on track then the Rams have a bright future. They still need to sort out their receiver depth chart and secondary, but both should be more promising units. Talent still remains lacking along the offensive line and at the outside linebacker positions.      .

2012 Record Prediction: 5-11