"The party line out of Titans Central has been no comment on the latest entries in the sordid saga that is Adam "Pacman" Jones' NFL career.

Can't say I blame them. The less said, the better.

For the Titans, this is the ultimate in addition by subtraction. It is a weight off the franchise, which has reinvented itself and now sits atop the NFL as the league's only undefeated team.

Like general manager Mike Reinfeldt noted recently, it's a relief that when they flash a picture of Pacman on the TV screen after some off-field indiscretion, he's now shown in a Cowboys uniform instead of a Titans jersey.

Pacman's exit via a trade in April is symbolic of a change in the culture of the organization. After a couple of years where egos and individualism ate away at the team concept, the Titans have gotten back with the program. Through six games in '08, this team is greater than the sum of its parts.

In the dozen years since the NFL landed on Tennessee turf, we finally have realized that there really is a difference between a good locker room and a bad locker room. When the Titans hit on hard times in 2004 and '05, there was a certain air of discontent surrounding the team. It went deeper than merely losing games. There was bad chemistry and a bad mood.

It took a while to clear the air, but now things are different. There is a shared vision for the post-Pacman Titans.

"We all look out for each other," said offensive tackle Michael Roos. "Everybody's putting the team first."

I give management credit for much of this. Potential draft picks have been screened more carefully in recent years. Likewise, character and leadership are taken into consideration when free agents are courted.

Things turned around in 2006 when the Titans signed Chris Hope, Kevin Mawae and David Thornton. Nick Harper came aboard a year later. Recent arrivals Alge Crumpler, Jevon Kearse and Jake Scott have been upgrades in both the huddle and the locker room.

None of these was a top-tier free agent acquisition. But the Titans got it right. All are good players and good citizens who fit into the system.

Titans move on, up"