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NASHVILLE – Quarterback Chris Simms is looking at about a 50-50 chance of staying on the 53-man Titans roster this seasons.

Simms, wh did not play in the Carolina game, is supposed to see some time against the Saints on Thursday. The deadline is Saturday for the roster to be cut to 53.

"There's maybe one or two guys that can change an opinion, whether it's my position or not, I don't know, nor do I care," Simms said Tuesday. "It is just about going out and doing my best and working on my craft.

" … I say it's 50-50 whether I am here or not. I have been around the NFL long enough to know what the heck is going on. I know we have four quarterbacks here and four pretty good ones, so we'll see what happens.''

Kerry Collins has stepped up his game enough to keep his backup job right behind Vince Young. Simms is 9-18 passing for 41 yards in two appearances, while rookie Rusty Smith is 16-30 for 144 yards with two interceptions.

Of the four quarterbacks, Collins is the only one with a touchdown pass.

Defensive end and rookie Derrick Morgan practiced once, and defensive tackle Tony Brown is doing the same this week.

Brown was on the Physically Unable to Perform list until Tuesday and got through his first practice since injuring his knee last year. The Titans have a walk-through today, so when Brown suits up against the Saints, he will have one practice down.

"I'm ready," said Brown, the team's best defensive lineman last season. "I'll be out there Thursday. I don't know how long I'll play and that don't even matter to me. I'll play as long as they need me to. I've just decided it's fun to be back out there running around pain-free, free of all that stuff in the past, so I'm just ready to roll."

Coach Jeff Fisher has ruled out defensive end Williams Haynes and tackle Mike Otto for Thursday's game due to knee injuries.

Linebacker Rennie Curran and defensive end Jacob Ford both have injured hamstrings, and guard Leroy Harris has a hurt ankle. None of them practiced Tuesday, but it is still unclear if they will play tomorrow.

Linebacker David Thornton has a hurt shoulder and is on the PUP list, but has not been ruled out. He has not practice since undergoing shoulder surgery last season,

Fisher said that Thornton “took a big step” in rehab on Monday.

When asked about whether the veteran player will be ready for the season opener, fisher said, "I think he's making strides, but I can't predict."

The Titans are going to switch up their rookie returners Thursday, Marc Mariani will take the first half and Damian Williams will be in the second.

Williams coughed up a fumble in the first half agains Carolina.

Mariana returned four punts with an 8.3 yard average and eight kickoffs with a 27 yard average. Williams has returned four punts with a 7.3 yard average and three kick offs at 25.3.

The Titans are going to start a “12^th Titan” initiative for fans at the September 12 opener, with the weekly honoree raising a flag in the south end zone plaza before kickoff of every home game,

According to the Titans, the honoree will have some roots in Tennessee and possibly be a celebrity, civic leader, community hero, fan or former Titans player.

 MAYOR BILL HASLAM CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE

August 31 – Sept. 4, 2010

Tuesday, August 31

Mayor Haslam will start the day conducting city business before attending campaign meetings and heading to Nashville for a candidate forum.

5:30 p.m. CDT                    Haslam will participate in the First Lady’s Student Town Hall at Conservation Hall in the Governor’s Residence in Nashville.

Wednesday, September 1

Mayor Haslam has various campaign meetings in Chattanooga including stops with existing industry leaders.

Thursday, September 2

Mayor Haslam has various campaign meetings in Hendersonville, Gallatin, Franklin, Christiana and Murfreesboro.

1:15 p.m. CDT                    Haslam will attend and speak at a meet-and-greet reception in Franklin. Media invited to attend.

LOCATION:         Old Franklin Courthouse, Community Room, 301 Public Square, Franklin

3:30 p.m. CDT                    Haslam will tour the Barrett Firearms Manufacturing facility in Christiana. Media invited to attend.*

                                                LOCATION:         5926 Miller Lane, Christiana

*MEDIA INTERESTED IN ATTENDING ARE ASKED TO RSVP TO DAVID SMITH BY THURSDAY AT 10 A.M.

5:30 p.m. CDT                    Haslam will attend the Middle Tennessee State football game.

Friday, September 3

Mayor Haslam has mayoral duties and events in Knoxville before attending the Bird Hunter’s Ball in Franklin.

6 p.m. CDT                          Haslam will attend the Bird Hunter’s Ball at The Factory in Franklin.

Saturday, September 4

Mayor Haslam will tour flood-damaged areas and knock on doors in Putnam County before heading to the Shelbyville Walking Horse Celebration.

9:30 a.m. CDT                     Haslam will tour flood-damaged areas in Putnam County with Tennessee State House candidate Ryan Williams. Media invited to attend.

                                                LOCATION:         Details to come

11 a.m. CDT                        Haslam will knock on neighborhood doors in Putnam County.Media invited to attend.

                                                LOCATION:         Details to come

3 p.m. EDT                           Haslam will attend a barbecue with State Rep. Jim Cobb in Spring City. Media invited to attend.

                                                LOCATION:         169 East Ridge Rd, Spring City

8 p.m. CDT                          Haslam will attend the Shelbyville Walking Horse Celebration.

Mayor Haslam is the two-term Republican Mayor of Knoxville, reelected in 2007 with 87 percent of the vote. A hardworking, conservative public servant, Haslam led Knoxville to become one of the top ten metropolitan areas for business and expansion, while reducing the city’s debt, tripling the rainy day fund, reducing the number of city employees to the lowest amount in 15 years and bringing property taxes to the lowest rate in 50 years.  An executive leader with a proven record of success, he helped grow his family’s small business from 800 employees into one of Tennessee’s largest companies with 14,000 employees.

For more information on Bill Haslam, please visit www.BillHaslam.com.

MURFREESBORO – Bassma Fathy looked on from the edge of a raised lot where four construction vehicles broke ground for an Islamic mosque were set afire early Saturday morning.

Fathy has lived in Murfreesboro all of her life. She grew up curious and with questions about her Islamic faith, but this is the first time she has seen violence against it.

"I think they (the perpetrators) are trying to send a message: Don't support them, don't help them, or you'll suffer the consequences," she said Sunday, referring to owners of the damaged equipment.

Essam Fathy, Bassma's father, is the chairman of the mosque's planning committee and a member of the advisory board. He said that detectives told him that this was a "very obvious case of arson."

Federal investigators are not officially saying that, however.

Agents showed up from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to process the scene on Veals Road on Saturday with help from the Rutherford County sheriff's office. ATF spokesman Eric Kehn said they will be able to release more details later on in the week.

The first put Fathy and other people involved in the Islamic community of Murfreesboro on edge, and two things happened on Sunday that could be seen as intimidation attempts got their attention as well.

CNN came to the construction site to interview Essam Fathy on Sunday around 3:15 when they heard six gunshots. County dispatchers got only one call reporting the shots fired and said that the sheriff's office is calling it an unconfirmed report.

A bit later, a horn blasted “Dixie” from a vehicle while driving by.

The Fatha\ys and others from the community are trying to put the incidents into perspective. Essam Fathy said they have had an outpouring of support from the community.

The suspected arson fire culminated months of debate over plans to build the mosque and came after the new start of the preparation work.

There have been Islamic families in Murfreesboro for more than 30 years without problems, Essam Fathy said.

Bassma Fathy believes strongly that those responsible represent a small portion of the community. "I've lived here all my life," she said. "People know us. They know what happens here is like at any church. We get together, we pray. We go to each other's graduations. We go to each other's weddings. It's just really surprising that this would happen."

The neighbors at Grace Baptist Church, next to the 15-acre mosque site, said that the arson was very disturbing.

"I don't think anyone rational would do something like that," said pastor Russell Richardson. "We want to be good neighbors to our neighbors, whoever they are."

Church member Betty Toler said they are supportive of their neighbors.

"We want to follow Jesus' example," she said, "and he loved everybody."

There is a candlelight vigil planned in front of the Rutherford County Courthouse in response to Saturday's fire. The vigil is planned for 7 p.m. And is intended to encourage supporters and opponents of the most to demonstrate for a violence, arson and intimation tactic free community.

The fire and the related investigation are expected to delay the construction of the mosque project by only three or four days, said mosque planning committee member Ossama Bahloul. The congregation is gathering money for the first phase of the project, a nearly 10,000 square foot worship house to replace the almost 3,000 square foot facility on Middle Tennessee Bouldecard.

Future phases of the building plan include a total of nearly 53,000 square feet of space, including an activity room, offices, gymnasium, a swimming pool, outdoor athletic fields and possibly a cemetery.

Essam Fathy said friends in Egypt are surprised to learn of the crimes against mosques such as the vandalism on Sunday. They cannot fathom this," he said. "They always look at the U.S. as the place where democracy is practiced best."

NASHVILLE – Bruce Levy, Davidson County's and the state's former medical examiner, worked out a deal on Thursday on charges in Mississippi of being in possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana.

Levy, 50, was put on pretrial diversion, with the possibility that the charges would be dismissed and his record expunged if he stays out of trouble for three years, according to his Nashville attorney, David Raybin. He will be given random drug tests and must comply with standard court probation rules.

Levy contracted to do some autopsies in Mississippi. He was arrested in march after a drug dog detected marijuana in a package bound for his Ridgeland, Mississippi hotel by courier service. A search of this hotel room turned up more of the drug.

After he was arrested, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation looked into whether Levy had taken any marijuana from the state evidence room or from bodies brought in for autopsies. The results from the TBI were given to the Davidson County district attorney, according to TBI spokeswoman Kristen Helm.

The D.A.'s office also looked into whether Levy's Mississippi arrest compromised any of the criminal cases he has testified in. According to Spokeswoman Susan Niland, no cases have been found to be affected.

The TBI report is being reviewed by the district attorney, Niland said.

Levy had been David County and Tennessee's chief medical examiner since 1998, president and CEO of Forensic Medical in Nashville and owned Global Forensics in Mississippi.

Levy still holds his medical license in Tennessee. The board that looks at disciplinary action against doctors has not issued any charges, said state Health Department spokeswoman Andrea Turner.

The Health Department is not allowed to comment on the status of a pending or not pending investigation if no disciplinary notice has been given.

Asked if he Levy will try to get a contract as medical examiner in Tennessee, Raybin declined to comment.

Levy has been released on $25,000 bond and could face up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.

Pretrial diversions are common with first-time offenders, said Jon Kalahar, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.