JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) _ The NFL has become a shrewd businessman's game, a vagabond world where loyalty lapses as soon as the next free-agency period begins.

That doesn't mean feelings don't get hurt.

And to hear Jaguars linebacker Lonnie Marts tell it, it doesn't excuse the way the Tennessee Titans treated him over two frustrating years, during a fractured partnership that ended bitterly over the summer.

The Titans and Jaguars match their 2-0 records Sunday in a game that means more to Marts than most.

"My problem with that organization was the fact that, since the day I got there, it seemed like they started trying to replace me," Marts said. "They recruited me hard. I picked my family up and moved there. Why recruit me so hard to come there and then turn around and try to replace me?"

They finally did replace Marts, and did it under the most awkward of circumstances.

It was July 28 when coach Jeff Fisher told Marts he had become a victim of the Titans' salary cap. There was talk of doing a new deal at a lower price, but that never materialized.

Meanwhile, the 10-year veteran had three young children about to start school. It was well past the time when experienced free agents get to pick and choose. In fact, Marts was lucky the Jaguars had $650,000 -- up to $1.1 million with incentives -- available for one season when they saw his name on the waiver wire a few days later.

He has made the best of his stay in Jacksonville, starting in place of injured outside linebacker Bryce Paup in the first two games.

Last week, Marts saved a 22-20 victory over Carolina by breaking up a pass on a 2-point conversion. This week, he could start at middle linebacker, thanks to Paup's return and an injury to Tom McManus.

It's that kind of versatility that made the Jaguars jump at Marts when he became available. It was the same talent he felt went unappreciated in Tennessee.

"I think you were looking at a guy who did everything they asked of them," said defensive tackle Gary Walker, another former Titan who signed with the Jaguars in the offseason. "He played as well as any of the other linebackers. You can see it on film. Then, in the offseason, you look in the paper, and they're always saying something bad about him."

Marts says he has no intentions of shaking Fisher's hand either before or after the game. In fact, he says his relationship with Fisher was practically nonexistent over the two seasons during which he started 29 of 32 games and averaged 45 tackles and 2{ sacks a season.

Always known as something of a players' coach, Fisher seemed surprised by Marts' comments.

"We communicated very well with Lonnie," Fisher said. "I think the bottom line was, Lonnie enjoyed playing here and wanted to be a part of what we had gotten going. It was just one of those situations where you have to make difficult personnel decisions and the players are obviously affected by it."

Walker says he harbors no bitter feelings toward the Titans, although he didn't like the offer they made him when he became a free agent after four years with the team.

"It wouldn't have taken much for me to stay," Walker said. "But if they say they got better by letting us go, then I'm happy for them. The NFL is a business. We all know that."

It doesn't mean they all like it, however.

Before playing at Tennessee, Marts was at Kansas City and Tampa Bay. He says he left both places as a free agent on good terms. This move was different. He felt the Titans held him over a barrel until the last moment, then never gave him a fair shot to compete for his job before giving up on him.

"I thought I'd at least get a chance to fight for my job," Marts said. "But knowing I was the type of player I was, they wouldn't allow that, because that would only create more turmoil there."

Asked how he views the first game against his old team, Marts smiled and shrugged.

"A battle," he said. "I understand that the best thing I can do is play as well as I can in this defense and give this team a chance to win. I have to try to look at it as just another game, because if I don't, I could get a little heated. I don't want to do anything to hurt this team's chances."

Especially not for this game.

TENNESSEE Season schedule and results

JACKSONVILLE Season schedule and results

September 12 Cincinnati W 36-35 September 19 Cleveland W 26-9 September 26 @Jacksonville 4:05pm ET October 3 @San Francisco 4:15pm ET October 10 Baltimore 4:15pm ET October 17 @New Orleans 1:00pm ET October 31 St. Louis 1:00pm ET November 7 @Miami 8:20pm ET November 14 @Cincinnati 1:00pm ET November 21 Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET November 28 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET December 5 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 9 Oakland 8:20pm ET December 19 Atlanta 1:00pm ET December 26 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET January 2 @Pittsburgh 4:15pm ET

September 12 San Francisco W 41-3 September 19 @Carolina W 22-20 September 26 Tennessee 4:05pm ET October 3 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET October 11 @NY Jets 9:00pm ET October 17 Cleveland 1:00pm ET October 31 @Cincinnati 1:00pm ET November 7 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET November 14 Baltimore 4:05pm ET November 21 New Orleans 8:20pm ET November 28 @Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 2 Pittsburgh 8:20pm ET December 13 Denver 9:00pm ET December 19 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET December 26 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET January 2 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

Copyright 1999 STATS, Inc. Commercial distribution without the express written consent of STATS is prohibited.