The Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans should upgrade their secondary, tag, Michael Pittman Jr., free up financial space, and release Derrick Henry as their top objectives.
In 2023, the AFC South was crazy.
Nearly everyone anticipated heading into the season that the Jacksonville Jaguars would easily win the division, with the other three teams trailing in the race for second place.
Rather, the Houston Texans emerged victorious in the division behind C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans, while the Jaguars blew a sizable lead before collapsing due to injuries and a terrible secondary. The Indianapolis Colts, who unexpectedly finished above 500, were also only one victory away from a postseason spot.
What course should these clubs pursue throughout the offseason? We consider every circumstance.
Houston Texans
One move they should make: upgrade the secondary.
The Texans have plenty of cap space, with a projected room of more than $57 million, much like the Colts and Titans. Given that Houston just produced an incredible AFC South championship and a postseason victory, general manager Nick Caserio should be active in free agency.
Although the defense should be Houston’s priority, the team should keep tight end Dalton Schultz since it has solid weapons. The first thing the Texans need to do is re-sign edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who under DeMeco Ryans’ coaching had 12.5 sacks following three inconsistent seasons.
After that, Houston needs to add safety Jalen Pitre and corner Derek Stingley Jr. to their lineup in the secondary. Based on the available players, Caserio would be a good fit for corners L’Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, and Kendall Fuller, as well as safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Geno Stone, and Kyle Dugger. Still, for Houston to advance, the back end needs to be upgraded.
Indianapolis Colts
One move they should make: Use the franchise tag on Michael Pittman Jr.
The Colts have the fifth-most projected cap space in the NFL going into the summer with $58.9 million. Chris Ballard needs to utilize it now.
In free agency, the general manager of Indianapolis has mostly acted cautiously, but after witnessing first-year coach Shane Steichen nearly make the playoffs despite Anthony Richardson playing only four games, he needs to make improvements.
The Colts must tag or extend Pittman before making any other changes, even though they should include acquiring a receiver, tight end, edge rusher, and cornerback. The USC product has been outstanding throughout his debut campaign, recording two seasons with 1,000 yards or more despite subpar quarterback performance. Pittman’s standing should only get better in the upcoming seasons if Richardson turns out to be the solution.
Indianapolis has been without targets other than Pittman for a long time. The Colts will have plenty of skill-position potential if they can hold onto Richardson and then add another option to mix with Josh Downs, a second-year player.
Jacksonville Jaguars
One move they should make: fix their salary cap.
The Jaguars have spent a lot of money in free agency for what seems like a decade, only to be left with players who are deteriorating a few years later with bloated wages.
General manager Trent Baalke must let go of cornerback Darious Williams and left lineman Cam Robinson this summer to address his cap problems. With the $28.2 million Jacksonville would save and the possible $39.4 million boost in cap space, Baalke would have more time to become lean and uncover some good bargains.
Above all, this creates cap room so that Josh Allen may be signed to a contract or be tagged if necessary. After missing the playoffs and collapsing in the AFC South the previous season, Baalke needs to give his defense priority. Allen’s long-term contract must be signed before that can occur since he had 17.5 sacks and 33 quarterback hits in 2023.
Tennessee Titans
One thing they should make: Giive Derrick Henry the freedom to depart.
With the hire of Brian Callahan as head coach, the Titans are beginning again, and this summer, Ryan Tannehill is moving to a different zip code.
In addition, Henry is not worth keeping around, even with his great skills. The goal for Tennessee this summer should be to add youth while preserving as much cap space as possible as GM Ran Carthon evaluates the team with a new coaching staff.
Henry is 30 years old and remains a reliable back after leading the league in carries for four of the previous five years. This is demonstrated by his 1,167 running yards and 12 touchdowns. The Titans would be better suited to investing in younger receivers while also bolstering the offensive line behind quarterback Will Levis, who is in his second year.
Getting younger now should pay off in the upcoming years if Levis does turn out to be the solution in Tennessee.
