The AFC South is the most forgettable division in the NFL since realignment. The Jags ran it for a while, then Peyton Manning put an iron fist on the division. Houston had their moment in the sun, and the Titans also exist! It seems to be back to being the Jaguars’ turn to run things, though the division is finally interesting for once in its miserable existence.
The Jacksonville Jaguars
No offseason screams “we are begrudgingly moving forward with our quarterback” more than Jacksonville’s. They gave Blake Bortles an “extension,” that mostly consists of evening out his cap hit over the next three seasons, and giving them the flexibility to cut him in 2020. They ditched his top weapon (Allen Robinson) to bolster the run game (snagging Andrew Norwell). They also gave Bortles a red zone specialist (Donte Moncrief) and a release valve tight end (Austin Seferian-Jenkins). They’re going to be a run first and pass as an absolute last resort as long as Bortles is under center, and they’re seemingly Bort-proofing their offense in 2018.
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The Houston Texans
The Texans, and the NFL, were robbed of greatness last season as rookie phenom QB Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in practice, and wasn’t seen again for the rest of the season. They’ve made serious moves to wrest the mantle from the Jaguards to try to turn this into their division. They re-signed valuable free agents (Jonathon Joseph & Bruce Ellington) and went out to pull off a reclamation project on Tyrann Mathieu. Mostly, they’re hoping to get a fully functional Deshaun Watson. If they get an RB they like in the draft, look for them to ditch Lamar Miller and turn the reins over to a recovering D’Onta Foreman. It’s a new page in Texans history. They’re turning the page.
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The Indianapolis Colts
Who knows what’s going on with the Colts this offseason? Will they have Andrew Luck? Maybe? Maybe not? Why are you asking me, they literally have no idea. They have all the hallmarks of a team that is doing their best to keep their heads above water while their franchise-changing quarterback remains on ice. They snagged Eric Ebron and Ryan Grant, who are… fine. They have Matt Slauson at LG in an attempt to upgrade the offensive line. Those are pretty much the big moves for the Colts this offseason. They’re just hoping to get Andrew Luck back. If they don’t get him back, I’m sure Jim Irsay will figure out a way to dull the pain.
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The Tennessee Titans
If you can’t beat them, slowly turn yourselves into them. The Titans added two former Patriots in Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler, and as far as impact moves… That’s pretty much it. They snagged Bennie Logan from the Chiefs and cut DeMarco Murray, but neither really moves the needle. This offseason truly was a haul worthy of the Tennessee Titans. God, they are so boring.
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