Skip to content

Best and worst offseason moves by every team: AFC South

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST

NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST

Houston Texans

Best: Winning the Tyrann Mathieu sweepstakes

After the Arizona Cardinals failed to come to terms on a restructured deal with Tyrann Mathieu and released him, the Texans quickly pounced on one of the biggest names on the open market and acquired the versatile defensive back on a reported one-year, $7-million contract.

Mathieu provides a significant boost to a secondary that will work in tandem with elite pass rushers J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney to pressure opposing quarterbacks into mistakes.

Head coach Bill O'Brien plans to keep "The Honey Badger" in a more traditional safety role, after he had often been asked to move around the field and accept a wide variety of assignments with Arizona. It's a decision that both sides hope will allow Mathieu to return to his All-Pro form of 2015.

Worst: Failing to trade up in the draft for WR help

The Texans entered the draft without first or second-round picks as a result of moving up to select Deshaun Watson and shedding Brock Osweiler's contract a year ago.

They were left with three third-rounders, and used them on safety Justin Reid (No. 68), tackle Marinas Rankin (No. 80), and tight end Jordan Akins (No. 98). Wide receiver Keke Coutee was then taken in the fourth round, the 10th receiver off the board.

In doing so, the Texans failed to properly address their receiving group. DeAndre Hopkins is an unquestioned star who makes those around him better, but incumbent No. 2, Will Fuller, has questions regarding both health and consistency, after scoring seven touchdowns on just 28 receptions in 10 games as a sophomore in 2017.

Indianapolis Colts

Best: Refusing trade offers for Jacoby Brissett

As the football world waits with bated breath for Andrew Luck to actually throw a real football in his attempted return from a shoulder injury that cost him the 2017 season, the Colts were wise to reportedly reject two trade offers for last year's starter.

Jacoby Brissett proved himself to be an adequate fill-in while starting 15 games - and playing in all 16 - in 2017. He completed 58.8 percent of his passes, threw for 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and rushed for another four scores.

Allowing him a second year to work with the offense on a seemingly improved team is a much better option than it would have been to hand the reigns over to any of the journeyman backups who were available as free agents this offseason, should Luck's return be further delayed.

Worst: Not doing enough to help T.Y. Hilton in the receiving corps

The Colts allowed Donte Moncrief to leave as a free agent at the conclusion of his rookie contract. Ryan Grant was then brought in on a reported one-year, $5-million contract, despite failing a physical with the Baltimore Ravens.

Grant set career highs with 573 receiving yards and four touchdowns with the Washington Redskins in 2017, but those are hardly the numbers of a certified No. 2.

Expect plenty of two tight end sets with Eric Ebron joining Jack Doyle, but Hilton will again be tasked with carrying the passing offense.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Best: Quickly signing Andrew Norwell in free agency

The Jaguars reportedly agreed to terms with highly-coveted guard Andrew Norwell before the official start of the free-agent season, landing the former Carolina Panthers All-Pro on a five-year, $66.5-million contract.

Norwell was graded as Pro Football Focus' No. 3 guard in 2017, and will now help running back Leonard Fournette improve upon a somewhat disappointing 3.9 yards per carry in his rookie season.

He'll also help provide quarterback Blake Bortles more time to make his reads and potentially further cut down on interception totals that have declined in each of the past two years.

Worst: Letting Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns walk, signing Donte Moncrief

What won't help Bortles was the choice to replace former No. 1 receiver Allen Robinson and No. 2 option Allen Hurns with Moncrief. Robinson and Hurns each enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, combining for 24 touchdowns, while Moncrief has never topped seven in a season and scored just two over 12 games in 2017.

Moncrief came much cheaper than his two predecessors on a one-year, $9.6-million deal, but the Jaguars are left with over $20 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, and have an inferior receiver.

Tennessee Titans

Best: Drafting Harold Landry in 2nd round

Landry entered the draft widely projected as a sure first-round selection, but concerns over knee and back issues allowed him to fall to the Titans at No. 41.

He recorded 16.5 sacks in 2016 but managed just five while being limited to eight games in his final season at Boston College.

The upside in adding the versatile 6-foot-2, 252-pound pass rusher clearly outweighed any medical risks for general manager Jon Robinson, and Landry could reward the Titans' faith by quickly emerging as the draft's best edge player.

Worst: Limiting Derrick Henry's touches

Big things were expected of 2016 second-rounder Derrick Henry in his third season. DeMarco Murray was allowed to walk as a free agent, as expected, but the Titans moved quickly to land former New England Patriots' utility man Dion Lewis to the second-largest contract given to a running back this offseason.

Lewis received a career high of 212 total touches last season, catching 32 of 35 targets out of the backfield and scoring nine combined touchdowns. Regardless of who wins the official No. 1 job on the depth chart, Henry will have a difficult time matching his 23-carry, 156-yard performance from the divisional-round loss to the Patriots.

AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST

NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox