With free agency approaching, it’s almost the time of the offseason where teams may take a splash to acquire that player they need to help them compete for the illustrious Lombardi Trophy. Today, we’ll take a look at each team in the AFC South and decide what each team needs heading into 2021 free agency.
Tennessee Titans (11-5)
Projected Cap Space: $13.5 million
1. Bolster the pass rush
It’s no surprise that the Titans defence wasn’t great last year, and a lot of that blame falls onto the pass rush. The Titans ranked near the bottom of the league in sacks per game (1.4), so improving the pass rush should be this front office’s first goal in free agency. (The Titans plan to sign linebacker Bud Dupree in free agency to a multi-year deal that will pay $16.5 million annually)
2. Acquire a wide receiver
With Titans receiver Corey Davis coming off of a career year and with Tennessee’s current cap situation, it may be possible that he may be out of their price range. If so, it’s important that the Titans find another receiver to complement A.J. Brown to help give more diversity to their offence.
3. Find a suitable replacement for Jonnu Smith
With the Titans letting Jonnu Smith sign a big contract with the Patriots, it’s clear that there’s a big hole at tight end for the Titans now. It’s important that the Titans find a suitable replacement for Smith that doesn’t break the bank.
Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Projected Cap Space: $46.7 million
1. Fill the void at left tackle
With the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, it’s left a huge void on a very prominent Colts offensive line. Picking up someone like Eric Fisher or Alejandro Villanuava could help fill that hole. If not, Carson Wentz could be facing edge pressure all day.
2. Improve the secondary
While the Colts secondary was good last year, they did allow 7.3 yards per attempt and were heavily reliant on creating turnovers. This kind of defence can be very unsustainable, so it wouldn’t hurt to add a couple new faces into the secondary.
3. Resign defensive ends or look for new options
With both starting defensive ends Justin Houston and Denico Autry hitting the open market, it could leave a huge hole in their defence if they choose not to resign either of them. It probably won’t be cheap to resign both, so don’t be surprised if Indianapolis chooses to move away from at least one of them this upcoming free agency.
Houston Texans (4-12)
Projected Cap Space: $17.7 million
1. Improve the offensive line
If Houston wants to try to please Deshaun Watson, improving the offensive line would be a good first start. Watson took 49 sacks last season, ranking second only behind Carson Wentz, so bolstering this offensive line is a must for Houston this upcoming free agency.
2. Get Watson more weapons
With Houston opting not to franchise tag Will Fuller, it leaves a massive hole at the receiving core for Houston. While Deshaun did make it work last season putting up great numbers, it can’t hurt to improve this receiving core in either the draft or free agency.
3. Address the cornerback situation
Houston arguably had one of the worst secondaries in the league last season, and that’s mainly because of their weak cornerbacks. With at least two vacancies there heading into free agency, it’s important that Houston tries to improve this position if they don’t want to be as pathetic defensively as they were last season.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
Projected Cap Space: $73.3 million
1. Improve the receiving core
With receivers Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole and Chris Conley all hitting the market, it’s important that the Jaguars find some good weapons to surround their potential saviour Trevor Lawrence with. If you want to give your young QB the best chance to succeed, surrounding him with good weapons would be a great start.
2. Boost the defensive line
It wasn’t that long ago that the Jaguars had one of the most fearsome front seven in the entire league. Now, it’s just a mess. The line got little production outside of Josh Allen, so improving the line is another priority for this front office heading into free agency.
3. Improve the secondary
Jacksonville had one of the worst secondaries in the league last season. The only person who’s locked in as a starter in this upcoming season is 2020 top-10 pick C.J. Henderson. Look for the Jaguars to start from scratch again in their secondary this offseason.
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