The Tennessee Titans made a blockbuster trade on Sunday by acquiring seven-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons. The trade was the latest — and most significant — move that will likely make the AFC South one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions during the 2021 season.
From the Jacksonville Jaguars drafting Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall to the Indianapolis Colts trading for Carson Wentz, every team in the division saw their roster improve throughout the offseason except for the Houston Texans.
First-year general manager Nick Caserio did a respectable job rebuilding the Texans following a 4-12 season. And in some instances, one can argue that Houston did enhance the talent at some of their most inferior positions — i.e. the addition of Philip Lindsay to a backfield that ranked 31st in rushing (91.6 yards per game) last season.
Despite the talent Caserio added, it is troublesome to note that the Texans lost both Will Fuller and J.J. Watt in the same offseason. The worst of the Texans’ offseason changes came by the development of a fractured relationship with Deshaun Watson, which resulted in the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback demanding a trade out of Houston.
The loss of Fuller, Watt, and presumably Watson led to the Texans being the only team in the AFC South whose roster did not improve this offseason.
Discussing what Jones’ trade to the Titans means for the Texans and their subpar offseason when compared to the rest of the division were the topics on the latest episode of Locked on Texans.
As is the old saying: tell me who’s playing on Sunday and I’ll tell you has a chance to win. The attrition of training camp, preseason, and the regular season will have an impact on game day rosters. With the way the Texans’ roster is constructed, they will be challenged every week.