The AFC South as a division wasn’t really active in free agency compared to the rest of the NFL. Where does that put them with the rest of the NFL?
According to Michael Colangelo of the Touchdown Wire, the AFC South is the fifth-best division in the NFL after the first wave of free agency.
The Indianapolis Colts got the biggest haul in free agency with the addition of defensive lineman DeForest Buckner and the signing of Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers. The Tennessee Titans came in second for basically doing nothing except re-signing quarterback Ryan Tannehill and using the franchise tag on running back Derrick Henry.
Houston comes in third, chiefly for their inability to get a better offer in their trade of DeAndre Hopkins.
Somehow the Texans, a team that won the division last year is third in the AFC South. No one knows what Bill O’Brien is doing with his star players. He somehow didn’t get a first-round pick for DeAndre Hopkins — or Jadeveon Clowney last year — and now there are some big question marks that the Texans need to address before the season starts.
The Texans’ big question marks could be solved in the NFL Draft. Other than that, there isn’t a cupboard of draft picks that O’Brien can use to trade for quality veterans.
The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled up the rear in the rankings and are projected to be in rebuilding mode for 2020. For the rest of the AFC South, that is good news as they know where to get a division win.
If the 2020 NFL season started within a week, it would be unfavorable starting position for the Texans. However, there is still the draft and offseason workouts to help determine the shape and direction of the team. But as thin as Houston’s front line talent is, they can’t afford any injuries.
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