USA TODAY International Edition
Texans, Jaguars at crossroads with QBs
With free agency starting March 9, USA TODAY Sports will look at all eight NFL divisions and what could be in store for teams this offseason, as well as the moves they should make. First up, the AFC South: HOUSTON TEXANS Prominent free agents: CB A. J. Bouye, DT Vince Wilfork ( considering retirement), P Shane Lechler, S Quintin Demps, LB John Simon, K Nick Novak. Primary issues for 2017: The Texans thought they solved their biggest question a year ago in signing QB Brock Osweiler. But after he struggled and was eventually benched late in the season, quarterback might be an even bigger issue now. The problem Houston faces is the financial commitment to Osweiler in 2017, without any sign that he’ll be a better player. Do the Texans stick with him, or do they make Osweiler an extremely well- paid backup to Tom Savage? Or does Houston make a big splash and try to sign Tony Romo?
Our advice: Cutting Osweiler doesn’t make financial sense, so the Texans must focus on other important contracts to ensure they can be playoff contenders as they work through their quarterback issues. The priorities must be on re- signing Bouye, who had a breakout season in 2016, and extending the contract of No. 1 receiver DeAndre Hopkins. And offensive line must be a focus in free agency and the draft, with an aging left tackle ( Duane Brown) and questions at right tackle as Derek Newton tries to return from a devastating knee injury. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Prominent free agents: TE Jack Doyle, S Mike Adams, OLB Trent Cole, CB Darius Butler, ILB D’Qwell Jackson, OLB Erik Walden. Primary issues for 2017: The Colts took care of QB Andrew Luck’s contract last year and invested heavily in the offensive line. But that didn’t fix all of the issues. New general manager Chris Ballard must try to quickly rebuild the defense after years of free agent misses and draft busts. It won’t be easy, as the Colts need upgrades at every level.
Our advice: Having a quarterback who eats up so much of the cap ( Luck counts $ 19.4 million against it this season) makes things a bit more challenging for Ballard during free agency. Still, the emphasis must be on defense, and especially at pass rusher now that Robert Mathis has retired. That will make Ballard’s first draft even more important as he needs to find young players who can contribute immediately. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Prominent free agents: G Luke Joeckel, CB Prince Amukamara, DE Tyson Alualu, S Johnathan Cyprien, T Kelvin Beachum, DE Jared Odrick.
Primary issues for 2017: Is Blake Bortles the long- term quarterback? That’s the biggest question the new regime of head coach Doug Marrone and executive vice president Tom Coughlin must answer. The Jaguars have built a good, young defense, but Bortles’ development — or lack thereof — will determine whether they can compete in 2017. He can’t do it alone, of course, and Jacksonville needs to strengthen the offensive line and the running back position.
Our advice: The Jaguars should give Bortles another year — with a short leash and expectations of real improvement. Drafting another developmental passer could give him a push in the right direction. Jacksonville made significant investments on defense in recent years, but that doesn’t mean general manager Dave Caldwell and Coughlin should be done spending there. The Jags could use another pass rusher to help Dante Fowler and 2016 rookie Yannick Ngakoue. With money to spend, an interesting name is Jason Pierre- Paul, who played for Coughlin with the New York Giants. TENNESSEE TITANS Prominent free agents: WR Kendall Wright, G Chance Warmack, LB Sean Spence, TE Anthony Fasano, S Rashad Johnson, QB Matt Cassel. Primary issues for 2017: The Titans were a nice surprise in 2016 as they pushed for the division title, but they will spend most of the offseason without QB Marcus Mariota, who suffered a broken leg in a late December game. That’s a major setback for an offense that likely will feature several new wide receivers. How much can the Titans continue to progress while their franchise quarterback is on the sideline?
Our advice: Thanks to last year’s trade with the Rams, the Titans own two first- round picks at No. 5 ( from the Rams) and 18. GM Jon Robinson again should try to trade one of those picks — and he could get a nice haul. The Titans also should be aggressive in free agency to upgrade the receiving corps to give Mariota a more consistent top target outside of tight end Delanie Walker.