2013 Offseason Needs: AFC South

This week and next, between Tuesday and Friday, I am going through the NFL division-by-division, writing about what each team needs to address this offseason. I have covered the bases in the AFC East and AFC North, so today I move on to the AFC South.

I won’t pretend to know every detail of what each team needs, but am open to comments from those who may know better what their teams need.

Houston Texans

I like Houston in 2013. J.J. Watt stepped up in a huge way this year and I expect more of the same. Brian Cushing will be back, too, so I have no doubts that the defense will be ready to carry this team at least as far as it went this year.

The offense is what concerns me. Arian Foster is a premier NFL back, and they have one of the best receivers in the NFL in Andre Johnson. Matt Schaub just does not look good when they go up against anything better than a mediocre defense. Cincinnati’s defense, which was little more than ‘up-and-coming’ this year, made him look incompetent in the postseason.

There is no expectation that Schaub could be out in Houston, but he needs to find his mojo, which he lost sometime around 2010, because this is a Super Bowl contender doomed for Divisional Round exits if he doesn’t step his game up.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts underwent a total overhaul last offseason and found themselves in the playoffs, so they have to be feeling very good about what just a few changes could bring in 2013.

Bruce Arians is out as he takes over head coaching duties in Arizona, but the Colts were quick to bring in one of Andrew Luck’s coaching from Stanford, so we shouldn’t see the loss of Arians affect him too much next season.

The big name among Indy’s free agents is Dwight Freeney, but losing him won’t be as big a blow as fans want to think it will be. Freeney is getting older and isn’t what he was during the mid-2000’s when the Manning Era looked like it may never end.

The offense is just about set, all Indy needs is a lineman or two who can protect Luck better than the unit did in 2012. On defense, the pass rush was a weak point for Indianapolis this season, but mostly because receivers were getting open too quickly down the field. The top priority needs to be the secondary, then the Colts can look to add a linebacker and replace Freeney if he does, in fact, leave.

Jacksonville Jaguars

I’ll tell you right now, the Jaguars will not be turning any heads in 2013. This team looks hopeless right now, and teams that look like that don’t turn things around in one offseason. Nobody likes to hear this, but what Jacksonville needs to do is treat this process as a multi-season thing. If they look for a quick fix, not only will it fail but it will make the process of turning this team into a contender take much longer than it has to.

The Jaguars have the second pick in the draft, and they need players on defense. They need offensive weapons, too, but defense was their weaker point this season. Of course, drafting that pick could help more because then they can add players on both sides of the ball.

Gabbert needs to be Jacksonville’s man, and they need to get him the offseason work he needs. They have to make sure Maurice Jones-Drew is fully recovered and they might want to get a decent backup, because they didn’t have anything this season once he went down.

The defense needs a total overhaul, each part needs to be replaced or refurbished. If the Jaguars can do enough to notch six wins in 2013, then next offseason could hold brighter tidings in the crystal ball.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson needs to get back in his groove next season to take the pressure of Jake Locker, who came on strong this year but is still too young to trust as much more than a game manager.

Offensively, I like where Tennessee is going. They are slowly looking more and more like the Titans of the late 90’s, a team I thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Defensively, the Titans need work. The line and secondary are clearly the biggest areas in need of improvement, depth at linebacker is important, too. They lost Colin McCarthy, a very good young linebacker, to ankle and concussion injuries for most of the 2012 season and nobody was there to step into his role.

Tomorrow I will go through the AFC West, looking at each team’s offseason outlook just like I did for the AFC South today. Keep up with new posts as I publish them by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and by following me on Twitter, @cpuffnfl.