How Have the Jaguars’ AFC South Rivals Overhauled Their Rosters This Offseason?

How have the Colts, Titans, and Texans reshaped their teams during the offseason thus far?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a fairly busy 2020 offseason, but they aren't alone. In fact, the rest of the AFC South teams have been just as busy, each making big additions and subtractions that will eventually shape the division. 

While the Jaguars used the offseason to ship off older players with large contracts such as A.J. Bouye, Calais Campbell, Nick Foles, and Marcell Dareus, they also used the free agency signing period to improve the defense and the depth throughout the team. Inside linebacker Joe Schobert was the Jaguars' top signing, while defensive lineman Rodney Gunter, nose tackle Al Woods, tight end Tyler Eifert, defensive end Cassius Marsh, and cornerback Rashaan Melvin were all added to the roster as well.

But how do the Jaguars' offseason moves stack up to the rest of the division, and how will it impact the race to the top of the AFC South? We examined each of the most impactful additions and subtractions of the Indianapolis Colts, Tennesee Titans, and Houston Texans to determine an answer.

Indianapolis Colts

Notable Additions: QB Philip Rivers, DL DeForest Buckner, DT Sheldon Day, CB Xavier Rhodes, CB T.J. Carrie.

The biggest addition is obviously Philip Rivers, who is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career but is still known around Jacksonville as the ultimate Jaguars slayer. No other current quarterback has had as much consistent success against Jacksonville than Rivers, who is 7-2 in his career vs. the Jaguars and has completed 69.44% of his passes for 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions in those meetings. Just last year, Rivers shredded the Jaguars' defense to the tune of 314 yards and three touchdowns in only three quarters during a 45-10 Chargers win in Jacksonville. 

The other big additions the Colts made are focused on the defensive side of the ball. The Colts traded their 2020 first-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for DeForest Buckner, who is one of the top defensive lineman in the entire NFL and could wreak havoc vs. the Jaguars' offensive line for years. Sheldon Day is a solid rotational lineman, but Rhodes and Carrie don't provide much coverage value at this stage of their careers. 

Notable Subtractions: TE Eric Ebron, OL Joe Haeg, OL Josh Andrews, DT Trevon Coley, WR Devin Funchess.

Eric Ebron would have been a much larger loss if he left following the 2018 season, a year in which he caught 13 touchdowns and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. But in 2019, Ebron caught only 31 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games, with injuries and inconsistency sapping his effectiveness. 

Devin Funchess barely played for the Colts' offense due to an injury early in the year, while Joe Haeg played only 74 offensive snaps in 2019 and was mostly a reserve lineman. 

Houston Texans

Notable Additions: RB David Johnson, WR Brandin Cooks, WR Randall Cobb , S Eric Murray, OT Brent Qvale , S Jaylen Watkins.

The Texans have certainly tried to make their offense more explosive at the running back and wide receiver positions. On Thursday, they traded for speedy wide receiver Brandin Cooks, sending a 2020 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams in the process. 

Previously, the Texans signed slot wide receiver Randall Cobb to a three-year, $27 million contract earlier this offseason. They also obtained for Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson in a trade, though what they lost in that trade outweighs what they gained. 

Aside from these three players, the Texans added safety depth and potential short-term starters with Eric Murray and Jaylen Watkins, two veteran safeties with starting experience. 

Notable Subtractions: WR DeAndre Hopkins, DT D.J. Reader, CB Jonathan Joseph.

Each of the players the Texans lost this offseason has played large roles for the team in the past, so expect for the impact of their departures to be felt in big ways. DeAndre Hopkins is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and has been since he entered the league in 2013. Trading him to the Cardinals for a 2020 second-round pick and David Johnson means the Texans just lost Deshaun Watson's favorite target, and one of the most impactful skill players in the entire league. 

Meanwhile, D.J. Reader developed from a fifth-round pick in 2016 into one of the top nose tackles in the league. Reader collected 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss while clogging holes with tremendous proficiency in 2019, but he left the team to sign a big deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Joseph will be 36 during the 2020 season and is clearly past his prime, but he still started 11 games for the Texans' secondary in 2019 and was a valued veteran presence. 

Tennessee Titans 

Notable Additions: DE Vic Beasley, OT Ty Sambrailo.

Vic Beasley has been disappointing since he led the NFL in sacks in 2016 with 15.5, recording only 18 sacks in the three years since. He did record eight sacks in 2019 and his quarterback hits improved from eight in 2018 to 12 in 2019, but he is a streaky edge rusher who has loads of athleticism but isn't always able to translate it into production. 

Ty Sambrailo will likely take the place of swing tackle for the Titans after the team re-signed offensive tackle Dennis Kelly and lost right tackle Jack Conklin. Sambrailo has started 13 games and appeared in 57 games since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Notable Subtractions: OT Jack Conklin, DT Jurrell Casey, WR Tajae Sharpe, RB Dion Lewis, TE Delanie Walker, DE Cameron Wake.

Jack Conklin is a huge loss for the Titans considering the fact that he has been a mainstay in the offense since he became their first-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. In four seasons, Conklin started 57 games, making 16 starts in three of his four seasons. He also started in five playoff games and was a first-team All-Pro in 2016. 

Jurrell Casey, Delanie Walker, and Cameron Wake were all aging players who were past their physical primes, leading to the Titans ridding themselves of two of the franchise's most reliable players and a solid edge rusher. They netted a 2020 seventh-round pick from the Denver Broncos for Casey, but lost a consistent defensive tackle who started 14 games and recorded five sacks in 2019.