March 19, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak answers questions from reporters during the annual NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

We posted the first 2013 NFL Draft Spying article on the Jacksonville Jaguars the other day. Today we look at another AFC South team in the Houston Texans. Editor of FanSided’s Texans blog Toro Times, Ryan Cook, gives us the low down on what the Texans are looking like after free agency and what they’ll be looking for in the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft. Let’s dig in.

What positions are the Texans targeting in the first round of the draft?

This one’s easy, the Texans need a wide receiver, straight up. Replacing lost free agent Kevin Walter and finding someone to take the pressure off Andre Johnson is a must, but it’s also about finding another target for Schaub down the stretch. Johnson turns 32 this year, and there’s too much receiver talent in the early rounds to consider taking someone later on.

Are there any players the front office seems to covet at this point?

The Texans have done most of their spending. They’ve sured up guys like Brice McCain but added some experience in Ed Reed and Greg Jones, while leaving some cap space to play with later on. The only players the Texans seem to be interested in right now are draft prospects – based on their meeting with Tyrann Mathieu last week. Don’t expect many big signings before the draft.

Did the Texans fill any major needs through free agency? What were they?

The Texans have filled two big needs early. Ideally, general manager Rick Smith would have liked to hold on to Glover Quin, but signing Reed replaces his absence quite well. It’s obvious to say that Reed is a slight downgrade from Quin due to age, but Wade Phillips seems to like him. Reed should also help out the younger guys in the secondary, just like fullback Greg Jones should help keep Matt Schaub off the turf and set up some more rushing lanes for Arian Foster. He also has some receiver capabilities.

What was the Texans best free agent signing?

Ed Reed was the best signing, but Brice McCain was the most important. Last season he only had one interception and 24 tackles in the two games he started, but proved he can be a reliable replacement if guys like Johnathan Joseph fall injured again. There’s not a lot of depth at corner for the Texans, so bringing McCain back was big.

Which needs still exist after free agency, heading into the draft?

Aside from finding a wide receiver in the first round, adding both an inside and outside linebacker in the second or third rounds is big priority. The Texans lost Connor Barwin to free agency, and there were a lot of issues covering tight ends and receivers on shorter routes last season. Brian Cushing isn’t guaranteed to be his old self after coming off ACL surgery either.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Texans MLB Brian Cushing comes back off his torn ACL. I had forgotten about that injury this past season. We’ve all seen the Titans WR Kenny Britt struggle to come back from it, as well as DE Derrick Morgan. We’ve also seen the freak recovery of Adrian Peterson. Who knows how Cushing will fare.

As for the Texans WR need, I hope they don’t find another Andre Johnson. There definitely doesn’t appear to be an Andre Johnson in this draft, but who knows.

15 days until the 2013 NFL Draft.

You can find me on Twitter @JustinLStewart

November 3, 2012; Gainesville FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Matt Elam (22) during the first quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In preparation for the 2013 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans have been bringing in a few draft prospects for visits, amongst other players. Here are some of the safeties they’ve met/will meet with thus far, courtesy of Jim Wyatt:

•  Matt Elam, Florida
• Kenny Vacarro, Texas
• J.J. Wilcox, Georgia Southern

The Titans have also met with the following prospects:

• OL Jonathan Cooper, South Carolina
• DE/OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU
• DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

They’re keeping their options open, obviously. They still have 16 days until the 2013 NFL Draft but I’m sure that they’re aren’t wasting any of it. The first few rounds of drafting could be key for the Titans this year as they look to break into the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Mock drafts have the Titans taking a variety of different players with their first pick, including WR Cordarrelle Patterson, OL Chance Warmack, OL Jonathan Cooper, S Kenny Vacarro, and DE Ezekiel Ansah.

As you can tell from the lists above, safety and defensive line are two spots that they could be looking to bolster in the draft and are widely expected to address.

Our our writer David Fleming has been looking at some of the top prospects at each position as the draft approaches. Browse through some of his articles to get to know some of the players that could be future Titans.

You can also take a look at our recent 2-round mock draft a few of us put together. Things got a little crazy, but it’s something to help numb the brain until the draft arrives.

I know I’ll probably be beating my head against a wall until the Titans pick is called…

You can find me on Twitter @JustinLStewart

Credit: Justin Stewart/Titan Sized

There’s a little over two weeks left until the 2013 NFL Draft and teams around the AFC South are tidying up and bringing in future draftees for visits. News isn’t exactly pouring out right now, but here’s some of the better ones from the past few days:

• The guys over at Black and Teal released a 3-round mock draft the other day and have the Jacksonville Jaguars taking CB Dee Milliner with the 2nd overall pick, the Tennessee Titans taking WR Cordarrelle Patterson with the 10th pick, and (the surprise pick) the Houston Texans taking QB Matt Barkley. That’s definitely an mock.
• Are you a total babe? Well, I’ve always thought the Houston Texans had some of the most gorgeous cheerleaders in the NFL and they’re having their annual tryouts. 35 ladies will make the “final roster,” if you will.
• Toro Times looks at what the Texans have left in cap space and some of the vets they could still be looking to add to the roster before the draft. With just under $4 million, it might be a tough squeeze to add much more.
• I don’t mean to toot our own horn here, but Joshua Huffman wrote up a great piece the other day about the Titans trading back into the later end of the 1st round. He looks at pick values and what the Titans options are. It’s definitely worth the read.
• No one is really sure whether the big, secret free agent that Jim Isray was talking up on Twitter early in free agency was WR Darius Heyward-Bey or not, but I would hope not. The Indianapolis Colts got DHB for a good deal, and he’s got some upside, and having Andrew Luck throwing to him could be the thing that gets him over the hill. The Raiders certainly didn’t present the best scenario.

There’s a brief glimpse at what’s been going on around the AFC South this past week.

You can find me on Twitter @JustinLStewart