For the neutral observer, the AFC South has been one of, if not the, most exciting division to watch this offseason.
Whether it's the Titans trying to remodel their entire team in one offseason, the Texans revamping their entire defensive front, the Colts running everything back in impression fashion, or the Jaguars doing whatever they're doing, there hasn't been a single boring moment across all four AFC South rivals. Interesting? Sure. Debatable? Definitely. But you can't say that it's been boring.
And fortunately for the Titans, no other team in the division has been quite as aggressive. Offseason winners don't get a trophy, but Tennessee fans can at least be happy that the team has a clear direction and is actively trying to make it work.
The problem, of course, is that two (maybe three, if you're a Jags fan) of the division's other teams can confidently say the same thing. The AFC South has at least three teams on the rise, which is a surprising turn of events considering the state of that group over the last half-decade or so. And if you're a Titans fan (which we'll assume you are given where you're reading this), these are the six free-agent moves from division rivals that should terrify you.
Houston Texans overhauling their pass rush by:
1. Signing Danielle Hunter
It must be quite the luxury to lose out on a pass rusher like Jonathan Greenard – who signed a megadeal with the Vikings – and replace him with ... the same guy that Greenard's replacing in Minnesota.
Lining Hunter up opposite Will Anderson is the stuff of nightmares, especially for teams that maybe have a young, unproven second year quarterback who's playing in a new system for the first time.
Even with Hunter rapidly approaching 30, the pass rusher is coming off a career-best 12.5 sacks and has played in at least 16 games in six of the past seven seasons. He's only on a two-year deal, too, which means that by the time that age may catch up to him, he probably won't be the Texans problem anymore. Hope Dillon Radunz and Nicholas Petit-Frere are ready!
2. Signing Denico Autry
It's not even that Autry is a game-wrecker in his own rights – though he is coming off an 11.5 sack season – but simply the fact that he's the Texans *third* pass rusher.
Houston's going to be able to roll out a bunch of different looks on the defensive line, all of which include at least two premier pass rushers. In a vacuum, signing Autry isn't a decision that moves the AFC South needle too much, but put him up next to Hunter, Anderson, or in front of that secondary, and suddenly the Texans defense is downright frightening.
Their coach just so happens to be one of the brightest defensive minds in football, otherwise it'll probably be fine.
Jacksonville Jaguars remaking their secondary by:
1. Signing Darnell Savage
For a team that wants to air the ball out as much as the Titans (presumably) do, having Savage come to the division right when that begins is tough timing.
He finished 2023 as Pro Football Focus' 15th-best safety (out of 95) and has had multiple interceptions in three out of his five pro seasons, all of which were spent in Green Bay.
What's even scarier is that after a few years of being a liability against the run, Savage posted his best run-stopping grade ever last season. The good news is that he still misses a bunch of tackles, but if Savage is hitting his prime – which the stats seem to hint he might be – than the Titans have a problem on their hands for the foreseeable future.
2. Signing Ronald Darby
Savage was the big name signing, but Darby may be the smarter move for 2024. Darby's been around for almost a decade, and outside of one very bad season with the Eagles in 2019, he's been an above average player for the entirety of his career.
Last year, while playing with the Ravens, Darby had 30 tackles, five pass break ups, and an interception, all while holding opposing QBs to a 75.2 passer rating on throws directed at him. He's also cleaned up his game, too: after committing 14 penalties through the first four years of his career, Darby's only been flagged seven times in the five years since.
On paper, the Jaguars secondary seems equipped to handle the loss of Darious Williams and Rayshawn Jenkins pretty seamlessly.
Indianapolis Colts running it back by:
1. Re-signing Grover Stewart:
Yeah, he'll turn 31 next season, but Stewart can still play with the best of them – per PFF, each of his last five seasons have been better than the last. He had the best statistical season of his career in 2023, posting his highest overall defensive PFF grade ever and setting the lowest missed tackle percentage since 2020.
He's not exactly a threat to get to the QB – he's only ever gotten to four sacks once in a season – but he's one of the league's premier run-stoppers, which obviously has plenty of value on its own. The deal has an out after two years, too, so if Stewart's run-stopping production falls off a cliff soon, the Colts can bail before it really hurts them.
2. Re-signing Kenny Moore:
Depending on how you feel about various stats, Moore is either a good corner or a great one.
On one hand, he finished the year as PFF's 18th-best corner, had the best coverage grade of his career, and was back to his ball-hawking ways (three interceptions, two PBUs) after a down season in 2022. On the other hand, he was called for five penalties, allowed a passer rating of 98.3, and let up four touchdowns for the second straight season.
He's only 28, and the Colts got a sensible deal (three years, $30 million) done with him; there are way worse ways to spend $10 million a year. The Colts know what kind of defense they want to play and made the moves to ensure it happened – that type of confidence and execution should worry other AFC South fans, at least a little.