Houston Texans
DeMeco Ryans was unhappy with the offense last season so he fired OC Bobby Slowik along with their offensive line coach and hired Nick Caley, who is coming from the Rams. Caley spent the last few seasons under Seah McVay and before that spent a number of years in New England so he has a varied offensive background. The defense was excellent last season and Ryans is looking to build on that on that side of the ball.
QB CJ Stroud had a sophomore slump compared to his rookie season but then again, his rookie season was great so it’s all relative. The offense was pedestrian at best with unimaginative play calling, an offensive line that was awful, and a WR group that was thinned out by injury. WR Nico Collins is one of the best in the league but by the end of last season he was a one-man show. Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell both got injured and the team decided to be sure they aren’t short-handed this year. Diggs is gone and Dell’s injury was late in the year and devastating so no one’s sure when he’ll be back and they probably aren’t counting on it this year. The Texans traded for Christian Kirk to start in the slot. They drafted Jayden Higgins and he’ll start at the X. Collins, Higgins, and Kirk are a good trio for Stroud. They didn’t stop there, they drafted Jaylin Noel, he backs up Kirk. They signed Justin Watson from Kansas City; he’ll back up Higgins. And they still have Xavier Hutchinson and Braxton Barrios too. TE Dalton Schultz is a solid player and is backed by Cade Stover.
The offensive line was abysmal last year so they turned it over completely this off season. Initially the plan was replacing Laremy Tunsil at LT with Cam Robinson but rookie second rounder Aireontae Ersery beat out Robinson. That’s good news since Robinson is a replacement level player only. Tytus Howard was supposed to be one of the guards but he’s taken the RT spot from Blake Fisher. Fisher was pretty awful last year so it’s not surprising. At guard, they have Laken Tomlinson on the left side and Ed Ingram on the right. Those two were terrible in Seattle and Minnesota respectively last year so they have to be hoping they will be better in Caley’s offense, that’s a major bet they’re making. At center they had both Jarrett Patterson and Juice Scruggs, guys who have started before, but it’s former Patriots’ castoff Jake Andrews who won the job out of camp. Andrews is a talented player who was just never healthy in New England. He might be an upgrade if he can stay healthy.
RB Joe Mixon carried the load last year but he’s already hurt and it’s not apparent when he’ll be ready to play. Nick Chubb is his backup but reports from camp are he looks slow coming off his injuries. Dameon Peirce has been underwhelming which leaves rookie Woody Marks looking to carry the load, that’s not ideal. Someone is going to have to be the RB here, it’s just not clear who’s going to take the job.
The Texans’ defense has been good under DeMeco Ryans and last year they were very good. The front is led by DE Danielle Hunter and DE Will Anderson Jr. They are a dynamic pair off the edge but they need a little more help inside. A healthy return for guys like Folorunso Fatukasi and Denico Autry would help. They re-signed Sheldon Rankins who was good for them two years ago but was awful in Cincinnati last season. They hope Darrell Taylor gives them some edge depth with Derek Barnett too.
The LBs are solid but not spectacular. MLB Azeez Al-Shaair is well-versed in Ryans’ defense and Christian Harris and Henry To’o To’o are solid players flanking him. CB Derrick Stingley Jr. is one of the two or three best corners in the NFL and they rely on him to take his guy out of the offense. CB Kamari Lassiter was a steal in last year’s draft and held up quite well opposite Stingley. FS Calen Bullock also stepped in as a starter last year and he was quite good. The team traded for CJ Gardner-Johnson in the off season but he just had a knee injury that is going to affect his availability. They still have Jalen Pitre and he’s an excellent nickel but he may have to play some more traditional safety if Gardner-Johnson is out very long.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The front office and coaching staff have undergone complete makeovers and it was all overdue. GM James Gladstone replaces Trent Baalke and Liam Coen comes in at head coach. The roster isn’t changing a ton because they have some good players and they believe a better coaching staff will get more out of these guys. It starts with Coen bringing in a new offense which is long overdue.
QB Trevor Lawrence is signed to a major contract and the team’s success is tied to him whether they like it or not. Coen was hired to do what Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson couldn’t do, get Lawrence to live up to his considerable talent. Lawrence is one of the most physically gifted QBs in the league but hasn’t had an offense that takes advantage of him. Coen got the absolute most out of Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay last season and while Tampa’s WR group is more accomplished than the one the Jaguars have, the Jaguars have some serious talent to work with.
Brian Thomas Jr. was electric as a rookie and established himself as an elite WR even in a bad offense. The team signed Dyami Brown to a decent one-year contract after his solid season in Washington and he gives them another skill set. Finally, the team traded up in round one to get Travis Hunter and while they do plan on using him some at CB, his primary role for now will be as the WR2 for this team. They made a late preseason trade for Tim Patrick from Detroit, he’s a solid pickup. All three of those guys can be legitimate playmakers. The team let Evan Engram go at TE but Brenton Strange is a good young player who probably fits Coen’s offense a little better.
The offensive line isn’t teeming with elite players but the team hopes they have upgraded at a few spots and that the whole will be more than the sum of its parts. Coen had a good offensive line in Tampa and they hope he can work some magic here. LT Walker Little took over for Cam Robinson last year and while he’s not a Pro Bowler, he’s better than Robinson. They traded for Ezra Cleveland and then re-signed him so they hope he’s solid at LG. RT Anton Harrison wasn’t as good last year as his rookie season but he still has talent. The C and RG spots are new as Coen imported Robert Hainsey to take over in the pivot. Hainsey lost his job to a rookie in Tampa Bay last season so he’s certainly not elite but he’s better than Luke Fortner. Patrick Mekari has been a long-time Raven who filled a lot of holes with his versatility. The Jags want him to stick at RG and replace Brandan Scherff who they let go. It’s possible the line is better but that’s not a guarantee.
Travis Etienne has been the starting RB whenever he’s been healthy for the last several years but they always seem to be trying to replace him. Tank Bigsby is the guy they brought in two years ago and he has yet to prove to be better. They drafted Bhayshul Tuten this year but I’ll believe they are changing RBs when I see it. Etienne is always underestimated but seems to hold on to the job.
The defense is returning almost fully intact from a personnel standpoint which means Coen is placing a lot of trust on new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile turning this unit around. Campanile is inexperienced as a coordinator so it’s going to be interesting to see what he does. There is talent to work with so it’s not impossible this defense can be good. The front features DE Josh Hines-Allen and DE Travon Walker on the outside. These two can get the pressure of the edge any team would desire so that’s a good start. They aren’t great in the middle with DaVon Hamilton and an aging Arik Armstead at DT. That’s assuming Armstead his healthy enough to play. It would help if one of the backups like Maason Smith or Austin Johnson could contribute.
At LB, Devin Lloyd is a solid MLB and Foyesade Oluokun is fine on the weakside but hopefully Campanile’s defense puts them in better positions to succeed and uses their strengths. The strongside LB is Yasir Abdullah who’s a young player without a lot of experience or Dennis Gardeck, a veteran coming off an injury.
The secondary would be helped out if Travis Hunter was going to be a full-time CB but for now, he’s going to be used situationally. CB Tyson Campbell is a solid CB1 even if he’s not one of the top players at the position. Jarrian Jones will try to hold up as the other outside CB with Hunter likely to step in when needed. They signed Jourdan Lewis to be their nickel corner and he’s a good player when healthy but that’s not a guarantee. At safety, Eric Murray is a veteran they have penciled in at SS with Andrew Wingard at FS. Not the best duo but if the front is good that will help the back end.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are going into the second year of Brian Callahan’s tenure and they are doing it with a new QB, Cam Ward. Callahan’s offense wasn’t in the best hands last year with Will Levis which is why they took Ward first overall. They also decided to help the offensive line out with some changes and the offense should be better. The defense has Dennard Wilson back at DC and they hope to make strides on that side with a few changes.
Cam Ward is a dynamic player who should give them a higher ceiling than Levis was giving them. Callahan’s offense is in better hands with Ward. The entire QB corps turns over as Levis is out for the year with an injury so it’s Ward, backed up by Brandon Allen. There is also massive turnover at WR. Calvin Ridley returns as the top player at the position but the rest of the roster will be new. Veterans Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett were signed to give the offense more consistency. Lockett is aging but he can still play. Jefferson is okay but has never really excelled. They also drafted a couple of rookies in Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. This should be a solid group for Ward. TE Chig Okonkwo is a solid player in the passing game too.
RB Tony Pollard was a 1000-yard rusher last year behind a suspect offensive line and on an overall suspect offense. He’s a good player and it should really help him out to get a better line up front. The team seriously overspent to get LT Dan Moore in free agency but he was the best LT they could sign and he upgrades two positions for them. Moore is a better LT than JC Latham was last season as a rookie. Latham is a natural RT and now he moves back to that position and should be a massive upgrade over the guys they played at the position last season. The also signed veteran RG Kevin Zeitler and while he’s getting up there in age, he’s still playing at high level. Zeitler and Latham on the right side could be a devastating combo. LG Peter Skoronski needs to play well but having a better LT next to him should help. It would also be very helpful if C Lloyd Cushenberry returns healthy. He was having a good year before he got hurt and they need his consistency inside.
The defense returns all three starters up front with Sebastian Joseph-Day, T’Vondre Sweat, and Jeffrey Simmons. Simmons is one of the better DTs in the league and he’s a force up front. Sweat had a very good year as a rookie at NT and made the line much stronger. Joseph-Day is a veteran who can hold his own. They don’t have great depth so they need these guys healthy. At OLB they will go with Arden Key and most likely Dre’Mont Jones who they signed from Seattle. Jones is a strange OLB being 6’3 281 lbs., not your typical speed rusher off the edge. Key is a decent rotation guy but shouldn’t be a full-time player or really a starter either. They are certainly hoping rookie Oluwafemi Oladejo out of UCLA can give them something off the edge. Cody Barton was signed to pair with James Williams Jr. at ILB. It’s not a great pair but they should be serviceable.
The secondary needs L’Jarius Snead to return at CB after the money and draft capital they spent last year to get him. He’s coming off an injury but they need the CB1 they paid for or things get rough quickly. Jarvis Brownlee Jr. was a great find at the other CB spot in the fifth round of last year’s draft but he needs to be the #2 guy. Roger McCreary is a good nickel guy and they don’t have depth behind these three. Amani Hooker is a seasoned veteran at SS and they hope veteran Xavier Woods is a good pickup at FS. Rookie Kevin Winston Jr. was a solid pickup in round three of this year’s draft to be the third safety.
Indianapolis Colts
GM Chris Ballard has been around a long time and while head coach Shane Steichen has only been around a few years, both guys are tied to the QBs they have chosen to have here. Anthony Richardson was supposed to be that guy but they are going with Daniel Jones instead. Their owner Jim Irsay passed away this off season so now his daughters are in charge and Ballard may not have the job security he’s enjoyed before if this QB choice kills their season.
Richardson is still just a thought experiment at this point and it’s hasn’t gone well. We know what Daniel Jones is and while it’s not good, it’s preferable to Richardson at this point. It’s not great when you’re looking at rookie third stringer Riley Leonard and thinking “hey, why not.”
The passing game is dependent on the QB raising the level of the WRs because while Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, are a solid trio of players, they aren’t world beaters on their own. These guys need a QB who makes them better. Maybe second year WR AD Mitchell is a guy with that kind of talent but he’s still raw. TE Tyler Warren was drafted to give this team a playmaker because the WR group is just a group of good players, not difference makers. Daniel Jones doesn’t inspire confidence but he has a higher floor, in theory, than Richardson. Ballard and Steichen could be gone quickly if this goes off the rails early in the year.
The other issue is the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann has really developed into a good player and they signed him to a contract extension, that’s good news. LG Quenton Nelson probably isn’t the dominant force he once was but he’s still a good guard. His draft classmate RT Braden Smith was never as dominant like Nelson but he’s always been steady. He’s been dealing with some mental health issues so the team has to hope he’s ready to play all year. The real issue is at center and RG where two second-year guys are looking to take over. C Tanor Bortolini is being counted on to replace Ryan Kelly while Matt Goncalves is looking to replace Will Fries full-time at RG. Goncalves played some for Fries last year but now these jobs belong to them. Kelly was aging and Fries had some injury issues but these two were awesome when they played together. Bortolini and Goncalves have big shoes to fill. RB Jonathan Taylor is one of the best in football but he does need some blocking to get going. That’s especially true if the passing game isn’t threatening anyone.
The biggest change on defense is the scheme as the team is moving on from Gus Bradley and hired Lou Anarumo from Cincinnati. Cincinnati’s defense has struggled under Anarumo but that was largely due to them ignoring the defensive personnel, the Colts added some good pieces in the off season. They are largely unchanged up front as they are hoping for development from Latu Laiatu at DE after a solid rookie year. Kwity Paye is the other DE and they hope getting Samson Ebukam back as a pass rusher helps. DT DeForest Buckner isn’t getting any younger but he can still play. Grover Stewart is even older but he’s still solid. They could use some young depth to step forward.
The LB group is underwhelming with MLB Zaire Franklin and assumably Cameron McGrone at the other spot. Franklin is fine but he’s 29 and undistinguished at this point. McGrone is going into year five and hasn’t really done anything at all. Where this team made some moves in the secondary where it was certainly needed. They signed CB Charvarius Ward after going years without a real CB1, Ward is that guy. They cut JuJu Brents after another lost season to injury which leaves Jaylon Jones as the other starting outside CB. Kenny Moore II is back as the slot guy, he’s still really good there. At safety, they team signed Cam Bynum at FS and he was very good in Minnesota last year. Nick Cross returns at SS and he’s fine. The best news is that Lou Anarumo can put together a good defense if he has the guys to run it and this group has the type of solid veterans he prefers because it’s generally a complicated game plan. The LB group leaves plenty to be desired but if the Colts are bad, I don’t think it will be because the defense is terrible. It will be because the offense left the defense on the field too much.
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