After winning the AFC South in 2022, the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to keep control of it in the subsequent years. Although they didn't reach the cellar, they were close to it. Not surprisingly, the Jags cleaned house earlier this year and hired Liam Coen and James Gladstone to oversee the rebuild. The duo has wasted no time leaving their mark this offseason, releasing nine players ahead of free agency. Then, they signed nine.
All things considered, the Jags got better in free agency, and they did it without having to break the bank. Having said that, they weren't the only team in the division that tried to make upgrades to their respective rosters.
With this in mind, here's a ranking of the moves each AFC South team made in free agency:
4. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have struggled to remain relevant since reaching the conference championship in 2019. They tried several things but not much has worked. They fired Mike Vrabel last year and hired Brian Callahan to take his place. Similarly, they've had a revolving door at general manager.
After firing Jon Robinson in 2023, they hired Ran Carthon, but he also got the boot this offseason. Mike Borgonzi got hired to oversee a roster overhaul but isn't off to a great start. While he made it his priority to beef up the offensive trenches, the decision to overpay left tackle Dan Moore has raised eyebrows across the league. Moreover, he released Harold Landry III before free agency.
Borgonzi will have the chance to acquire talent in the draft, but his moves in free agency don't inspire much confidence.
3. Houston Texans
Like the Jaguars, the Houston Texans have made it their priority to help their young quarterback. The issue is that the moves they made hardly move the needle. For starters, they sent Pro Bowl left tackle Laremi Tunsil to the Washington Commanders and acquired Ed Ingram and Lake Tomlinson to bolster the offensive line. Both of them have starting experience but neither played particularly well in free agency
Aside from the additions to the offensive trenches, Houston traded for Christian Kirk (remember him?). He could help C.J. Stroud if he stays healthy, but the Jaguars wouldn't have moved on from him if they thought it could come back to haunt him.
In the end, the Houston get an A for effort but a D for the actual moves.
2. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts steered clear from free agency in recent years, but it looks like their general manager, Chris Ballard, is feeling the heat after failing to deliver results.
Sure, Indy lost offensive guard Will Fries but bolstered their secondary by signing Cory Ballentine, Charvarius Ward, and Cam Bynum. On top of that, they signed Daniel Jones to compete with Anthony Richardson. While the moves may not be enough to propel the Colts to the playoffs, they deserve a bit of praise for trying to get better, even if it's too little too late.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
As stated before, this is a ranking of the moves every AFC South made, not where they stand after the 2024 season. Because if that was the case, they would've landed at No. 3 or 4. Anyways, Jacksonville signed a versatile cornerback (Jordan Lewis), safety Eric Murray, and a pair of offensive linemen (Robert Hainsey and Patrick Mekari). All four should start in 2025, while wide receiver Dyami Brown should get a big workload.
Moreover, the team's brass added depth at tight end, quarterback, and the offensive line. While some of the moves aren't flashy, James Gladstone accomplished his goal of increasing the roster floor.