2023 NFL Free Agency Preview: AFC South

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The AFC South sits at a crossroads. The old guard faces serious upheaval, while younger teams look to veterans in free agency.

While no one could predict the topsy-turvy nature of the AFC West, the entire division faces an unsure future. For the better part of a half-decade, teams like the Colts and Titans dominated the division. Now, with the rise of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the division looks nothing like it did in 2018. Free agency remains the first stop in sound team construction. With that said, which teams will bring in quality veterans to bolster their roster?

Jacksonville (Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB)

For a team that caught fire late in the 2022 season, and made a decent playoff run, the Jaguars still need to smooth over rough edges. At nickel, Tre Herndon allowed seventy-nine percent completion over the past two seasons, allowing teams to pick on the slot wideout and move the ball. Conversely, Murphy-Bunting allowed only fifty-one percent completions last season. Murphy-Bunting, still only twenty-seven by the start of the season provides an immediate upgrade. Murphy-Bunting’s eyes and reflexes allow him to stay with slot receivers through option and traditional routes. Additionally, he can kick outside in case of injury. The AFC South teems with talented wideouts that line up everywhere. Teams must counter.

Indianapolis (Robert Tonyan, TE)

Granted, the Colts’ offense will look different next year, with the exception of Jonathan Taylor. If Indy trades for or drafts a quarterback, they will need a security blanket. Robert Tonyan provided that for the Packers. Now, with the quarterback situation up in the air around Lambeau, Tonyan could move. Plus, the Colts’ situation could attract him. The team plays indoors, not to mention, many of their games will be in temperate climates. Also, Tonyan could receive a heftier contract than if he stayed in Green Bay. Immediately, he would become the best tight end in the AFC South, Now, who throws him the ball this fall?

Houston (Bryce Huff, Edge)

Regardless of who the Texans draft to fill out their front seven, they also need depth. The new head coach inherits a headache of an administration and a defensive front with aging vets and a lack of talent. So, look at Huff contributing. He can operate in a 3-4 defense as a rush linebacker, coming off the edge, or as a 4-3 end that can also get home. What makes Huff an intriguing target is his efficiency. While he only saw 191 sacks, he tallied 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Make no mistake, Houston is an atrocious team. However, the AFC South has a habit of the unexpected.

(Olamide Zaccheaus, WR/KR)

Mike Vrabel returns with a new boss in Ran Carthon that isn’t loyal to him. Carthon didn’t hire Vrabel. Equally important, is an offense that scored fewer than twenty-one points twelve times in 2022. An anemic offense, predicated upon the run game and nothing else will not win many games in not only the AFC South but in the league, in general. Zaccheus, a player, more than capable of jumping into the slot, the backfield, and returning kicks provides the Titans with a dynamic playmaker that they do not have. In a matchup mismatch, Zaccheus will spread the field for the Titans, which lack any semblance of playmaking.