NFL Team Needs: AFC South

There was a time when the AFC South was one of the league’s best. But with the Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis appearing to come to a close and Tennessee and Jacksonville in the midst of rebuilding, Houston is the only team in the division that could be considered to be among the best in the league.

Where will the teams in the AFC South look to improve during the offseason? Let’s take a look

.

Houston Texans
Safety
The Texans have done a remarkable job in turning one of 2010’s worst defenses into a formidable one in 2011. But the process isn’t complete, and getting some more help in the defensive secondary is a must. Cornerback isn’t a pressing need (although it could be improved still), but the Texans need to get a solid safety if they want to continue the defensive improvement in 2012.

Outside Linebacker
Mario Williams has been a cornerstone of the franchise since he was drafted, but he’s set to become a free agent and there will be a ton of teams lined up to make him a huge offer. If Houston can’t keep him, getting another playmaker to take over at his vacated OLB spot will be crucial.

Defensive tackle
Houston has made a very smooth transition into Wade Phillip’s 3-4 defense, but that’s not to say there aren’t holes that need filling. They could benefit greatly from getting a younger defensive tackle that is more suited for Phillip’s 3-4 scheme.

Indianapolis Colts
Interior Offensive Line
If Indianapolis drafts Andrew Luck in the first round as expected, they must ensure he’s going to have the offensive line to protect him. Both center Jeff Saturday and right guard Ryan Diem are aging and the Colts need to find their replacements. In addition to revamping the interior, the Colts could use a right tackle as well.

Cornerback
Plenty was made of the Colts issues on offense without Peyton Manning, but the defense was going to struggle whether Manning was healthy or not. They’ve got more than enough undersized corners that rely on physical play, but they were out matched all year and are in desperate need of new, younger talent.

Quarterback– The Colts have plenty of positions to worry about, but they’ll use the first pick in the draft to address the quarterback spot. Manning has served well as the face of the franchise for over a decade, and Indianapolis can only hope Luck will do just as well in the decade to come.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Wide Receiver
The disappointing play of Blaine Gabbert was the talk of the season for the Jaguars, but it’s difficult to fault Gabbert too much when he had absolutely no one to throw to. Getting a play maker to create a more dynamic offense will not only help Gabbert’s development, but it will also help Jacksonville avoid running Maurice Jones-Drew into the ground.

Offensive Tackle
Tackle Eben Britten has struggled to stay healthy in recent years and Jacksonville needs to have bookend tackles that they can rely on. If they can’t find any tackles that they like, getting younger in the interior offensive line would be a big boost as well.

Cornerback
The Jaguars defense played pretty well considering all the injuries they had to deal with. Still, the secondary needs better depth and they’ll need to start thinking about finding a corner back that can take some of the pressure off of Rashean Mathis.

Tennessee Titans
Defensive End
You can’t fault the Titans for not trying, but they just can’t seem to find a playmaker at defensive end. Derrick Morgan has shown some flashes from time to time, but he’s been hampered by injuries. Tennessee will head into yet another offseason with defense end on the top of their list of needs.

Safety
The Tennesee defensive backfield could be looking at some major turnover, with Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, and Chris Hope all becoming free agents. The Titans should do everything in their power to keep Finnegan, but both of the free agent safeties are coming off extremely inconsistent seasons and may not be on the team’s list of priorities to keep on the roster heading into 2012.

Interior Offensive Line
The Titans have two top tackles in the league, but the play of the interior offensive line leaves much to be desired. Right guard Jake Scott is a free agent, and if he isn’t retained Tennessee will have no proven players in the interior.