Titans' costly upgrade and Jaguars' big splash headline the AFC South's boldest moves of the 2025 offseason
Everybody is chasing the Houston Texans in the AFC South. But it isn't as though the Texans are running away with the division year over year. There's been tight battles with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in recent years, whereas the Tennessee Titans have now secured what they hope is their future franchise quarterback. This […]
Everybody is chasing the Houston Texans in the AFC South.
But it isn't as though the Texans are running away with the division year over year. There's been tight battles with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts in recent years, whereas the Tennessee Titans have now secured what they hope is their future franchise quarterback. This division has a ton on intriguing storylines and the holes on each roster make many of the divisional matchups intriguing to see play out.
The teams are acting accordingly, too. This division was full of bold, ambitious moves to jostle for positioning in the AFC South in 2025. What are the most intriguing, bold maneuvers for each team? Here's my picks for the 2025 offseason.
The Houston Texans
The Boldest Move: The offensive line overhaul
Former starters Shaq Mason and Laremy Tunsil are both out in Houston. Mason was cut this offseason, whereas Tunsil anchored a major trade that will have Houston operating with a surplus in value during next year's 2026 NFL Draft. The team's former first-round draft choice, Kenyon Green, is also gone — traded to Philadelphia as a part of a swap that included Day 3 draft picks and safety CJ Gardner-Johnson coming back to Houston.
In their place? There's six new names on this Texans offensive line. Second-round pick Aireontae Ersery has a massive ceiling as an explosive bruiser. Veteran tackles Trent Brown and Cam Robinson are also in town. Robinson signed a one-year deal with over $10.5 million in guarantees. New names like veteran guards Laken Tomlinson and Ed Ingram populate the interior, too.
This group has a lot of new. But is it tangibly better? That's something we'll need to wait on until we see it in action.
The Indianapolis Colts
The Boldest Move: The secondary renovations
This time last year, the Colts were a young secondary with a lot of unproven players. This time around, Indianapolis is leaving a little bit less to chance. Safety Cam Bynum came over from Minnesota on a four-year deal valued at $60 million in total value. Cornerback Charvarius Ward inked a three-year deal valued at $54 million — giving the Colts $114 million in commitments combined between the two.
Bynum's first four years in the league came playing in Minnesota, where he became a standout player under defensive coordinator Brian Flores in a high-stress, pressure scheme. How will Bynum translate in a new system? And for Ward, it's a bold move given that this is his age-30 season — putting him squarely in the regression window for cornerbacks.
These moves, if they hold firm for the Colts, can be transformative. But they also come with questions on how well they'll age.
The Jacksonville Jaguars
The Boldest Move: Trading up for Travis Hunter
Any time you facilitate a trade within the top-five picks of the NFL Draft, it's going to be considered pretty bold. Add in the fact that it just so happened to land the most intriguing two-way talent that the league has seen in a generation?
How Jacksonville goes about weaponizing Travis Hunter is going to be a fascinating watch. Their plan for him certainly doesn't lack ambition, based on the clues we've been getting from general manager James Gladstone and company.
Jacksonville sent No. 5 overall, a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and their 2026 first-round selection to acquire the right to draft Hunter, plus picks No. 104 and 200 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's a heavyweight trade with one of college football's biggest stars at the center of the move, which makes it the definition of "bold".
The Tennessee Titans
The Boldest Move: The Dan Moore Jr. contract
It is easy to applaud Tennessee for taking the outlook of their offensive line in front of QB Cam Ward seriously. They certainly did, between adding Moore Jr. in free agency and tacking on veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, too. But Moore's contract commitments relative to his play underscore the perils of doing business on the open market in free agency.
Moore is currently set to earn more cash in 2025 ($30 million in total compensation) than any other offensive lineman in football. More than Top-5 draft choice Will Campbell ($29.2 million), more than Penei Sewell ($26.54 million), Tristan Wirfs ($26 million), Lane Johnson ($25 million), etc. All of them!
That's a bold price to pay for someone who should be a sufficient level starter. But that's also the price you pay to sign a veteran tackle in their prime on the open market.
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