Intro: For each team, for the next month or so, we’re going to look at the key offseason moves each team has made via trade, free agency, coaching and GM changes, and their NFL Draft to see if we scout/analyze these teams have improved or regressed or stayed flat, essentially – looking at it from a 2024 impact only...not long-term, just what could impact this season’s results.
We’ll judge these teams two at a time, pitting them against each other head-to-head to determine a ‘winner’ (which team we think impacted 2024 the best), and the winning teams will move on to the next round and compete until we get to the finals/Super Bowl.
We’re going division-by-division, seeded by 2023 order of finish.
Today we have an AFC West Finals matchup...
TENNESSEE
Key Adds: WR Calvin Ridley (from JAX), WR Tyler Boyd (from CIN), OC Lloyd Cushenberry (from DEN), Chidobe Awuzie (from CIN), RB Tony Pollard (from DAL), LB Kenneth Murray (from LAC), DT Sebastian Joseph (from SF), QB Mason Rudolph (from PIT)
Traded for L’Jarius Sneed (from KC)
Key Losses: Azeez Al-Shaair (from HOU), CB Sean Bunting (to ARI), OC Aaron Brewer (to MIA), DT Denico Autry (to HOU), RB Derrick Henry (to BAL), CB Kristain Fulton (to LAC)
Key Draft Adds: OL J.C. Latham, DT T’Vondre Sweat, LB Cedric Gray, CB Jarvis Brownlee, WR Jha’Quan Jackson
Key Coaching Changes: New HC Brian Callahan and new staff all the way around. The best of all is the O-Line coach is a big upgrade to Bill Callahan.
Outlook: Similar to Houston, we have a lot of things changing here – so, let’s break it down like we did with the Texans...
WR Ridley and Boyd in, Chris Moore out...big upgrade.
OC Cushenberry in, Brewer out...maybe an upgrade, flat at worst.
RB Pollard in, Henry out...a downgrade.
CB Sneed and Awuzie in, Fulton and Bunting out...a MASSIVE upgrade
LB Murray in, Al-Shaair out...could be flat, could be a downgrade...could be Murray finally breaks out here.
DT Sweat drafted, Autry out...different style DTs...hard to say the +/-.
OL JC Latham drafted might be an upgrade...it needs to be.
The coaching staff is an upgrade up and down the board.
All in all...the Titans got much better this offseason.
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INDIANAPOLIS
Key Adds: QB Joe Flacco (from CLE)
Key Losses: QB Gardner Minshew (to LV), RB Zack Moss (to CIN)
Key Draft Adds: DE Laiatu Latu, WR Adonai Mitchell, OL Matt Goncalves, OL Tanor Bortolini, WR Anthony Gould, LB Jaylon Carlies, SAF Jaylin Simpson
Key Coaching Changes: None
Outlook: A loss of depth at RB with Moss gone, but that’s not too radical big picture-wise. Not a lot of free agency action at all for Indy – they kept most all their guys in free agency. So, the draft was the real impact item for them – and getting Latu is getting THEE best defender in the draft, so...a huge impact there.
Adonai Mitchell is a nice add to the WR group.
They got O-Line depth in the draft.
Overall, the Colts got better with their offseason.
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Winner (most improved for 2024)...
A ‘no contest’ knockout win for the Titans here.
The Colts had a solid enough offseason – didn’t lose anything major, and added the best defensive player in the draft in Laiatu Latu along with some nice support pieces in the draft. It was a solid job by Indy.
But then you look at the Titans and they absolutely killed it in the offseason. Probably a net +5 starters added via free agency exchanges, a trade (Sneed), and the draft. And they got way better in the key positions for the NFL – O-Line and now have a CB duo as good as any in the league.
The Titans win the AFC South, which wasn’t easy because Houston and Indy had such solid offseasons as well...and the AFC South is the power in the league now, only the football analysts don’t know this yet. The Titans will face the winner of the AFC North next round.
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Next Round Matchups...
2nd-Round to come...
AFC North: BAL v. PIT
NFC East: WSH v. PHI
NFC North: DET v. GB
NFC South: CAR v. ATL
NFC West: ARI v. LAR
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3rd-Round
AFC East (NYJ) v. ??
AFC South (TEN) v. ???
