As Colts chase AFC title, division foes chase them

Question: What scares you if you're a defensive coordinator in the AFC South?

Answer: An offense that employs Andrew Luck at quarterback, Frank Gore at running back, T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson at receiver and Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen at tight end. Imagine trying to stop that group come September.

Question: What scares you if you're a starting quarterback in the AFC South?

Answer: A defensive line that includes J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Vince Wilfork. For Luck's sake, it's probably best to not imagine seeing that group come September.

One of the AFC South's most significant free agent coups came Monday, when Houston loaded up on its already-stacked defensive line by adding Wilfork, the longtime Patriot. The Texans' weighty addition to their front seven comes in the form of a run-game wrecker with 158 games and 11 seasons under his belt, not to mention two Super Bowl titles.

Beyond the tangible on-field impact, the move says as much about the team Wilfork signed with (the Texans) as it does about the division rival they're aiming to overthrow (the Colts). Not to be overlooked is where he has spent the bulk of his career — with a franchise that has manhandled Indianapolis in the trenches in recent years. No team in the NFL knows how to beat the Colts better than the Patriots.

Thus, in moving from New England to Houston, Wilfork goes from playing for Colts' big brother to playing for the Colts' little brother.

Which of course falls in line with the Texans' thinking. They know, as every AFC South team knows, that Luck is going to be a thorn in their collective side for a decade to come. How do they stop him? Most importantly, how do they acquire and keep the players needed to stop him?

Just as the Colts must remain mindful of their nemesis as they make every offseason decision — how will this move help us beat New England when it matters? — the Texans must target players that can help them topple the current AFC South kings. Enter: Wilfork.

It's no surprise, then, where they've chosen to allocate their resources. There's the $100 million deal they handed last September to Watt, who is now a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and the preeminent pass rusher in football. (Luck, to his chagrin, is going to be seeing Watt for some time.) There's Clowney, whom the Texans used the first pick on in the draft 11 months ago, the player they envisioned pairing with Watt to form an edge-rushing tandem that could swallow Luck and slow the Colts' offense — at least for the time being. (That vision stalled last season when Clowney missed all but four games due to injury.)

And then there's the 325-pound Wilfork, who they figure will slide into the middle of the line of scrimmage and do what he's done for more than a decade in New England. Of the three teams chasing Indianapolis in the AFC South, for the time being and the future, credit Houston with making the most substantial moves last week to close a gap that appears widening with every passing season.

Here is a rundown of each AFC South team's free agent moves thus far, and how it impacts them heading into the coming draft and next season:

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Last year's record: 11-5. AFC South Champions. Hold the 29th overall pick in the draft.

Notable free agency additions: WR Andre Johnson, RB Frank Gore, LB Trent Cole, DE Kendall Langford, OL Todd Herremans.

Notable free agency losses: WR Reggie Wayne, RB Trent Richardson (waived), FS Sergio Brown, DE Cory Redding, OL A.Q. Shipley.

What it means: The Colts went bold (and old) last week. In Gore, they've landed the productive and consistent back the offense has craved since Edgerrin James departed for Arizona in 2005. In Johnson, they land a physical, sure-handed veteran wideout whose skills are invaluable on third down. In Cole and Langford they beefen up a Jekyll-and-Hyde defense that was too inconsistent too often last season.

But the central question for these Colts will remain unchanged heading into training camp. Have they done enough to win the line of scrimmage battle against the Patriots when it counts? The Colts aren't thinking about Houston this offseason, and they're certainly not thinking about Tennessee or Jacksonville. They're thinking about Belichick and Brady and 45-7 in the rain in Foxborough.

Gore helps. Johnson helps. Cole and Langford are nice additions. But there's still work to be done on the defensive line (Hello, first-round pick?) and there's still a starting safety spot that's yet to be filled (Hello, second-round pick?). The Colts don't need to get cute in the coming months. They need to get better and bigger up front. The rest of this offseason? The Colts need more smash than splash.

HOUSTON TEXANS

Last year's record: 9-7. Hold the 16th overall pick in the draft.

Notable free agency additions: DT Vince Wilfork, WR Cecil Shorts, FS Rahim Moore, QB Brian Hoyer.

Notable departures: WR Andre Johnson, FS Kendrick Lewis, LB Brooks Reed.

What it means: Houston's mission is plain as day — catch the Colts. Wilfork is the most substantial acquisition, even though, due to his age, he's not a long-term solution at the position. But the attention he'll draw at the center of the line will allow Watt that much more freedom against defenses that can no longer solely focus on him. And we all know how that scenario typically plays out. Watt nearly beat the Colts by himself in a Thursday night game in October. Adding Wilfork to the fold does the impossible — it makes Watt even better.

Yet, in part due to their emphasis on the defense, Houston remains stuck in a quarterback quandary. The team signed former Browns starter Brian Hoyer last week to compete with Ryan Mallett for the starting job. They traded last year's starter, Ryan Fitzpatrick, to the Jets, making him the fourth quarterback Houston's dealt over the past year. In a league ruled by teams with sound quarterback situations, Houston yearns for stability.

Stack the defense all they want, Houston won't become a long-term threat to Indy in the AFC South when their quarterback depth chart reads Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage. Needless to say, if the Texans are going to end the Colts' two-year reign atop the division in 2015, they're going to do it on the backs of Watt, Clowney and Wilfork.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Last year's record: 3-13. Hold the third overall pick in the draft.

Notable free agency additions: TE Julius Thomas, LB Dan Skuta, DE Jared Odrick, CB Davon House, RT Jeremy Parnell, FS Sergio Brown.

Notable departures: LB J.T. Thomas, WR Cecil Shorts III, CB Will Blackmon.

What it means: Hard to say. The Jaguars' seized their biggest free agent target in Thomas, one of the league's most versatile and productive tight ends the past two seasons. Consider: His 108 catches with Denver (to go with 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns) are more than all of the Jaguars tight ends combined over the last two years. But as we all know, Blake Bortles throwing you the ball is not equivalent to Peyton Manning throwing you the ball. Jacksonville made some significant strides, and as a franchise it appears all in with the young Bortles — a luxury the Texans and Titans can't claim at the same position. But nonetheless the Jags remain stuck in a slow, steady rebuilding slog, and toppling Luck and the Colts consistently remains a far-off fantasy.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Last year's record: 2-14. Hold the second overall pick in the draft.

Notable free agency additions: LB Brian Orakpo, TE Anthony Fasano, CB Perrish Cox, SS Da'Norris Searcy, WR Harry Douglas.

Notable departures: LT Michael Oher.

What it means: Like most downtrodden franchises, the Titans' offseason often provides more storylines than the actual season itself. On top of those five notable signings — the biggest being signing the former Redskin Orakpo — Tennessee also has the second overall pick in this spring's NFL Draft to worry about. Will Jameis Winston be available? Will Marcus Mariota? The quarterback position needs to be addressed, and addressed quickly. The Titans were fourth from the bottom in total offense last season, and their signal-callers had plenty to do with it. Jake Locker. Zach Mettenberger. Charlie Whitehurst. Even Jordan Palmer. That's not going to win in the NFL.

The Titans were busy last week. But until they figure out who their quarterback of the future is, it won't matter.

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.