Who Are The Essential Players in the AFC SOUTH ? The OTAs are complete, each team still has some injuries lingering from 2011, the rookies are either in camp or the contracts are being negotiated and then there's the new faces in new places guys...which brings up the question: In the AFC South, what 3-4 players (per team) do you think are essential to each teams success in 2012? These players could be guys returning from injury, could be a newly signed veteran, could be a rookie, could be a comeback player... Discuss...
Essential to the team's success in '12. Ok here we go with my AFC South Edition Texans: 1. Matt Schaub, 2. Andre Johnson, 3. Jonathan Joseph Colts: 1. Andrew Luck 2. Donald Brown 3. Dwight Freeney Jaguars: 1. Maurice Jones-Drew 2. Blaine Gabbert 3. Justin Blackmon Titans: 1. Kenny Britt 2. Chris Johnson 3. Derrick Morgan Time to chime in on why.... For the Texans, they obviously have the defense to go all the way. The glue that took them over the top was Jonathan Joseph. He's going to have to shut down one side of the field again to make that scheme work. On offense, Andre Johnson is an absolute monster and having him and Matt Schaub back 100% could mean the difference between this being a one and done in the playoffs team and a potential AFC champion. The Ravens were primed for the picking in the playoffs last year and T.J. Yates just wasn't going to get it done. Andrew Luck is going to dictate if the Colts have any measure of success. The quicker he can get the playbook down and learns his reads, the quicker they can move on to adding to the offense instead of hiding his weaknesses due to inexperience. To find a good balance, Donald Brown has to earn his stripes as 'the man' toting the rock. He's going to need to produce for this offense to have a chance with a rookie QB under center. Defensively the team is moving to a 3-4 scheme and Dwight Freeney has to make this work for them to be able to have any success on defense. This defense just isn't talented enough to overcome their most talented player struggling because he's miscast in the wrong scheme for him. It's all about offense for the Jaguars. Maurice Jones-Drew is going to need to be a superman again while Blaine Gabbert has to show his balls dropped this offseason and he's done acting like a scared kid back there. Justin Blackmon needs to become that #1 target who teams plan for. Jones-Drew needs to have the load lessened and having a couple DB's creeping back to stop Blackmon has to happen for this team to take the next step. Finally I get to my Titans. I put Kenny Britt over Chris Johnson because if Britt is back 100%, his talents make this offense that much more dangerous. Johnson has the tools to be a weapon, he just had his head up his butt last year after cashing in and was out of shape most of the year. Now thanks to his new deal he has to workout during the offseason with the team and I think being in shape will make him return to form. Finally, I get to Derrick Morgan. We brought in a veteran in Wimbley to help the pass rush but if this team wants to take the next step, Morgan has to being to produce as a first round pick. He's only 23, but injuries have defined his career so far. We need him to take that next step now and become a stalwart on this defense. If he doesn't, teams will simply double team Wimbley and give us no return on that investment. Morgan's time to step up is now.
