As the NFL offseason enters its final phases, teams across the AFC are making significant changes and evaluating their past performances. The Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, and other teams are adjusting their rosters while eyeing improvements for the upcoming season. This article will serve as a catch-up on the main happenings of the offseason, breakout players, and roster shakeups across the AFC.
The Miami Dolphins made headlines with the addition of cornerback Jalen Ramsey, bolstering their defense significantly during the 2023 season. It was his impact that pushed the Dolphins defense to the number one defense in the league. In the second half of games, their EPA/play ranked as the best in the league. With the struggles of the 2024 season, those concerns shifted to whether or not Ramsey could continue playing at such a level.
The Colts have made it a priority to re-shape their secondary. This is a bit of a surprise selection, as they replaced Julian Blackmon with Cam Bynum. As awful as last season was for Blackmon, his career has featured at least 12% whiffs per season in four of his five NFL seasons. In contrast, Bynum brings a better baseline, with a career missed tackle rate of only 7.1%. This trade is another great sign of the Colts’ commitment to fortifying their defensive firepower.
Defensive Overhaul in Miami
In a vacuum, Jalen Ramsey’s arrival to Miami was seen as a huge, potentially season-altering get for the Dolphins. In 2023, he was the driving force behind turning around Miami’s defense, which evolved into one of the nation’s most fearsome units as the season wore on. Whatever the source, the Dolphins were elite at withholding opponents’ scoring opportunities. In the second half of the year though, they were incredible, leading the entire league in EPA per play.
Though those successes were significant, the 2024 season has been anything but straightforward for Ramsey. He became a target for teams to exploit their matchups with him, especially in one-on-one scenarios. Receivers found considerable success when isolated against him, leading to questions regarding his ability to adapt and maintain his elite status.
Watt’s decline highlights the unpredictability baked into NFL defenses, in which injuries and player performance can quickly change a defense’s performance numbers. The Dolphins’ defense fell to 30th in EPA per play when key players were sidelined, highlighting Ramsey’s importance to the overall effectiveness of the unit.
Colts’ Defensive Strategy Shift
The Indianapolis Colts are looking to do have a new look in their secondary, which is why they’re replacing Blackmon with Bynum. In watching last season’s stats, we found the Colts to be a nightmare on defense this past season, missing 157 tackles—23 more than any other franchise. This obvious loophole forced the Phoenix Suns to reconsider their roster composition altogether and rethink their defensive approach.
Bynum’s track record suggests he might bring much-needed stability to the Colts’ defense. With a lower missed tackle rate and a more disciplined approach to tackling, he could significantly improve their defensive efficiency.
The Colts are one of the teams making a important pivot in their approach. This choice seems entirely aimed at cutting down on their league-high missed tackles and improving the entire defensive performance. Therefore, as they reevaluate heading into 2019 and beyond, this could be a key step towards their improvement.
Player Movements and Contracts
In other bad tasteables around the AFC, Najee Harris is not the best RB in fab. That Pittsburgh Steelers running back is now one of his league’s biggest stars. Last year, he danced like one, finishing as a sparkly number two among the largely popular Big RBs with a hundo or more totes. He’s proven to be a durable asset, never missing a game in his pro career.
His aspirations are evident as he declared that he “wants to be better than Alvin Kamara and Darren Sproles as a rookie.” This ambition reflects both his commitment and potential impact on the Steelers’ offense as they look to capitalize on his skills.
Curiously, the Dallas Cowboys signed cornerback Will Lewis with a one-year contract totaling $2.8 million. In fact, cornerbacks above the age of 30 seldom receive big contracts in free agency anymore. That’s why this signing is a good, not great, signing for the Cowboys as they continue to try and fortify an underrated and improving defense.
Last week, the Denver Broncos created a stir when they signed star pass rusher Von Miller to a record-setting six-year, $114 million contract. The contract is for $120 million, nearly three seasons completely guaranteed. This monumental investment is a nod to the Broncos’ intention of having a strong, dominant defensive front. They’re hell bent on coming back, reestablishing themselves as perennial playoff contenders.
Its seems like the Houston Texans are really committed to making their offensive line a point of strength. To do so, they spent the same $12 million to replace their star left tackle Laremy Tunsil with Cam Robinson.
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