AFC South Notes: Colts, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts LB Anthony Walker is entering the final year of his contract but is prioritizing helping Indianapolis succeed this season above re-signing with the team where he wants to spend the rest of his career.

“I’m excited I still have the opportunity to go out there and play the game that I love,” Walker said, via George Bremer. “That’s not up to me. I’d love to be in Indy forever, but that is not up to me. I’ll go out there, execute and do my job, and hopefully it works out that way. We will go from there, but right now my focus is on playing this season and getting in the best physical shape – mentally and physically in every way that I can — to help my teammates do the same thing so we can go out and have a successful season this year.”

Walker is excited to be surrounded by both new and returning defensive weapons, as the Colts have made some key additions in both free agency and the draft.

“I think we added pieces that took us from what we feel had a chance to be a good/great defense to an elite defense,” Walker added. “So you add Xavier Rhodes, you add DeForest Buckner, Sheldon Day. You already had some guys at pretty elite positions – Darius Leonard, Bobby Okereke, Justin Houston, Kenny Moore, you already had those guys (and) Malik Hooker. You add the pieces that we added this offseason and now we have to go out there and put it all together on the field together. On paper it looks great, like a beautiful drawing right now. We’ll piece it all together like a puzzle, and hopefully we’ll get to clicking as soon as we get into the facility working out together and everything like that, and Week 1 we can go ahead and put it on display.”

Texans

• ESPN’s Sarah Barshop analyzes how the Texans would fit an extension for QB Deshaun Watson under their cap, saying Watson could hypothetically sign a four-year, $152 million extension that would pay him $38 million per year — resetting the quarterback market but still coming underneath the projected $40 million per year for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. 
• Barshop mentions Texans G Zach Fulton and WR Kenny Stills as potential players Houston could cut or trade to free cap space. Fulton is due $7 million each of the next two seasons, while Stills is due $7 million in the final year of his deal in 2020. 
• Texans DE J.J. Watt could be a candidate for a contract extension to lower his cap hit as well, per Barshop. 
• Other decisions that will be affected by Watson’s extension include whether to keep WR Brandin Cooks after 2020 when he has no guaranteed money left on his deal or RB David Johnson who will be owed $9 million in 2021 with $2.1 million guaranteed. 
• Barshop adds it appears unlikely the Texans will be able to afford to re-sign WR Will Fuller, who is playing out his fifth-year option at a salary of $10.1 million.