We are just a few days away from the start of the new NFL league year. Teams are preparing by taking steps to reduce their cap space, preparing for the free agency period that begins in earnest next week.
Our team here at CBSSports.com has covered free agency from every angle imaginable, with our top 10 positions, team needs and more. In the space below, we’ll play free agency matchmaker, identifying an outside free agent (i.e., one who wasn’t on the team last year) that each team should trying to sign this offseason.
We started Tuesday with NFC. Now it’s the AFC. Without delay …
It looks like Gabe Davis is headed elsewhere. The Bills need a No. 2 next to Stefon Diggs, and Mooney has more talent than he was able to show while playing with the Bears. His speed could help open things up for Diggs, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid, and we know Josh Allen can find him deep down.
The Dolphins could lose both Connor Williams and Robert Hunt in free agency, and the interior offensive line was already a relative weakness. They still have a lot of work to do to generate the type of cap space that would allow them to make any signing, but they definitely need to target a guard and/or center.
We don’t yet know if the Pats are targeting a quarterback, wide receiver or something else with the No. 3 overall pick. If they take a smuggler, they desperately need to give him better weapons. If they go wide, well, they still need a lot more than just one guy – and they especially need speed. This is where Brown comes in.
The Jets need so much help along the offensive line that it’s hard to know where to start. Onwenu has played almost every position up front and so is suitable no matter what they do there.
To be honest, it’s hard to see the Ravens doing this. But wouldn’t that be really cool? Imagine Jacobs as the power complement to Justice Hill and (when he returns from injury) Keaton Mitchell, working alongside Lamar Jackson. It would be a lot of fun.
Cincinnati does not have a single tight end under contract at the moment. Fant is a former first-round pick with elite athleticism, and tight ends seem to have their best years when they’re on their second contract. After taking a chance on Irv Smith last year but seeing it not work out, the Bengals might be feeling a little burned; but that shouldn’t stop them from rolling dice at another player like that.
Cleveland currently has two linebackers who took just one snap for their defense last year under contract: starter Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Mohamoud Diabate, who played just 27 snaps. They will need to free up space to play Al-Shaair, but he would be a good fit to play at the second level for Jim Schwartz.
Pittsburgh has had a lot of success with mid-to-late career veteran corners coming in and getting a few more years of solid play out of them. Gilmore had another good year in Dallas last season, but with a new scheme and a lot of balls in the air, another team could step in and make a play for him.
With $70 million in cap space, Houston is one of the few teams that can afford to spend a little bit of money on a running back. The Texans would do well to not overspend (and also limit the length of any deal), but adding Barkley to the mix in what was already one of the league’s most efficient and explosive offenses would really raise the ceiling. little.
The Colts finished last season 26th in the NFL in pressure rating, according to Tru Media. Enter Greenard, who has been a very productive passer in a rotation role. He won’t turn 27 until later this year, so he should be in peak physical shape for the duration of a multi-year contract.
The Jags only have about $24 million in cap space, but they also have plenty of needs. And even after using the franchise tag on Josh Allen, they still need help. Behind Allen and Travon Walker, they only have undrafted free agents and practice squad players under contract for next season.
New Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson comes to Tennessee from Baltimore, where he spent last season as defensive backs coach. It would make perfect sense for the Titans to pursue Queen, who has played an important role on the second level of Baltimore’s defense.
The Broncos are taking a huge hit by releasing Russell Wilson, so they’ll have to shop the bargain aisle. Teams continue to do this with Nelson and he continues to play pretty well as a No. 2 corner who doesn’t break the bank. Denver could use a guy like that opposite Patrick Surtain II.
I wrote this one in pen as soon as reports came out that Smith would not be returning to Dallas. It makes way too much sense for him to land in KC if that’s the case. He can chase the long-awaited Super Bowl ring while the Chiefs get a top-notch tackle to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.
Surprisingly, McKinney was not marked in transition by the Giants, who now no longer have the right of first refusal to match any contract he signs. The Raiders need a ton of help in the secondary and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was in New York when McKinney was drafted. Graham’s final year with the Giants was probably the best of McKinney’s career.
The Chargers are going to have to massively overhaul their defensive front under new coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, and Autry fits the bill. He’s getting older (34 in July), but at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he has fantastic size and, with the ability to play on the edge or inside, he’s a truly versatile chess piece. (It doesn’t hurt that he has at least 7.5 sacks in each of the last four years.)