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The official start of free agency — one of the more anticipated dates on the NFL calendar — is March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. Teams, however, can begin negotiating Monday with unrestricted free agents.
Ahead of these major dates, Yardbarker NFL writers identify one prime free agent from another club that each AFC team should sign. (2024 regular-season records are in parentheses.)
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) | Kansas City WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown | With a market value of roughly $8M per season, per Spotrac, Brown offers plenty of upside for a team already $10M over the cap. Brown missed the Chiefs’ first 15 games with a shoulder injury last season, but with 3,735 yards receiving and 28 TD catches in his six-year career, he could give the Bills what he couldn’t offer Kansas City.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-9) | Philadelphia RG Mekhi Becton | Miami guards Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones and Isaiah Wynn are impending free agents, and the Dolphins are operating as if starting left tackle Terron Armstead won’t be back, per the Sun Sentinel’s David Furones. Becton excelled at guard during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run, and at 6-foot-7 and 363 pounds, he’s two inches taller, 58 pounds heavier and eight years younger than Armstead.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-13) | Baltimore LT Ronnie Stanley |
According to a report by the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed, Baltimore’s Pro Bowl left tackle is considered a top target for new head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf. Pro Football Focus noted Vederian Lowe, the team’s current left tackle, allowed five sacks and committed 13 penalties last season. He is considered the NFL’s 69th-best tackle by PFF.
NEW YORK JETS (5-12) | New York Giants WR Darius Slayton | The Jets need a wide receiver to replace Devante Adams, and their best choice may already have a locker at MetLife Stadium. The 28-year-old speedster led the Giants in receiving in four of six seasons with the team and could bring the Jets the deep threat they wanted when they signed former Charger Mike Williams (12 catches, 166 yards) to a one-year, $10M contract in 2024. — Bruce Ewing
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) | Dallas RB Rico Dowdle | Dowdle — who tied for the league’s 12th-most rushing yards (1,079 in 16 games) in 2024 — could be a potential bargain for the Broncos. Spotrac estimates the 26-year-old’s market value is a one-year deal worth $6.2M annually.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2) | Cincinnati DT B.J. Hill | Chris Jones, Siaki Ika and Fabien Lovett are the only DTs under contract for the Chiefs in 2025, so investing in the position would be wise. In 15 games in 2024, Hill had a career-high seven tackles for loss.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-13) | Minnesota QB Sam Darnold | Giving the former New York Jets dud a mega-deal would carry risk, but he could excel under new head coach Pete Carroll. In 2024, Darnold ranked fifth in the league in touchdown passes (35 in 17 games).
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6) | Chicago WR Keenan Allen | Why wouldn’t the Chargers consider a reunion with Allen? When the wideout played for the club from 2013-23, he made six Pro Bowls. The 32-year-old remains productive, as he recorded 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdown catches in 15 games in 2024. — Clark Dalton
AFC North
BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) | Philadelphia LB Josh Sweat | The Ravens have a solid pass-rushing corps led by Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy and Tavius Robinson, but they need another difference-maker off the edge to get over the hump in the AFC. Sweat has racked up 25.5 sacks and 61 quarterback hits over the past three seasons, and he was a big reason the Eagles dominated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8) | Chicago guard Teven Jenkins | The Bengals desperately need to upgrade both guard spots, and Jenkins could immediately step in as a protector for QB Joe Burrow, Although his injury history is a tad concerning, Jenkins ranked 15th among 125 qualified guards last season in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-14) | Indianapolis QB Joe Flacco | The Browns won’t be in a position to compete for the AFC North title anytime soon, so what’s important now is winning back the Cleveland fans and bringing positive vibes back to the organization. The last time Browns fans were happy was when Flacco went 4-1 down the stretch in 2023 to lead Cleveland to the playoffs.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) | Tampa Bay WR Chris Godwin | George Pickens is a valuable deep threat for the Steelers, but this offense needs a trusty possession receiver for Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or whoever might be at QB. Godwin is one of the best slot WRs in the NFL, and he could be available at a discount because of his injury history. — Jack Dougherty
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7) | Jacksonville RG Brandon Scherff | The 10-year veteran lineman has played for the division rival Jaguars the past three seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Scherff only allowed 17 total pressures (and no sacks) in 591 pressure opportunities in 2024.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) | N.Y. Jets LB Jamien Sherwood |
According to NFL Pro, Sherwood ranked fifth last season in the league in stops, or tackles that result in negative expected points added (EPA), for an offense. Indianapolis finished the season 29th in yards allowed (361.2), struggling to stop the run and pass, making interior linebacker a position of need.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-13) | Dallas CB Jourdan Lewis | The Jaguars, who allowed 257.4 passing yards per game last season, need one of the top corners in this year’s free-agent class. NFL Pro data reveals that among qualified defensive backs, Lewis ranked 13th in coverage EPA when the nearest defender, allowing 40 receptions for 381 yards on 59 targets.
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) | Tampa Bay WR Chris Godwin | It might be difficult to pry Godwin from the Buccaneers, the only franchise the eight-year veteran has called home. But the Titans must think big when addressing their underwhelming depth at wide receiver, and Godwin, who averaged an NFL-high 52.1 yards after the catch per game, would raise their ceiling. — Eric Smithling
