Free agency is just two weeks away, and you can expect many big names to switch squads. On Monday, March 10 at noon ET, teams are permitted to contact and begin negotiating contracts with the agents of unrestricted free agents. This is the legal tampering period. It ends at 4 p.m. ET on March 12 — which is when the free agency signing period officially begins. That is when all of the reported contracts you will see beginning at noon on March 10 can become official.
It’s going to be exciting to watch, and many of our major questions will be answered. Will the Cincinnati Bengals be able to keep their “big three” under contract? How will the New England Patriots use all of their available money? Which wide receiver will the Buffalo Bills target to help out Josh Allen? The draft is where real contenders are built, but free agency is important as well. It all starts with identifying where you need to make upgrades. Below, we will break down the biggest needs for each team in the AFC.
Salary cap figures via Over The Cap
This could either be cornerback or pass rusher, then perhaps offensive line becomes the key issue in Baltimore depending on what happens with Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari. Improving what was the second-worst pass defense in the NFL last year (244.1 passing yards allowed per game) will be a key focus for Eric DeCosta. Adding a legitimate CB2 in free agency or the draft to fill the hole Brandon Stephens and Tre’Davious White could not is important for the Ravens moving forward.
There are legitimate needs for Buffalo on the defensive line and in the secondary, but adding an offensive weapon is important. It’s incredible that Allen had an MVP campaign after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Khalil Shakir was the Bills’ leading receiver with 821 yards, but that ranked 40th in the NFL! Buffalo drafted Keon Coleman in the second round and added Amari Cooper at the trade deadline, but both averaged under 43 receiving yards per game.
The biggest goal for the Bengals this offseason is keeping Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson in the fold, but what other needs does Cincinnati need to address? It’s fair to say the performance of the defense held the Bengals out of the playoffs last year, so the biggest need resides either in the secondary or on the defensive line. We’ll lean to the defensive line since Hendrickson’s future is up in the air. On the interior, Cincinnati already released defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, then B.J. Hill, Joseph Ossai, Jay Tufele and Cameron Sample are all free agents looking for new contracts.
Deshaun Watson wasn’t getting the job done in Cleveland, and now he may miss the entire 2025 season after injuring his Achilles again. Cleveland has plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, but acquiring a long-term Watson replacement should be a goal for Andrew Berry. If the Tennessee Titans pass on a quarterback at No. 1 overall, maybe Cam Ward finds a home in Cleveland.
Now that the Broncos have found their quarterback, they need to get him some weaponry. Too often it felt like Courtland Sutton was Denver’s only pass-catcher. Marvin Mims was the Broncos’ second-leading receiver with 503 yards, which ranked 90th in the NFL. Sean Payton has spoken about Denver needing a “joker,” but the Broncos need more than just that.
There’s a need in the trenches, but the Texans are another team that should prioritize wide receiver. Not only is Diggs a free agent and Tank Dell recovering from another significant lower-body injury, but Houston is also working in a new offensive coordinator with Nick Caley. If you want to get the most out of C.J. Stroud, he needs to have talented pass-catchers. Houston needs a WR2, and depth at the position as well.
The Colts secondary needs new pieces this year. Julian Blackmon is a free agent, and Indy could look to find another player to contribute alongside Nick Cross. At cornerback, Kenny Moore is a veteran nickel, but Julius Brents has struggled to remain healthy, playing in just 11 games in his two NFL seasons.
Like the Colts, the Jaguars’ secondary needs help. This was the worst pass defense in the NFL last year, allowing an average of 257.4 passing yards per game. Andre Cisco leaving in free agency immediately would make safety a massive need, but the same can be said at cornerback, too. Adding an outside corner opposite of Tyson Campbell would improve this defense.
If it weren’t a question before Super Bowl Sunday, it is now. The Chiefs need to upgrade at offensive tackle. It doesn’t look like Wanya Morris or Kingsley Suamataia are long-term answers on the left side, and Joe Thuney needs to kick back inside. You also have to worry about the future of star right guard Trey Smith, who is now a free agent and could reset his respective market this offseason.
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The hiring of Pete Carroll was a bit surprising, but I think it signals that Tom Brady — I mean Mark Davis — is more focused on stabilizing the franchise compared to shooting for the stars immediately. That’s important to note when discussing the quarterback position. Will Vegas target Shedeur Sanders in the draft, or just reunite Carroll with Russell Wilson? Either way, finding stability at the most important position is crucial for the Raiders. That’s what last year taught us.
I know Greg Roman wants to run the ball, but Justin Herbert needs another target other than Ladd McConkey if the Chargers want to make a playoff run. The first season of the Jim Harbaugh era was a success, but give your franchise quarterback another legitimate pass-catcher.
The Dolphins need to revamp the offensive line this offseason. Oft-injured star left tackle Terron Armstead may or may not be back as he mulls his future, and then Liam Eichenberg, Kendall Lamm, Robert Jones and Isaiah Wynn are all free agents. Keeping Tua Tagovailoa upright is incredibly important, because Miami simply can’t win games without him.
The Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL, and they need to set some of those available funds aside to beef up the offensive line. Adding wide receivers is important as well, but let’s give Drake Maye more of a chance to get the ball off in the pocket and expedite his development. New England needs to add starters at both tackle and on the interior.
The Jets are probably the forgotten team that will be perusing the quarterback market. New York made the decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers, so will this new-look leadership find a quarterback in the draft, or sign a player like Justin Fields or Jameis Winston?
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The Steelers are another team that needs a new quarterback, but what about wide receiver? Pittsburgh has been trying to land a star wideout for some time now, but missed out on potential targets like Brandon Aiyuk. George Pickens, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, is someone who has potential, but he’s failed to carry the passing game by himself and has had some other issues related to maturity. It sounds like Wilson or Fields is back in 2025, but this has to be the offseason Pittsburgh finds a consistent pass catcher.
The Titans have needs almost everywhere, but landing a quarterback in free agency or the draft is something that could save Brian Callahan’s head-coaching job. It was difficult to judge the Titans’ offense in 2024 because of the quarterback play. Even if Tennessee opts for a “bridge quarterback,” it would be an upgrade from last year.
