*The free-agency period is drawing ever closer, but for now, it remains a future proposition -- which means there's still space to dream up team-player pairings that tantalize with the promise of just how right they feel. Put the dour realities of spending limits and negotiating tactics aside and join Marc Sessler as he runs through fun potential free-agent additions for each team in the AFC. *
Baltimore Ravens: Marqise Lee, wide receiver
The Ravensdialed up the Dolphins last offseason about a potential trade for Jarvis Landry. Baltimore could pursue the franchised wideout in a trade, but it would be easier to sign the chain-moving Lee. With Mike Wallace on the market, Breshad Perriman doubling as a full-blown enigma and Jeremy Maclin unlikely likely to return, Baltimore's eternal need at the receiver position rages on. Lee would serve as a solid start.
Buffalo Bills: Star Lotulelei, defensive tackle
Not hard to find gifts for a team that needs almost everything. Despite their playoff appearance, the Bills have holes across the board on defense. Coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane know Lotulelei well from their days in Carolina. With defensive tackle Kyle Williams possibly done in Buffalo, Lotulelei would slide right into a starting role.
Cincinnati Bengals: Andrew Norwell, offensive guard
It's time for the Bengals to upgrade the quarterback position, but Marvin Lewis and friends appear perfectly content to offer fans the same bland dish they've served for years on end. Norwell, at least, would help keep Andy Dalton upright and bring stability to one of the weakest lines league-wide.
Cleveland Browns: Lamarcus Joyner, safety
While the Brownsexplored a trade for quarterback Alex Smith, I don't expect Cleveland to nab soon-to-be-jettisoned Redskins passer Kirk Cousins. The belle of the free-agency ball doesn't sound enamored with the prospect of joining the Browns, despite their ability to make him wealthier than your average Central American despot. Cleveland can nab a signal-caller in the draft and shore up a major weak spot at safety with Joyner, a versatile defender who played his first three seasons with the Rams under current Browns coordinator Gregg Williams. It's the right medicine for a team that ranked 28th against the deep ball in 2017, per Football Outsiders.
Denver Broncos: Justin Pugh, offensive lineman
Broncos fans want to see Cousins here, too, but they'll need to get cap-creative, with the team projected to have just under $27 million in space. In this scenario, GM John Elway is forced to use the fifth overall pick on a passer -- effectively ending the Paxton Lynch experiment -- while tapping free agency to shore up a still-leaky O-line. Pugh, who can play a variety of positions, is a solid option from a thin cast of open-market availabilities.
Houston Texans: Nate Solder, offensive tackle
With a healthy Deshaun Watson back in the lineup, the Texans must hammer free agency and the draft to rescue an offensive line that allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL last season. Despite turning 30 this offseason, Solder knows Texans coach Bill O'Brien, who was the offensive coordinator in New England during Solder's first year with the Patriots, and would bring immediate stability to the bookend role.
Indianapolis Colts: Trumaine Johnson, cornerback
With Vontae Davis out of the picture and Rashaan Melvin set to hit free agency, Indy must pinpoint an anchoring force for a low-wattage secondary that allowed a league-worst 8.0 yards per attempt. Johnson would heal a high-priority need for GM Chris Ballard.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jimmy Graham, tight end
Count me among the humans who adored the rise of Ben Koyack and James O'Shaughnessy down the stretch for Jacksonville, but the tight end position requires a boost, with Marcedes Lewis turning 34 in May. Graham isn't the game-wrecking behemoth we once knew, but he would furnish Blake Bortles -- or whoever starts at quarterback -- with a bona fide red-zone target.
Kansas City Chiefs: Paul Richardson, wide receiver
The Chiefs need front-seven help, with Derrick Johnsonout the door and Tamba Halia candidate for release at age 34. I'm handing them something else, though: a juicy, playmaking pass-catcher to pair with starry Tyreek Hill in an offense now under the control of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Richardson turned the corner in his fourth season with the Seahawks, jumping into the starting lineup and showcasing daunting speed and a knack for highlight-reel grabs. Ideal for Mahomes.
Los Angeles Chargers: Avery Williamson, linebacker
He's not a household name, but Williamson authored a top-shelf season for Tennessee and would lift a Chargers defense that flatlined against the run. Just 25, Williamson finished as the sixth-best run-stuffer at his position, per Pro Football Focus. Need addressed. BOOM. Moving on.
Miami Dolphins: Dion Lewis, running back
Kenyan Drake emerged as starting material after Miami shipped Jay Ajayito the Super Bowl-bound Eagles. With Damien Williams hitting the market, the Dolphins could use a complementary weapon on the ground. Lewis is a tough player to project outside of Foxborough, but coach Adam Gase is creative enough to make it work.
New England Patriots: Kyle Fuller, cornerback
Super Bowl Sunday exposed New England's shaky depth in the secondary. With Malcolm Butler on his way out the door, Fuller would give the Patriots a young cover man who shined down the stretch for the Bears. Want evidence? Check out his shutdown act against Josh Gordon in a Week 16 win over the Browns.
New York Jets: Kirk Cousins, quarterback
The Vikings offer Cousins an immediate shot to reach the Super Bowl. The Broncos still boast a playoff-worthy defense. Raising Gang Green from the depths of hell feels like a tall order, but the Jets have a boatload of cash and are "willing to pay a lot of money ... maybe more than anyone else," per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, to lure Cousins, with whispers suggesting he could be offered a whopping $60 million in the first year of his deal. New coordinator Jeremy Bates runs a similar scheme to former Redskins play-caller Kyle Shanahan, leading Cousins to say it would be "exciting" to play for the Jets. This fan base deserves a dose of human joy before mysterious INTERSTELLAR OBJECT 2017 VR12 takes out Earth in a fiery blink.
Oakland Raiders: Ziggy Ansah, edge rusher
In theory, Oakland's offense will soar under Jon Gruden. The defense, though, needs support behind one-man band Khalil Mack. Ansah would bring immediate pass-rushing help and run support -- and a dash of identity -- to the Silver and Black.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Anthony Hitchens, linebacker
The Steelers weren't the same after losing Ryan Shazier to a traumatic spinal injury in December. Hitchens is a versatile, developing player ready to step into a weekly starting role. The Steelers fit the bill.
Tennessee Titans: Jerick McKinnon, running back
The Titans require edge-rushing help, but I'd expect that to come through the draft. Assuming DeMarco Murrayis history, I'm giving Tennessee a player to pair with Derrick Henry. McKinnon runs tough for his size and operates as a major asset in the passing game. He'd give this attack a burst of much-needed speed.
P.S.: The Titans are dead to me if they don't also find a backup quarterback better than Matt Cassel.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
