Free agency doesn't start until March 9. While waiting for the franchise tags to be applied and roster cuts to be made, Gregg Rosenthal couldn't help but dream of the frenzied first few days of signings. Below: one fun player addition for every AFC team.
Baltimore Ravens: Logan Ryan, cornerback
Look for Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome to be active this offseason. He has concerns at every level of the defense and can't rely on the draft to fill them all. Re-signing nose tackle Brandon Williams should be priority one. Once that's accomplished, how about stealing Ryan from the Patriots? Former New England coordinator Dean Pees prizes physicality, and Ryan is one of the best tackling cornerbacks in football, with the ability to play inside and out. He won't come cheap after a great postseason run.
Buffalo Bills: Tony Jefferson, safety
New Bills coach Sean McDermott has a terrific track record with safeties who can do a little bit of everything. (He tutored relative unknown Eagles safety Quintin Mikell to make second-team All-Pro and helped castoff Kurt Coleman earn big coin in Carolina.) Jefferson can be deployed in a variety of ways, making big plays near the line of scrimmage or in coverage. He makes a lot of sense for a team that could be starting from scratch at safety.
Cincinnati Bengals: Andrew Whitworth, offensive tackle
Bengals owner Mike Brown rarely goes for a big free-agent splash. That would likely rule out shoring up the team's defensive line with a run-stopper like Philadelphia's Bennie Logan, so I'm going with a more familiar name. The Bengals drafted tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher to take over the position, but both of them disappointed in 2016. Whitworth, a Bengals starter since 2006, has more value to Cincinnati than any other organization except PFF.
Cleveland Browns: T.J. McDonald, safety
Cleveland's safety depth chart is nearly as barren as the quarterback room, and new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams could bring in a familiar face from the Rams. McDonald is a rangy strong safety with four years of starting experience -- and he just turned 26 a month ago. He could help establish the physical play that defines Williams' defenses, for good and bad.
Denver Broncos: Tony Romo, quarterback
The Broncos remain the cleanest landing spot for Romo this offseason because they don't need him. The low cost and potential of Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch is a combination that will allow John Elway to wait out Dallas' attempts to trade Romo and drive a hard bargain. Denver can just sit back and see if Romo eventually gets released. This is where John Elway's swing and miss with Brock Osweiler last offseason pays off again. It's too hard to imagine the Texans finding the money for Romo when they still owe Osweiler $16 million guaranteed. Other potential suitors for Romo -- like Buffalo and Chicago -- need to fill their quarterback holes fast and could be unappealing destinations for Romo, who has made plenty of money in his career and should be looking for the best chance at a title. That's in Denver.
Houston Texans: Martellus Bennett, tight end
Add another name to the New England-Houston pipeline? A tight end, like Bennett, who can block and catch would improve coach Bill O'Brien's offensive options, with the team also able to deploy C.J. Fiedorowicz. Bennett, a Houston native who just won a Super Bowl in the city, would add another dimension to a nice group of skill-position players. (If you just ignore that tricky quarterback position.)
Indianapolis Colts: Melvin Ingram, linebacker
No team should be more desperate for pass-rush help than Indianapolis. No better pass rusher than Ingram is likely to become available. It's uncertain if Ingram now fits in Los Angeles with the Chargers changing schemes, but that isn't a question with the Colts. Ingram would be trading one Pagano (John, his former coordinator in San Diego) for another.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Branden Albert, offensive tackle
Miami was all set to release Albert ... when suddenly, the team called an audible. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Friday that the Jaguars are considered "the primary destination" for Albert, who figures to arrive in Jacksonville in a trade. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Albert is visiting the Jaguars. This potential trade wouldn't be announced until the start of the new league year on March 9, at the earliest, and it would come with significant risk. Albert, 32, will cost $8.875 million and has struggled with injuries. He's a high-risk, high-reward short-term fix for a team that strangely remains all in on Blake Bortles.
Kansas City Chiefs: Dont'a Hightower, linebacker
Some team is going to pay Hightower a lot of money this offseason, because the inside linebacker market falls off a cliff after him. It might be difficult for the Chiefs to pull it off because of their salary-cap situation, but general manager John Dorsey could make room if he truly wanted to. Kansas City was surprisingly stale in the front seven last season, especially at the linebacker position. Hightower will provide leadership and the flexibility to line up in any formation with any team that signs him.
Los Angeles Chargers: T.J. Lang, offensive guard
GM Tom Telesco is going to be hunting for two to three O-line starters this offseason and could use help at any position. While the Packers don't like paying 29-year-old guards superstar money, Telesco doesn't have the same luxury. He's looking to make up for the mistakes of free agency past, like guard Orlando Franklin.
Miami Dolphins: Dre Kirkpatrick, cornerback
Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell believes Miami's secondary is only a nickname away from greatness. Another quality cornerback would help a lot more. New defensive coordinator Matt Burke was with Kirkpatrick in Cincinnati and knows he's a solid starter. Few teams like to pay big bucks in free agency for solid starters more than the Dolphins.
New England Patriots: Eddie Lacy, running back
A talented between-the-tackles running back who struggled with weight issues and could be willing to accept a low-cost deal to reset his NFL value. That once was LeGarrette Blount, and it now describes Lacy, four years younger than Blount with a higher ceiling.
New York Jets: Mike Glennon, quarterback
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan reportedly showed interest in Glennon for a possible trade in 2015, and the team's quarterback need is even more desperate now. While he took a step back in his second season, Glennon put up the 19th-best total QBR with 29 TDs and 15 INTs between 2013 and 2014 while playing for three disastrous Bucs coordinators: Mike Sullivan, Jeff Tedford and Marcus Arroyo. Signing Glennon would offer the Jets an ideal combination of experience, potential and youth. The price tag remains to be seen.
Oakland Raiders: Calais Campbell, defensive tackle
Campbell could improve virtually any team needing muscle up front. There just aren't many 6-foot-8, 300-pound defensive linemen possessing position versatility and veteran leadership smarts like Campbell. Despite his spending in recent years, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie still has plenty of room to work with to address a major need on his interior defensive line.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Prince Amukamara, cornerback
GM Kevin Colbert dipped his toe in free agency last season with tight end Ladarius Green and offensive tackle Ryan Harris. Those moves didn't pan out, but that shouldn't stop Pittsburgh from looking for value in the secondary. Since the Steelers are unlikely to make a big splash, Amukamara makes sense as a cornerback who could eat up quality snaps at a reasonable price.
Tennessee Titans: A.J. Bouye, cornerback
