One offseason move for each AFC team: Playmaker for Bo Nix? Bengals to pay Ja'Marr Chase?

• Continue to rework the O-line. 

I wouldn't argue with bringing back impending free agent left tackle Ronnie Stanley. His teammates certainly want the Pro Bowler to return. However, coming off the first full season in his nine-year career, Stanley likely wants another big payday, especially after taking a pay cut to remain in Baltimore last year. Given the need for O-linemen around the league, someone with more cap space will likely toss around gobs of money. The Ravens are usually a “better to move on a year early than a year late” organization. Letting Stanley walk after milking the most out of a 30-year-old is right up their alley -- I can imagine general manager Eric DeCosta salivating over the potential compensatory pick they'd get for letting Stanley hit free agency.

Roger Rosengarten enjoyed a good rookie campaign at right tackle and could be an option to swing over to the left side, if they draft a rookie to man the right side. Patrick Mekari is another soon-to-be free agent whom Baltimore could re-sign, with the versatility to play inside or outside. After succeeding with three new starters in 2024, I expect DeCosta to use another high pick to continue fortifying a young line in front of Lamar Jackson.

• Finish the secondary remake.

Last offseason, Buffalo went young on the back end, moving on from stalwarts Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. General manager Brandon Beane needs to finish reworking the unit in 2025, particularly focusing on the corner crew this time around. It proved to be wafer-thin once injuries struck. Taron Johnson and Christian Benford are building blocks, but we saw what happened when they went down. (Benford is in line for an extension this offseason despite the multiple injuries.) Rasul Douglas, an impending free agent who turns 31 in August, struggled most of the season. Kaiir Elam has proven he can't be trusted. Buffalo needs to add a top-line outside corner and more youthful depth. Corners who excel more in man coverage would also be useful for the times McDermott needs to go that route -- say, against Patrick Mahomes.

• Make Ja'Marr Chase the highest-paid receiver.

Cincy likely wishes it would have paid Chase last offseason. The price just keeps going up. The receiving triple crown winner led the NFL with 127 catches, 1,708 yards, and 17 touchdowns. He averaged 100.5 receiving yards per game. That's a franchise difference-maker if there was ever one. A year later, it feels like a fait accompli that Chase will pass Justin Jefferson's $35 million-per-year contract as the highest-paid wideout. The big question for Cincinnati is how much will be guaranteed (Jefferson got $110 million of the $140 million deal). Ideally, the Bengals pay both Chase and Tee Higgins this offseason. We know Joe Burrow is campaigning to keep both key pieces of his high-powered offense in place. I have doubts the front office is willing to pay two WRs $25-plus million per year each, but I'm willing to consider that, just maybe, the QB can convince the decision-makers. If he does, Burrow will have proven there is (almost) nothing he can't do in Cincy.

• Draft a rookie QB and ink a vet.

The Myles Garrett trade request had to shake Cleveland, but it shouldn’t alter the No. 1 offseason plan: Continue the search for the one true franchise quarterback to lead them out of the endless wilderness. If anything, the Garrett request underscores that the Browns must solve the QB issue before ever taking that next step. Cleveland can use the No. 2 overall draft pick as a Deshaun Watson escape hatch. Watson potentially missing the 2025 season after yet another injury provides a chance for the team to turn to a different passer before ultimately moving on. As soon as the guaranteed contract for Watson went sour due to injury and ineffective play, finding a quarterback on a rookie deal to balance out the weight of Watson's agreement had to become a priority. It was always going to be a quagmire to get out of Watson's deal if it didn't pan out. Cleveland can give up the dream of the QB finally figuring it out -- Watson has missed too much time and played poorly when on the field. Drafting another first-round quarterback isn't a surefire answer, but it's the best hand the Browns could be dealt at this point. Trading back and riding out stopgaps could be tempting, but having a new, young face of the franchise -- like Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders -- to sell a fan base fed up with the Watson saga is the best move.

• Fill the tight end void.

Denver tight ends compiled 483 total receiving yards in 2024. Total. Combined. Brock Bowers beat that in a six-game span from Weeks 11-16 (487 yards). Adam Trautman led Broncos TEs with 188 yards. Lucas Krull had the most catches with 19. And Nate Adkins led in TDs with three. It was brutal, folks. While fellow rookie Jayden Daniels was peppering security blanket Zach Ertz on easy passes, Bo Nix was making low-percentage tosses. Most of the top offenses got TE production last season -- Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle, Jonnu Smith, Travis Kelce, etc. Not Sean Payton's in 2024. Nix needs his own TE mismatch to exploit in 2025. Adding a big-bodied player who can win over the middle and force defenses to match up differently would make it easier on the young quarterback and help open some of those deep shots he wants to take. Penn State's Tyler Warren and Michigan's Colston Loveland highlight what is projected as a deep TE class in the 2025 NFL Draft.

• Fix the leaky offensive line.

C.J. Stroud's Year 2 dip can be traced to an ineffective offensive line. It's one reason Bobby Slowik went from head-coaching candidate to unemployed in a blink. The scheme was predictable, and the miscommunications were horrific. Houston allowed 109 quick pressures, fourth-most in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats, while surrendering a quick pressure on 18.1 percent of dropbacks, third-highest. Stroud received the snap and immediately had to play dodge-the-massive-human. Pass protection wasn't the only issue, though. Running back Joe Mixon was contacted behind the line of scrimmage on carries outside the tackles at the second-highest rate (60.8%; min. 75 carries), resulting in the fifth-highest stuff rate on such totes (26.4%). Those were his good runs. Mixon fared worse on inside runs, generating the fifth-fewest rushing yards over expected per carry (-0.4) and only one touchdown (tied for the fewest, min. 75 carries). A new offensive coach could help, but the interior must be overhauled in the draft and free agency. Moving forward with 31-year-old Shaq Mason (allowed league-high eight sacks from the guard spot) and a revolving door at left guard is a non-starter.

• Add free safety for Lou Anarumo's defense. 

Anarumo’s defenses are at their best when they have a talented deep safety patrolling the middle of single-high looks -- think Jessie Bates. Nick Cross is coming off a career year at strong safety, but there is a void in the free safety spot. Julian Blackmon struggled through 2024 and will be a free agent. Indy could use a coverage linebacker and CB depth to aid its new DC's arrival, but upgrading with a rangy playmaker at safety is a must if the Colts want to turn things around swiftly. Someone like Jevon Holland would fit swimmingly if the Dolphins let him hit the open market. Another name to watch: Tre'von Moehrig, from Vegas, who might not be as well-known, but his tape was excellent in 2024.

• Add a playmaking corner.

The Jags defense is so riddled with holes a block of Swiss cheese is jealous. Jacksonville is especially holey on the back end. Last year, the plan entering the season was to start Ronald Darby opposite Tyson Campbell. That idea blew up, as the secondary struggled mightily all campaign. Darby was eventually benched for the final five weeks. If the Jags would’ve had a better option, that benching would have happened much sooner. Montaric Brown is not the answer -- no offense to the former seventh-round pick. Jacksonville needs to inject a playmaker into the secondary. Adding a sticky corner is paramount. Finding one in free agency and another in the draft would be even better -- even if at No. 5 overall, they might be out of range for dual-threat Heisman winner Travis Hunter.

• Sell out for a rookie quarterback.

A couple of late-season wins pushed the Raiders from the top slot in the 2025 NFL Draft down to No. 6. So, they could again be boxed out of the top signal-callers. If Tom Brady's crew has conviction about Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, I'd go all in and attempt to move up to No. 1 overall. Tennessee and/or Cleveland might be willing movers. As Vegas knows, a QB-less club is a wandering nomad. Last season proved that in spades. New GM John Spytek can't allow his team to be left empty once again, and new head coach Pete Carroll can coax wins even with less talent. Striking now, even if it costs a lot, is the move to make. If they can't scrap their way up the draft board, reaching for a lower-graded QB at No. 6 is a dangerous proposition, but so is going into another season with the same signal-callers.

• Re-sign Khalil Mack and cut Joey Bosa.

Mack was sensational in Jesse Minter's defense, leading the Chargers with 54 QB pressures. The 33-year-old proved he can still be a two-way player, earning a -21.0 run stop EPA, which ranked in the top 14 among all edge players, per NGS. Given the dearth of edge rushers hitting the open market this offseason, Mack will likely have many suitors. Jim Harbaugh's club need not let the future Hall of Famer make it out the door. He fits how the Chargers want to play defense and is the type of mentally tough worker the coach adores. On the flip side, a breakup with Bosa seems likely at this point. A supreme talent, Bosa simply can't stay healthy. He finished behind rising edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu in both pressures and sacks. It's baton-handing time in L.A. Cutting Bosa would save the Chargers $25.36 million, per Over the Cap.

• Upgrade the guards. 

Free-agent signee Aaron Brewer filled the center spot admirably, but the two guard positions were an issue all year. It seemed faulty that Miami entered the season counting on Robert Jones and Liam Eichenberg to start and on an injury-prone Isaiah Wynn for depth. Critics were proven correct as Jones and Eichenberg struggled mightily throughout the season. Wynn returned down the stretch but did little to bolster the interior. Anyone who wondered why the Dolphins’ run game had issues need only look at the guard problems. Miami is in a cap crunch, but finding upgrades in free agency and the draft is necessary if Mike McDaniel's ground game is to get back on track.

• Remake the offensive line.

For the love of St. Botolph of Thorney, someone freaking protect Drake Maye. The Patriots offensive line was the worst unit in the NFL in 2024. It made the one blocking for C.J. Stroud look like a fortified wall. New England allowed 125 quick pressures, more than any other unit last season. The 40.7 percent QB pressure rate was also highest in the NFL. Across the board, the Patriots were awful. New England must throw around money at veterans and draft multiple linemen in the early rounds. What occurred in 2024 cannot continue under Mike Vrabel's watch.

• Improve the D-line next to Quinnen Williams.

We can save the 20 billionth Aaron Rodgers query for another column. Instead, let's focus on the spot next to star Quinnen Williams. A running mate for the stud defensive lineman is overdue -- especially after the Jets traded away John Franklin-Myers for a baggy of Werther's Original last year. Gang Green has repeatedly tossed assets at the edges, leaving the interior to Q and whatever parts were lying around. With Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas headed to free agency, it's time to get Williams a difference-making mate who will take advantage of the one-on-ones the big guy provides. The Jets defense struggled for spells in 2024 partly because it was thin up the gut. If Michigan's Mason Graham falls to the Jets at No. 7 in the 2025 NFL Draft, he'd look pretty, pretty, pretty good suiting up next to Quinnen.

• Find some run-stoppers. 

For a perennial winner, the Steelers sure have some holes -- which is either a testament or a detriment to Mike Tomlin. From QB to WR to CB2 to DL to RB, Pittsburgh has needs on both sides of the ball.

Since we can't solve them all here, let's highlight a run defense that got mashed down the stretch. In their final nine games, including playoffs, the Steelers allowed 1,193 rushing yards -- 132.5 per contest -- including 299 against Baltimore in the Wild Card Round. Cam Heyward was a first-team All-Pro, but the 35-year-old can't do it alone. When Heyward was on the field this season, Pittsburgh allowed 3.7 yards per carry on 303 totes. On the 109 carries that the All-Pro wasn't on the field, the defense allowed 5.1 YPC (which would rank 31st in the NFL). Pittsburgh needs to reconfigure its interior; otherwise, opponents will continue to gallop through the middle.

• Continue stacking the offensive line.

It doesn't much matter whether the Titans ride Will Levis for another go, draft a QB No. 1 overall, or sign Sam Darnold in free agency if the offensive line continues to play like turnstile caricatures. It was a struggle across the board last season. As an illustration, rookie left tackle JC Latham allowed 82 QB pressures, most in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats, and he wasn't even the most significant issue -- nor would I suggest Tennessee should move on from the first-rounder after one season. The right side of the line was a disaster, particularly at tackle. Nicholas Petit-Frere played horribly, allowing 8.5 sacks and a 13.5 percent QB pressure rate. Yet, they couldn't find a replacement for him, as all other options were worse, injured, or a combo of the two. New GM Mike Borgonzi noted the need from the Senior Bowl, saying: "We have some holes to fill on the offensive line, that will be No. 1." Offensive line coach Bill Callahan needs a couple more pieces to make this unit whole and save whoever is tossing the oblong pigskin.