AFC free-agent watch: One pending FA each team should keep

Ahead of the AFC and NFC championship games Sunday, Yardbarker NFL writers identify which pending free agents in the AFC merit a new deal with their current teams.

From noon ET on March 10 to 4 p.m. ET March 12, teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. Free agency officially begins March 12. (Regular-season records are in parentheses.) 

BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) | CB Rasul Douglas | In November, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler named the nine-year veteran as one of the top free agents for 2025, calling him a “physical corner with the length to disrupt the ball and the willingness to set an edge against the run.” At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, Douglas is bigger than any of the team’s other cornerbacks, including Kaiir Elam, the team’s first-round pick in 2022 and a player some consider a bust. 

MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-9) | LB Tyrel Dodson | Dodson played eight games for Miami and led the team with three interceptions after being claimed off waivers from Seattle in Week 11. He was the Seahawks’ leading tackler at the time of his release and had his Seattle stats carried over to Miami, his 107 tackles would have been second most on the team. 

NEW YORK JETS (5-12) | Offensive tackle Morgan Moses | If the Jets plan on letting first-round pick Olu Fashanu take over for free agent Tyron Smith at left tackle, keeping Moses at right tackle makes perfect sense. Moses missed three games in 2024 but has been an iron man otherwise, appearing in 166 of a possible 180 career games, perhaps because of a regimen that had the 33-year-old, 320-pound lineman sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber this season. 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-13) | QB Jacoby Brissett | Brissett went 1-4 as a starter for New England before giving way to Drake Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 32-year-old has played with QBs Tom Brady, Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers during his nine-year career, and he’s a perfect mentor for the team’s young starting QB. — Bruce Ewing 

AFC West

DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) | LB Cody Barton | Barton stepped up after starting LB Alex Singleton suffered a torn ACL in Week 3. In 17 regular-season games, he finished with Denver’s second-most tackles (106).

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2) | LB Nick Bolton | Bolton plays a crucial role for the Chiefs, who finished fourth in the league in points allowed (19.2) during the regular season. In 16 regular-season games, the 24-year-old led K.C. in tackles (106) and tackles for loss (11).

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-13) | LB Robert Spillane | After missing the playoffs for a third straight season, the Raiders can’t afford to lose a productive player in Spillane. In 17 regular-season games, he tied for third in the league in tackles (158).

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6) | RB J.K. Dobbins | If the oft-injured RB can stay healthy, he should continue to be an effective weapon for head coach Jim Harbaugh. In 13 regular-season games, Dobbins ran for a career-high 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries. — Clark Dalton

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) | Safety Ar’Darius Washington | Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley will likely be Baltimore’s main priority this offseason, but he might be too expensive to bring back considering the cap crunch the Ravens are in. Washington, who ranked fifth of 170 qualified safeties in Pro Football Focus’ coverage grade this season (84.2), is a much cheaper re-sign candidate at a position of need.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8) | WR Tee Higgins | Higgins might be out of Cincinnati’s price range, but Joe Burrow has been vocal about doing everything in the team’s power to keep the star wide receiver in town. Considering the Bengals are 2-7 in the past nine games played without Higgins, they should pay up to keep their franchise QB happy.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-14) | LB Devin Bush | Bush stepped into a banged-up linebacker room and played well on his one-year, prove-it deal. With Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s future in doubt following his devastating neck injury, the Browns need capable options at LB.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) | RB Jaylen Warren | The Steelers have a decision to make between Warren, a restricted free agent, and fellow RB Najee Harris, an unrestricted free agent, this offseason, but it shouldn’t be much of a decision at all. Warren is cheaper (made slightly less than $1M this season) and more dynamic. — Jack Dougherty

AFC South 

HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7) | Wide receiver Stefon Diggs | Diggs’ first season with the Texans was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL in October. He formed a promising early connection with QB C.J. Stroud, who had a robust 108 passer rating when targeting the four-time Pro Bowler in eight games, during which Houston went 6-2.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) | Right guard Will Fries | Fries, a 2021 seventh-round pick, has exceeded expectations by becoming a vital member of the offensive line over the past three seasons. He suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 5 against the Jaguars, but Colts.com writer JJ Stankevitz wrote about how he “earned the respect of everyone” on the team.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-13) | Right guard Brandon Scherff | The veteran offensive lineman has been an iron man for Jacksonville, starting all 51 regular-season games since signing as a 2022 free agent on a three-year, $49.5M contract. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed no sacks and only 17 pressures in 591 pass-rush opportunities this season.

TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) | Safety Quandre Diggs | Diggs signed in Tennessee late during the 2024 offseason after five years with the Seahawks. He was on track for an outstanding season before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 9. He allowed only 9.7 yards per reception and posted the lowest missed tackle rate (4.7 percent) of his 10-year career (h/t PFF). — Eric Smithling