Although we are in the 2025 NFL preseason, the rosters of the 32 teams are not yet defined. There is still time for teams to make bold moves and seek to improve their rosters. Some teams have already made significant moves, such as the Steelers with the addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Ravens with the signing of Jaire Alexander. Given the fluctuations in the salary cap, it’s the opportune moment for teams to secure their key players before the start of the regular season. Here’s a suggestion for a final move for each NFL team, focused on improving their situation for the 2025 season and beyond. These suggestions include contract extensions, last-minute signings, and even trades, limiting ourselves to a possible destination for each of the most prominent free agents. Let’s begin, division by division.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Extend contract to left guard David Edwards The Bills have two veterans on their offensive line who will be free agents in 2026, and it would be wise to secure at least one of them for a couple more years. The choice is Edwards over center Connor McGovern, but the Bills would benefit from either, or both. Edwards ranked 16th among guards with the best pass-blocking percentage (93.5%) last season and was also above average in run-blocking percentage (73.1%). He will be 28 during the 2025 season, so he still has plenty of time in his prime.Miami Dolphins
Sign wide receiver Keenan Allen Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle give the Dolphins two excellent outside receivers, but there are doubts in the slot. Currently, Miami’s main slot options are the Washington brothers, two low-round draft picks from last year. In 2024, Malik Washington only had 26 receptions for 223 yards with no touchdowns, while Tahj Washington missed his entire rookie season due to an undisclosed injury. This makes Miami the perfect destination for a veteran and experienced slot receiver like Allen. Allen, at 33 years old, still managed 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in Chicago last season. Although he didn’t perform well in receiver tracking metrics, he still showed availability, as indicated by his score of 57 in “open”. Hill and Waddle would give Allen plenty of space to work underneath, providing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with a good “safety net”.New England Patriots
Extend contract to cornerback Marcus Jones It’s not easy to suggest a single move for the Patriots. They need to spend the season evaluating players to keep them in their future core, and there aren’t many important players with rookie contracts who are free agents in 2026. The only one who really matters is Jones, the nickelback and return specialist. The Patriots can secure it with an extension to solidify their special teams and the nickelback position. Jones had 10 passes defended last season and ranked eighth in coverage success percentage, although the receptions he allowed resulted in many yards.New York Jets
Extend the contract to cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson The problem with having the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year on your team is that you have to extend both of them a couple of seasons later. Thanks to the fifth-year option, the Jets know they have both Gardner and Wilson until 2026. But let’s be honest, they want to have both of them for much longer than that. It would be ideal to finalize the agreements before the season begins. Gardner’s contract could be easier to sign because we know that Derek Stingley Jr., selected one spot before Gardner in the 2022 draft, obtained a three-year, $90 million contract. Gardner should get the same contract.AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Extend contract to quarterback Lamar Jackson The original suggestion for the Ravens was to sign cornerback Jaire Alexander. But they did it with a one-year contract, so we’re going to close a deal with Jackson, Alexander’s former teammate at Louisville. Conversations about an extension with Jackson are in a “preliminary stage,” according to general manager Eric DeCosta. Jackson is under contract through 2027, but the two-time MVP now ranks tenth among quarterbacks in average annual salary. An extension would make him happy and open up a large amount of cap space for the Ravens to use in 2026 and 2027. (Jackson has a cap number of over $74 million next season).Cincinnati Bengals
Solve Shemar Stewart’s problem The Bengals’ contractual stalemate with Stewart, their first-round pick, is complicated. The dispute is related to the specific language of the contract regarding the possible voiding of guarantees in case of player default. This is language that many players have included in their contracts. The problem is that it is not the language that previous Cincinnati first-round picks have included in their contracts, and Stewart does not want to be the first. The Bengals must decide how much they want to maintain their stance on this issue versus how important it is to get their first-round pick to practice with the team, especially considering that Stewart was considered a raw talent. If they want Stewart to accept this language, they will probably need to make a concession in some other area. Otherwise, they should use the same language they used with last year’s first-round pick, Amarius Mims, and incorporate Stewart into the team as soon as possible.Cleveland Browns
Make some decisions on the offensive line Four of the five starters on Cleveland’s offensive line will see their contracts expire after the 2025 season: left guard Joel Bitonio, center Ethan Pocic, right guard Wyatt Teller, and right tackle Jack Conklin. But wait, there’s more! The Browns signed Teven Jenkins as their primary offensive line backup, but that was a one-year deal, so he’s also a free agent in 2026. The Browns must decide which players they want to try to retain after 2025 and extend one or two linemen. Jenkins is the only one of those players under 30 years old, making him the most likely to stay long-term.Pittsburgh Steelers
Extend contract to pass rusher T.J. Watt It’s not necessary to list statistics to explain Watt’s talent. And this would be the right time for the Steelers to consider negotiating with Watt, 32, for draft picks as part of a rebuilding effort. But let’s be honest, a team that just signed 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t rebuilding. Watt skipped the mandatory minicamp due to contract negotiations. If the Steelers want to have a competitive defense in 2025, they need him to return to the team.AFC South
Houston Texans
Sign cornerback Rasul Douglas The Texans lost some depth at the cornerback position when Ronald Darby retired in early June, so we’ll give them another veteran to play behind Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. Douglas, 29, didn’t have a great season for Buffalo in 2024, but two seasons ago he ranked third in the NFL in the coverage DVOA metric. He can play both inside and outside, giving coach DeMeco Ryans more flexibility.Indianapolis Colts
Sign safety Justin Simmons The Colts added Camryn Bynum from Minnesota as their new starting safety, and they still have Nick Cross, who had 146 tackles last season. But Indianapolis could use some depth at the position, as Daniel Scott has never seen the field in the regular season after two seasons and Hunter Wohler is a seventh-round rookie. Here comes Simmons, who started for Atlanta last season and was named second-team All-Pro in 2023. Simmons would also give Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo the ability to play three-safety packages.Jacksonville Jaguars
Sign pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney The Jaguars have a solid pair of starting pass rushers with Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. But there are questions about the depth behind them. Emmanuel Ogbah is 32 years old and only had five sacks as a full-time starter in Miami last season. Myles Cole had no sacks on 11.3% of defensive plays as a seventh-round rookie. The Jaguars could use a strong third pass rusher who can rotate with Hines-Allen and Walker, and there are still several on the market. I choose Clowney over Matthew Judon, Preston Smith, or Za’Darius Smith because his strength in run defense makes him a good substitute for Walker specifically.Tennessee Titans
Sign linebacker Kyzir White The Titans really don’t have many inside linebackers on the roster they can rely on. Tennessee signed Cody Barton from Denver, but no one else at the position played more than 10.5% of the defensive plays last season. A strong veteran to play in the middle would be a great help, and White is still available. He is a consistent player who had 35 more tackles last season for Arizona than any other Cardinals defender other than Budda Baker.AFC West
Denver Broncos
Extend defensive lineman Zach Allen’s contract Allen had a phenomenal 2024 season. He had a run stop rate of 89%, second at his position, and had 59 pressures, which tied him with Chris Jones of the Chiefs for the highest total among interior linemen. However, Allen’s contract expires after the 2025 season. He will be 29 in 2026, still in his prime, so the Broncos should extend him to solidify the center of their defense for the next three or four seasons.Kansas City Chiefs
Extend contract to right guard Trey Smith The Chiefs have already decided between Joe Thuney and Smith. They could only afford one of them, so Thuney was sent to Chicago and they kept the younger Smith. At this moment, Smith will play with the franchise tag for 2025 and then will become a free agent again in 2026. We know that won’t happen. The Chiefs need to finalize the extension and secure one of the best interior linemen in the league for the next seasons.Las Vegas Raiders
Extend contract to left tackle Kolton Miller Miller is easily the Raiders’ best offensive lineman. He ranked 37th in pass block percentage (88.1%) in 2024, but 25th (89.4%) the previous season, and the Raiders were also much better running to the left than running to the right in 2024. There is a lot of youth on the Raiders’ line, and it would be good to secure a couple more years with Miller as the veteran leader of the group. Miller skipped voluntary workouts in April seeking a new contract, but told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he wants to “be a Raider for life”.Los Angeles Chargers
Extend contract to left tackle Rashawn Slater We are 4 of 4 in extensions in the AFC West, where some really important offensive linemen face free agency after the 2025 season. For the Chargers, that means left tackle Slater, whose rookie contract is about to end. Last season, Slater ranked 22nd among qualified tackles in pass block percentage (90.7%) and 10th in run block percentage (78.6%). Los Angeles has some linemen who will be free agents after 2025, including Zion Johnson and Trey Pipkins III, but there is no doubt that Slater is the one they need for the long term.NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Extend the contract of pass rusher Micah Parsons No statistics are needed here, right? It’s Parsons. He’s one of the best defensive players in the NFL. At 26 years old, he’s in his prime. Why the hell haven’t the Cowboys extended his contract yet?New York Giants
Pass to pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux The Giants now have three starting pass rushers for two positions after selecting Abdul Carter to join Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. Thibodeaux has two years left on his rookie contract, and will need an extension after the 2025 season. The team will not want to pay him at the current price for starting pass rushers if he is not going to be a starter. Yes, New York can use a rotation of pass rushers and get a lot of value from it. It can create a NASCAR-style package where one of its pass rushers moves inside on third down. But the Giants can also trade Thibodeaux to a contender that needs help on the edge, like the Packers or the Lions, and probably get a Day 2 pick in return. More draft capital would be a big help for 2026, when they will try to find as many strong offensive players as possible to build around quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Malik Nabers.Philadelphia Eagles
Sign wide receiver Tyler Boyd What to suggest for the team that basically has everything? I can’t even really suggest a contract extension here; Philadelphia’s best young player approaching free agency is Nakobe Dean, but the team already prepared for his departure by using a first-round pick on Jihaad Campbell in the most recent draft.One thing the Eagles could use is more depth at the wide receiver position, particularly a slot receiver who can open underneath and convert third downs. Keenan Allen would fit, but we have him going to the Dolphins, so, how about Boyd here?
Boyd only had 39 receptions for 390 yards with Tennessee last season, but he was an important part of the Bengals’ offense from 2016 to 2023. Jahan
