One offseason move for every NFL team: Part four
The top eight teams in the American Football Conference (AFC) had outstanding seasons. The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs were all playoff teams from the battle-tested AFC West, and other top teams, such as the Buffalo Bills, are proven juggernauts, being the number-one-seeded Chiefs' only legitimate regular season loss. There’s always room for improvement, however, so here is one move the top eight AFC teams should make this offseason.
The Cincinnati Bengals:
The Cincinnati Bengals should find offensive line help this offseason. For quite some time now, the Bengals have had a problem finding quarterback Joe Burrow some offensive linemen. The Bengals own the number 17 pick in the National Football League (NFL) draft, so perhaps they can find a franchise lineman to help protect their superstar quarterback.
The Denver Broncos:
The Denver Broncos should find an offensive playmaker this offseason. The Broncos are way ahead of schedule, having made the playoffs in quarterback Bo Nix’s rookie season, so, unsurprisingly, they don’t have the best roster. Even though the Broncos likely weren’t preparing to make the playoffs, their defense is a great combination of a well-coached group and superstar-caliber players. The Broncos could be serious competitors if they can trade or sign an elite wide receiver, running back, or tight end.
The Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Pittsburgh Steelers should acquire a new running back. This one is tricky, as the Steelers have already made moves to start this offseason. With that being said, running back Najee Harris is likely to sign elsewhere this offseason, so the Steelers need to make it a priority to find a workhorse running back to complement Jaylen Warren.
The Los Angeles Chargers:
The Los Angeles Chargers should find an offensive playmaker this offseason. Similarly to the Denver Broncos, the Chargers are ahead of schedule with making the playoffs last season. Around this time last year, The Chargers were cleaning house by parting ways with wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, along with running back Austin Ekeler. The Chargers still managed to make the playoffs, and they can’t look back now. The Chargers need to ride the momentum and find quarterback Justin Herbert an elite pass catcher and possibly even an upgraded running back.
The Houston Texans:
The Houston Texans should find some offensive line help this offseason. The Texans just bafflingly traded star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and have now depleted an already weak offensive line. The Texans are a team that loves to run the ball and throw deep, two styles of play requiring a strong offensive line. They also got some picks back, which can be used for offensive linemen, but that likely won’t be enough. The Texans are going to have to call up free-agent offensive linemen if they want to be legitimate competitors this upcoming season.
The Baltimore Ravens:
The Baltimore Ravens should also find some offensive line help this offseason. The Ravens are very much a run-first team and need to make sure their offensive line holds up this offseason. The Ravens have an older Derrick Henry in the backfield, who loves to run between the tackles, so protecting him as well as helping open running lanes for him are very important aspects of Raven's offense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is also a running threat, so giving him time to find running room is also super important.
The Buffalo Bills:
The Buffalo Bills should find an elite wide receiver this offseason. Quarterback Josh Allen makes all his receivers look like superstars, but that is not a valid reason to neglect finding him a superstar wide receiver. Josh Allen showed what he can do with a superstar wide receiver with Stefon Diggs, and now Josh Allen is even better— capturing his first Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2024. The Bills should call up struggling teams with big-time wide receivers and go all-in for a new superstar.
The Kansas City Chiefs:
The Kansas City Chiefs should also find an elite wide receiver this offseason. The Chiefs have a handful of wide receivers who have shown superstar capabilities, but all of them have a tough time staying on the field. The Chiefs' roster is slowly deteriorating, and they need to act quickly to stay at the top of the AFC. Look out for the Chiefs and Bills to be top competitors for every new opening of wide receivers on the trade market.
The NFL offseason is now in full swing. Many teams have already made franchise-altering decisions for better or for worse. The NFL draft in late April will be the next key destination in an always-wild NFL offseason.