The 2026 offseason still has room for another jolt, and a few AFC teams already have players who could be staring at the door once training camp opens. Some are veterans on rosters that are changing fast.
Others are younger players who haven’t quite stuck. Either way, these are the names worth watching as the 90-man camps get rolling.
For the Las Vegas Raiders, the obvious headline is Maxx Crosby, the defensive end whose name has kept popping up in trade chatter even after the deal with the Baltimore Ravens was cancelled earlier this offseason. There’s still no guarantee anything happens before the 2026 season starts, or even during it, but the interest figures to be there the moment Crosby is healthy and back looking like himself. At that point, teams hunting for edge help are expected to be calling Raiders GM John Spytek, and the asking price likely won’t have softened much with the season so close.
In New York, Mazi Smith looks like the kind of player who could be squeezed out by the numbers. The Jets picked him up from the Dallas Cowboys as part of the Quinnen Williams trade last year, essentially as a throw-in, after Dallas had already moved on from the former first-round pick out of Michigan.
Smith appeared in just three games for the Jets, and he’s now in a contract year in 2026. If New York feels its defensive line rotation is set without him, another team might decide to take one more swing on a player it liked in the 2023 class.
The problem is the clock is ticking, and his career production still sits at just two sacks in 42 games.
Tennessee has a different kind of situation going on under new head coach Robert Saleh, who replaced Brian Callahan and immediately brought in familiar faces from his past. Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers, and Solomon Thomas are already in the building, part of a broader youth movement that could leave Cody Barton vulnerable.
Barton signed with the Titans last offseason, but with Cedric Gray and Anthony Hill Jr. on the roster and Mohamoud Diabate also in the mix, his spot is far from secure. His experience could still make him useful to a linebacker-needy team if Tennessee decides to move on.
Cleveland’s quarterback room makes Dillon Gabriel the most obvious odd man out. The Browns are set to run a quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders for the starting job, which leaves Gabriel looking like the clear outsider.
He’s already had to give up his jersey number to Jared Verse, and Cleveland also used a sixth-round pick on Taylen Green, a prospect described as a potentially intriguing weapon for the offense. Gabriel may not draw the biggest market, but he’s the kind of player who could end up available if the Browns keep reshuffling the depth chart.
In Other News...
Three Titans Rookies Are Already Threatening Starting Jobs
The Titans came out of the 2026 NFL Draft with seven new players, and the rookie class already looks like it could shape the depth chart before the season gets too far along. Carnell Tate, taken No. 4 overall, is the obvious headliner and is expected to step in right away at wide receiver, but the more interesting part of Tennessees rookie haul is how quickly the rest of the group could push for real snaps.
Linebacker Hill, center Coogan and edge rusher Faulk all have paths toward starting roles, even if those paths look different. Hill has the kind of profile that could make him a factor early, Coogan has a chance to force his way into the middle of the line if the current setup wobbles, and Faulk may have to earn his way through a rotational role first. For a Titans team trying to build around young talent, the first month could tell a lot about how many of these rookies are ready to matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Titans May Have Just Made A Huge Kevin Winston Jr. Bet
Kevin Winston Jr. looks like the kind of bet the Titans are willing to make now, even if the payoff is still a little ways off. The rookie safetys first season was shaped by the partially torn ACL he brought in from Penn State, but he still found a way onto the field for 10 games and showed enough to leave Tennessee thinking bigger about his role moving forward.
The real signal is how the roster has been adjusted around him. Tennessee has added Tony Adams for depth and for his familiarity with Robert Salehs defensive system, while Winston is positioned to keep climbing as the safety group settles in. If the plan holds, 2026 is the year he is expected to move into the starting picture, which says plenty about how the Titans view his long-term value. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Offense Still Isn't Getting Bought Into Before 2026
Even after a busy offseason and another wave of roster tinkering, the Titans still are not earning much trust when it comes to the offense. Jared Dubin of CBS Sports slotted Tennessees offensive infrastructure at No. 31 in the league, a harsh evaluation that reflects more than just skepticism about the passing game. The larger concern is the same one that has followed this team for a while: the line still looks like the place where drives can stall before they ever get started.
Dubin also was not convinced that adding Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate meaningfully changes the equation, which leaves the Titans leaning on hope as much as personnel. There is at least some belief that Brian Daboll can help steer the unit in a better direction, but the bigger question is whether the front office did enough to address the most obvious weakness before turning the page toward 2026. Until the offensive line proves it can hold up, the rest of the plan remains hard to buy into. [Read more 🡒]