Free agency is just around the corner. We've already taken a look at the top 99 free agents, now it's time to start predicting the madness. We started by picking the players who are bound to get paid too much followed by free agents who offer the most bang for the buck and the best player-team combinations. Now it's time to examine which teams need to make an impact in free agency in order to enhance their respective outlooks for 2016.
Los Angeles Rams
Were you surprised when you heard the Ramswere discussing a contract extension with coach Jeff Fisher? You weren't alone. The Rams have gone 7-8-1, 7-9, 6-10 and 7-9 under the coach, clinching the title of the Football's Most Relentlessly Mediocre Franchise in the process. And now the Rams are back in Los Angeles. This is not the time to drop another sub-.500 snoozer on a city of football fans pondering their allegiance. The Rams have plenty of salary-cap space, a solid defense and a potential superstar to build around in running back Todd Gurley. Locating a quarterback is the biggest goal, no small challenge with a middle first-round pick and a dearth of quality options in free agency. Fisher and general manager Les Snead need to find some magic in that moving truck. -- Dan Hanzus
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a sneaky amount of problems and a 36-year-old quarterback that has broken his collarbone three times. This offensive line and quarterback are built to win now, yet there are serious holes on the roster at running back, defensive line and throughout the secondary. The team has generally stayed away from free agency in recent years because of cap issues, but owner Jerry Jones should have a little extra room to play with this year -- and you know he'll spend it. They could use a tag-team partner for Darren McFadden, cornerback depth and a warm body or three at defensive tackle. -- Gregg Rosenthal
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were a trendy Super Bowl pick last offseason, only to stumble through a disappointing 8-8 season in the NFL's weakest division. After four years on the job, general manager Ryan Grigson's roster still lacks impact talent on both sides of the ball and is too often steamrolled by more physical teams. It's hard to escape the feeling that Grigson has squandered an opportunity to surround Andrew Luck with a better supporting cast over the past three offseasons. How is Grigson going to fix the tattered offensive line while also building a defense this offseason? -- Chris Wesseling
Oakland Raiders
Reggie McKenzie has a nice young corps of playmakers in Derek Carr, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper. Now he needs to add complementary pieces to vault the Raiders into the AFC West race. McKenzie has done a solid job in recent seasons adding quality veteran leadership, but the retirements of Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson have sapped those guiding voices. McKenzie must add a complementary pass rusher to Mack and desperately needs to upgrade the secondary. Oakland has the salary-cap space to chase big-money free agents such as Malik Jackson and Janoris Jenkins. The storyline for Raiders fans this offseason has been about the tenuous nature of their stadium deal. McKenzie has a chance to put the focus back on field by adding exclamation points to his roster. With a good couple of weeks, Oakland will be a serious playoff contenders in the AFC. -- Kevin Patra
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are, by many accounts, headed in the right direction. They got one of the most sought after coaches in the carousel and have installed a leadership structure bent on reversing decades of ugly spats between the personnel office and the guys calling the plays. Whether or not it works is one thing, but the perception of their rebuild is another entirely. The Browns have a good chunk of cap space heading into free agency -- one of the 10 richest teams heading into the market, actually -- and part of their fan base is still waiting for the proof. Can they attract good players? Can they make a play for Alex Mack and convince him they have the pieces? How will they value free agents differently and might they find an edge? One of the difficult things about the Browns' perception is that they're being compared to new vice president Paul DePodesta's Oakland Athletics and that's not the case. This is going to be a football team built on the foundation of good, solid football players. They just have a higher burden of proof now. -- Conor Orr
Jacksonville Jaguars
With more than $74 million in cap room -- most in the NFL -- the Jaguars are primed to attack the open market. General manager Dave Caldwell went hard after tight end Julius Thomas last offseason and also made a run at DeMarco Murray. Jacksonville isn't afraid to build through free agency, so why wait? While Caldwell and coach Gus Bradley have plenty of support from patient owner Shad Khan, jobs are on the line in 2016. With a hill of scratch at their disposal, the Jaguars make sense to chase glory with no delay. -- Marc Sessler
