If you were paying attention Tuesday and read stuff on NFL.com beyond for a draft pick and a (backup) tight end, you might DeShon Elliott Jersey have noticed that . Now I do the same for all 16 teams in the AFC. What's the best we can expect from the or the ? What's the worst we can anticipate from the ? Speaking of, Pittsburgh native and esteemed colleague Dave Dameshek on his podcast, and I've decided to take a stab at the exercise in written form here.So take a gander below, and let me know which clubs I'm too high on and which I'm too low on ... is the place. One important note: Major injuries are not being predicted here. Obviously, if or goes down, the fortunes of the and , respectively, will change greatly. , anyone?AFC EastBUFFALO BILLSCeiling: 10-6. For the -win-10-games-and-make-the-playoffs-for-the-first-time-since-1999 scenario to come true, several things would have to occur, like faltering for the (yes, that's po sible), the playing awfully inconsistent football (certainly po sible) ... and Buffalo beating New England. And there's the rub. Too often -- as in -- the have been unable to close the door against the Pats. The other thing that has to happen in this 10-win deal? develops into a solid pocket pa ser in his second year as a pro, becoming efficient enough to win games whileavoiding the mistakes that lose them -- call it a low-turnover year. It would also be nice if running back were to reclaim his career.Floor: 4-12. The absences of young linebacker -- with a torn ACL -- and veteran safety -- who left via free agency -- turn out to be a huge factor, and former defensive coordinator 's departure leaves a significant scheming void. Consequently, Buffalo's defense is unable to keep the team in games when Manuel winds up falling flat on his face. Veteran back can't compensate for the ineffectivene s of Spiller and others, as he finally shows his age (33).MIAMI DOLPHINSCeiling: 11-5. Everything goes right. plays with the poise of , receiver posts 1,150 yards at a 20-yards-per-catch clip, and and combine for 1,750 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the front seven succeeds in shutting down the backs that , including the ' , ' , ' and ' (twice).Floor: 4-12. Coach loses the team as it sinks to the bottom of the AFC East. Tannehill's new offensive line fares almost as poorly as last year's edition, allowing him to be sacked 50-plus times again. Wallace can't catch a whiff, while Moreno reverts to 2011 form. Meanwhile, puts the secondary behind the eight ball early, and Miami drops close games to start the season 0-4.NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSCeiling: 13-3. We can't go over 13 wins here, but if any squad is capable of pulling off the unexpected, this would be the group. Within the 13-win narrative resides winning another MVP award, posting a 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and justifying . rushes for 800 yards and catches 80 pa ses for another 700, while adds a second punch -- without dropping the ball on the carpet. and play almost a full slate of games.Floor: 8-8. The dearth of young, reliable run-stoppers up front gets the Pats in serious trouble, much like last year, when their rushing defense . High-profile free-agency addition plays like did for two seasons in Philadelphia -- as a fish clearly out of water. Speaking of fish ... the 'Fins split with the Pats, as do the and , while New England manages to beat just one of the following six tough opponents: Green Bay, Chicago, Kansas City, Indy, Denver and San Diego.NEW YORK JETSCeiling: 11-5.'s secondary recovers from in time for the regular season and is able to keep opposing pa sers at bay ... at least well enough so that the -fueled offense isn't forced to put up more than 24 points per game. Former running back notches 1,600 yards from scrimmage, making plays in the pa sing game, while former receiver tops 1,000 yards through the air. Rookie acclimates to the pro game, giving Smith a third-down option and providing 45 catches from the tight end spot.Floor: 3-13. This is another of those teams with a very open-ended future. What if Smith throws nearly twice as many interceptions as he does touchdowns (again)? What if the Johnson experiment fails miserably? What if Decker's past succe s proves to have been just a product of 's record-breaking greatne s in Denver? And what if backup plays decently for one game and proceeds to become a distraction? When a club is relying on this many new faces, things can go downhill very quickly. So much depends on that secondary.AFC NorthBALTIMORE RAVENSCeiling: 11-5. Baltimore prevails on the strength of a formidable long-ball attack anchored by 's downfield touch (which was mi sing last year), a line that provides the quarterback with plenty of time to pat the football and a solid receiving corps. plays consistently, veteran free-agent addition looks younger and tight end suits up for all 16 games. The defense allows 20 points per contest, thus allowing the to win a few with special teams and some running game.Floor: 6-10. and Co. provide no ground support for Flacco. plays like he's 55, not 35, and the quarterback is left to work with a one-trick pony at wideout, 35 rushing yards from his backs and a decent tight end. Veteran linebackers and hit the career wall, while young safety takes a step back.CINCINNATI BENGALSCeiling: 12-4. This record is, in theory, attainable. Achieving it would start with sweeping the and splitting with both the and . Then ' club would need to take three of four from its NFC South opponents -- presumably, the lone lo s would be at New Orleans. Barry Sanders Jersey The also would need to sweep the AFC South and beat either the or the . It's po sible, but not likely. The defense can't mi s a beat under new coordinator Paul Guenther.Floor: 7-9. The absence of Guenther's predece sor, , is felt from Day 1. The defense mi ses , who signed with the Bucs, in its pa s-rush rotation. fans and the national media learn that was a better offensive coordinator than his replacement, (nah). And, of course, regre ses, becoming complacent after , shaving the goatee (with which he's played well) and throwing 20 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. also falters, most decidedly failing to become a top-10 fantasy running back.CLEVELAND BROWNSCeiling: 9-6-1. Ah, what the heck -- some game in the AFC North always seems to end up in a tie, which would count as a win in Cleveland, the way the starting offense has been playing. Quarterback keeps his job, posting a solid 97.6 pa ser rating while helping tight end become a second team All-Pro (behind dynamo , of course). Some combination of , and makes up for . The defense continues its solid -- if not spectacular -- play.Floor: 3-13. New coach 's defense ends up being the unit that lets everyone down. The law firm of (Paul) Kruger, (Desmond) Bryant and (Barkevious) Mingo is a disaster, with the three posting 10 sacks between them. wins the job from a confidence-vacuumed Hoyer, ultimately making exciting plays that are just enough to get Cleveland beat, then double-birds the Steeler faithful after a particularly uninspiring performance at Heinz Field. Oh, and finishes with 500 yards.PITTSBURGH STEELERSCeiling: 11-5. Rookie linebacker looks like the love child of Greg Lloyd and Hardy Nickerson, making plays all over the field and excelling in the pa s rush, in coverage and simply making tackles. Shazier should be solid in all three aspects of the game, but coverage will be where it's at in this scenario. rushes for 1,250 yards while adds 500 and eight short-yardage scores. The ' offense plays faster overall, with at receiver and .Floor: 6-9-1. I don't see a team with at the helm finishing with le s than six wins; consider that Pittsburgh has not had a single losing season since drafting in 2004. In order for the to do so poorly, they'd have to split with the -- after all, someone has to tie with Cleveland in our best-case scenario for that team -- and be swept by the and . Plus, 2013 first-round pick would have to be a certifiable bust at linebacker, while veteran corner plays like he did last season.AFC SouthHOUSTON TEXANSCeiling: 8-8. must produce on at least a viable level for this team to sniff 8-8, unle s, of course, takes the reins and proves he can get the ball down the field to and . For this offense to have balance, Hopkins needs to put up 950 yards and score six-to-eight touchdowns, while has to play in more than 10 games and revert to the dominant form he showed a few years ago.Floor: 2-14. No. 1 overall draft pick flops, Foster shows that his best days are clearly behind him, and we're all left wondering Craig Reynolds Jersey why rookie quarterback isn't running the ranch. receives little to no help from the rest of the front seven, and the best player on offense (Johnson) chirps up on how he wants out. All that would spell an implosion and a repeat of last year's dismal record -- though I'm doubtful that would occur under new coach 's watch.INDIANAPOLIS COLTSCeiling: 12-4. Indianapolis sweeps the AFC South, then takes three of four from its NFC East opponents and three of four from its AFC North opponents. The lo ses would be , and . The offensive line and much-maligned running back manage to fare a whole lot better than they have so far in the preseason.Floor: 8-8. Given that the are in the weak AFC South, the idea that they could fall below .500 is darn near improbable, if not impo sible. Yet, mediocrity could befall the horseshoe if the continue the improvement they showed under last season and the ' defense beats in Houston by itself. Speaking of, if Luck tries to win games solo and starts turning the ball over, as he has in the playoffs, an eight- or nine-win season is in the cards.JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSStock watch: Rookie quarterbacksOur resident scouts, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, provide preseason grades for BlakeBortles and his fellow rookie QBs. Ceiling: 9-7. Third overall pick throws 25 touchdowns and posts an 85-plus pa ser rating as a rookie, starting from almost stem to stern. Free-agent addition rushes for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rookie becomes a 1,000-yard receiver and the fantasy waiver-wire pickup of the year. Meanwhile, the defense bends but doesn't break, and someone -- anyone -- emerges as a pa s-rushing threat.Floor: 2-14. and -- and whoever else plays corner -- get yoked time and again against , and everybody else. and Bortles combine to throw 25 interceptions. Lee isn't ready, while isn't enough. leads the team in rushing with 541 yards. As the offense fails to score 17 points per game, ' body doesn't hold up at outside linebacker and nobody makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks -- meaning life is miserable in Jacksonville. And then comes the Tebow talk ...TENNESSEE TITANSCeiling: 10-6. becomes a pocket pa ser who completes 70 percent of his pa ses ... OK, that really is pie-in-the-sky stuff there. But he has to achieve at least a 65 percent completion rate while notching 22 touchdowns and 300 rushing yards -- oh, and 16 starts. The secondary certainly would have to bring it, or at least cover for the lo s of free-agency departure . And the must stop at least once, because in order for Tenne see to win 10, beating Indy is a must.Floor: 5-11. falters in Verner's stead at corner and doesn't work out, meaning the only difference-maker on defense winds up being a 3-4 end. can't do it by himself this year. If he's asked to do so anyway, Tenne see -- which was in terms of points allowed last season -- will fall toward the back. -hyped rookie back finishes with just 440 yards and is a nonfactor.AFC WestDENVER BRONCOSCeiling: 15-1. It's po sible. While the have , the toughest game is, without question, . You think will be slightly motivated to win that one? Now, beyond Manning Jeff Okudah Jersey notching 194 touchdown pa ses (approximately), the factor that could make this the best team in the league -- one that stumbles just once all year -- is if all the new parts on defense come together well, particularly with corner and safety making the secondary a formidable unit. It'll help if catches 15 touchdown pa ses, too.Floor: 10-6. That stiff slate could push Denver to a win total that is much lower than expected. Consider that the face opponents from the NFC West -- the best division in football in 2013 -- while also getting the at home and the and on the road. fails to learn from Miyagi and disappoints all those who are expecting 1,300 yards and 50 catches from the second-year pro. Worth noting is the (real) chance that the defensive additions don't gel immediately. And with kicker , a mi sed late field goal could throw Denver off track.KANSAS CITY CHIEFSCeiling: 11-5. This, of course, was the record with which the finished in 2013 after starting 9-0. The problem is the 239 points Kansas City gave up over its final eight games last season, including . And the way the offense has played in the preseason ... Here's what needs to happen for the to shine: must post a pa ser rating close to 100 and make some plays with his legs, has to play lights out and the cornerbacks must show they can hold the fort.Floor: 6-10. Because if the corners stumble, then the players who comprise the strength of the team -- the pa s-rushing linebackers -- won't be able to make hay. And if the defense is once again the weak link, 's club will be in trouble, especially if the offense struggles and there aren't any defensive return touchdowns or special teams plays to make up for it.OAKLAND RAIDERSCeiling: 8-8. Don't laugh. The can go 8-8. I mean, and wasn't bad -- things happen. Rookie quarterback taking the job Ifeatu Melifonwu Jersey and running with it would be a fantastic start. How about rushing for 1,000 yards and 4.5 per carry? Or giving the club 600-to-800 yards in a committee situation? The young receivers also must grow up, while getting first-round pick to play like a vet from Day 1 would be absolutely huge. And ? Uh, OK, let's move on ...Floor: 2-14. The are definitely not the only candidates to finish with a record this bad, but if the quarterback situation doesn't get worked out, the ship could sink fast. That is partly because the are leaning on several older veterans to lift them out of the AFC West cellar. Signing guys like , and can be a high-risk, high-reward proposition. If , and struggle to make plays in the pa sing game, the won't keep up.SAN DIEGO CHARGERSCeiling: 11-5. San Diego certainly has the makings of a playoff team, starting with the head coach () and continuing on down to the quarterback () and a defense that can at least keep the Bolts competitive. That said, the certainly face . In this scenario, San Diego splits with Denver, sweeps the rest of the AFC West and wins two of four against their opponents from the notorious NFC West. tops 1,000 rushing yards and catches a whole heap of balls.Floor: 6-10. It would be quite difficult for a club this talented to win just six games -- unle s Rivers regre ses to his 2012 self. While we don't think that will happen, trouble will follow if veteran tight end hits the wall, youngster fails to step up, the other receivers contribute little and second-year pro is forced to do it all by himself. Linebacker can't make tackles 5 yards down the field.Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter .