Faces in new places

ODELL BECKHAM JR. WR, Cleveland Browns

OK, trivia buffs, what is the significance of the names Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie?

Believe it or not, they are the Browns’ No. 1 and No. 2 all-time wide receivers in terms of catches and yards, even though they played way back in the 1940s and ‘50s. That was so long ago it was a time when Cleveland actually won NFL championships. So for the Browns to have acquired a superstar like Beckham is almost as big as LeBron James coming home from Miami several years back. Reunited with fellow receiver Jarvis Landry, his high school and college teammate, Beckham is expected to thrive from the moment he steps on the field. It’s a very big deal on the banks of the Cuyahoga, even bigger with Browns killer Antonio Brown having left Pittsburgh to join the Raiders.

C.J. MOSLEY LB, New York Jets

A four-time Pro Bowler who has anchored the middle of the Ravens’ defense the past five seasons, Mosley could turn out to be as big a signing as Le’Veon Bell for the beleaguered Jets franchise. Baltimore did everything it could to try and keep him, which adds credence to his value, but the Jets laid out $85 million, including $51 million guaranteed, for Mosley to lead their defensive unit. From every angle, it looks to be a solid if hefty expenditure.

EARL THOMAS S, Baltimore Ravens

Yet another longtime standout on the Seahawks’ legendary Legion of Boom defense is changing teams. Thomas has yet to turn 30, so the Ravens’ four-year investment risk — which includes $32 million guaranteed — looks pretty strong as long as Thomas can stay healthy, something he wasn’t able to do the past two seasons in Seattle. Thomas’ addition helps ease the loss of longtime Baltimore stalwart Terrell Suggs to Arizona and linebacker C.J. Mosley to the Jets, but will it be enough?

BY CARL STEWARD

like this one, giving up nothing more than fifth and seventh round picks next year to the Eagles for the 33-year-old Bennett, formerly a star fixture with the Seattle Seahawks’ vaunted defense and a significant contributor in Philly. Bennett may be on the downside, but still figures to be stout enough to provide some savvy edge play for a couple more years to the Patriots, who will be trying to squeeze out one or two more Super Bowl runs with Tom Brady. It’s a crucial pickup considering the Patriots lost their best edge rusher, Trey Flowers, to Detroit in free agency.

two Oakland seasons with eight touchdowns.

He’s 32 but a good fit in the Saints’ shrinking Super Bowl window of opportunity.

DEE FORD DE, San Francisco 49ers

Let’s face it, Ford was never going to live down the offsides penalty that reversed a Charvarius Ward interception that likely would have preserved a Kansas City Chiefs victory over New England in last year’s AFC title game. The Chiefs’ loss is the 49ers’ gain after he was acquired for a second-round pick and then signed to a five-year deal. With a career-best 13 sacks last season, Ford becomes part of a potentially dominant front with DeForest Buckner, Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas and Arik Armstead. Ford will be the oldest of the bunch at 28. Scary.

TREY FLOWERS DE/DL, Detroit Lions

Flowers signing a five-year, $90-million contract with the Lions is probably more significant in the fact that it subtracts the champion Patriots’ best edge rusher (21 sacks over the last three seasons). Flowers rejoins his former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who’ll be starting his second season as head coach of the Lions. We’ll see if Flowers can make a difference in Detroit’s perennially withering bloom.

JARED COOK TE, New Orleans Saints

One of Derek Carr’s favorite targets the past two seasons in Oakland (and one of Aaron Rodgers’ in Green Bay before that) now goes indoors to catch passes from the legendary Drew Brees. Cook could easily add a fresh dimension over the middle to the Saints’ offense, which lacked a tight end threat last season beyond the ancient Ben Watson. Cook had 122 catches for over 1,500 yards over his

Bell took a stand for his long-range future when the Steelers placed the franchise tag on the standout back last year and he refused to sign. Bell sat out the season and then signed a four-year free agent deal with the Jets that makes him the second-highest paid back in the league. Bell gained more than 5,300 yards in just five seasons with Pittsburgh and is right in his prime at 27. If nothing else, he’ll help ease the pressure on second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, but the greater goal is getting the Jets back to the postseason, where they haven’t been since 2010.

LAMARCUS JOYNER S, Oakland Raiders

Former front-office exec Michael Lombardi mused on the NFL Network recently that he would have been met with a flurry of expletives if he’d tried to sell the late Al Davis on a four-year, $42 million deal on a 5-foot8, 190-pound safety. He’s probably right, particularly since Joyner is coming off a bit of a down year on a Chargers defense that was otherwise stout. Joyner’s addition also creates a bit of a mystery about how the Raiders see 2016 first-round pick (14th overall) Karl Joseph. Of course, Joseph is one of the few remaining Reggie McKenzie draft holdovers, so take an educated guess.

How does Bill Belichick keep doing it year after year after year? With under-the-radar moves