The 2025 Free Agency Thread

[Faithful Fan]

I would not trust Sinnott until he shows he can line up and play regularly. If Ertz goes down with an injury you then have a big fat zero in terms of experience catching the ball from the TE position.

It's great that Bates is a good blocker at the point of attack, but the NFL offense such as it has evolved is based on making plays in the passing game and spreading guys on defense out to run quick hitters and counters from the backfield like Detroit does with Gibbs, etc.

I think to be successful this season it will be more important to get productivity in catches from the TE position and not depend Ertz at 35 to play all 17 games and any postseason, etc.

I would not be afraid to sign Fant or another veteran TE and let Sinnott compete for a job on the roster in Year 2.

We can give him a redshirt for 2024 but not this year.

I wouldn’t give Bates and Sinnott “a big fat zero in terms of experience catching the ball.” Bates is an okay receiver when called upon (61 catches in four years), and Sinnott was a very productive receiver at K-State (setting every school record for receiving by a TE and leading the team in receiving in 2023). I would also note that Sinnott did catch the ball every time he was targeted last year, he just wasn’t given many receiving opportunities.

I also think you are underestimating the importance of blocking tight ends, especially in a scheme like ours. There is a reason they gave Bates a three year deal, and I would encourage you to look at the article I posted about how Sinnott was used last season. The read option offense would definitely lose something if you replaced either Bates or Sinnott with a guy who can’t block.

Also consider what you want in a reserve player. You can’t have starters backing up starters. You need backups who are versatile (so for tight end, guys who can competently block and receive), who can play well on special teams, and ideally young guys with upside who could emerge when given the opportunity. Sinnott checks all those boxes.

All that said, I do understand your concern about Ertz. You have to start him because he is a great leader and one of Jayden’s most trusted targets, but he is getting long in the tooth and has some injury history. He certainly could go down or wear down, and it would not be easy to replace his production if he did. While I would prefer to give Sinnott the opportunity in that case, I could maybe see moving him to fullback/H-back and adding another receiving TE like Fant.

 

[Boone]

I think what we lack when Eryz is removed from the equation is absolute ability to separate from defenders and then YAC (although it is fair to point out that Ertz isn’t the same guy after the catch that he used to be). I don’t think it’s clear yet what Sinnott will or won’t be at this level but I can understand those who worry he was overdrafted based on what we’ve seen so far.

 

[Riggo44]

I had doubts from the start and worried that Quinn’s familiarity with Whitt was the reason he was hired

My Cowboys fan BIL was PISSED we took Whitt. And the defense wasn't complete shit--we had our problems against the run, but we did well rushing the passer, and the pass defense got stronger as the year went on--even with Michael Davis and BSJ.

 

[Faithful Fan]

My Cowboys fan BIL was PISSED we took Whitt. And the defense wasn't complete shit--we had our problems against the run, but we did well rushing the passer, and the pass defense got stronger as the year went on--even with Michael Davis and BSJ.

Yeah I think the defense had some good games. Off the top of my head I remember them keeping us in the Bears game, and they really showed up forcing turnovers against the Lions. But their inability to stop the run is a problem against teams like the Eagles until proven otherwise.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Yeah I think the defense had some good games. Off the top of my head I remember them keeping us in the Bears game, and they really showed up forcing turnovers against the Lions. But their inability to stop the run is a problem against teams like the Eagles until proven otherwise.

I love Dan Quinn, but the failure to stop the run was also what ended the playoff run for Dallas his last year there.

 

[SkinsGuru]

I think it’s quite possible their plan is to hold him to his contract in 2025, franchise him in 2026, and let him hit free agency in 2027. That may be the smartest thing to do if he wants way more for a new contract than they feel he is worth.

they were discussing this on the team 980 a few days ago . . . they could give him the second franchise in 2028 and he still would not get to the 37 million he asked for . . . and then he would be about to turn 33 when negotiating his deal . . . he really has no leverage and the team knows it.

 

[skinsmarydu]

I love Dan Quinn, but the failure to stop the run was also what ended the playoff run for Dallas his last year there.

Between that and the complete meltdown in the SB against Brady had me questioning his hire with our team.

 

[SkinsGuru]

No he really isnt. I get it. We love him because he is ours. But he is not a top ten receiver.

NFL Conference Receiving Stat Leaders, 2025 Regular Season - ESPN

ESPN is the place for NFL stats! Discover the Offense Receiving stat leaders of the 2025 NFL Regular Season.

www.espn.com

AJ Brown
Justin Jefferson
Ja'marr Chase
Amon-RA St. Brown
Puka Nacua
Ceedee Lamb
Nico Collins
Tyreek Hill
Malik Nabers
Garrett Wilson
Tee Higgins
Brian Thomas
Davante Adams
Mike Evans
DK MetCalf

Every WR on that list has had bigger seasons than McLaurin . . . AND most are 5 years ish younger than him . . . not saying they are all better, but there are more that could easily over take him too like Ladd MConkey, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., Zay Flowers, Jaxon Smith-njigba, etc .

IMO, McLAurin is in the 10 - 15 range if you factor in his production and age (AT BEST).

 

[Faithful Fan]

Between that and the complete meltdown in the SB against Brady had me questioning his hire with our team.

I had the same concern, and I do think he will always be the guy who blew the 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, but having watched him up close for a year I find myself liking him more and more, and I really hope he lives that loss down by winning a Super Bowl with us.

 

[skinsmarydu]

And we all love that grin and "YEAH!" and fist pump that we do when he makes an important catch for a 1st.
Really hard to draw that line.

 

[skinsmarydu]

I had the same concern, and I do think he will always be the guy who blew the 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, but having watched him up close for a year I find myself liking him more and more, and I really hope he lives that loss down by winning a Super Bowl with us.

Indeed. But let's not forget the special talent that is JD5. Dakota was a let-down, and Matty Ice melted.
He's got a kid totally dedicated now. I'm starting to believe, but this schedule is brutal and has me skeered.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I had the same concern, and I do think he will always be the guy who blew the 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, but having watched him up close for a year I find myself liking him more and more, and I really hope he lives that loss down by winning a Super Bowl with us.

I think he's great. I wasn't really complaining about him. And he seems to have learned a lot from that previous stint. And if he had had Jayden Daniels, he wouldn't have lost that game in the SB if he was up 28-3. I was just noting that the run defense issue is a trend.

 

[Conn]

Nearly convulsed reading this

It’s a new day

 

[skinsmarydu]

Nearly convulsed reading this

It’s a new day

Thanks for that bit of honesty...I felt a tear fall into my yogurt...

 

[bifflog]

Interested to see if Terry holds out at this point? Feels like if you wanted to put pressure on Peters and company, you announce the holdout before this introductory training camp presser. Maybe they're working on it as we speak.

 

[Chris]

Without a deal I expect him to hold-in, not hold-out (50k per day in fines). If I’m reading it correctly, his contract is only guaranteed for 2.8m this season at this point. No way should he risk a serious injury under the current contract terms.

 

[burgold]

Without a deal I expect him to hold-in, not hold-out (50k per day in fines). If I’m reading it correctly, his contract is only guaranteed for 2.8m this season at this point. No way should he risk a serious injury under the current contract terms.

Every so often I pause at statements like this. "Only 2.8 million."

Sheesh!

 

[Anselmheifer]

co

Without a deal I expect him to hold-in, not hold-out (50k per day in fines). If I’m reading it correctly, his contract is only guaranteed for 2.8m this season at this point. No way should he risk a serious injury under the current contract terms.

And what happens if he actually holds out and doesn’t play? Then he doesn’t make his salary at all. Terry doesn’t have substantive leverage.

I think what you can glean from his press interview at the Eastern Motors commercial shoot, is that Terry doesn’t think his age should factor into the negotiation.

That argument is superficially ridiculous without any deeper examination.

Washington can hold him here for 2 more years at a much lower cost than a reasonable extension, and if he won’t sign a reasonable extension, then that’s what they should do.

I do think that eventually, he will sign a reasonable extension. Because, he’s not going to make up that kind of money if he doesn’t sign a reasonable extension, has no recourse. I don’t think Peters is trying to screw him. I think he’s just protecting the teams ability to bring in talent in 2 to 3 years.

How do we all thing the 49’ers are feeling about that Brandon Aiyuk contract?

And honestly, that TJ Watt contract is also fucking terrible. He’s the highest paid non QB in the NFL now, is about to turn 31, in October, and is will be making more than $41 million at age 34. And he had 11.5 sacks last year and 26.5 sacks over the last 3 years. Sure, when he’s healthy, he’s awesome. He hasn’t been healthy in 2 out of the last 3 years. And they signed him to that without even having a QB and therefore without any realistic SB aspirations.

We don’t need a 34yo WR with an anchor contract.

 

[Simeon]

I had the same concern, and I do think he will always be the guy who blew the 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, but having watched him up close for a year I find myself liking him more and more, and I really hope he lives that loss down by winning a Super Bowl with us.

I put that SB loss more on Shanahan than Quinn. A field goal would have probably won it near the end of regulation, maybe with a couple of runs to kill more time, but no let’s try a pass and interception to give them one more chance. I agree as head coach Quinn was responsible for overruling his OC, but that’s a hard call.

I am more concerned with how Atlanta declined after Shanny departed. Good chance Kliff is gone next year. I’m hoping the difference will be AP and his Obi-Wan coach whisperer power.

 

[heisenberg]

Between that and the complete meltdown in the SB against Brady had me questioning his hire with our team.

Im not too worried about the meltdown, it happens to the best of them, gibbs got blasted in the superbowl too with a team that was breaking regular season records.

The run defense i am concerned with and ive been pretty vocal about it.
The horrid run defense last year can certainly be blamed mostly on personel.
Im in no means ready to give up on quinn or whitt but this was not the first defense quinn has coached(especially recently) that couldn't stop the run at all and its concerning.