The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[mcdonaldrw]

wouldn't be against Evans if he wanted to come on a 1 year deal. He for sure would be an upgrade over what we have on the roster at this point IMO

 

[method man]

I doubt it, injury plagued last year like Terry, but you likely can get him at a much more reasonable price that Terry -- by reputation he doesn't make over the top contract demands following by pouting like Terry. But because of his age, I doubt it.

Man it’s going to be a sad day if Tampa parts with Mike. I went to both Tampa games last year and their fans absolutely love him, rightfully so.

Hamstring woes and all, I’d take him on a 1 year deal. Wondering if there is a training regimen that helps him with this issue

 

[Riggo44]

Evans leaving would be the equivalent of Monk on the Jets and Eagles.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Man it’s going to be a sad day if Tampa parts with Mike. I went to both Tampa games last year and their fans absolutely love him, rightfully so.

Hamstring woes and all, I’d take him on a 1 year deal. Wondering if there is a training regimen that helps him with this issue

Assume you mean the two games in 2024-2025. Me, too, if so.

Yeah some of the Tampa players over the years, Evaqs, Godwin, David, talked about taking a hometown discount because of how much they love playing for Tampa. Juxtapose that with Terry asking for like 40 million, pouting about it, taking shots at the organization asking for a trade and then when he came back said he meant it when he asked to be trade.

My point is Evans won't bring that Terry drama. I don't think you can afford both beyond this season. Both aging. I don't see them chasing Evans but its not crazy if the idea is to move on from Terry in 2027.

And yeah looks like Tampa and Evans are going to part judging at least by Internet rumors.

He said somewhere he wants a SB. I read the Giants have some interest, too. You'd figure Jayden brings the bigger appeal. Although the Giants are seemigly talking themselves up as a SB team -- if you listen to Harbaugh and their top players they are the prohibitive favorite to go all the way.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Keim on his new podcast. And combine with the previous podcast from him and an appearance on Sheehan's podcast.

And again he's very careful of how he words things. I am adding the stronger language not him. He talks on his podcast about them chasing someone like...but he doesn't say that's what he's hearing. But Keim rarely name drops for no reason so this is me guessing that his general talk has some meat to it because it almost always does.

My guesses based on Keim's discussions.

A. Chasing Edge, CB, safety in Fa.

B. Playmakers on offense. He's said now Isaiah Likely on multiple podcasts, so am guessing there is something to this

C. Aiyuk, I think they at least kick the tires on

D. Eric Wilson at LB

E. Alec Pierce if he hits FA.

F. Keim mentioned someone like Breece Hall would be intriguing but he sort of equivocated on it, so hard for me to tell if that's what he's hearing

G. He expects them to be aggressive in FA

 

[skinsinparadise]

2 of them are FA. I recall some of the media hyping Peters for being smart for not "overpaying" for Josh Sweat or Milton Williams last year in FA. Bram likes to say at times they had really no good options in the last FA, he will mention Sweat sort of as an after thought while making the point.

But lol, Peters chasing but getting outbid for D. Lawrence, and having i gather no interest in Sweat, M. Williams last year didn't age well. But I don't think we will get a repeat of hey we got D. Wise and his 4 sacks and pedestrian PFF run stopping scores -- who is just going to be a monster for this team so problem solved.

 

[Skinfanjon]

Assume you mean the two games in 2024-2025. Me, too, if so.

Yeah some of the Tampa players over the years, Evaqs, Godwin, David, talked about taking a hometown discount because of how much they love playing for Tampa. Juxtapose that with Terry asking for like 40 million, pouting about it, taking shots at the organization asking for a trade and then when he came back said he meant it when he asked to be trade.

My point is Evans won't bring that Terry drama. I don't think you can afford both beyond this season. Both aging. I don't see them chasing Evans but its not crazy if the idea is to move on from Terry in 2027.

And yeah looks like Tampa and Evans are going to part judging at least by Internet rumors.

He said somewhere he wants a SB. I read the Giants have some interest, too. You'd figure Jayden brings the bigger appeal. Although the Giants are seemigly talking themselves up as a SB team -- if you listen to Harbaugh and their top players they are the prohibitive favorite to go all the way.

 

[skinsinparadise]

View attachment 14178

I know, another one apparently

 

[Skinfanjon]

I know, another one apparently

Not you, the guy in the video lol. “Hasn’t sniffed one in Tampa”. It’s the Cowherd show, shouldn’t be surprised.

 

[philibusters]

If the Giants are the most bet team to go over their win total, that may be a sign to bet the under. The side that the sportsbook have is probably a winner something like 53% of the time and the side that has the public money is a winner something like 47% of the time. Those numbers are pretty close so it wouldn't be a shock if the Giants hit the over, but if you are a fan of the Sheehan podcast, the contrarian strategy would tell you to be on the under.

 

[HTTR]

2 of them are FA. I recall some of the media hyping Peters for being smart for not "overpaying" for Josh Sweat or Milton Williams last year in FA. Bram likes to say at times they had really no good options in the last FA, he will mention Sweat sort of as an after thought while making the point.

But lol, Peters chasing but getting outbid for D. Lawrence, and having i gather no interest in Sweat, M. Williams last year didn't age well. But I don't think we will get a repeat of hey we got D. Wise and his 4 sacks and pedestrian PFF run stopping scores -- who is just going to be a monster for this team so problem solved.

View attachment 14177

Yeah I was saying it too at the time. Sweat and Williams should have been two of our top targets being so young. Yes you pay more for young guys but you get upside and our roster had/has a big hole as far as guys going into their prime. I get saving some money to spread around to other positions but they didn’t even do that!
Same for corner and safety where there were plenty of options age 25-27 but we just signed a couple old cheap guys instead.
So frustrating 🤬

 

[HTTR]

If the Giants are the most bet team to go over their win total, that may be a sign to bet the under. The side that the sportsbook have is probably a winner something like 53% of the time and the side that has the public money is a winner something like 47% of the time. Those numbers are pretty close so it wouldn't be a shock if the Giants hit the over, but if you are a fan of the Sheehan podcast, the contrarian strategy would tell you to be on the under.

Absolutely! And this is especially true when it comes to New York teams. The Giants under will definitely fit as a Sheehan smell test pick.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Is Vikings WR Jalen Nailor playing his way out of Minnesota?​

Playing 57.4% of the Vikings' offensive snaps since the start of the 2024 season, Nailor has caught 54 passes for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns, including two scores in Sunday's 34-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He has not been as productive as Addison, who over the same time period caught 102 passes for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns, but that has largely been a function of playing time and targets.

"He's a guy where the sky's the limit as long as he continues to get better each year," receivers coach Keenan McCardell said of Nailor. "I always tell guys that they have to keep finding something to get better at each year, and he has. And I think if he continues to do that, he can play as long as he wants to play because he's smart, he's physical, he has the speed to run by people, and now he's getting opportunities to make plays. So for a guy like him, the rest of this season means a lot."

..."I definitely feel like [McCardell] is right," Nailor said. "As I was working back from it, my hand wasn't as strong yet once I initially started catching again. So I was really having to focus on it and being more intentional with my eyes on the ball. I really feel like that's played a major role, just that part of catching instead of trying to look up the field and trying to make something happen before I even got the ball."

It's hard to estimate where Nailor's numbers would be had McCarthy performed more evenly this season. Nailor has been the option of 25% of McCarthy's off-target throws, and that doesn't count the dozens of other routes he has run where even a glance at All-22 film shows he was open.

Addison has seen 15% of McCarthy's off-target throws, but he has also struggled more to bring in some of McCarthy's catchable passes. ESPN Research has credited him with a team-high six drops, more than in his previous two seasons combined.


More importantly, at 23, he remains a central part of the Vikings' plan for the near future. And that remains the case even after he missed a walk-through practice one week after returning from suspension, prompting coach Kevin O'Connell to bench him for the first quarter of the Vikings' ensuing game.

"There was a lot of dialogue about expectations ... and then the road map for him to continue to grow on the field as well, most importantly, as off," O'Connell said. "And he's done that."

That leaves Nailor almost certainly facing his final three games with the Vikings -- and a chance to put the finishing touches on a résumé that will be among the best at his position in the free agent market.

Jefferson said this week that Nailor has "definitely made himself a good bit of plays and he's made himself a lot of money."

"I'm not really thinking much about that," Nailor said. "I'm just trying to finish out this year strong and then whatever happens, happens in the future. I'm just leave it all in God's hands and just do what I can do and just finish out the season strong."

Is Vikings WR Jalen Nailor playing his way out of Minnesota?

The Vikings may not be able to afford to keep Nailor as he heads to free agency this offseason.

www.espn.com

 

[philibusters]

I think Terry McLaurin will be back in 2027. His cap hit for 2027 will be 34 million, but if they release him 18 million would be dead money from his signing bonus (maybe they could divide that over two years---I can never remember the rules for how that works), so in reality the cost of bringing him back next season (beyond what they are already responsible for whether he is on the team or not) is 16 million .

2025	30	$1,750,000	$11,600,000	$0	$2,800,000	$850,000	$0	$250,000		$1,750,000		$17,250,000	5.8%
2026 📝	31	$2,900,000	$11,600,000	$2,500,000	$0	$850,000	$500,000	$0		$12,900,000		$18,000,000	5.4%		$42,500,000	($24,500,000)
2027 📝	32	$23,300,000	$6,000,000	$2,500,000	$850,000	$850,000	$500,000	$0		$0		$34,000,000	10.4%		$18,000,000	$16,000,000
2028 📝	33	$25,650,000	$6,000,000	$2,500,000	$4,000,000	$850,000	$500,000	$0		$0		$39,500,000	11.2%		$12,000,000	$27,500,000

 

[SkinsLife]

Keim on his new podcast. And combine with the previous podcast from him and an appearance on Sheehan's podcast.

And again he's very careful of how he words things. I am adding the stronger language not him. He talks on his podcast about them chasing someone like...but he doesn't say that's what he's hearing. But Keim rarely name drops for no reason so this is me guessing that his general talk has some meat to it because it almost always does.

My guesses based on Keim's discussions.

A. Chasing Edge, CB, safety in Fa.

B. Playmakers on offense. He's said now Isaiah Likely on multiple podcasts, so am guessing there is something to this

C. Aiyuk, I think they at least kick the tires on

D. Eric Wilson at LB

E. Alec Pierce if he hits FA.

F. Keim mentioned someone like Breece Hall would be intriguing but he sort of equivocated on it, so hard for me to tell if that's what he's hearing

G. He expects them to be aggressive in FA

The whole Likely thing is perplexing to me. Balt doesnt have much in the Receiving dept. Andrews is 31 and oft inj.
If the team is willing to let Likely go without as much as an offer.. makes me wonder if he might be fools gold or a locker room cancer.

I would be all in on Pierce.. but feel like there will be a lot of teams in on him and he will get way overpaid (to the tune of 20+ mil a year)

 

[skinsinparadise]

The whole Likely thing is perplexing to me. Balt doesnt have much in the Receiving dept. Andrews is 31 and oft inj.
If the team is willing to let Likely go without as much as an offer.. makes me wonder if he might be fools gold or a locker room cancer.

I would be all in on Pierce.. but feel like there will be a lot of teams in on him and he will get way overpaid (to the tune of 20+ mil a year)

Reading about him, he's high character dude.

Ravens like to collect comp picks, and often let their FAs go.

Linderbaum might be the best center in the NFL, yet he's supposed to leave.

 

[Conn]

Not you, the guy in the video lol. “Hasn’t sniffed one in Tampa”. It’s the Cowherd show, shouldn’t be surprised.

Yeah, extremely embarrassing lol

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

The whole Likely thing is perplexing to me. Balt doesnt have much in the Receiving dept. Andrews is 31 and oft inj.
If the team is willing to let Likely go without as much as an offer.. makes me wonder if he might be fools gold or a locker room cancer.

I would be all in on Pierce.. but feel like there will be a lot of teams in on him and he will get way overpaid (to the tune of 20+ mil a year)

They gave the contract to Andrews and they don't want 2 big contracts (at least big for TEs) at the same position.

I think sometimes the simple answer is the right answer.

Andrews is very good, and TEs can play well into their mid-30's and still be extremely effective.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I think Terry McLaurin will be back in 2027. His cap hit for 2027 will be 34 million, but if they release him 18 million would be dead money from his signing bonus (maybe they could divide that over two years---I can never remember the rules for how that works), so in reality the cost of bringing him back next season (beyond what they are already responsible for whether he is on the team or not) is 16 million .

2025	30	$1,750,000	$11,600,000	$0	$2,800,000	$850,000	$0	$250,000		$1,750,000		$17,250,000	5.8%
2026 📝	31	$2,900,000	$11,600,000	$2,500,000	$0	$850,000	$500,000	$0		$12,900,000		$18,000,000	5.4%		$42,500,000	($24,500,000)
2027 📝	32	$23,300,000	$6,000,000	$2,500,000	$850,000	$850,000	$500,000	$0		$0		$34,000,000	10.4%		$18,000,000	$16,000,000
2028 📝	33	$25,650,000	$6,000,000	$2,500,000	$4,000,000	$850,000	$500,000	$0		$0		$39,500,000	11.2%		$12,000,000	$27,500,000

I think what it boils down to, keeping Terry for 2027 is a $34m cap hit. If they release him, they save $16m, but still have a dead cap of $18m. So they could release him, take the hit, but still have $16m to go shopping for another WR.

They could push the hit to 2028 in a variety of ways.

That said, they are going to have to take an $18m hit against the cap in 2027 or 2028 one way or the other.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

View attachment 14181

I think what it boils down to, keeping Terry for 2027 is a $34m cap hit. If they release him, they save $16m, but still have a dead cap of $18m. So they could release him, take the hit, but still have $16m to go shopping for another WR.

They could push the hit to 2028 in a variety of ways.

That said, they are going to have to take an $18m hit against the cap in 2027 or 2028 one way or the other.

I wonder if Terry’s strong contested catch ability is predictive of a longer WR career than average, as maybe speed gets reduced but hands maintain.