The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[DWinzit]

If they sign Jennings it would put me further in the J. Love camp.

Well it would make some sense as you also would move off the absolute need for Tate. His blocking is an excellent bonus to his package

 

[bowhunter]

I really think he’s just the fallback plan. At least I hope so. Just in case they don’t get who they want in free agency. Assuming they assign someone else, I like him as a versatile back up that can play G or C.

Certainly hope so. I didn’t think they were calling it a day after Noah Brown either but…

I don't remember, how did Allegretti look those last 2 games at C?

 

[Chris 44]

We don't have one.

Why i said this years. Bad joke

 

[method man]

I don't remember, how did Allegretti look those last 2 games at C?

Suter spoke about it on Sheehan. Said he looks like a guard playing center. He did ok but is completely lost at the 2nd level as a run blocker

I bet the terms for this 2 year deal are swing backup interior guy money. They had to get something done as his cap hit was going to be way too high for this year

 

[SkinsFTW]

If its Thorton, I think it would be the 2nd WR they sign. I doubt they'd sign him and call it a day

Don't be surprised if that is all they do as far as WR goes. Hell, they might just go after a 2nd tier TE as well. This is Dollar Tree AP we are talking about.

 

[heisenberg]

They had to get something done as his cap hit was going to be way too high for this year

What was his cap hit going to be?

I cant figure out why you'd extend a replacement level player rather than just let him play out his last year.

Best case scenario he has a typical year for a player of his caliber and we either extend him next offseason or replace him with one of dozens of guards of his skillset or someone cheap in the draft.

Worst case scenario he blows out his acl next year and we've kicked the can down the road for no reason and look like boobs with a bunch of dead cap for a guy we never should have extended in the first place.

If the extension is because they really are planning on starting him at center then they should start updating their resumés.

 

[Primus Porcus]

What was his cap hit going to be?

I cant figure out why you'd extend a replacement level player rather than just let him play out his last year.

Best case scenario he has a typical year for a player of his caliber and we either extend him next offseason or replace him with one of dozens of guards of his skillset or someone cheap in the draft.

Worst case scenario he blows out his acl next year and we've kicked the can down the road for no reason and look like boobs with a bunch of dead cap for a guy we never should have extended in the first place.

If the extension is because they really are planning on starting him at center then they should start updating their resumés.

$7.2M

 

[heisenberg]

$7.2M

Yeah thats quite a bit for a jag lineman.

This better mean they plan on using all the cap because if they roll over 25 million then this move gets stupid fast.

 

[HTTR]

Don't be surprised if that is all they do as far as WR goes. Hell, they might just go after a 2nd tier TE as well. This is Dollar Tree AP we are talking about.

I don’t want to think this. But here we are again, not even remotely close to being up against the salary cap and we’re talking about not wanting to overpay in free agency. I’ve been very supportive of AP from day one, and I do plan to let things play out before passing any judgment. But if we’re going shopping at JCPenney’s again, I will likely be joining the growing list of his detractors.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I can’t help but wonder if there was something personal with Biadasz. Either that or a substantive enough injury on top of lessened performance. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.

It’s interesting to me that it’s 27 hours before the deadline to apply the franchise tag, and we’ve heard nothing about anyone other than Pitts and Pickens. No word about Pierce. None about Oweh. Etc. I’m looking forward to 4pm tomorrow when we really will know who is likely to be available.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I don’t want to think this. But here we are again, not even remotely close to being up against the salary cap and we’re talking about not wanting to overpay in free agency. I’ve been very supportive of AP from day one, and I do plan to let things play out before passing any judgment. But if we’re going shopping at JCPenney’s again, I will likely be joining the growing list of his detractors.

Coming from one of the most vocal critics of lack of ambition in FA. Season 1 was actually OK, modestly aggressive in FA. But season 2, they were super conservative in FA, meh.

Of course no way to know until we know. But between Rapport mentioning fireworks and Keim saying he expects them to be aggressive AND its supposedly not lost on this regime that its a critical season -- I'd be stunned if they aren't aggressive.

You can't shot for the top end FAs at every position even the top spenders last year didn't do that.

Judging by both Keim and Standig they want to shoot, and shoot high at three of the most expensive spots in FA - edge, CB, WR. So at that spot, you can't shoot twice at the same spot at Tiffany's. If you sign Juan Jennings, you are also not signing Doubs, too. So if you got high end one and want to hit more, the next dude isn't high end.

So lets take edge, if they sign Mafe or Phillips -- they are not signing both of them. The next dude would be a cheaper one like Ebiketie.

If you are signing an A. Taylor, you also aren't signing Woolen. If you want depth at that spot, you are signing a cheap guy as the #2 CB signing.

That's my long winded way of saying I am not disturbed by who Standig thinks their 2nd signing would be at that spot. I don't expect two big signings at premium spots, that would be unprecedented. You can pull off two big time signings at one spot if you don't have many needs. But if you are trying to address 4-5 spots, every signing can't be a premium player, no team has enough cap room to do that.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Don't be surprised if that is all they do as far as WR goes. Hell, they might just go after a 2nd tier TE as well. This is Dollar Tree AP we are talking about.

I would be very surprised.

 

[heisenberg]

But if you are trying to address 4-5 spots, every signing can't be a premium player, no team has enough cap room to do that.

The cowboys are talking about being aggressive in free agency to fix their defense.

If they can be aggressive we can literally do whatever we want up to and including signing multiple top players at multiple positions of need, we'd just have to structure some of the deals to kick the can down the road like the cowboys have.

Whether that would be smart is very debatable and I personally believe it wouldn't be, historically free agents have high bust rates just like draft picks so putting your whole future into one giant free agent class would probably be stupid but we could do it if we wanted.

 

[SkinsFTW]

They must be expecting another "contract year" out of Payne because they could have cut him and saved a lot of cap space, well before they cut their starting Center, but they haven't.

 

[skinsinparadise]

The cowboys are talking about being aggressive in free agency to fix their defense.

If they can be aggressive we can literally do whatever we want up to and including signing multiple top players at multiple positions of need, we'd just have to structure some of the deals to kick the can down the road like the cowboys have.

Whether that would be smart is very debatable and I personally believe it wouldn't be, historically free agents have high bust rates just like draft picks so putting your whole future into one giant free agent class would probably be stupid but we could do it if we wanted.

You can't sign six to eight 20 million dollar plus players in one FA season -- that would be absurd -- and even if they figured out how to do it they would be in cap hell for years.

I've seen teams go to town and sign two expensive players at one spot. But at 3-4 spots in one FA season? I can't recall ever seeing that -- not even in the early Vinny years.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Guys...extending Allegretti was likely going to happen even if we kept Biadascz (sp?). It was an easy way to save around $3m of cap space. Cutting him would have done the same thing too, but this way we ensure a little more continuity at least.

 

[heisenberg]

You can't sign six to eight 20 million dollar plus players in one FA -- that would be absurd -- and even if they figured out how to do it they would be in cap hell for years.

I've seen teams go to town and sign two expensive players at one spot. But at 3-4 spots in one FA season? I can't recall ever seeing that -- not even in the early Vinny years.

I agree it wouldn't be wise and thats why they dont do it, just making an admittedly silly argument that it could be done if someone wanted to try to shoot the moon.

The early Snyder years were pretty close to that, I remember everyone under the sun asking me how we could do that with the salary cap.

The cowboys are supposed to be in that supposed salary cap hell every year and they just kick the can.
They were what 59 million over the cap two weeks ago?
Now they have money to spend.

The cap is real but its like a credit card, you can keep getting a higher limit card and paying off your old one but most people recognize that its not a wise financial plan.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

I can’t help but wonder if there was something personal with Biadasz. Either that or a substantive enough injury on top of lessened performance. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.

It’s interesting to me that it’s 27 hours before the deadline to apply the franchise tag, and we’ve heard nothing about anyone other than Pitts and Pickens. No word about Pierce. None about Oweh. Etc. I’m looking forward to 4pm tomorrow when we really will know who is likely to be available.

We are switching run schemes, so that's a reason. I thought he moved fine for us in our previous run scheme, but outside zone needs a little more juice.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Tyquan Thornton is an interesting one...he was playing well until both Worthy came back from injury and Rashee Rice came back from suspension. Then his snaps dropped off and usage was limited.

He only has like 800 career receiving yards. So that puts him at what $11m a year? I mean, Dyami Brown also had around 800 career yards and got $10m last off-season, and the cap's just gone up. In all likelihood, Thornton won't live up to that contract, because they almost never do in the "affordable tier" of WR Free Agents.

 

[actorguy1]

Finally!!!