The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[clskinsfan]

I have a suspicion that the Colts will still get a deal done with pierce before free agency begins but I'd be pretty happy if they didn't.

Pierce would be crazy to sign a deal before free agency now. He is about to break the bank.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Pierce would be crazy to sign a deal before free agency now. He is about to break the bank.

This. Also, does he really want to play with Daniel Jones?

 

[heisenberg]

Pierce would be crazy to sign a deal before free agency now. He is about to break the bank.

Like I said just a hunch.

You're right though he has very little reason not to hear all offers before he takes indys but I also believe that theres a legal tampering period and an illegal one and most of these guys have a real good idea of their value on the open market before it begins.

Maybe indy makes him an offer he cant refuse before next monday.

 

[Boone]

Pierce would be crazy to sign a deal before free agency now. He is about to break the bank.

And I think he's single (or at least not a parent) so he doesn't have to worry about uprooting his family which sometimes is a big factor fans don't consider.

 

[36ST21]

I have a suspicion that the Colts will still get a deal done with pierce before free agency begins but I'd be pretty happy if they didn't.

IMHO, Pierce would not be doing his due diligence if he didn’t at least listen to other proposals.

 

[Higskin]

 

[clskinsfan]

Looks like Brandon Aubrey will be a free agent. He has not accepted the Cowboys offer. That guy is a game changer with his leg. He is a Restricted free agent. But no compensation would be given if the Cowboys dont match a teams offer for him. Make it happen.

"Aubrey is set to become a restricted free agent. The Cowboys are likely to place the second-round tender on Aubrey at a cost of close to $5.8 million. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent, so if the Cowboys put the right-of-first-refusal tender on Aubrey, they would not receive any compensation in return if they did not match an offer made by another team."

Brandon Aubrey seeking larger deal from Cowboys, sources say

The Cowboys have extended an offer to Brandon Aubrey that would make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, sources told ESPN, but Aubrey's agent has asked for a deal closer to $10 million per season.

www.espn.com

 

[Higskin]

 

[Boone]

Looks like Brandon Aubrey will be a free agent. He has not accepted the Cowboys offer. That guy is a game changer with his leg. He is a Restricted free agent. But no compensation would be given if the Cowboys dont match a teams offer for him. Make it happen.

"Aubrey is set to become a restricted free agent. The Cowboys are likely to place the second-round tender on Aubrey at a cost of close to $5.8 million. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent, so if the Cowboys put the right-of-first-refusal tender on Aubrey, they would not receive any compensation in return if they did not match an offer made by another team."

Brandon Aubrey seeking larger deal from Cowboys, sources say

The Cowboys have extended an offer to Brandon Aubrey that would make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, sources told ESPN, but Aubrey's agent has asked for a deal closer to $10 million per season.

www.espn.com

I would pay him whatever it takes. A really great kicker is a game changer and he is that. Even if you dont get him you force the Cowboys to overpay for him.

 

[leonard_washington]

Cowboys can find talent but starting to become very poor contract negotiators.

 

[DWinzit]

Definitely feels like a guy APwould have interest in with over 34" arms too. Good layer, lots of potential and cheaper than many of the top names

 

[DWinzit]

I would pay him whatever it takes. A really great kicker is a game changer and he is that. Even if you dont get him you force the Cowboys to overpay for him.

Yeah he is a game changer for sure. But a second round tender, doesn't that mean we would give up our second round pick if we signed him and the Cowboys didn't match our deal?

 

[Anselmheifer]

I think that's got a lot to do with it, and there are multiple dimensions if we really peel back the onion.

We're talking about a different level of QB play. One we haven't seen here a lot. Jayden is able to do multiple things that create more chances without having to get as far down the list of reads. He rarely even needs to get to his 3rd or 4th read. When you've got a QB like Jayden, he can make throws to a 'covered' 2nd read that other guys cant. He's also very good at controlling his decision making, and he's very confident in his legs to create, so its not often he's going to get down to a 5th option on a given play. Add to all of that, that the offense Kingsbury is running is clearly predicated on the run. That's why we see additional lineman coming in on plays that other teams may look toward a 3rd TE being on the field. The threat to throw is unnecessary there because the benefit of having a 300lb tackle in front of your RB is more valuable than a TE.

Ultimately I don't think they look at TE like it's a weakness. Clearly we haven't been at practice, or in the meeting rooms, so we don't know the depth of what they truly feel about Sinnot. We heard positives about McCaffrey were left completely clueless as to why he's been seemingly left behind. Well the last 3 games have looked a bit different. I am with you in the curiosity that Sinnot's ability just hasn't been made public yet.

This is eloquent, but I disagree. A TE is the security blanket of the QB. We need an actual receiving TE. Is doesn’t have to be a Pitts. I’d argue that I’d rather have an impact WR, TE and RB, instead of loading up at WR.

Also, I think that if Indy doesn’t resign Pierce, he signs with us.

 

[Primus Porcus]

This is eloquent, but I disagree. A TE is the security blanket of the QB. We need an actual receiving TE. Is doesn’t have to be a Pitts. I’d argue that I’d rather have an impact WR, TE and RB, instead of loading up at WR.

Also, I think that if Indy doesn’t resign Pierce, he signs with us.

Not sure i discounted the TE, that was from a conversation in October about if Sinnott's lack of production to that point was because of a lack of reps....

 

[Dlts20]

Man to be able to make one completion to the 50 yard line and put points on the board with a kick can change games and season. Joe Gibbs would make sure that we have him. He truly believe that all 3 phases are equal and it's still crazy that Mark Mosley won a NFL MVP and led the league in scoring. Plus he would probably love to stick it to the Cowgirls

 

[clskinsfan]

Yeah he is a game changer for sure. But a second round tender, doesn't that mean we would give up our second round pick if we signed him and the Cowboys didn't match our deal?

Not if they do a right of first refusal. Because he was a UDFA. At least according to that article I posted.

 

[HOF44]

But it says they are likely to place a second round tender on him, not just right of refusal. They get to choose the tender. It’s not based on draft position taken.

 

[method man]

I wouldn't want him as the lead signing but I think he is definitely worth going after as a rotational guy. He had a pretty good pass rush win rate in 2025 but, at the end of the day, the Falcons drafted 2 EDGE guys in the first last year because he wasn't getting the job done

 

[heisenberg]

Not if they do a right of first refusal. Because he was a UDFA. At least according to that article I posted.

Edit, I re-read the article you posted and its not mistaken, he said the cowboys are likely to put the 2nd round tender on aubrey and then proceeded to say, if they put the right of first refusal tender on him no draft pick compensation is required. Those were two separate thoughts.

A 2nd round tender offer requires a 2nd round pick as compensation.
The tender their referring to is an original round tender.

And we don't have a second round pick this year so we couldn't even make an offer if we wanted to.

NFL.com | Official Site of the National Football League

The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more.

operations.nfl.com

The RFA tenders are classified as follows:

First-round tender: One-year contract worth the greater of (a) $7.458 million or (b) 110 percent of the player's prior-year base salary. If the player's original team decides not to match an offer sheet signed with another team, it is entitled to a first-round draft pick from his new team. Unless received two days or later prior to the NFL Draft, draft compensation for each tender is due in the same League Year as the offer sheet is signed.

A signed offer sheet with a new team includes Principal Terms that must be matched by the prior club. However, if the new team includes a term(s) that waives or limits its ability to designate the RFA a franchise player in the future, the prior team will not have to match this term if it has tendered the player with an offer worth $500,000 more than the first-round tender ($7.458 million in 2025).
Second-round tender: One-year contract worth the greater of (a) $5.346 million or (b) 110 percent of the player's prior-year base salary. Draft-choice compensation: second-round pick.
Original-round tender: One-year contract worth the greater of (a) $3.406 million or (b) 110 percent of the player's prior-year base salary. Draft-choice compensation: a pick in the round the player was originally drafted in.
Right-of-first-refusal tender: One-year contract worth $3.263 million. Team has the right to match any offer sheet signed with another team, but there is no draft compensation tied to this tender.
Upgraded Tender: If a team places a first-round tender on a player who was selected outside of the first round, it can only receive a second-round pick as compensation for any of its other RFAs who were first-round draft picks. The same is true for the second-round tender—if a team uses it on a player drafted in the third round or lower, it can only receive a third-round pick for any other second-round RFA it intends to tender.

 

[Primus Porcus]

Umm..... anyone know anything about this dude?