The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Discobob]

Settle was asked about ‘the brotherhood’ aspect in Washington. He said “well I’m the brother and this is the hood”. 🤣

I really like what DQ has done with the feel of the team... it needed serious rehabbing after Danny and Paddleboat.... but....

I laugh everytime these incoming players wax eloquently about everything other than the paycheck....

I know the other stuff matters, especially when evaluating competing offers, but....

 

[Hailer]

Our WR room is barren. We took legit swings at Pierce and Doubs but my knee jerk reaction was: why didn’t we just go full Linderbaum/Raiders and make an offer they could not refuse?

But today I realize both Pierce and Doubs are the uncontested WR1 on their teams. Perhaps that was just as important to them as the cash was.

Weve got Terry, potentially Carnell Tate, and Aiyuk all coming aboard… don’t know how much that factored into Doubs and Pierces decisions.

But hopefully Jennings doesn’t give a shit about competition and we throw the bag at him.

Settling for any of the available WRs after Jennings is as egregious to me our 2025 offseason approach to WR was, IMO. It would make Tate a must-have for me and we can’t bank on him at 7.

I’m nervous… but think AP will get it done with Jennings.

 

[Bulldog]

Albert Breer reports Paul has "priced himself out of Washington" and Browns are "in hot pursuit" of Paul. Connor Hughes says Giants and Jets both in on Paul. Maybe if Washington moves Payne they can free up enough money to keep him, but otherwise I don't see how they sign Paul and also get White and/or Jennings. The Athletic projects a 3/21 contract for Paul, but Breer says it could be much more given current buzz around him.

Spotrac's 'real-time' cap tracking isn't yet updated with most of our FA signings so far, and adding those in appears to actually put us over the cap. I know I'm missing some obscure cap mathing there, but still, doesn't seem like there's much space left without restructurings/trades/releases.

If we release Payne (which would be a turnaround from general feelings this past week) I don't think it will be to give Chris Paul $18-20M.

 

[method man]

At RB, not big fans of these guys but let’s not forget Harris and Mixon are out there

 

[Bulldog]

Our WR room is barren. We took legit swings at Pierce and Doubs but my knee jerk reaction was: why didn’t we just go full Linderbaum/Raiders and make an offer they could not refuse?

But today I realize both Pierce and Doubs are the uncontested WR1 on their teams. Perhaps that was just as important to them as the cash was.

Weve got Terry, potentially Carnell Tate, and Aiyuk all coming aboard… don’t know how much that factored into Doubs and Pierces decisions.

But hopefully Jennings doesn’t give a shit about competition and we throw the bag at him.

Settling for any of the available WRs after Jennings is as egregious to me our 2025 offseason approach to WR was, IMO. It would make Tate a must-have for me and we can’t bank on him at 7.

I’m nervous… but think AP will get it done with Jennings.

Wide receiver is one of those positions though where there are a number of veterans out there that could be a 1 year bridge to 2027 if we aren't able to get one at #7.

I am just glad at this point that Aiyuk isn't in burgundy and gold. The further it goes the more focus Washington will have on signing a veteran FA and using a pick in the draft.

How about moving back from #7 or moving up from third round to second if we identify a receiver other than Tate we like?

Besides Aiyuk has not caught a pass since October of 2024 in the NFL.

He's almost like a player that retires and tries to come back to the league a couple of years later.

 

[Chris 44]

If we release Payne (which would be a turnaround from general feelings this past week) I don't think it will be to give Chris Paul $18-20M.

Yeah our O line depth looking a little thin.

 

[RWJ]

Strictly a guess but the Seahawks are interested in White. It could be down to them and us. JD needs to start talking to White and convince him to come here.

 

[Bulldog]

If it feels amazing how can it feel like he never left? He was here during the Snyder (vommit) years.

It's the fans welcoming him back that he was talking about not the ownership group

 

[Bulldog]

Yeah our O line depth looking a little thin.

There will be veteran guards released after the draft that have proven over a number of years they can play to think about.

I am uncomfortable with Chris Paul because he was AWFUL for 3 years here and then he has one good season in a contract year.

Sounds like some other veterans we have been taken across by in that position over the years when their deal is up.

 

[Conn]

Shoot at this point do you just bring back Noah Brown and hope.

That’s three strikes. All three strikes

 

[clskinsfan]

Before this free agency period started, we were beginning to grow the narrative that Harris was cash poor and kept Peters on a tight budget. It sort of made sense. As billionaires go, he's not the richest and he spent a heck of a lot on the team, on improvements, etc.

I think the narrartive can be put to bed for at least this offseason.

100% I was one of the harshest on him for that. But he certainly opened the wallet this year. Glad to know he is willing to do it if he thinks he can build a winner. Also I was perplexed. Because both of his other professional sports franchises are at the top on spent cap. He is paying Embiib and George close to 60 mill per year each.

 

[Dah-Dee]

If we release Payne (which would be a turnaround from general feelings this past week) I don't think it will be to give Chris Paul $18-20M.

I don't think they'd release Payne, but I can see a trade possibly happening, and if it did, why wouldn't they use part of the savings to keep Paul, who was the #5 pass-blocking G in the NFL last year, to protect JD5?

 

[Hailer]

Wide receiver is one of those positions though where there are a number of veterans out there that could be a 1 year bridge to 2027 if we aren't able to get one at #7.

I am just glad at this point that Aiyuk isn't in burgundy and gold. The further it goes the more focus Washington will have on signing a veteran FA and using a pick in the draft.

How about moving back from #7 or moving up from third round to second if we identify a receiver other than Tate we like?

Besides Aiyuk has not caught a pass since October of 2024 in the NFL.

He's almost like a player that retires and tries to come back to the league a couple of years later.

Every guy below Jennings is some version of Noah Brown to me - barely available. Either too old, too injured, or too many pending convictions to be relied upon.

We cannot head into 2026 banking on an older Terry and a bunch of hopeful contributors at WR. Not after last year.

Aiyuk to me is just a flier, for all the reasons you mentioned.

 

[ES1974]

Realistically though there are very limited FAs left at the positions we’ve not added. Unless we are waiting on others cuts, or considering a trade, the FA pool at WR and RB for example is threadbare.

 

[ES1974]

I don't think they'd release Payne, but I can see a trade possibly happening, and if it did, why wouldn't they use part of the savings to keep Paul, who was the #5 pass-blocking G in the NFL last year, to protect JD5?

Pretty sure Payne has a $5m roster bonus due to tomorrow too…

 

[RWJ]

Wonder if AP has interest on a cheaper signing with RB Jaleel McLaughlin, former of the Broncos.

 

[Chris 44]

Every guy below Jennings is some version of Noah Brown to me - barely available. Either too old, too injured, or too many pending convictions to be relied upon.

We cannot head into 2026 banking on an older Terry and a bunch of hopeful contributors at WR. Not after last year.

Aiyuk to me is just a flier, for all the reasons you mentioned.

...too many pending convictions to be relied upon.....LOL

 

[Chris 44]

Pretty sure Payne has a $5m roster bonus due to tomorrow too…

Could you imagine the feeling that when you wake up Friday morning and pull up your Wells Fargo online checking account that there will be 5 million dollars in it. I wouldn't leave the house tonight because I would be scared I might get hit by a bus.

 

[Conn]

At RB, not big fans of these guys but let’s not forget Harris and Mixon are out there

Mixon seems to have sustained a mystery off-the-field foot injury that people have spent 8 months speculating about. The current rumor is that he either literally shot himself in the foot or hurt it doing something dumb, and got surgery on his own without consulting the Texans, and they weren’t happy with the results. His career could be over, hard to say. He’s a weird situation

Oh he’s also a sentient pile of garbage

 

[Conn]

Wide receiver is one of those positions though where there are a number of veterans out there that could be a 1 year bridge to 2027 if we aren't able to get one at #7.

I am just glad at this point that Aiyuk isn't in burgundy and gold. The further it goes the more focus Washington will have on signing a veteran FA and using a pick in the draft.

How about moving back from #7 or moving up from third round to second if we identify a receiver other than Tate we like?

Besides Aiyuk has not caught a pass since October of 2024 in the NFL.

He's almost like a player that retires and tries to come back to the league a couple of years later.

Aiyuk is going to happen, you just have to let it go. You’re posting into the void, it’s been destined to (eventually) happen for months. And it won’t effect our strategy otherwise anyways, we’ve been trying on WR’s