The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[KDawg]

I don't know that I buy into this completely, John.

Granted, the league has changed a lot in 25 years but Brady won his first SB in 2002 with Troy Brown, David Wiggens, and JR Redmond.
He won his second SB in 2004 with Deion Branch, Troy Brown, and David Givens.
HIs came a year later with the same Branch, Brown, and Givens combo.

In fact, one can argue that Brady never won a SB with more than average to slightly above average WR corp.

Would things be easier with great talent at WR? Sure. Will it stunt Daniels' growth to not have top tier talent at WR? I think that is a stretch.

All depends on what else we do.

If we get Love, for instance, we can go two backs with White and use play action, keep one in and send one out, use Chig split, in line or as an H.

There’s a lot we can do. But we need to add receiver weapons. And I still think we will.

 

[Boone]

I get your point Bob. Can we agree that using a first ballot HOFer as a predictor might be a little shaky proposition? Jayden is very talented. He will find ways to perform well to some degree no matter who is out there. But without top tier targets he trusts we might see the same kind of things we saw in 2025 continue. Him not getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as he should, him relying on his legs more than he should, and of course potentially taking unnecessary hits and possible missed time. Those don’t help in his development.

Adam Peters said it before I did. The best way to protect and grow Jayden is to surround him with great weapons. ‘Stunt’ is probably a loaded word but I do think a lack of really good talent around him can have that effect.

 

[Commander Wraith]

I expected us to bring him back.

Yeah, Johnathon Jones was the placeholder name for the type of guy I thought we’d add as depth - an ok guy with inside/outside experience. But maybe that guy is actually Robertson considering they were (reportedly) trying to sign Woolen.
Sainristil has obviously struggled in the slot, though I wonder if a better scheme and better pieces around him makes a difference in his ability to play there. Still want to add a guy rather than make that assumption though. Regardless, we still need at least 2 corners added for slot and outside depth, whether they’re versatile or not.

 

[Boone]

I was a little disappointed we didn’t re-sign Jakob Martin and that another team did. Maybe it was because he’s on the wrong side of 30? I thought he was one of the few bright spots last season.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I get your point Bob. Can we agree that using a first ballot HOFer as a predictor might be a little shaky proposition? Jayden is very talented. He will find ways to perform well to some degree no matter who is out there. But without top tier targets he trusts we might see the same kind of things we saw in 2025 continue. Him not getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as he should, him relying on his legs more than he should, and of course potentially taking unnecessary hits and possible missed time. Those don’t help in his development.

Adam Peters said it before I did. The best way to protect and grow Jayden is to surround him with great weapons. ‘Stunt’ is probably a loaded word but I do think a lack of really good talent around him can have that effect.

I have been thinking that if Jayden is as coachable as we say… we had some coaching issues. I don’t know if that is on the QB coach or OC but I think we all saw specific regressions and questionable decisions repeat themselves in 2025 without any resolution.

Also I went to a game or two in both years and spoke to others who did as well. The communication was reduced - Jayden was more withdrawn in 2025.

I am hoping we get better development from him and that can help him reach a level I think he has not unlocked: making those lesser (maybe inexperienced) players look better. It could be their coaching was not where it should be. It could be his. The fact is, when our injuries happened, we can lose a lot of games with an excuse. How we lost in 2025 felt too extreme. To me, it felt like we had coaching issues. That is how the whole appears greater than the sum of the parts (visibly as a fan): good coaching.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I was a little disappointed we didn’t re-sign Jakob Martin and that another team did. Maybe it was because he’s on the wrong side of 30? I thought he was one of the few bright spots last season.

I was wondering if anyone else felt that way. Didn’t know his age. I don’t know his stats. I just had that feeling based on his play and my perception of his value.

 

[Boone]

I think he’s 32

 

[DWinzit]

All depends on what else we do.

If we get Love, for instance, we can go two backs with White and use play action, keep one in and send one out, use Chig split, in line or as an H.

There’s a lot we can do. But we need to add receiver weapons. And I still think we will.

This is a great point. Everyone is stuck on WR's (and yes we need probably two) but White brings back the forgotten weapon Ekeler brought to the game and Chig brings a shiny new weapon we have not seen with AP and DQ.

We also keep talking about the possibility that Sinnott is more involved and it has been mentioned a healthy Terry is supposedly going to be more involved.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Yeah, Johnathon Jones was the placeholder name for the type of guy I thought we’d add as depth - an ok guy with inside/outside experience. But maybe that guy is actually Robertson considering they were (reportedly) trying to sign Woolen.
Sainristil has obviously struggled in the slot, though I wonder if a better scheme and better pieces around him makes a difference in his ability to play there. Still want to add a guy rather than make that assumption though. Regardless, we still need at least 2 corners added for slot and outside depth, whether they’re versatile or not.

I didn’t think they keep Jones. His play in that “scheme” was “exposed” (but the scheme featured so many holes…).

I also think the amount of turnover of DBs in three years and the vector of their performance in two should lead to a makeover in the coaches there.

It is strange from our seats that Donatell is still there. At least to me. Process over results, so if he is visibly doing everything right, sure keep him. Do I trust DQ’s eval of that though? Hrm.

Tommy Donatell

 

[burgold]

Yeah, he was one of the very few on defense that showed up. Can't argue with who they signed, but Martin did a good job on a crap defense.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

So you think between the next two drafts they won’t draft a talented 1st round receiver?

1st rounders have like a 50% hit rate. We need to find 2 good WR. You were extremely confident we could bypass Pierce and still find 2 by the time next off-season ends.

That's just too optimistic.

 

[Dah-Dee]

I think he’s 32

Jacob Martin just turned 30 in December. I was also disappointed we didn't bring him back, good motor.

 

[RexTomb]

Pierce was WILDLY overpaid for his production. Someone said he has fewer than 2 completions per game. And he made 32 million AAV? Insane and I'm so glad we were not the winner there.

 

[Dlts20]

I was a little disappointed we didn’t re-sign Jakob Martin and that another team did. Maybe it was because he’s on the wrong side of 30? I thought he was one of the few bright spots last season.

Yea I thought that he had double digit sack potential even at his age and it seemed like DQ loved him so that's strange. Maybe he wanted out once he saw our signings

 

[Neophyte]

I get it, John. Truly. There are other examples of guys winning the SB without top tier talent (can you name Elway's WRs in his back-to-back SB wins without looking), but in every instance I can find you have a first ballot HOF QB, so I cede the point.

I'm just saying that Terry isn't going to sniff the HOF and wouldn't be the top threat on over half the teams in the league, and yet in 2024, he and a "bunch of guys" caught enough balls from Daniels to go to the NFC Championship game. And did it with an epicly bad defense.

Daniels last year didn't look like Daniels from year 1 and I don't think a lack of top teir talent on the outside was the reason. He was throwing later and he was off target more.

If he rebounds this year, and I think we all sort of expect that he will, I'm less worried about the WR room.

I also think there will be more of a run/pass balance this year which should provide the WRs a bit more room to opperate on the outside. I'm of mixed feelings about drafting Love at #7, but if we did, you would think that alone will create some serios 1-on-1 opportunites for average WRs.

 

[DWinzit]

Pierce was WILDLY overpaid for his production. Someone said he has fewer than 2 completions per game. And he made 32 million AAV? Insane and I'm so glad we were not the winner there.

Yup, glad we did not sign him. I was disappointed we didn't just go hard at Jennings or Doubs right out of the gate instead of chasing him first

 

[Boone]

Daniels last year didn't look like Daniels from year 1 and I don't think a lack of top teir talent on the outside was the reason. He was throwing later and he was off target more.

Daniels is so talented that even a down year is pretty good. But I guess my question is, to what do you attribute Jayden’s down year? Because I feel like him not having great targets he trusts was a major factor.

 

[RexTomb]

Yup, glad we did not sign him. I was disappointed we didn't just go hard at Jennings or Doubs right out of the gate instead of chasing him first

Eh, with the Pierce deal, I can see why we didn't. He reset the market for a slightly above average receiver, so its possible that Doubs in particular was like "I want a similar deal". Isn't Jennings still out there?

 

[Primus Porcus]

Eh, with the Pierce deal, I can see why we didn't. He reset the market for a slightly above average receiver, so its possible that Doubs in particular was like "I want a similar deal". Isn't Jennings still out there?

Yes Jennings is still out there... I think his point wasn't that we let Jennings get away, just that he would have preferred Pierce, at that premium price, not be the initial push.. instead have planned to go after Jennings on day 1 because you knew you liked the skill set and a much better option at the cost.

 

[Riggo44]

It's weird Jennings is still out there. He's a solid receiver, and not that old. I could see us pivoting to Kennan Allen for a year. He could easily put up a 60/800/5 season here.