The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[philibusters]

I do.

But if you're at 7, and a team says "I'll give up my high second round pick to move up 3-4 spots" then either they are completely out to lunch or there's a very valuable player there.

If you assess the other team is completely nuts, then fine.

But most likely, you should just stick and pick.

I know, I'm against literally every draftnik on this. But I hold this opinion VERY firmly. I think the statistics actually say you have a better chance of getting a better player higher in the draft, and so if you have a draft pick, wasting it by not selecting the best prospect is a mistake.

It a weak draft at the top. I don't think a team would give him up a high second to move up 3 or 4 spots, probably more like a third and maybe change. But I am not all that worried about who they moving up for. They are moving up for Carnell Tate or Caleb Downs, or Sonny Styles. Good players, but not franchise changers.

 

[ES1974]

I do.

But if you're at 7, and a team says "I'll give up my high second round pick to move up 3-4 spots" then either they are completely out to lunch or there's a very valuable player there.

If you assess the other team is completely nuts, then fine.

But most likely, you should just stick and pick.

I know, I'm against literally every draftnik on this. But I hold this opinion VERY firmly. I think the statistics actually say you have a better chance of getting a better player higher in the draft, and so if you have a draft pick, wasting it by not selecting the best prospect is a mistake.

So you stay at #7 and select who another teams values more than you…??

Erm, ok, I guess.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

So you stay at #7 and select who another teams values more than you…??

Erm, ok, I guess.

No, you stay at 7 and pick the player who is the highest on your board.

If another team is willing to move up that much for a player, then you have to assess whether the highest ranking player will be available at the new spot.

If not, then you pick.

If so, then you can trade.

You do not sacrifice moving down and losing the highest ranked player on your board in the first round. That means you are giving up on the top-end talent.

And I don't believe in tiers. In every job I've ever had, when you are interviewing candidates, you have a leaning or a preference, even if you have 2 or more outstanding options. Pick the one you like the best. Don't let somebody else pick for you.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

It a weak draft at the top. I don't think a team would give him up a high second to move up 3 or 4 spots, probably more like a third and maybe change. But I am not all that worried about who they moving up for. They are moving up for Carnell Tate or Caleb Downs, or Sonny Styles. Good players, but not franchise changers.

If we're at 7 and any of those three guys are there, there is absolutely no way in the world I'm trading down for a 3rd round pick. I'm picking the best of them, period the end. If you trade down to 10, all of them are gone. And you've gotten yourself into the next tier of prospects. And that's absolutely not worth a 3rd.

 

[DWinzit]

Howie is constantly making moves.

Eagles acquired WR Dontayvion Wicks from the Packers in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter breaks the news, adding that Wicks will now sign a one-year, $12.5 million extension with the Eagles. Over the last four weeks, they also signed WR Hollywood Brown and WR Elijah Moore as well. Schefter reminds us that if the Eagles were to trade away WR A.J. Brown, that would probably happen after June 1st, “when the cap burden would be more manageable for the Eagles.” As things currently stand, Wicks will likely compete for WR3 duties. The trade also leaves Packers WR Christian Watson, WR Jayden Reed and WR Matthew Golden as the team’s top-three options. They allowed WR Romeo Doubs to sign with the Patriots last month.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Howie is constantly making moves.

Eagles acquired WR Dontayvion Wicks from the Packers in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter breaks the news, adding that Wicks will now sign a one-year, $12.5 million extension with the Eagles. Over the last four weeks, they also signed WR Hollywood Brown and WR Elijah Moore as well. Schefter reminds us that if the Eagles were to trade away WR A.J. Brown, that would probably happen after June 1st, “when the cap burden would be more manageable for the Eagles.” As things currently stand, Wicks will likely compete for WR3 duties. The trade also leaves Packers WR Christian Watson, WR Jayden Reed and WR Matthew Golden as the team’s top-three options. They allowed WR Romeo Doubs to sign with the Patriots last month.

Howie trades picks for players or moves up as much as he moves down.

Take 2022 out of the equation for a minute, we'll talk about that after. None of Roseman's trade downs have been in the first.

• 2026 Draft: Traded a 2026 4th and 6th (No. 122, 215) for Atlanta's 4th and 6th (No. 114, 197) to move up, also involving player Sydney Brown. Moved UP
• 2026 Draft: Traded a 2026 5th and 2027 6th to Packers for WR Dontayvion Wicks. Traded Picks for Player
• 2025 Draft: Traded 2025 3rd and 4th to Broncos for 2025 4th and 6th (and players). Moved UP and DOWN. Moved down 10 picks for the higher pick, up for 4 picks for the second, and added a 6th.
• 2024 Draft: Traded 50th, 53rd, and 161st picks to Commanders for 40th (DB Cooper DeJean), 78th, and 152nd picks. Moved UP
• 2024 Draft: Traded 78th to Texans for 86th and 123rd picks. Moved Down
• 2024 Draft: Traded 86th to 49ers for 94th and 132nd picks. Moved Down
• 2024 Draft: Traded 120th to Dolphins for 2025 3rd round pick. Moved Up in 2023 (Traded a 2024 pick to draft in 2023)
• 2024 Draft: Traded 123rd to Texans for 127th and 2025 5th round pick. Moved Down
• 2022 Draft: Traded 15th, 124th, 162nd, and 166th picks to Texans for 13th pick (DT Jordan Davis). Moved UP
• 2022 Draft: Traded 18th and 101st picks to Titans for WR A.J. Brown. Traded Picks for Player
• 2022 Draft: Traded 16th, 19th, and 194th picks to Saints for 18th, 101st, 237th, 2023 1st, and 2024 2nd picks. Moved Down

Those are the Eagles trades since 2022.

2022 was wild. They started with the 15, 16 and 19th picks.
They traded the 15 and 3 other picks to move up 2 spots and picked Jordan Davis
They traded the 16th and 19th to the Saints to get the 18th, a 2023 1st and a 2024 second
Then they traded the 18th and 101 to the Titans for AJ Brown.

That was masterful. They managed to essentially re-coup the 1st round pick they traded for Brown by shuffling it back a year. If we could pull that off, that would be amazing.

 

[Dah-Dee]

So I think what VOR is saying is, we should trade #7 and #71, and Adam Peters, to Philly for Howie Roseman and a 2027 5th.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

So I think what VOR is saying is, we should trade #7 and #71, and Adam Peters, to Philly for Howie Roseman and a 2027 5th.

They wouldn't do that trade.

Chuckle.

(I would)

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

^^ Just to emphasize the point of my post about the Eagles, Howie makes a lot of deals. But those deals are rarely to move down in the first round.

And the only time he's done it since 2022 was in 2022, when they also traded up to get a player, then down to get more picks, then traded those picks to get A.J. Brown. So even in the year he traded down in the first, he also traded up in the first.

I didn't go back and see how they ended up with 3 first round picks that year. But probably some of the same.

So you can't use the Eagles as an example of a team that likes to trade down and acquire a lot of picks. They do it sometimes, mostly in the middle or late rounds, but they also trade up, even in the first round.

EDIT: I just realized this whole conversation took place in the FA thread. Sorry about that. If we want to talk draft or trade backs, let's move it back to the Draft thread or Hypothetical Trade thread. Sorry, I didn't realize this was in the FA thread.

 

[Dlts20]

Has anyone been paying attention to the Diana Russini, Mike Vrabel story? I've been saying that I haven't been liking the way she's reporting things and her little slick comments that I feel like are her own personal opinions instead of real reporting.

Liike when Doubs signed with NE she said that Doubs chose Maye over Daniels when he never said that himself. Now I feel like she was showing a lot of biased love towards the Patriots

 

[CapsCommies]

Has anyone been paying attention to the Diana Russini, Mike Vrabel story? I've been saying that I haven't been liking the way she's reporting things and her little slick comments that I feel like are her own personal opinions instead of real reporting.

Liike when Doubs signed with NE she said that Doubs chose Maye over Daniels when he never said that himself. Now I feel like she was showing a lot of biased love towards the Patriots

Scot Mcloughan's wife accused her of hooking up with him for scoops so not the first time she's fielding this sort of claim

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

If you want to discuss the Vrabel/Rossini thing, there are some folks discussion it in the NFL Ramdom Thoughts thread.

 

[COWBOY-KILLA]

Why? He's not signing with anybody else, and he's asking for too much money.

He's going to sign after the draft.

If we don't get a starting WR in the draft, I think he can be a target then. There's really no reason to panic about it.

He's going to want to wait until after the draft because some WR needy team might overpay for him.

There was a SF reporter on with Galdi, I don't remember who, who said the thing with Jennings is a lot of people around the league think that the secret to his success had more to do with Kyle than with Jennings. And sarcastically asked, "if you sign Jennings, are you signing Kyle also?"

And that's fine, he still might be a good WR, but he wants to be paid like a GREAT WR, and the going theory is he is not a great WR. He's good.

If ANYBODY thought he was great, he would have been signed by now.

So now we sit and wait. If we draft Tate, then there's no need to sign Jennings.

I will offer this: I think we will sign one of Deebo or Jennings. If we draft Tate or another outside WR, I could see us re-signing Deebo after the draft. If we don't sign Tate or another outside WR, I could see us signing Jennings.

I think the odds are 70% we sign one of them after the draft.

Why? because he's the most talented WR available in the league at the moment.
That can change at any moment someone decides to sign him and then hes gone. His price has already taken a hit since the start of free agency, I want to be the ones to gain from him reassessing his asking price.
You can ensure that by signing him today. 12-18 M isn't $ for a great WR and that is what I think he ends up signing for.
He's not a break the bank signing, hes a reliable possession WR who is a great blocker. 130+ catches 1600 yds and 15 TD's over the last two years.

The point is I think he is light years better than what is currently on the roster, we have plenty of money, and our young stud QB needs weapons. It doesn't preclude you from drafting someone you like there either.
I think hes a significant upgrade to Deebo at this point in their careers. This is all about Jayden for me, get him more tools to work with. All this said is me assuming he isnt some absolute asshole behind the scenes and a locker room killer, lol. I dont know the guy personally.

 

[Dlts20]

If you want to discuss the Vrabel/Rossini thing, there are some folks discussion it in the NFL Ramdom Thoughts thread.

Thanks. I looked for other threads before I posted. Idk how I missed it

 

[KDawg]

I’m not too worried about receiver at the moment but that could change quick. There are a lot of stop gap options available and the draft.

Deebo needs to be an option.

Jennings, Aiyuk.

Keenan Allen. DHop, Juju, Valdez-Scantling.

Sure, they are stop gaps and I hate the 1 year deal stuff, but this regime is all in on that.

Let’s say the draft goes like this:

We get Love at 7 and Sarratt at 71. We signed Deebo and Keenan.

That’s Terry, Allen, Deebo and Sarratt.

All of a sudden our receivers look good.

Let’s say we trade back (not a fan, just an exercise) and draft Omar Cooper. And sign Juju.

Terry, Juju, Omar

Our receiver room is a mess but not incapable of bandaid.

I think we have far less opportunity to upgrade free safety (not with SIP, I think our FS position is atrocious… but I agree with him that I’m not sure the team thinks so) corner and left guard.

Those are the spots I’m more worried about now.

But I could be very worried about receiver pretty quick.

 

[Discobob]

Why? because he's the most talented WR available in the league at the moment.
That can change at any moment someone decides to sign him and then hes gone. His price has already taken a hit since the start of free agency, I want to be the ones to gain from him reassessing his asking price.
You can ensure that by signing him today. 12-18 M isn't $ for a great WR and that is what I think he ends up signing for.
He's not a break the bank signing, hes a reliable possession WR who is a great blocker. 130+ catches 1600 yds and 15 TD's over the last two years.

The point is I think he is light years better than what is currently on the roster, we have plenty of money, and our young stud QB needs weapons. It doesn't preclude you from drafting someone you like there either.
I think hes a significant upgrade to Deebo at this point in their careers. This is all about Jayden for me, get him more tools to work with. All this said is me assuming he isnt some absolute asshole behind the scenes and a locker room killer, lol. I dont know the guy personally.

When there are old guys, who can still play available, (Hill, Diggs, Deebo, Allen, Hopkins, etc) a guy likely available (Aiyuk), the possibility of drafting a WR, and probably some training camp cuts in the future...

I know some of those aren't sexy, but Jennings is clearly seen by the whole league as someone playing above his ability. If he's dug his heels in on a multi-year deal, it makes total sense that Peters isn't currently interested 🤷

 

[Boone]

Jauan Jennings has had 2 very solid years in a row. I think he would immediately be our 2nd best wide receiver (that's not a high bar) but I don't think he's done enough in his career to show he is 'ascending' or is deserving of some massive contract. I don't think $$ should drive all decisions, but he obviously is expecting to be paid way beyond what his career so far warrants - and that's why he is still out there.

 

[method man]

Jauan Jennings has had 2 very solid years in a row. I think he would immediately be our 2nd best wide receiver (that's not a high bar) but I don't think he's done enough in his career to show he is 'ascending' or is deserving of some massive contract. I don't think $$ should drive all decisions, but he obviously is expecting to be paid way beyond what his career so far warrants - and that's why he is still out there.

He’s a better player than Doubs but he is older and has beat up his body. I’m wondering what his number is. What might be hurting him is he is a former 7th round pick who isn’t a good athlete. That’s why the league sees him as a Kyle creation

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

He’s a better player than Doubs but he is older and has beat up his body. I’m wondering what his number is. What might be hurting him is he is a former 7th round pick who isn’t a good athlete. That’s why the league sees him as a Kyle creation

Yeah. But for the right price he would be a fine addition to any team.

The problem is he is clearly asking for more than the market will support. From literally every team

And this team can’t just go and pay him gobs of money because that’s going to cause an imbalance with Terry, and nobody wants to open up that can of worms again.

I think something is going to happen after the draft. Either he will get more than he’s being offered now by a needy team, or he will settle on a 1 year deal and try again next year.