The 2025 Free Agency Thread

[skinsinparadise]

As much as wasn't high on Coleman at LT, i am very high on him at guard maybe RT.

Tunsil, Coleman, Biadasz, Cosmi - especially if Coleman develops can be a really good O line. And Wylie while I didn't care for him in his season 1 here, was decent last year. I felt safer with Wylie holding off pressure from the edge than I did Coleman. Now Wylie is back to being the weak link. LT should be secure. If you want to help Wylie you have Bates helping him on that side. Game changer for the scheme. Hoffman was talking about the value of a LT recently when discussing with someone he knew from SF who told him when Trent is out it changes their offense more than any other loss.

Tunsill isn't Trent in the run game. But he IMO is just as good in pass protect.

I have gone from having major concerns about the O line to no concerns aside from adding depth.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

As much as wasn't high on Coleman at LT, i am very high on him at guard maybe RT.

Tunsil, Coleman, Biadasz, Cosmi - especially if Coleman develops can be a really good O line. And Wylie while I didn't care for him in his season 1 here, was decent last year. I felt safer with Wylie holding off pressure from the edge than I did Coleman. Now Wylie is back to being the weak link. LT should be secure. If you want to help Wylie you have Bates helping him on that side. Game changer for the scheme. Hoffman was talking about the value of a LT recently when discussion someone he knew from SF who told him when Trent is out it changes their offense more than any other loss.

Tunsill isn't Trent in the run game. But he IMO is just as good in pass protect.

I have gone from major concerns about the O line to no concerns sans adding depth.

I agree with almost everything here - the only thing I have a real concern is that the lack of *a real* running game is going to hurt us in ways that are hard to detect on a stat sheet. Other than that, one move has flipped the narrative on this OL in large part. Many O-Lines manage with one or two weaker parts that may need help, as long as they have a solid piece or two that do NOT need much help. That is kind of where we are now.

 

[Chris]

If acquiring Tunsil doesn’t move the needle I wonder what would. His presence will not only significantly improve one important position but will have a carry-over effect across the line.

 

[mistertim]

I'd prefer to give Coleman a shot at RT. He's got great athleticism and measurables, but he just really seemed to struggle on the left side vs decent speed rushers. He might be a more natural RT...and truth be told, a good starting RT in the 3rd round is a nice get.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I don't love our offseason so far. I don't think we improved and we've hurt our future trading away picks.

CB is a huge need, Lattimore is not going to stay healthy and that will cost us games.

I'd still like to see us go after Dex Lawrence. Our DL is bad. Kinlaw has been bad his entire career, either from injuries or performance. A ton of physical talent. His knock coming out of college was inconsistent and lazy. All potential and he hasn't shown anything to think that's changed.

Tunsil is good, but not much of a needle mover either and cost us picks.

Harris is the one player that I think is a big upgrade and I liked Chinn.

You are one of the few to have this take. Tunsil is most definitely a needle mover at a critical position. This team was in serious need of impact players, the entire OL had 2 B players, and one of them will miss most of the season, and the others are C players. Now they finally have an A player on the OL. Deebo Samuels in a contract year could be a huge impact player.

I am not a fan of the Kinlaw signing, especially if a player like Lawrence is available. But I'll trust them on that. I agree they need a solid corner as well and they still have not addressed their inability to stop the run. But they aren't done either, it's only Day 2.

 

[Discobob]

Tunsil is not ‘good’. He’s a dominating LT which is one of the hardest things to find. Teams go decades without finding one. He is a top 5 LT and some would say a top 3 LT. Home run acquisition.

I also would stress how much context matters in this specific case.

Our biggest driver of success was JD5, and keeping him healthy has to be priority #1, to the point that overpaying to do so is warranted. Add to that the fact that our tackles are widely seen as sub-par.

Did we overpay? Hard to say, seems more like a steep, but fair situation.

You can dog the trades for Lattimore and Deebo, but IMO the Tunsil trade is an easy win.

 

[Faithful Fan]

Coleman is a rookie guard now?

LT is very valuable. I agree. I hope Tunsil stays healthy, makes another probowl and cracks the top 100 list again, for sure.

Coleman was a rookie last year, this year he’s a sophomore. I think he could be a great player for us, he’s massive and versatile, but yes, I think he would be better at guard.

I have concerns about Tunsil, mostly to do with his character and age, but there’s no denying he’s one of the best at a position that is very hard to fill and a huge upgrade.

 

[KDawg]

Bout time you showed up and posted! Where you been KDawg?

I posted the other day, too. Busy. Trying to get my HS team on the right track. It takes a lot of time and energy.

I’m around, though.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I agree with almost everything here - the only thing I have a real concern is that the lack of *a real* running game is going to hurt us in ways that are hard to detect on a stat sheet. Other than that, one move has flipped the narrative on this OL in large part. Many O-Lines manage with one or two weaker parts that may need help, as long as they have a solid piece or two that do NOT need much help. That is kind of where we are now.

Agree, they need a RB, see my comments on the draft thread which I've loaded with stats on that spot.

The reason why adding an elite LT was such a game changer for me, is because how hard they are to find. When projecting this roster forward in my mind, I figured we are going to likely be stuck with a mediocre LT because the very good ones don't tend to hit FA and aren't easy to land in the draft especially picking low -- especially this draft.

It was a weakness i was accepting as heck that sucks but lets work around that one. Now I can actually fantasize having an O line like Tampa, the Lions, Eagles -- its not crazy now. Before that deal it felt crazy. Heck IMO if they draft a guard like Tutledge in this draft, the potential is enormous. Not that I expect that. I think the O line is good as is, when Cosmi is back.

But never in my wildest dreams did I expect a top 5 LT on this roster when projecting this roster.

 

[Gooseneck]

Agree, they need a RB, see my comments on the draft thread which I've loaded with stats on that spot.

The reason why adding an elite LT was such a game changer for me, is because how hard they are to find. When projecting this roster forward in my mind, I figured we are going to likely be stuck with a mediocre LT because the very good ones don't tend to hit FA and aren't easy to land in the draft especially picking low -- especially this draft.

It was a weakness i was accepting as heck that sucks but lets work around that one. Now I can actually fantasize having an O line like Tampa, the Lions, Eagles -- its not crazy now. Before that deal it felt crazy. Heck IMO if they draft a guard like Tutledge in this draft, the potential is enormous. Not that I expect that. I think the O line is good as is, when Cosmi is back.

But never in my wildest dreams did I expect a top 5 LT on this roster when projecting this roster.

almost impossible to find where we will be drafting in the next few years and teams not letting LT go to free agency. I am still in shock that we were able to acquire a LT of his quality.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I'd prefer to give Coleman a shot at RT. He's got great athleticism and measurables, but he just really seemed to struggle on the left side vs decent speed rushers. He might be a more natural RT...and truth be told, a good starting RT in the 3rd round is a nice get.

It's possible. I think he struggles at times pass blocking in space. And I recall watching some of his college games and my thought was he can be a really good guard because of the tighter space that you are blocking in. But as to RT, which is the strong side typically, the TE is often helping block there, and Jayden in particular seems to look to the right and runs to the right and Coleman is a good run blocker who run blocks well in space. With Cosmi and Coleman on the right side, and Jayden at times running to that side, that can be a fun watch as to the run game.

 

[Hail Raiser]

Coleman was a rookie last year, this year he’s a sophomore. I think he could be a great player for us, he’s massive and versatile, but yes, I think he would be better at guard.

I have concerns about Tunsil, mostly to do with his character and age, but there’s no denying he’s one of the best at a position that is very hard to fill and a huge upgrade.

I think he's only played a full season once or twice and he'll be 31 this season, so I'm concerned about that, too.

I don't know anything about his character, except the domestic abuse arrest, but that's janky.

Strange to see such a talented LT get traded twice.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think he's only played a full season once or twice and he'll be 31 this season, so I'm concerned about that, too.

I don't know anything about his character, except the domestic abuse arrest, but that's janky.

Strange to see such a talented LT get traded twice.

I've digested a lot of narrative about him from Teaxas reporters talking about him.

The gist impression I get is:

A. Good dude. Likeable.

B. He's one of those blend in type of players versus a leader. Not a trouble maker at all. But not a leader-talker in the mode of more quiet personalities we've had like Kerrigan, Payne, guys like that,

He's been a great player. The FO has been totally happy on that front. But with all these new contracts this year they expect he's going to want a new one, and they can't afford him. And the O line has to be rebuilt anyway.

 

[skinsinparadise]

The Friendship Award: The Commanders​

In just one year at the helm, general manager Adam Peters took the Commanders from league laughingstock to the NFC Championship Game. He and coach Dan Quinn executed that turnaround by relying heavily on familiarity: In their first offseason together, they added defensive linemen Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell, linebacker Bobby Wagner and center Tyler Biadasz, all of whom had spent time with either Quinn's or Peters' old teams.

Why fix what isn't broken? In Year 2, the Commanders have re-signed Wagner, tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates, punter Tress Way and kicker Zane Gonzalez. Ertz and Wagner especially stand out, as they were signed to one-year stopgap deals last season -- veterans in the twilight of their careers who could lead and set the culture for a young team. But both outperformed expectations and are running it back for one last postseason run into the sunset (or maybe two or three).

Other than the re-signings, the Commanders' major moves were the trade for wideout Deebo Samuel Sr. with the 49ers, Peters' previous organization, and the free agent acquisition of Javon Kinlaw, the ex-Jets defensive tackle who was initially drafted by ... the 49ers. Kinlaw's deal -- $45 million over three years -- was particularly jaw-dropping, even in an offseason cycle that has spent heavily on defensive tackles. It's hard to imagine anyone giving Kinlaw $15 million per year, save for a member of the front office that initially believed and invested in him. Only former Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil, acquired in another trade, comes to Washington without a preexisting connection with either the coaching staff or the front office. (And safety Will Harris, who got signed as I was writing this Tuesday, ruining my bit.)

None of these moves are bad in a vacuum. The Commanders have an incredible championship window with quarterback Jayden Daniels on a rookie contract, but this was not a loaded free agent class, and they were wise not to spend solely to feel like they were maximizing their window. They signed several older players, but only Kinlaw and Bates are signed beyond the 2026 season. This is a measured investment in veterans who could provide immediate impact so long as they continue to age well.

After all, what fun is a Super Bowl if you don't get to win it with your pals?

2025 NFL free agency winners, losers: 49ers, Jaguars, Patriots

The 49ers' roster looks very different. Sam Darnold's deal was smaller than expected. Let's size up the best and worst moves of free agency.

www.espn.com

 

[Conn]

There are people in here reacting to Tunsil the way they should have been reacting if we signed Ronnie Stanley. There really seems to be a disconnect because Tunsil isn’t 28 year old Trent Williams in the run game (a HOF player btw). But Tunsil is ELITE, top of the league, in protecting the QB. An acquisition that is so impactful it actually skews the charts (so to speak) so it’s almost hard to talk about it here without coming across hysterical and over the top.

 

[burgold]

I get the sense that Tunsil is a bit of a Diva (strange to think of offensive lineman as divas, but we've met some before), but I think Quinn is the right guy to handle that. In Atlanta, Dallas, and here last year, his best attribute was maxxing out buy in
More, even if he is a diva and a bit of a personality off the field, on the field he's been good enough to get to five pro bowls and like everyone has been saying has been among the top three left tackles for several years now.

 

[Hail Raiser]

I've digested a lot of narrative about him from Teaxas reporters talking about him.

The gist impression I get is:

A. Good dude. Likeable.

B. He's one of those blend in type of players versus a leader. Not a trouble maker at a. l. But not a leader-talker like Kerrigan, Payne, guys like that,

He's been a great player. The FO has been totally happy on that front. But with all these new contracts this year they expect he's going to want a new one, and they can't afford him. And the O line has to be rebuilt anyway.

Is Tunsil under contract for next year or just this season coming up?

The idea of dropping a lot of picks, for a year or two rental that's going to want a major deal at 32, despite injury concerns and is a 10-15 OT at best.

It's great to have him this year, I just don't love the cost to the future.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Keim

With Tunsil trade, Commanders trying to maximize Super Bowl window​

Last season, the Washington Commanders rode rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' talent to the NFC Championship Game. Now, they're hoping to ride his contract to a Super Bowl.

Nothing better explains their aggressive move to acquire Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans for multiple draft picks at the start of the NFL's legal negotiating window Monday. The veteran still has two remaining years on a three-year, $75 million deal that will soon require an extension. But Washington's window to win its first title since the 1991 season is officially open, and they are trying to take advantage.

The trade is the second big move the franchise has made this offseason. On March 1, they traded a fifth-round pick for receiver Deebo Samuel, and his $17.5 million cap hit, to provide an upgraded weapon for Daniels. Back in October, they traded two draft picks for cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

...At one point, according to team sources, they had interest in Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson. But that, too, would cost more picks and even more cap space. Although they can always maneuver in the draft to acquire more picks, those picks would be used as assets to acquire proven talent, which is what Washington did in landing Tunsil.

Trading for Tunsil also helps Washington better protect its most valuable asset: Daniels. While Tunsil commits a lot of penalties -- a league-high 17 last season, including 12 false starts -- he is a five-time Pro Bowl tackle, including being selected in each of the past three seasons. Tunsil moves well and is long -- both good traits for a tackle -- and, as one defensive coach who faced Houston this year said, "When he's healthy and right, he's as good as there is in the league."

He can help as a run blocker, and his addition allows Brandon Coleman, another easy mover who started 15 games at left tackle last season, to move to guard or right tackle. This gives Washington the pieces to have a strong offensive line core for next few seasons -- something the Eagles have enjoyed recently. Tunsil will turn 31 in August. So, it's not far-fetched to think he could play five or six more years.

...Washington's building process is not done. The Commanders need more talent and youth on defense, particularly along the line. But this team felt it had unfinished business after last season. They're taking advantage of a rare player in Daniels, whose talent, they are hoping, will help keep them competitive long term and whose contract can help them do it in the short term as well.

At this time two years ago, they were looking for a new owner. Last year they were looking for a quarterback. Now it's clear they're looking for anything that can help them get the biggest prize: A Lombardi Trophy.

With Tunsil trade, Commanders all-in on maximizing Super Bowl window

The Commanders are leveraging Jayden Daniels' rookie contract to build a contender in Washington now.

www.espn.com

 

[Faithful Fan]

I think he's only played a full season once or twice and he'll be 31 this season, so I'm concerned about that, too.

I don't know anything about his character, except the domestic abuse arrest, but that's janky.

Strange to see such a talented LT get traded twice.

I actually have some of the same worries about Tunsil, and I posted about them in the other thread. My hope is the rumors about his character are just run-of-the-mill ego you sometimes have with elite players, Trent Williams could be that way too. And hopefully the trades had as much to do with the haul of draft picks Miami and Houston received as they did with moving on from Tunsil. But for sure there are concerns about him, it’s just worth the risk because stud LT is such a rare commodity and we’ve needed one for years.

 

[mistertim]

Yeah, I think the Tunsil trade had to do with money, not the Texans having doubts about his play. They're currently in a pretty rough place cap-wise (near the bottom of the league IIRC) and that doesn't even include the fact that they'll likely have to give Stroud a giga-contract after this season.