The 2025 Free Agency Thread

Conn said:
The best EDGE’s rarely come out of nowhere, they aren’t usually developed. They usually are drafted at the top of the 1st round, it’s a very projectable position where elite athleticism is highly coveted. Bad teams usually draft at the top of the draft, that part isn’t super complicated imo.

The Eagles won a SB without an elite QB and built around what he does well, while acquiring elite players they COULD acquire. I still think they’d probably prefer a top-5 QB if you gave them the choice. Same with the 49ers in their most competitive recent years.

I think it’s the same with elite teams and elite EDGE rushers that eat disproportionate amounts of cap space and/or cost unrealistically high draft picks (most of the time)
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not sure i agree with this completely

I will say that guys draft stock generally goes up because they have an ability as an edge defender, BUT


Trey Hendrickson - 3rd Round
Maxx Crosby - 4th Round
TJ Watt - 1st Round (30th overall)
Danielle Hunter - 3rd round
Alex Highsmith - 3rd round
DeMarcus Lawrence - 2nd round
Brian Burns - 1st round (16th overall)
Montez Sweat - 1st round (26th overall)
Gregory Rousseau - 1st round (30th overall)


I think there are plenty of situations where development has resulted in top tier pass rushers. Though I agree there is a massive focus on that position as it's such a premium, but I also think there is a lot more meat on that bone. I would almost argue that it's as volatile as QB. That so many teams are seeking the physical traits that 'can't be taught' and it is held in the same regard of the QB that can throw it out of the stadium, or is the prototypical size.
 
Conn said:
The best EDGE’s rarely come out of nowhere, they aren’t usually developed. They usually are drafted at the top of the 1st round, it’s a very projectable position where elite athleticism is highly coveted. Bad teams usually draft at the top of the draft, that part isn’t super complicated imo.

The Eagles won a SB without an elite QB and built around what he does well, while acquiring elite players they COULD acquire. I still think they’d probably prefer a top-5 QB if you gave them the choice. Same with the 49ers in their most competitive recent years.

I think it’s the same with elite teams and elite EDGE rushers that eat disproportionate amounts of cap space and/or cost unrealistically high draft picks (most of the time)
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this could be said for every position in the NFL....and like SilentThreat mentioned... plenty elite talent was drafted in the later rounds. You are right that they get disproportionate salary in the NFL. similar to QBs. My argument is that with the rule changes to the NFL over the last 10+ years... this position is less impactful. I could argue that an elite QB (by miles), WR, LT and maybe even Corner is more impactful in todays NFL.. just a theory on my end. And weather we want to admit it or not... Hurts is pretty much elite.. top 5 in most rankings
 
Still you wonder if a guy like Clowney could come in here and get 9-10 sacks and be versatile enough to move around if there are injuries elsewhere on the line.
 
Bulldog said:
Still you wonder if a guy like Clowney could come in here and get 9-10 sacks and be versatile enough to move around if there are injuries elsewhere on the line.
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I think clowney is a better pass rusher than fowler but he's more disciplined against the run so the opportunities are more limited.

I think our coaching staff could put clowney in position to have a double digital sack season like fowler did but then we'd be exposing ourselves to big runs like last year and thats what they want to eliminate.
 
That’s what a rotation is for.

Perhaps Clowney has enough ego to where he has to be an every down player or he throws a tantrum and that’s why the team isn’t really looking at him.

At 32, though if the Ravens are thinking about bringing him back then he can’t be that bad a guy to be around and for coaches to handle.

Ravens are usually near the top in rush defense.
 
Looks like Cincy is still having issues with Edge contracts whether Hedrickson or Stewart.


NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk reports that the Bengals’ contract talks with No. 17 overall pick EDGE Shemar Stewart stalled because of the team’s training camp bonus offer.
All Round 1 rookie contract values are predetermined by the rookie wage scale. They are also fully guaranteed. Per Mike Florio, the contract’s training camp bonus “has become a device for putting a sizable chunk of the player’s pay in his pockets in future years, early in the season,” and the Bengals reportedly offered Stewart “a lower percentage than the 17th overall pick received in 2024.” It’s an embarrassing revelation. Rookie contract values increase each year, and the training camp bonus rate ostensibly should as well. After all, the deal is fully guaranteed anyway. Stewart has thus far refused to participate in the Bengals’ rookie minicamp and is apparently unlikely to change his mind until the Bengals at least give him the equivalent 2024 rate.
8h ago
Source: NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk
 
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The Bengals made the Tee Higgins negotiations personal instead of realizing that under the cap teams can't hoard dollars at one position and beggar the rest of the team.

With Burrow already on a huge deal with J'Mar Chase, the smart move would have been to trade Higgins and draft his replacement while signing Hendrickson to an extension before the draft.

But Brown listened to the media that was criticizing him for being a traditionally cheap owner and goaded him into giving Higgins an outsized deal.

That's where being the owner AND the GM doesn't work.
 
Agreed, Tee would have had a real big market in March. Also the Stewart debacle is just dumb, they are just compounding poor decisions.
 
DWinzit said:
Agreed, Tee would have had a real big market in March. Also the Stewart debacle is just dumb, they are just compounding poor decisions.
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Thank God this isn’t us anymore. With everyone posting on their forum what a loser organization we are and what a terrible owner we have.

Cincy lucked into a potential HOF caliber QB and still won’t invest in the team? Jesus.
 
Anselmheifer said:
Thank God this isn’t us anymore. With everyone posting on their forum what a loser organization we are and what a terrible owner we have.

Cincy lucked into a potential HOF caliber QB and still won’t invest in the team? Jesus.
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Beginning to think there is something in the water in that entire state, both Cleveland and Cincy cant seem to get out of their own way.
 
Cincy send us your 2026 2nd and we send you our 2026 1st and a 2027 4th.

 
RWJ said:
Cincy send us your 2026 2nd and we send you our 2026 1st and a 2027 4th.

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I would LOVE to get Hendrickson and have 2,2,4,6,7 in the 2026 draft but the odds of our first and their second being awfully close together seem high enough that they wouldn't go for it.
 
bifflog said:
I would LOVE to get Hendrickson and have 2,2,4,6,7 in the 2026 draft but the odds of our first and their second being awfully close together seem high enough that they wouldn't go for it.
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Actually, we'd have Cincy's 2nd, our 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th round picks in 2026. We'd be trading our 2026 1st and 2027 4th to Cincy. It's still something that probably doesn't go down because Cincy wants more but time will tell what AP does. More than likely AP signs a vet FA as speculated or released vet (i.e., Clowney).
 
Anselmheifer said:
Is anything funnier than dumping Baker Mayfield for Deshaun Watson? They’d be a perennial playoff contender.
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I really have a hard time understanding what happened with Baker Mayfield. He was a first overall draft pick, and he actually won a playoff game for Cleveland in 2020, their first and only playoff victory since 1994.

Then he got hurt and the Browns and the rest of the NFL forgot he was good. Not only did Cleveland let him go to make Watson the highest paid player in football, but the Panthers also let him go in order to trade two first round picks and two second round picks for Bryce Young, then Baker played great in a few games for the Rams, and then it seemed nobody in the NFL wanted him the next season.

I don’t know why everybody decided he was worthless that season, but Tampa got a steal when they signed him to a paltry $4 million contract in 2023. (At the time, I actually thought we should bring him in instead of starting Howell, though now I’m glad we didn’t obviously). All Baker has done since then is lead his team to the playoffs twice, win a playoff game, and make two Pro Bowls.
 
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DWinzit said:
Looks like Cincy is still having issues with Edge contracts whether Hedrickson or Stewart.


NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk reports that the Bengals’ contract talks with No. 17 overall pick EDGE Shemar Stewart stalled because of the team’s training camp bonus offer.
All Round 1 rookie contract values are predetermined by the rookie wage scale. They are also fully guaranteed. Per Mike Florio, the contract’s training camp bonus “has become a device for putting a sizable chunk of the player’s pay in his pockets in future years, early in the season,” and the Bengals reportedly offered Stewart “a lower percentage than the 17th overall pick received in 2024.” It’s an embarrassing revelation. Rookie contract values increase each year, and the training camp bonus rate ostensibly should as well. After all, the deal is fully guaranteed anyway. Stewart has thus far refused to participate in the Bengals’ rookie minicamp and is apparently unlikely to change his mind until the Bengals at least give him the equivalent 2024 rate.
8h ago
Source: NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk
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Offer them a 3rd for Hendrickson and see if they bite.
 
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