The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Busch1724]

Let him play it out and get a comp pick next offseason.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Let him play it out and get a comp pick next offseason.

Comp picks are tricky.

In order to get a comp pick, Payne would need to sign a big money deal and we woudl have to not sign a big money deal. It's the difference between what you lost and what you get.

Here's Google's AI summary:
The NFL's compensatory pick formula is a confidential system that awards extra draft picks to teams losing valuable free agents, balancing competitive fairness by valuing players based on their Average Per Year (APY) salary, percentage of snaps played (minimum 25%), and postseason honors (All-Pro/PFWA). More lost stars with higher stats/pay yield better picks (3rd-7th round), but teams must have a net loss of these qualifying free agents (CFAs) to qualify, with a maximum of four picks per year.

I'm not sure we'd be in line for much from Payne. I doubt he signs a big money contract. And we're probably going to sign a few folks.

 

[mcdonaldrw]

Well looks like they are estimating salary cap at 300 million. I hope we see Peters get that check book from Harris and write some checks this off season

 

[bowhunter]

My Rankings in order
1) WR
2) Edge
3) TE
4) Safety
5) LB
6) CB
I personally don't see RB as a true need, more of a luxury pick. I'm thinking that we pursue WR heavily in FA, and draft either ED or S depending on what we can gather in FA.

 

[Commander Wraith]

As far as I can tell, 32 DTs make more than 10mil per year. For reference, here’s what Spotrac has under DT free agents. There are 4-5 more pages after this one, with Eddie Goldman and Sheldon Rankins on the 3rd page.

 

[Commander Wraith]

My Rankings in order
1) WR
2) Edge
3) TE
4) Safety
5) LB
6) CB
I personally don't see RB as a true need, more of a luxury pick. I'm thinking that we pursue WR heavily in FA, and draft either ED or S depending on what we can gather in FA.

I have the same order as you, except corner is 4th for me as I think it’s just Sainristil and Amos under contract next year (I could be wrong though).

 

[bowhunter]

I have the same order as you, except corner is 4th for me as I think it’s just Sainristil and Amos under contract next year (I could be wrong though).

Do you have CB ahead of S in terms of need? I could see that but the possibility of a game changing Downs sitting there at 7 has kind of skewed my view.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

WR is that low? Disagree with him. That's begging to get Jayden hurt again as he tries to put the team on his back as none of the crappy WR's minus Terry are open.

 

[HTTR]

WR is that low? Disagree with him. That's begging to get Jayden hurt again as he tries to put the team on his back as none of the crappy WR's minus Terry are open.

Yeah, WR and edge has to be the top two. Put the rest in whatever order you want.

 

[RWJ]

Not saying that I agree with his opinion but just posting the article. I'd shift WR to 4th but it would be addressed either in the draft or free agency, I'd think. Our D needs a big-time makeover.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

I think for me, ranking like that is too difficult.

Needs:

• Tier 1- Outside WR and Edge/OLB
• Tier 2- Versatile S, versatile LB, LG
• Tier 3- TE, Nickel DB
• Tier 4- RB
• Unknown- Slot WR (no clue what Blough is even looking for at that position or how much importance to the scheme)

I could be persuaded to up Nickel & RB by dropping LB and LG. What to do with Slot WR, the Vikings with KOC (which Blough also learned from) moved Justin Jefferson all around including the slot. So that could be Terry, if so it adds more importance to Outside WR.

 

[0rder 0f 0ut]

WR2 - Alec Pierce
OLB/ED - Boye Mafe
MLB - Devin Lloyd
TE - Pitts

#7 - Downs

 

[Commander Wraith]

Do you have CB ahead of S in terms of need? I could see that but the possibility of a game changing Downs sitting there at 7 has kind of skewed my view.

Yep. I could see that, he’d be a great addition.

I really like Amos and I think Sainristil has a good chance at looking far better with a better scheme and pass rush, it’s just that it’s a bare cupboard behind them.
I don’t have the same hope for safety (though Reaves surprised me). I’ve been kind of down on Quan for a while now, even if he too was a victim of scheme/playcall/lack of a pass rush. But at least we have bodies there with Harris signed through next year and Owens in the mix.

So I suppose I see it as corner being more in need of (at minimum) capable help, S maybe more so needing higher end talent. To put it another way, IMO adding an average safety won’t move the needle as much as adding an average corner would (but they’re both important areas to address).

 

[RWJ]

 

[Primus Porcus]

As far as I can tell, 32 DTs make more than 10mil per year. For reference, here’s what Spotrac has under DT free agents. There are 4-5 more pages after this one, with Eddie Goldman and Sheldon Rankins on the 3rd page.
View attachment 14037

Edit: I completely misread the post.... my bad. carry on.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

How much will Alec Pierce command?

So in 2025 NFL Cap dollars, Terry's extension averaged per year to be 10.4% of the cap at the time. ($29 per year at $279.2 in total space)

The most expensive recent free agent to switch teams with a new contract was Calvin Ridley in 2024. His was $23m a year when cap space was $255.4m, or 9% of total cap. Ridley was 30 years old at the time. The next most expensive was Christian Kirk who signed for $18m a year when the cap was $208.2m, or 8.6% of the cap, he was 26 years old.

NFL 2026 cap is projected to average 303.5m.

• 8.6% of the above projection = 26.1m
• 9% = 27.32m

He's going to seem expensive, but not really be that expensive given these guys often don't hit FA and the cap has been rising so fast.

 

[Dlts20]

Pitts was my dream TE but I never thought that we would be able to afford him with all of our needs but if we can get him then great. An explosive TE is a huge x factor

 

[Conn]

Whoever signs Pitt has to get over the idea that they’re overpaying for a TE who can’t block. Because that’s only barely what he is. He’s more of a jumbo slot who can flex out wide as well. He’s a 6’6” WR, flawed but can make plays. Not an alpha WR1, which shouldn’t bother anybody.

So if you can get him for less than the $25M/per+ people think Pierce is going to earn as an outside WR2, you’re doing pretty well. In a league where solid blocking TE’s who barely catch balls can get paid ~$15M/per, you just have to have a plan for him when you pay him. And the further he gets from that injury the closer he looks to what he was as a prospect, so you’re chasing a guy who maybe hasn’t actually peaked yet, given he came into the league at a young 21.

If Blough pulls more from Ben Johnson than Kliff, he could get a lot of use out of a guy like that. A seam buster who can also flex out and run every route on the boundary.

Not a perfect player but then, not many FA’s are.

 

[KDawg]

My list:

1. Edge x2
2. Running Back
3. Receiver/Tight End
4. Safety
5. Guard/Corner/LB

How we address these doesn’t matter much. We need the highest talent at RB, Edge, Safety and Receiver. We need more capable bodies at corner, guard, linebacker

 

[Boone]

We need a top tier WR and TE and we need them badly. I tend to think we are more likely to use free agency for those spots. Overpay - we have the $$. We have to upgrade at those spots and give Jayden some additional weapons. I suspect we could go all defense in the draft - or nearly all defense.