The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Conn]

Could be argued that with this constant cap inflation (up $100M since 2022 and the next media deal negotiation hasn’t even happened yet), a single cap dollar is worth less every year. So rolling over significant previous cap dollars instead of investing them in worthwhile veteran contracts at “old” prices brings less value every year. Eventually you’re rolling over the same $20M from 2-3 years ago that could’ve bought you a valuable building block at 2023-2024 prices who would still be in their prime and at a discount compared to 2026 prices. That’s irresponsible at a certain point, if the goal is to be competitive. I’m not enough of a mathematician to know where that point is, but I’m confident it exists and that we’ve crossed it multiple times in recent years. And that it’s not the most efficient way to grow a healthy cap balanced with an elite roster, no matter how afraid you are of your future franchise QB contract (that he still needs to earn, and needs talent around him to do so).

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Yes. If this outfit can spend less and find their swing at the answer already in-house, that’s what we’ve been doing up to this point this offseason. We all hope to see it change in FA, but that won’t be real until we see it happen.

I won’t believe we’ll get in a bidding war for the top FA at a position (never mind win it) until I see it. At any position.

And in fairness, there's no way you could see it up to this point because the new league year hasn't started yet. We have to wait a few more weeks, because really very little can happen right now.

They COULD get the Tunsil deal done, which would really be nice if they did. But apart from that, the only thing they can really do is re-sign guys. And there are none of our FA's who are "must sign right now" types. They re-signed Tress Way and Wylie as a backup.

We can all have our doubts, but they haven't been able to do anything this off season to alleviate those concerns yet.

 

[DWinzit]

Could be argued that with this constant cap inflation (up $100M since 2022 and the next media deal negotiation hasn’t even happened yet), a single cap dollar is worth less every year. So rolling over significant previous cap dollars instead of investing them in worthwhile veteran contracts at “old” prices brings less value every year. Eventually you’re rolling over the same $20M from 2-3 years ago that could’ve bought you a valuable building block at 2023-2024 prices who would still be in their prime and at a discount compared to 2026 prices. That’s irresponsible at a certain point, if the goal is to be competitive. I’m not enough of a mathematician to know where that point is, but I’m confident it exists and that we’ve crossed it multiple times in recent years. And that it’s not the most efficient way to grow a healthy cap balanced with an elite roster, no matter how afraid you are of your future franchise QB contract (that he still needs to earn, and needs talent around him to do so).

Not sure but one thing is for sure, continuing to sign lots of older vets to one year contracts is not the way to build a formidable and stable roster.

Oh it is okay I have a couple of a couple players on prove-it deals but rolling over more than half the roster every year sucks

 

[Commander Wraith]

The 2024 roster wasn’t good either, it was just healthier than the 2025 roster and carried by an ascendant Daniel’s stretch of elite QB play. That roster maybe didn’t have a single fatal flaw but it was flawed. We didn’t do enough in FA that year either imo, though we did hit on basically all of our upside signings which you can’t always expect

Absolutely. I’m standing by my point though

On a separate, but related note - as I’ve said before, Peters has a tough job this offseason. Has a ton of starting spots to fill, needs to add contributors in places, and has to improve depth in some key areas, all while (ideally) adding some high end (ie blue chip) talent. He also has the added pressure of needing to help/protect his young qb, making the DC and OC look good so his HC doesn’t fail, and having to improve his drafting record.

Of course, one could argue that a lot of our issues are of his own making - short term contracts, frugal spending, questionable draft picks, aging players, etc.

 

[Commander Wraith]

Not sure but one thing is for sure, continuing to sign lots of older vets to one year contracts is not the way to build a formidable and stable roster.

Oh it is okay I have a couple of a couple players on prove-it deals but rolling over more than half the roster every year sucks

Yep. I’m hoping for a blend of cheaper, capable vets, some young guys to compete, and a couple/few good players…which may have to be at more cost-effective positions like C, RB, LG, LB.

 

[Conn]

Absolutely. I’m standing by my point though

On a separate, but related note - as I’ve said before, Peters has a tough job this offseason. Has a ton of starting spots to fill, needs to add contributors in places, and has to improve depth in some key areas, all while (ideally) adding some high end (ie blue chip) talent. He also has the added pressure of needing to help/protect his young qb, making the DC and OC look good so his HC doesn’t fail, and having to improve his drafting record.

Of course, one could argue that a lot of our issues are of his own making - short term contracts, frugal spending, questionable draft picks, aging players, etc.

Yes, agreed. He has a difficult job this offseason. It compounded to that level of difficulty because of his own decisions in previous offseasons, though, for sure (further agreement with you, just emphasizing it)

Draft selections
FA signings
Trade decisions

Every offseason it’s a difficult job. You have to swing. It gets harder in subsequent offseasons when you’ve missed on a lot of your swings.

 

[Primus Porcus]

Could be argued that with this constant cap inflation (up $100M since 2022 and the next media deal negotiation hasn’t even happened yet), a single cap dollar is worth less every year. So rolling over significant previous cap dollars instead of investing them in worthwhile veteran contracts at “old” prices brings less value every year. Eventually you’re rolling over the same $20M from 2-3 years ago that could’ve bought you a valuable building block at 2023-2024 prices who would still be in their prime and at a discount compared to 2026 prices. That’s irresponsible at a certain point, if the goal is to be competitive. I’m not enough of a mathematician to know where that point is, but I’m confident it exists and that we’ve crossed it multiple times in recent years. And that it’s not the most efficient way to grow a healthy cap balanced with an elite roster, no matter how afraid you are of your future franchise QB contract (that he still needs to earn, and needs talent around him to do so).

This is an interesting take, so i'm going to talk myself through this about and bounce around, forgive me if I bounce around...

I like this point a lot... and it's the importance of not waiting. Dallas waits and they tend to find themselves paying top of the market prices, when they didnt have to. I will say this likely is much more pronounced on the 'premium' talent vs the other 75% of the roster. I don't think you want to push to spend that $20 mil for the sake of spending it, and rolling it over does have value in certain aspects, because a guy on the market in 2024 may get $10mil but isn't worth it, while a guy in 2025 may get $14mil, but he IS worth it, and because you didn't spend that $10mil the year before, you've got the flexibility there to get the player worth their value. I also think when we're talking about that back half of the roster, that the difference in player value from year to year doesn't change enough to de-value your dollar. That the drop off from a guy making $2.5m to a guy making $1.5m likely isn't drastic enough to outweigh being able to carry over that money, and when you do that 10 times over, it can add up. Now it's a whole different conversation if we had signed 10 guys this off season, at an average of $1m MORE per year, if our depth would have been 'that' much better to make a difference, and it's a curious conversation.

I want to believe they're not passing over 'building block' type of players to save a dollar, and it's possible we've been in on players that have chosen not to be here, and if we miss on a guy, i don't want the reactionary overpay out of desperation either.

 

[Conn]

Yep. I’m hoping for a blend of cheaper, capable vets, some young guys to compete, and a couple/few good players…which may have to be at more cost-effective positions like C, RB, LG, LB.

Why is the bar so low? Why do we need to settle for a couple/few good players, and some competition at cost-effective positions?

There’s no reason to set the bar quite that low other than preemptively protecting ourselves from disappointment. It’s like deciding beforehand to give excuses to the FO, instead of just holding them accountable if they fail.

Which says a lot about the current state of the decision-making at the top of this franchise, but also says a lot about how we’re still in mental survival mode from the Snyder years. Back then you had to make excuses for anyone who seemed professional and competent in the building, at least until the evidence against them was overwhelming, because they had to be our savior against the improper power structure our franchise suffered under. That’s no longer the case. We should have high expectations and express displeasure when, over a large enough sample size, they aren’t met. Like most other franchise’s fanbases do when failure occurs.

Let’s be brave enough to expect tangible steps towards greatness. And expect changes at the top, eventually, if progress isn’t made. We don’t need Peters to save us, we don’t have to protect him. We need him to get good at his job, like we deserve, and succeed in building a great roster over time.

Note: not saying we should drop the bag all over the place and have an old-school Jaguars or Dream Team Eagles offseason or get pissed otherwise. Just saying you’re setting the bar very low with your stated expectations and I think there’s a healthy middle ground

 

[skinsinparadise]

Keim on twitter and podcasts seems to suggest edge, WR, CB, TE.

TE he's basically screaming Isaiah Likely. Or the Tennessee TE.

No leads that I've seen so far as to specific player targets aside from at WR hinting if Pierce or Shaheed hit the market they'd likely chase them. But they feels unlikely.

And he expects them to be aggressive

 

[Conn]

This is an interesting take, so i'm going to talk myself through this about and bounce around, forgive me if I bounce around...

I like this point a lot... and it's the importance of not waiting. Dallas waits and they tend to find themselves paying top of the market prices, when they didnt have to. I will say this likely is much more pronounced on the 'premium' talent vs the other 75% of the roster. I don't think you want to push to spend that $20 mil for the sake of spending it, and rolling it over does have value in certain aspects, because a guy on the market in 2024 may get $10mil but isn't worth it, while a guy in 2025 may get $14mil, but he IS worth it, and because you didn't spend that $10mil the year before, you've got the flexibility there to get the player worth their value. I also think when we're talking about that back half of the roster, that the difference in player value from year to year doesn't change enough to de-value your dollar. That the drop off from a guy making $2.5m to a guy making $1.5m likely isn't drastic enough to outweigh being able to carry over that money, and when you do that 10 times over, it can add up. Now it's a whole different conversation if we had signed 10 guys this off season, at an average of $1m MORE per year, if our depth would have been 'that' much better to make a difference, and it's a curious conversation.

I want to believe they're not passing over 'building block' type of players to save a dollar, and it's possible we've been in on players that have chosen not to be here, and if we miss on a guy, i don't want the reactionary overpay out of desperation either.

I think this is reasonable. But only if they eventually sign that $14M player from your hypothetical example. Otherwise the eternal roll-overs lead to value loss as the money is devalued, while the starter-quality players aren’t signed at the cheaper past prices they could’ve been.

Sample size isn’t big enough yet to be sure. Just a theory of mine, really. Thanks for engaging with it though, I get that it’s kind of an abstract concept

 

[skinsinparadise]

I am sticking with Jauan Jennings. He was drafted by Peters. Maybe the best run blocking WR in the NFL. You got Blough touting Conerly as a player who will make a greater impact this season -- that feels like in the running game. So if you are running more on the strong side, which is typically the right side. You got Cosmi, Conerly -- lets say Bates and someone like Jennings (Z WR is often on the right side) blocking on those outside zone runs, watch out!

 

[Primus Porcus]

I think this is reasonable. But only if they eventually sign that $14M player from your hypothetical example. Otherwise the eternal roll-overs lead to value loss as the money is devalued, while the starter-quality players aren’t signed at the cheaper past prices they could’ve been.

Sample size isn’t big enough yet to be sure. Just a theory of mine, really. Thanks for engaging with it though, I get that it’s kind of an abstract concept

Totally fair, this isn't a savings account lol. It's like the stock market, having a bunch of money in your account and not investing it brings you no return on it, but also buying the wrong stock could prove to be the wrong choice, and waiting to grab the 'right' one brings you a better ROI.

 

[DWinzit]

I am sticking with Jauan Jennings. He was drafted by Peters. Maybe the best run blocking WR in the NFL. You got Blough touting Conerly as a player who will make a greater impact this season -- that feels like in the running game. So if you are running more on the strong side, which is typically the right side. You got Cosmi, Conerly -- lets say Bates and someone like Jennings (Z WR is often on the right side) blocking on those outside zone runs, watch out!

He must be one of the top targets, just feels like he checks most of the boxes and he has prior knowledge which seems to be a biggie.

If they do get him, it will be interesting to see if we still hear Aiyuk or Deebo's name down the line. I am assuming Aiyuk is not signed quickly by anyone, Deebo could be.

 

[HeelsSkinsBraves]

Could be argued that with this constant cap inflation (up $100M since 2022 and the next media deal negotiation hasn’t even happened yet), a single cap dollar is worth less every year. So rolling over significant previous cap dollars instead of investing them in worthwhile veteran contracts at “old” prices brings less value every year. Eventually you’re rolling over the same $20M from 2-3 years ago that could’ve bought you a valuable building block at 2023-2024 prices who would still be in their prime and at a discount compared to 2026 prices. That’s irresponsible at a certain point, if the goal is to be competitive. I’m not enough of a mathematician to know where that point is, but I’m confident it exists and that we’ve crossed it multiple times in recent years. And that it’s not the most efficient way to grow a healthy cap balanced with an elite roster, no matter how afraid you are of your future franchise QB contract (that he still needs to earn, and needs talent around him to do so).

I agree with this, wholeheartedly. It’s common sense based, in that a dollar today, is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. House prices, rent, groceries and everything else. I am also fairly decent at math, but much smarter people can figure out where to draw the line. Cost analysis and such. This should be a perfect storm for Adam Peters, in that it should allow him to swing for the fences on a few young studs/really good players in free agency, while also continuing to bargain shop, as usual, to fill out the numerous other positions that we need. This allows him to continue to prove how smart he is, or thinks he is, by finding diamonds in the rough. Now is the time to spend on talent in certain positions, but AP still gets a chance to prove how smart he is by also bargain shopping as he’s done the past 2 years. We cannot fix/plug every hole this year, but, if he can sign a few really good younger guys in our most important positions of need, then fill out the rest of the roster with bargains/clearance signings per our usual, then we should be much improved this year, and have less holes to fill next year.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I am sticking with Jauan Jennings. He was drafted by Peters. Maybe the best run blocking WR in the NFL. You got Blough touting Conerly as a player who will make a greater impact this season -- that feels like in the running game. So if you are running more on the strong side, which is typically the right side. You got Cosmi, Conerly -- lets say Bates and someone like Jennings (Z WR is often on the right side) blocking on those outside zone runs, watch out!

It’s not what I’ve been wanting, but it is also what I’ve been thinking. Especially in the context of potentially drafting Love. Swap out our center for a potentially better run blocker. Sign blocking WR’s. Sign Likely to complement our blocking TE’s.

Some part of me still expects Aiyuk, but I don’t know how to fit that into the context of other WR additions. I’d hate to go into the season depending on Aiyuk the way we did with Noah Brown.

I also could imagine us leaning less into slots like Wan’Dale Robinson, and more into big slots that can also block and play outside.

 

[Conn]

It’s not what I’ve been wanting, but it is also what I’ve been thinking. Especially in the context of potentially drafting Love. Swap out our center for a potentially better run blocker. Sign blocking WR’s. Sign Likely to complement our blocking TE’s.

Some part of me still expects Aiyuk, but I don’t know how to fit that into the context of other WR additions. I’d hate to go into the season depending on Aiyuk the way we did with Noah Brown.

I also could imagine us leaning less into slots like Wan’Dale Robinson, and more into big slots that can also block and play outside.

Big agree on the big slot/outside versatility need. If we’re going heavy a lot, there’s going to be a lot less traditional 3-wide slot usage. Makes the investments in both McCaffrey and Lane look a little over done, although both are good ST’s guys at least. And if either can master their release, they may yet develop some outside versatility as depth.

 

[DWinzit]

Yeah I absolutely want a good bigger WR weapon and a receiving TE weapon for JD. Maybe even Anthony Mix big lol

 

[Commander Wraith]

Why is the bar so low? Why do we need to settle for a couple/few good players, and some competition at cost-effective positions?

There’s no reason to set the bar quite that low other than preemptively protecting ourselves from disappointment. It’s like deciding beforehand to give excuses to the FO, instead of just holding them accountable if they fail.

Which says a lot about the current state of the decision-making at the top of this franchise, but also says a lot about how we’re still in mental survival mode from the Snyder years. Back then you had to make excuses for anyone who seemed professional and competent in the building, at least until the evidence against them was overwhelming, because they had to be our savior against the improper power structure our franchise suffered under. That’s no longer the case. We should have high expectations and express displeasure when, over a large enough sample size, they aren’t met. Like most other franchise’s fanbases do when failure occurs.

Let’s be brave enough to expect tangible steps towards greatness. And expect changes at the top, eventually, if progress isn’t made. We don’t need Peters to save us, we don’t have to protect him. We need him to get good at his job, like we deserve, and succeed in building a great roster over time.

Note: not saying we should drop the bag all over the place and have an old-school Jaguars or Dream Team Eagles offseason or get pissed otherwise. Just saying you’re setting the bar very low with your stated expectations and I think there’s a healthy middle ground

Ah, that’s my bad, it was supposed to say “some older, cheap vets, some pretty good young players and a few good players”. I was guessing that the high end players were more likely to come at cost-effective positions, given our large amount of needs and particularly given how FA is looking at WR/Edge (and the implication of us cutting Biadacz and needing a LG).

So, my thinking was we could potentially get a good G, C and maybe back and/or LB, but still address the crap ton of other areas we need to tackle. Part of that too is the report or whatever about not overspending for Likely (Keim now talking about him makes me feel better) and whatever tweet that made me think they weren’t going to go after a high end corner (which I was kind of hoping for and Keim has now addressed as well). Seems like there may be some pretty good corners with inside/outside capability, which might be a good idea for us.

I’m w/ SIP on Jennings - someone I had tabbed for us in terms of fit.

 

[Chris]

 

[Higskin]

Wow, that seems rich for Allgeier.