The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[DWinzit]

Watched a bunch of Biadasz plays... had to piece stuff together so it's admittedly a small percentage...

But he was constantly barking out calls, getting to his assignments, anchoring against larger rushers and made very few mistakes. He climbed to second level well, had good escapes on screens...

I don't know, man. This one doesn't make sense to me still.

Super strange. Your research goes hand in hand what we all felt from watching and what we've read or heard.

Hey, maybe with going more under center Jayden isn't comfy with his hands on the Biadass

 

[Conn]

Super strange. Your research goes hand in hand what we all felt from watching and what we've read or heard.

Hey, maybe with going more under center Jayden isn't comfy with his hands on the Biadass

The dreaded swamp ass roster cut, you hate to see it

 

[method man]

Well, he earned enough carries to accumulate over 1,000 yards as a rookie at 4.9 YPC. Then the Falcons drafted the most hyped RB prospect in memory who lived up to the billing, and Allgeier still took a ton of carries away from him. Let’s not down talk the guy too much.

He’s still not worth that, and CRod is certainly a functional NFL RB. But he’s struggled to stay on an active roster and never been stolen off our PS over the years. Allgeier is much better. No evidence at all that CRod could be a bellcow like that over a full season, if we’re honest. And no one would give him the chance.

On Allgeier, I enjoyed watching him his final year at BYU and I was happy for him he got to start for the Falcons as a 5th round rookie. Since that rookie year, he averaged 3.7 ypc in 2023 and 3.6 ypc in 2025 (he did average 4.7 ypc in 2024). Doing that behind a great run blocking unit like Atlanta's is sad. He is what he is. He is a JAG who probably should not be starting for anyone next season, especially after last year's historically deep RB draft.

Regarding Rodriguez, until this year, I never fully understood why he never got more opportunities because he was impressive in his limited opportunities in 2023 and 2024 (he had a hell of a game against Atlanta that year that helped us win that). Scot McCloughan had a 2nd round grade on him based on the tape and he fell to the 6th most likely due to maturity issues (he was suspended a couple times in college). I think those maturity issues dogged him in 2023 and 2024 - I remember the beat reporters saying in 2024 that he was meh in training camp. He got serious about his career last offseason, lost weight, got faster, practiced better and made the team out of camp.

Just compare the 2025 season of both guys. Very similar. More efficiency out of CRod and more volume out of Allgeier

CRod

500 rushing yards
30 receiving yards
4.5 ypc
6 TDs
73.5 PFF grade

Allgeier

514 rushing yards
96 receiving yards
3.6 ypc
8 TDs
71.5 PFF grade

 

[method man]

Ah he is a FA this year that you want got it

Not my first choice. I'd obviously rather go pay up for Linderbaum but I think Hennessey could be the best bang for the buck option.

 

[Conn]

On Allgeier, I enjoyed watching him his final year at BYU and I was happy for him he got to start for the Falcons as a 5th round rookie. Since that rookie year, he averaged 3.7 ypc in 2023 and 3.6 ypc in 2025 (he did average 4.7 ypc in 2024). Doing that behind a great run blocking unit like Atlanta's is sad. He is what he is. He is a JAG who probably should not be starting for anyone next season, especially after last year's historically deep RB draft.

Regarding Rodriguez, until this year, I never fully understood why he never got more opportunities because he was impressive in his limited opportunities in 2023 and 2024 (he had a hell of a game against Atlanta that year that helped us win that). Scot McCloughan had a 2nd round grade on him based on the tape and he fell to the 6th most likely due to maturity issues (he was suspended a couple times in college). I think those maturity issues dogged him in 2023 and 2024 - I remember the beat reporters saying in 2024 that he was meh in training camp. He got serious about his career last offseason, lost weight, got faster, practiced better and made the team out of camp.

Just compare the 2025 season of both guys. Very similar. More efficiency out of CRod and more volume out of Allgeier

CRod

500 rushing yards
30 receiving yards
4.5 ypc
6 TDs
73.5 PFF grade

Allgeier

514 rushing yards
96 receiving yards
3.6 ypc
8 TDs
71.5 PFF grade

I think at the end of the day, they’re both above replacement level. Ability to handle bellcow workload is its own skill that only one of them has demonstrated, and Allgeier’s YPC in some years was definitely hurt by (for some reason) being a goal line sub for Bijan as part of his RBBC duties. But I agree he’s nothing special. I like the fire CRod runs with but to me there are a ton of guys like him in the league just waiting for their shot to get touches due to a weak RB room.

Allgeier isn’t that much better, I’d be willing to amend my statement, but I’d have him a tier higher especially if I was running a RBBC that needed a durable banger with bellcow upside in case the better starter got hurt. If I was a team with a stud starter with an injury history, like CMC of past years, maybe. He’ll go somewhere with a RB need and ruin some younger training camp favorite’s day by being reliable and able. Whereas to me CRod is borderline roster worthy, for most teams.

 

[method man]

I think at the end of the day, they’re both above replacement level. Ability to handle bellcow workload is its own skill that only one of them has demonstrated, and Allgeier’s YPC in some years was definitely hurt by (for some reason) being a goal line sub for Bijan as part of his RBBC duties. But I agree he’s nothing special. I like the fire CRod runs with but to me there are a ton of guys like him in the league just waiting for their shot to get touches due to a weak RB room.

Allgeier isn’t that much better, I’d be willing to amend my statement, but I’d have him a tier higher especially if I was running a RBBC that needed a durable banger with bellcow upside in case the better starter got hurt. If I was a team with a stud starter with an injury history, like CMC of past years, maybe. He’ll go somewhere with a RB need and ruin some younger training camp favorite’s day by being reliable and able. Whereas to me CRod is borderline roster worthy, for most teams.

I’d be surprised if Allgeier gets an AAV over $5M. I think there is a good chance the deal he gets is a 1 year deal. The foundational weakness both he and CRod have is neither guy is a threat in the passing game. The only starting backs in the league who are not threats in the passing game are Dobbins and Pacheco.

Dobbins has signed a couple 1 year deals for peanuts. Injuries are a factor but I think him being a nonthreat as a receiver has a lot to do with it. It would make sense.

 

[DWinzit]

bahahaha i'm an idiot

Haha, well you did come in hot

 

[Boone]

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

I feel you on this. If I hear 'value' come out of AP's mouth one more time I'm going to scream. You know what I 'value'? Having great players on my team. I'm sorry, but I don't know how you get around the fact that to get top tier talent in free agency in 2026, you have to be willing to spend big. To be fair, we have done that for a few players, but I think sometimes philosophy can sometimes hamstring you. AP clearly embraces the idea that you 'build through the draft, and you supplement through free agency'. But I'm not sure that philosophy will serve us well in the modern NFL where being bold seems to pay off more than being cautious. And when you are using free agency to 'supplement' your roster but don't even use the cap money available to you, that is not ideal.

It's time we swung hard in free agency and get AGGRESSIVE in upgrading this roster. We are not going to build a consistent winner with 'value' being our top priority.

 

[KDawg]

I feel you on this. If I hear 'value' come out of AP's mouth one more time I'm going to scream. You know what I 'value'? Having great players on my team. I'm sorry, but I don't know how you get around the fact that to get top tier talent in free agency in 2026, you have to be willing to spend big. To be fair, we have done that for a few players, but I think sometimes philosophy can sometimes hamstring you. AP clearly embraces the idea that you 'build through the draft, and you supplement through free agency'. But I'm not sure that philosophy will serve us well in the modern NFL where being bold seems to pay off more than being cautious. And when you are using free agency to 'supplement' your roster but don't even use the cap money available to you, that is not ideal.

It's time we swung hard in free agency and get AGGRESSIVE in upgrading this roster. We are not going to build a consistent winner with 'value' being our top priority.

It's also hard to build through the draft when you trade your draft picks. I'm not saying I don't agree with getting a franchise LT (though, see my reaction if guy who I am not allowed to name isn't on the field in September), but you can't build through the draft without draft picks. So, let's work on trading some guys we are ready to move on from to acquire currency, right? And then we go and release Biadasz.

So now, we add another hole. I guess it's possible we are looking at Allegretti as a capable fill in - I'm not sure I'd go that route, but it is what it is. But now we have more roster to fill.

We need high end talent. High end talent hides holes. Mediocre talent amplifies holes. We swim in the Waters of Mediocrity and every roster blemish stands out.

I agree, we need to be aggressive and go after the best players in FA. Do we get them? Probably not all the ones we want. But we need to be swinging for the fences. Go in on Hendrickson. Yes, he's a tad older, but he is miles better than our current edges. If Linderbaum is available, throw cash at him. Make Pittman or Pierce feel like they can't say no to us. Get Njoku and/or Likely quality offers. Pay the franchise LT.

Make big splashes and if not, at least make waves.

Given the value discussion I feel like he's going to sign a bunch of guys who are in the mediocre range and then trade back in the draft to acquire more picks, which is the exact opposite of what we need to do.

 

[Boone]

I agree with every word of that KDawg. AP says he has learned from his mistakes. We'll see if that's true soon.

 

[formerly4skins]

Everyone's talking about spending on centers like Linderbaum in FA or Allegretti as an in-house option... but Quinn apparently mentioned Brandon Coleman taking snaps at C late last season.

Dan Quinn may have tipped Commanders' center plans and fans brushed it off

This means more now.

riggosrag.com

I had no memory of this, but Quinn did offer some praise:

"During his media availability late in the season, Quinn revealed that Brandon Coleman had taken snaps at center. He was particularly impressed by his ability to snap and pull, showcasing his outstanding athleticism."

I gather he'd be less of an anchor and more of a mobile, pulling-type option at C. And yeah, 6'6" is really tall for that spot, but it reminds me of when we got tall-ass Pete Kendall back in the day during that whole Jets-Skins era.

If Coleman is actually in the mix at C, that would be ideal...plus athlete at the position, ascending young player, and already under contract. If he can actually take that spot, it’s a dream come true for the cap and the roster. With all the holes we have to fill, not having to spend on a FA at C would be amazing.

 

[KDawg]

Everyone's talking about spending on centers like Linderbaum in FA or Allegretti as an in-house option... but Quinn apparently mentioned Brandon Coleman taking snaps at C late last season.

Dan Quinn may have tipped Commanders' center plans and fans brushed it off

This means more now.

riggosrag.com

I had no memory of this, but Quinn did offer some praise:

"During his media availability late in the season, Quinn revealed that Brandon Coleman had taken snaps at center. He was particularly impressed by his ability to snap and pull, showcasing his outstanding athleticism."

I gather he'd be less of an anchor and more of a mobile, pulling-type option at C. And yeah, 6'6" is really tall for that spot, but it reminds me of when we got tall-ass Pete Kendall back in the day during that whole Jets-Skins era.

If Coleman is actually in the mix at C, that would be ideal...plus athlete at the position, ascending young player, and already under contract. If he can actually take that spot, it’s a dream come true for the cap and the roster. With all the holes we have to fill, not having to spend on a FA at C would be amazing.

At face value… no thank you. Maybe he surprises me. But… no thank you.

 

[Conn]

I feel you on this. If I hear 'value' come out of AP's mouth one more time I'm going to scream. You know what I 'value'? Having great players on my team. I'm sorry, but I don't know how you get around the fact that to get top tier talent in free agency in 2026, you have to be willing to spend big. To be fair, we have done that for a few players, but I think sometimes philosophy can sometimes hamstring you. AP clearly embraces the idea that you 'build through the draft, and you supplement through free agency'. But I'm not sure that philosophy will serve us well in the modern NFL where being bold seems to pay off more than being cautious. And when you are using free agency to 'supplement' your roster but don't even use the cap money available to you, that is not ideal.

It's time we swung hard in free agency and get AGGRESSIVE in upgrading this roster. We are not going to build a consistent winner with 'value' being our top priority.

Yep. And while “build through the draft, supplement with FA” is a fine organizational ideal to aspire to…to be frank, the drafting is going to have to improve if that’s how AP wants to do things. That’s in his hands, but he can improve the roster via FA as well to buy himself time to get this whole “build through the draft” thing down as he grows into the job. Otherwise he’s not going to make it long enough to see his philosophies through anyways.

 

[Anselmheifer]

It's also hard to build through the draft when you trade your draft picks. I'm not saying I don't agree with getting a franchise LT (though, see my reaction if guy who I am not allowed to name isn't on the field in September), but you can't build through the draft without draft picks. So, let's work on trading some guys we are ready to move on from to acquire currency, right? And then we go and release Biadasz.

So now, we add another hole. I guess it's possible we are looking at Allegretti as a capable fill in - I'm not sure I'd go that route, but it is what it is. But now we have more roster to fill.

We need high end talent. High end talent hides holes. Mediocre talent amplifies holes. We swim in the Waters of Mediocrity and every roster blemish stands out.

I agree, we need to be aggressive and go after the best players in FA. Do we get them? Probably not all the ones we want. But we need to be swinging for the fences. Go in on Hendrickson. Yes, he's a tad older, but he is miles better than our current edges. If Linderbaum is available, throw cash at him. Make Pittman or Pierce feel like they can't say no to us. Get Njoku and/or Likely quality offers. Pay the franchise LT.

Make big splashes and if not, at least make waves.

Given the value discussion I feel like he's going to sign a bunch of guys who are in the mediocre range and then trade back in the draft to acquire more picks, which is the exact opposite of what we need to do.

Exactly all of this. We have a ton of money and very little high end talent. If we don’t take big swings in free agency, I think I’m out in Peters as the ideal long term solution.

Also, it is so odd to be as aggressive as he has been with trades, but to be so passive and mediocre in free agency. If you’re be aggressive, just be aggressive. And especially, if you’re aggressively trading away draft picks, you’re going to have to be aggressive in free agency.

What the hell kind of strategy is it to miss out on the cap flexibility of a rookie QB contract?

 

[Boone]

We can’t afford to go with a guy like Coleman at center, one of the most important OL positions, and hope he pans out. I hope that isn’t the plan. We’d better have a lock on a player who is experienced, capable, and an upgrade over Biadasz.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Exactly all of this. We have a ton of money and very little high end talent. If we don’t take big swings in free agency, I think I’m out in Peters as the ideal long term solution.

Also, it is so odd to be as aggressive as he has been with trades, but to be so passive and mediocre in free agency. If you’re be aggressive, just be aggressive. And especially, if you’re aggressively trading away draft picks, you’re going to have to be aggressive in free agency.

What the hell kind of strategy is it to miss out on the cap flexibility of a rookie QB contract?

This is a great point.

He has been aggressive in trades, meaning we have given up draft capital.

He has not been aggressively spending $$ which is why we have any concerns at all about Tunsil (although we are mostly convinced he will be signed, this is why there is any concern at all).

Why? This seems a losing strategy, almost perfectly.

The main point here should be - it is February (barely). In a few weeks we should no how much has changed.

 

[Conn]

Peters better be ready to open the wallet. Jerry sees the gates of Hell at the edges of his vision and wants to try to win a playoff game or two before he shuffles off this mortal coil

 

[heisenberg]

It really makes you wonder, just how far can you kick the can down the road?
If the answer is seemingly endless then why not do that and make a run for however long you think you have a legitimate shot at a title and when that either happens or doesn't and its no longer feasible just start a couple year rebuild with the top 5 picks you're going to acquire.

Id rather do that and then suffer through a few down years than putter along with 8 wins every year while being frugal.
At least in that scenario you are prepared for your shit seasons, we had one last year and it was like getting kicked in the groin for 17 weeks.

 

[Discobob]

Peters better be ready to open the wallet. Jerry sees the gates of Hell at the edges of his vision and wants to try to win a playoff game or two before he shuffles off this mortal coil

We can absolutely create more cap space, BUT, it's a lot easier with long term high $$$ contracts. We actually don't have that many of those. The new Tunsil contract should create space this year...

 

[method man]

It's also hard to build through the draft when you trade your draft picks. I'm not saying I don't agree with getting a franchise LT (though, see my reaction if guy who I am not allowed to name isn't on the field in September), but you can't build through the draft without draft picks. So, let's work on trading some guys we are ready to move on from to acquire currency, right? And then we go and release Biadasz.

So now, we add another hole. I guess it's possible we are looking at Allegretti as a capable fill in - I'm not sure I'd go that route, but it is what it is. But now we have more roster to fill.

We need high end talent. High end talent hides holes. Mediocre talent amplifies holes. We swim in the Waters of Mediocrity and every roster blemish stands out.

I agree, we need to be aggressive and go after the best players in FA. Do we get them? Probably not all the ones we want. But we need to be swinging for the fences. Go in on Hendrickson. Yes, he's a tad older, but he is miles better than our current edges. If Linderbaum is available, throw cash at him. Make Pittman or Pierce feel like they can't say no to us. Get Njoku and/or Likely quality offers. Pay the franchise LT.

Make big splashes and if not, at least make waves.

Given the value discussion I feel like he's going to sign a bunch of guys who are in the mediocre range and then trade back in the draft to acquire more picks, which is the exact opposite of what we need to do.

We certainly need more high end talent. My stance is, regardless of position or positional value, if you have a chance at a blue chip player, go get that guy. We have 1 clear one on the roster now in Tunsil. That’s it.

I am also up for taking meaningfuk bets on young guys who have had flashes at premium positions. Think someone like Boye Mafe.

What I don’t want to be doing is paying $15M a year to a guy at a non premium position who is all projection like Likely.