The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Voice_of_Reason]

May not be but I think Aiyuk is in the bag so to speak for us once the 9ers release him.

You never actually know.

Aiyuk has basically been acting completely insane the last 12 months. You can’t predict crazy.

He might go off on some trek in the Himalayan mountains and climb Mt. Everest or go try to find himself with Tibetan monks for all we know.

I think all things being equal we are the most logical place for him to land.

But he has proven to be completely unpredictable for the last year so who knows.

 

[ES1974]

The plan A was Lind-however you spell his name. They made a run at him and the Raiders over spent the market by like 20%. Plan C I think is Allegretti. My question at the moment is what is plan B.

That hasn’t come into focus yet.

I could see us drafting a C, or versatile IOL mid rounds.

 

[Conn]

I personally think Jayden got a bit of a free pass last season for a significant drop off in his own performance. Never a popular take that one. He just didn’t look as clinically focused in year 2, in my opinion.

It is also a fact that his supporting cast was average at best. There is no doubting that either. Bit of work still to do this offseason.

We all knew from game 1 that he wasn’t quite right. The injuries to him and the roster around him, and the McLaurin saga, restlessness with Whitt and the poor defense…it all kind of obfuscated the fact that we all had a weird pit in our stomachs going into the season knowing the 2024 magic had faded, the McLaurin stuff had put a strange pall over the entire offseason and camp. Nothing was right, anyone watching week 1 knew we weren’t going to pick up where we left off. And Daniels was part of that. He wasn’t right. The special sauce was diluted.

I remember how electric, confident, and strangely veteran and composed Daniels looked, immediately, as a rookie. It was clear he was special. For whatever reason that didn’t show itself year two. Something shook his confidence and he wasn’t the same.

I believe part of it was not feeling on the same page as his receivers. But that can’t be all of it. Sophomore slump, sure. But it was apparent too early for it to have been just DC’s having charted his tendencies. It was him, not how teams were playing him, though that changed as well as the season went on. He can grow from that.

I’ll be watching Daniels very closely in training camp and the very beginning of the season. I think for me, I’ll know right away if he’s himself again. It’s not just the weapons, though it contributes.

 

[DWinzit]

I've been looking at centers and I just don't see a viable plan B guy out there yet. Cushenberry failed his physical with the Titans, word is that was because his Achilles injury never healed like they hoped, contributing to his 2025 performance as one of the few worst centers in the league per PFF grades.

I don't see anybody else available that seems like more than a backup to plan C Allegretti. I suppose something could happen with salary cap cuts across the league, but having a hard time seeing even who that might be. Strange situation.

Shit, I didn't hear that, he was the guy I've mentioned a number of times as the FA I'd have identified. He is a great vocal leader and fits the needs

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I think Plan B is Allegretti + lower tier FA + Coleman.

You’re forgetting plan A was Lindy. It didn’t happen.

I think you named plan C.

What’s plan B?

This might be semantics. But I’m bored.

 

[KDawg]

You’re forgetting plan A was Lindy. It didn’t happen.

I think you named plan C.

What’s plan B?

This might be semantics. But I’m bored.

Plan B is what I said. Meaning there is no other plan. This was the plan. Linderbaum was Plan A and Plan B was Allegretti.

 

[heisenberg]

That’s going to be us after FA next year. We are going to have a ton of money to spend again

The biggest difference is next year is the first year we can back up the brinks truck for our franchise quarterbacks and that may be where most of our money goes.
The patriots did the smart thing and got a one year head start on us as to using our rookies cheap years to spend big but that train is about to roll into the station for both of us.

we certainly dont want to go the cousins route and start having to use the tag so if jayden and Maye both have years they're capable of i forsee two huge contracts next year.

If either one of them go the Cj stroud route they'll kick the can one more year.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

We all knew from game 1 that he wasn’t quite right. The injuries to him and the roster around him, and the McLaurin saga, restlessness with Whitt and the poor defense…it all kind of obfuscated the fact that we all had a weird lot in our stomach going into the season knowing the 2024 magic had faded, the McLaurin stuff had put a strange pall over the entire offseason and camp. Nothing was right, anyone watching week 1 knew we weren’t going to pick up where we left off. And Daniels was part of that. He wasn’t right. The special sauce was diluted.

I remember how electric, confident, and strangely veteran and composed Daniels looked, immediately, as a rookie. It was clear he was special. For whatever reason that didn’t show itself year two. Something shook his confidence and he wasn’t the same.

I believe part of it was not feeling on the same page as his receivers. But that can’t be all of it. Sophomore slump, sure. But it was apparent too early for it to have been just DC’s having charted his tendencies. It was him, not how teams were playing him, thought that changed as well as the season went on. He can grow from that.

I’ll be watching Daniels very closely in training camp and the very beginning of the season. I think for me, I’ll know right away if he’s himself again. It’s not just the weapons, though it contributes.

I think also Quinn did the entire team, and specifically Daniels, a disservice with the way he prepared the team, handled training camp and preseason.

I personally don’t think the struggles were on Daniels. I mean, he has some responsibility, but I think it’s more that he was surrounded by chaos and might have been the one piece holding it together as much as anybody.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Plan B is what I said. Meaning there is no other plan. This was the plan. Linderbaum was Plan A and Plan B was Allegretti.

I think there is another plan. I’m just not sure what it is.

We’ll see. Maybe not.

 

[Dlts20]

I’m guessing Deebo and Aiyuk are both on the table.

If we signed both, hypothetically, we’d be completely open to BPA in draft. I think we’re pretty close to that now, though, with a lean to Love and Tate.

Terry, Aiyuk, Deebo, Jefferson, Dyami, Burks, McCaffrey, Lane.

Yeah. That’s an NFL receiver group.

It is but the problem is that maybe 1 of those top 3 at best may be here next year and it might not be any of them. Not to mention that all 3 are probably in the injury concern category.

What would actually be big for us if one of Brown, McCaffrey, or Burk proved to be someone that we could count on for a full season and not just a few games.

With that being said, I could definitely live with that group and Love with Chig at TE. The value of WR compared to RB is massive tho. Pierce getting 30mil is insane. Owehs contract also, honestly.

Thats why it's hard for a GM not to get those premium positions early but you would be insane to turn down a Derrick Henry, Adrian Peterson, McCaffrey, etc. Is Love that though is the question. Also none of those guys have a ring. QB and great defense are still the biggest deciding factors.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

He drove me crazy at first, seemed like he would just sprint forward and could never find a lane or make a move. Would just collide with the first man in front of him and fall right down. Then there was that game he started and had zero catches. But he had some moments last year that I'm hoping are a sign he is ascending.

Same.
He looked like shit at TC last year, at least the day we attended, that we were worried if he would even make the team.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Plan B is what I said. Meaning there is no other plan. This was the plan. Linderbaum was Plan A and Plan B was Allegretti.

I think you might be right, and that's what makes me feel like this is Peters' biggest (maybe only, but it's a whopper) mistake so far in the 2026 offseason. If Linderbaum was plan A, why release Biadasz with his modest salary/cap hit before you knew whether plan A would work out? There's no FA C out there right now that has a PFF grade anywhere close to Biadasz's 11th/40 in 2025.

Sign Linderbaum, THEN release (or trade!) Biadasz. Biadasz should have been plan B. Allegretti as plan B is terrifying. He was NOT good in 2025, I have no idea what they could have seen to make them think 'hey, he might be the guy at C' - it's just so weird.

 

[KDawg]

It is but the problem is that maybe 1 of those top 3 at best may be here next year and it might not be any of them. Not to mention that all 3 are probably in the injury concern category.

What would actually be big for us if one of Brown, McCaffrey, or Burk proved to be someone that we could count on for a full season and not just a few games.

With that being said, I could definitely live with that group and Love with Chig at TE. The value of WR compared to RB is massive tho. Pierce getting 30mil is insane. Owehs contract also, honestly.

Thats why it's hard for a GM not to get those premium positions early but you would be insane to turn down a Derrick Henry, Adrian Peterson, McCaffrey, etc. Is Love that though is the question. Also none of those guys have a ring. QB and great defense are still the biggest deciding factors.

We have the same issue at running back.

Ford and White are both on one year deals.

 

[Canuck]

I like the Ford signing, I've had in FF so have watched him quite a bit.

He is a solid, well rounded back, good in the passing game.

Has always produced when give a chance. Others mentioned he got hurt last yr and was passed by Judkins.

I'd say he is probably RB1 for us as of now so long as he is healthy.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Feels like this might be the Tennessee setup to sign Jennings:

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

C Rod and McNichols being replaced by (checks notes) White and Ford just shows how easy it is to find players like C Rod, McNichols, White and Ford. Which makes a guy like Love really stand out. I too agree the tea leaves are kind of pointing at Tate, I hope it's Love or Downs.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I read they have over 60 million in cap space left, which is hard to understand unless these are really backloaded which causes problems later. I guess they can always carry some over and apply it to Jayden's new deal.

 

[Chris]

I read they have over 60 million in cap space left, which is hard to understand unless these are really backloaded which causes problems later. I guess they can always carry some over and apply it to Jayden's new deal.

Not a chance. Neither of the two top cap trackers (OTC & Spotrac that both have them at or near 70m) have yet to account for the contracts of Settle, Scott, Omenihu, Jefferson, Robertson, Oweh, Brown, D. Jackson, White, Cross, Okonkwo, Ford, Paul and Moody.

 

[method man]

I mentioned Glasgow previously from Detroit. He's 33 but could be penciled in as starter on a 1 year deal.

I believe he retired. Cushenberry failed his physical with Tennessee and Hennessey signed with the Cowboys.

From the veteran pile, James Daniels? He has been injury riddled the past couple seasons

Maybe Pocic is ready to play midseason

 

[Dlts20]

We have the same issue at running back.

Ford and White are both on one year deals.

Yes but my point is getting a high level RB in free agency is a lot cheaper than receiver and we might not pick this high again anytime soon, if things workout like we want it to