The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Dah-Dee]

Meh. Heh.

Washington Adds Jerome Ford to Committee of Meh

The Commanders have agreed to a one-year deal with RB Jerome Ford. The former fifth-round pick spent the past four seasons in Cleveland. His high point came

www.draftsharks.com

 

[skinsinparadise]

This is just looking for things to be mad about. In 2024 it was highly acknowledged how cool Jayden was under pressure; unflappable, moves on to the next play, etc. He regularly left the field with a smile, bad play or not. It’s just everybody likes everything you do when you win, but when you lose those same things are annoying.

Yep, it was also the same dude joking with the Tampa defense in the key drive to secure a playoff win, its who he is. He's loose and has fun.

 

[ES1974]

Yep, it was also the same dude joking with the Tampa defense in the key drive to secure a playoff win, its who he is. He's loose and has fun.

I reckon he’ll need to tighten up just a bit.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Hendon Hooker was with Detroit in 2023 and 2024, wonder if we look at him to replace the legendary Josh Johnson since we'll apparently be running that offense. Or maybe we'll just bring back Driskel.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Hendon Hooker was with Detroit in 2023 and 2024, wonder if we look at him to replace the legendary Josh Johnson since we'll apparently be running that offense. Or maybe we'll just bring back Driskel.

The need to sign somebody, and I’m expecting they also sign and UDFA to replace Hartman.

I just can’t imagine Hartman in camp again. If that happens, I will have questions. Not really important questions, but questions.

 

[RexTomb]

let's just bring in older, budget Jauan Jennings...Tim Patrick for 1 year.

No way, the guy sounds like a tax accountant or my State Farm agent. Not flashy enough.

 

[Dah-Dee]

I reckon we’ll need to lighten up just a bit.

Fixed. 😜

 

[ES1974]

Fixed. 😜

How rude……😎

 

[skinsinparadise]

I reckon he’ll need to tighten up just a bit.

If McCaffrey is the slot WR, and Van Jefferson the Z, he might need to keep his sense of humor intact.

 

[NoCalSkins]

Media been acting like Aiyuk joining the roster is a formality that is just waiting on his release from the 49ers so I will brush that to the side for the moment. The fact that Deebo Samuel hasn't been signed yet, even by an already good team that could use his services as that extra Weapon X to put them over the top could mean his his agent is over-valuing his worth in the open market. I think Deebo was actually pretty good for this team last season but suffered from the overall situation surrounding everything else going on. He did show me enough when he had the ball in his hands to convince me he is still a worthy addition to the offense as long as the rest of the roster is filled out with enough depth to where Deebo isn't forced to play in another WR role due to an injury or two. If the price is right I would be fine bringing him back on a 1-2 year deal.

 

[Dah-Dee]

If McCaffrey is the slot WR, and Van Jefferson the Z, he might need to keep his sense of humor intact.

I would actually not be surprised to see McCaffrey win the slot position in camp, he looked better the more he played before the collarbone injury. I do think Aiyuk will end up our Z, 49ers will release him to take the free @6M cap space. You'd think that since Aiyuk declined to fight/appeal the voided guarantees totaling @27M, 49ers might see that as a conciliatory gesture and relent on the hostage thing, but apparently not so far.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[skinsinparadise]

I would actually not be surprised to see McCaffrey win the slot position in camp, he looked better the more he played before the collarbone injury. I do think Aiyuk will end up our Z, 49ers will release him to take the free @6M cap space. You'd think that since Aiyuk declined to fight/appeal the voided guarantees totaling @27M, 49ers might see that as a conciliatory gesture and relent on the hostage thing, but apparently not so far.

I wouldn't be surprised either. It feels very Peters like. I like what he's done in FA. But he hasn't earned my trust on the WR spot -- his leaps of faith have rarely worked thus far.

 

[Conn]

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.

Maybe. But I knew from snap 1 that he wasn’t the same dude I watched as a rookie. Maybe he wasn’t prepared the same way by his coaches, maybe his confidence wasn’t there due to the McLaurin/other WR issues, maybe it was a million other things. But he didn’t look the same or carry the same swagger. I expect he has a chance to bounce back from that but it was like watching a nightmare unfold as the carriage turned back into a pumpkin. I don’t want to see it again.

I suspect with a full offseason with whatever weapons end up on our roster, he’ll look a lot better this year. And hopefully won’t feel the need to recklessly go cape mode all the time when no one’s open. But that has to start with his inner clock being wound appropriately and his natural confidence being back at the forefront. Both of those things are tied to trusting his teammates—if he trusts he doesn’t have to do it alone, he’ll play looser and smarter, and if he trusts his teammates will do their jobs, he’ll execute confidently again. But it all radiates out from him on gameday, so he needs to feel that way before the season starts. And hopefully AP & Co. have done enough/will do enough to help him feel that way.

 

[ES1974]

If AP is hanging his hat on Aiyuk, that’s quite the risk.

 

[SkinsFTW]

Maybe. But I knew from snap 1 that he wasn’t the same dude I watched as a rookie. Maybe he wasn’t prepared the same way by his coaches, maybe his confidence wasn’t there due to the McLaurin/other WR issues, maybe it was a million other things. But he didn’t look the same or carry the same swagger. I expect he has a chance to bounce back from that but it was like watching a nightmare unfold as the carriage turned back into a pumpkin. I don’t want to see it again.

I suspect with a full offseason with whatever weapons end up on our roster, he’ll look a lot better this year. And hopefully won’t feel the need to recklessly go cape mode all the time when no one’s open. But that has to start with his inner clock being wound appropriately and his natural confidence being back at the forefront. Both of those things are tied to trusting his teammates—if he trusts he doesn’t have to do it alone, he’ll play looser and smarter, and if he trusts his teammates will do their jobs, he’ll execute confidently again. But it all radiates out from him on gameday, so he needs to feel that way before the season starts. And hopefully AP & Co. have done enough/will do enough to help him feel that way.

It's because JD missed Dyami Brown.

 

[RWJ]

I do think Aiyuk will end up our Z, 49ers will release him to take the free @6M cap space.

Yep, a formality. I have to think that Peters and Lynch are still tight and have talked about Aiyuk.

 

[RWJ]

If AP is hanging his hat on Aiyuk, that’s quite the risk.

Not so much on a 1 year prove it deal with JD5 keeping Aiyuk in check.

 

[ES1974]

Not so much on a 1 year prove it deal with JD5 keeping Aiyuk in check.

I’m all for Aiyuk coming in….but we need another quality WR too. Aiyuk will be almost 2 years removed from his previous regular season game come September 2026.

 

[method man]

For QB3, I wonder if we make a run at Cooper Rush at the minimum. DQ knows him very well from Dallas and the guy has won some games