The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[MartinC]

I forget who but I also saw, an analyst say that they could see Dallas in the SB

Only if they buy a corporate box.

 

[MartinC]

Giants will challenge for the division within 3 years. I think Harbaugh is that good a coach. The problem for Dallas (my opinion) is that Dak Prescott, while a very good regular season QB, just seems to fold when things get real. We've seen it over and over, and now he is entering the downhill portion of his career where his skills will diminish (especially his mobility). I think they have a very short window and will then have to start over. Philly has obviously been the top dog for awhile now and Roseman seems to be very skilled in finding ways to manipulate the roster to keep extending their window. I think the NFC East is entering a period where it will be more competitive than it's been in awhile with all 4 teams having some significant strengths.

Im remain to be convinced Dart is their long term QB. If he is then I agree - but I think they will be back in the draft a QB pool in a couple of years.

 

[Faithful Fan]

Over the history of the NFL--how many long-term coaches like Tomlin, like Harbaugh, get fired and go on to have success in their second stint? Andy Reid is one, Don Shula is another. Anyone else? The list is very, very short.

I don’t know if you would count resignations in addition to firings, but there are many coaches who have found great success with multiple teams. In our own history we have Vince Lombardi, who led the Redskins to their first winning record in over a decade in 1969, and Dan Quinn, who led us further than we had been in three decades in 2024. But those are not the best examples.

The following coaches led two different teams to the Super Bowl: Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren, Dick Vermeil, Dan Reeves, John Fox, and Andy Reid. And that’s just coaches that reached multiple championships, excluding guys like Tony Dungy, Tom Coughlin, Jon Gruden, and Sean Payton who were good with multiple teams but didn’t get quite that far with both of them.

So it’s a lot more common than you might think. Great coaches can and often do find success with multiple teams. Hopefully Harbaugh doesn’t, but I wouldn’t count on that.

 

[skinsinparadise]

To me, this seems like the issue is more the team’s performance than the media’s view

Absolutely.

But to your point—and this is where I agree with Kevin Sheehan—the national media will pencil teams like the Bengals in for a bounce-back because Joe Burrow got hurt. Same with other teams that lost their QB. Yet Washington doesn’t get that same benefit of the doubt.

That is obviously reputation and years of being irrelevant stacked together. This franchise has been down for so long—and has lost so much of its national pull—that one bad season (even if it’s just a hiccup, hopefully) gets treated as “same old Washington.” Maybe they end up being right. We’ll see. But yeah, I appreciate the few people still in their corner like Mel Kiper Jr. and Kay Adams.

For me I think the buzz stuff effects me purely from the perspective of kids. Because I do think at least some of them feel it. When my son played football last year his defensive coordinator was a Tampa fan, but loved Jayden, and he'd bait my son about it and had fun with it. But as the season went on, lol, it became something he was ranked on about.

A close friend of mine is a Dolphins fan, but his son roots for the Patriots because he grew up during the Brady era. My brother-in-law is a Commanders fan—his son’s a Dolphins fan. You’ve got guys like Mansoor Delane growing up in Silver Spring and being Ravens fans. That’s not unusual. For years in the DMV, the most popular jersey has been Lamar Jackson. And like I’ve said before, Finaly said when you go to kids’ parties or see Halloween costumes in the DMV, it’s rarely Commanders gear—it’s other teams.

So yeah, I’ve put in the time. I’ve taken my kids to games, made it a thing, tried to build that connection—and so far, I’ve held my own against all the outside influences. But the one team I don’t want to be battling for buzz is the Giants, because that’s where the pressure comes from in my own house. My wife’s side is basically all Giants fans. On my side, it’s me, my brother-in-law, my sister—and kind of my kids. Everyone else? Dolphins, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Jets, Bucs.

So yeah… my football life is just more fun when this team has juice.

Like that 2025 offseason—walking around Disney with my kids, wearing a Jayden jersey, and getting stopped multiple times. That kind of energy sticks with them. That’s the kind of thing that pulls kids in and keeps them there.

I just want more of that again.

 

[skinsinparadise]

actually speaking of Adams, just caught this

 

[skinsinparadise]

Im remain to be convinced Dart is their long term QB. If he is then I agree - but I think they will be back in the draft a QB pool in a couple of years.

Dart to me is a major wildcard. He has a lot of moxie and plays with his hair on fire but also runs himself into harms way a ton. Skattebo the RB version of Dart. It's no wonder those two are besties.

Between those two, the bravado of Harbaugh -- all three already talking Super Bowl -- and the NY media that eats that stuff up and the national media who seem to really really want the Giants to be great I gather because the money generated from that NY market -- feels like either the bravado will help them overcome the decade plus of losing culture -- or the burble bursts and the collapse is more dramatic because of all that self hype.

I am rooting for the later of course.

Part of the Giants hype seems to be they lost so many close games and the idea that Harbaugh alone makes the difference in those tight margin games. Maybe. Will see. But I find it all insufferable

Dexter Lawrence was quietly one of the best players in the NFL. I recall among others, Logan Paulsen talking about studying that defense that Lawrence makes everyone on that unit better because he's the focus. I think and hope they feel that loss. Warren Sharp posted stats about them when Lawrence plays and when he misses games, and its not pretty. He was quietly their best player.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[Anselmheifer]

actually speaking of Adams, just caught this

Isn’t Kay all in on everything?

I care about media perception of my team because I want to see more news about them on whatever platform. And because I also feel like it affects how many nationally televised games we get.

But also, maybe some of it plays off my Redskins PTSD, and part of me irrationally fears they are right.

I feel like our defense has been entirely remade. Oweh, Chaisson, Omenihu, Cross, Chenal, Styles, Settle. I’m not sure how many other teams upgraded a unit that much, but in fairness to the media, the unit was terrible to start with and we have a new coordinator.

On offense, Terry should get an entire offseason and hopefully stay healthy. He ended the year healthy. Williams is an upgrade in the slot.

Chig I do feel like will be an upgrade. I know his stats were only modestly better than Ertz, but he offers something we desperately needed last year, and the year prior, some easy YAC yards for Jayden.

I feel like if we can add an actual moderately impactful #2 WR, that unit will also be better.

It sucks that Peters didn’t add another CB in FA. There were plenty of decent options this year.

 

[Die Hard]

I've been on the Calais Campbell bandwagon since his draft year. Just a baller... love that he's still in the league and still killing it. Teams and teammates love him. He seems to have played everywhere but Washington. Never understood why the team has never attempted to sign him.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I've been on the Calais Campbell bandwagon since his draft year. Just a baller... love that he's still in the league and still killing it. Teams and teammates love him. He seems to have played everywhere but Washington. Never understood why the team has never attempted to sign him.

Me, too. I recall the draft when he was taken, some of us me included wanted him and thought they'd take him considering they had one of his previous coaches from the U.

 

[DWinzit]

I've been on the Calais Campbell bandwagon since his draft year. Just a baller... love that he's still in the league and still killing it. Teams and teammates love him. He seems to have played everywhere but Washington. Never understood why the team has never attempted to sign him.

Over the years there have been many times when he has become a free agent, would have fit a void in our roster and we not even looked at him. Incredibly short sighted by Danny and all his twit coaches and GM's

 

[Dlts20]

Edit: Originally forgot to add the video

This is exactly how I feel. Tempered expectations. If it doesn't work out it doesn't really hurt us and you can release him at any time. If it works out, I truly think it could be the difference in us going to the SB. I would just love to see Jayden go back to LSU one time and see what he can do.

Meaning a healthy and good Terry, Ayuik, Williams and Chig. I would love to see him get to slinging it around everywhere and have the play book wide open where teams literally don't know what is coming because all of these guys are legit weapons. He could go from people being down on him to MVP level in one season

 

[skinsinparadise]

Isn’t Kay all in on everything?

I care about media perception of my team because I want to see more news about them on whatever platform. And because I also feel like it affects how many nationally televised games we get.

But also, maybe some of it plays off my Redskins PTSD, and part of me irrationally fears they are right.

I feel like our defense has been entirely remade. Oweh, Chaisson, Omenihu, Cross, Chenal, Styles, Settle. I’m not sure how many other teams upgraded a unit that much, but in fairness to the media, the unit was terrible to start with and we have a new coordinator.

On offense, Terry should get an entire offseason and hopefully stay healthy. He ended the year healthy. Williams is an upgrade in the slot.

Chig I do feel like will be an upgrade. I know his stats were only modestly better than Ertz, but he offers something we desperately needed last year, and the year prior, some easy YAC yards for Jayden.

I feel like if we can add an actual moderately impactful #2 WR, that unit will also be better.

It sucks that Peters didn’t add another CB in FA. There were plenty of decent options this year.

She is a sunny side up in general person, but don't recall a post from her but possible I missed one where she goes expect the Giants in the post season. But yeah I've heard so little expectation of this team to bounce back. You see it also in the power rankings and the early 2027 mock drafts.

So yeah I thought it was cool when Kiper goes, yeah build this roster back up, last year it was injuries, you should be a playoff team again. So little of that sentiment out there. And I do think there is an upside to that, too. Feels like Quinn-Peters got a bit big headed going into the 2025 season. Peters actually referenced it indirectly in an interview where he was asked any lessons from last season and he goes that sometimes teams forget that each new season you are starting back at the bottom and you need to build yourself up all over again.

Not that it means anything to the bottom line, but there is an upside that the team is pretty much close to where they started before the 2024 season as to perception. A little better than that because Jayden has some believers. But even with Jayden, there are some who aren't sure of him anymore. And more think this team will stink than be good. So if they need to find their edge, Rocky 3 style, they can go back to being the hunters.

Dan Quinn was asked last off season how does it feel from going to being the hunters to being the hunted? Underdog mentallty -- with the pressure off versus being the front runners. He goes they we always be the hunters. BS. They struggled being the team that was hunted. And yes the injuries were the theme. But it didn't feel to me that off season that they kept their edge from 2024, and said so that summer.

I do like their off season I do think they bounce back. But yeah they need to add a corner and WR before I get hyped.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Over the years there have been many times when he has become a free agent, would have fit a void in our roster and we not even looked at him. Incredibly short sighted by Danny and all his twit coaches and GM's

IMO he's better at his age, than Daron Payne is now for a fraction of the price.

 

[heisenberg]

Over the history of the NFL--how many long-term coaches like Tomlin, like Harbaugh, get fired and go on to have success in their second stint? Andy Reid is one, Don Shula is another. Anyone else? The list is very, very short.

Shula wasn't fired, he just signed with the dolphins and somehow they only had to forfeit their first round pick for tampering.

Different times I guess.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Actually this is better than I thought it would be

 

[DWinzit]

IMO he's better at his age, than Daron Payne is now for a fraction of the price.

And just think how bonkers that sounds. A DL turning 40 and still that effective.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[Anselmheifer]

Actually this is better than I thought it would be

When I was a younger man, my mood for the whole week would change based on whether the Redskins won or lost.

For so long now, I’ve just followed along on the interned and had fun with engaging with the draft.

The 2024 season was such a blast.watching Jayden look like the team savior. It would be magical to get that back again this year.

 

[DWinzit]

When I was a younger man, my mood for the whole week would change based on whether the Redskins won or lost.

For so long now, I’ve just followed along on the interned and had fun with engaging with the draft.

The 2024 season was such a blast.watching Jayden look like the team savior. It would be magical to get that back again this year.

Sounds like a lot of us gluttons for punishment around here.

I am wishful for a long-term strongly competitive team. Something that brings me joy at least mostly over heartache