The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[burgold]

It definitely could be a miscommunicated point or maybe I misinterpreted it. And lol I wasn't looking to kill that FO after the draft, I have defended just about every pick they made so I was feeling good about them. But that was the impression I was left with as to how he communicated it.

They are definitiely not stupid. But I can see just being exhausted from draft prep, telling the staff take a few days off, they've earned it, etc, and then lets regroup at some point this week and talk about the roster post the draft and come up with a game plan as to what's next. That's the vibe I got watching it. But maybe I'll rewatch and see if my impression changes, it does sometimes upon rewatches.

But to your point even if that was their plan, they must notice that Dallas and the Giants among others are pouncing this week so you'd figure even if they wanted to decompress some after the draft, seeing the activity might jolt them out of that mode.

On top of this, I don't think they're starting from zero after the draft. They still have their spreadsheets and assessment of all the available players filled out and ready to go. So, maybe they're behind in terms of recruiting (if Peters and Newark took a few days off.) but the staff's work is done. So, if they told the college scouting department to take off for a few days that should effect nothing when it comes to free agency.

 

[skinsinparadise]

On top of this, I don't think they're starting from zero after the draft. They still have their spreadsheets and assessment of all the available players filled out and ready to go. So, maybe they're behind in terms of recruiting (if Peters and Newark took a few days off.) but the staff's work is done. So, if they told the college scouting department to take off for a few days that should effect nothing when it comes to free agency.

Found the quote so people can make their own interpretation. It felt to me while listening to this that they were going to use this week for planning. Taking a "step back" next week. and doing an "audit of exactly where we are" comes off to me as not a team with a plan to pounce on players starting on Monday like others teams have done but comes off to me like they want to use the week to digest and figure out what's next.

Transcripts | Asst. GM Lance Newmark, April 25

Washington Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark addresses the media at the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft.

www.commanders.com

On the team's depth following the draft:
"Well, I think we addressed a lot of what we perceived as needs and we, I think we created competition and we created depth really in every room. I think we'll probably take a step back next week and look at where we are roster wise after the draft, after the undrafted free agency process and just take an assessment of where we are. Do we still feel we have voids that we can address, what's out there to potentially do that? We try to leave ourselves a little bit of flexibility to do that at the end of the draft process to, maybe there is somebody that falls through, maybe there is somebody that is still out there from the free agency process that might make sense. So, I think next week we'll do kind of an audit of exactly where we are and what we could potentially add to, to, to make our depth even better than it is now."

 

[Anselmheifer]

It doesn’t seem like that should need to do much of that? Doesn’t it seem rational that in all of their draft scenarios, they projected those needs?

It also feels like they wouldn’t need to discuss priority free agents at WR. That they wouldn’t absolutely have known where they stood with that going into the draft.

 

[skinsinparadise]

It doesn’t seem like that should need to do much of that? Doesn’t it seem rational that in all of their draft scenarios, they projected those needs?

It also feels like they wouldn’t need to discuss priority free agents at WR. That they wouldn’t absolutely have known where they stood with that going into the draft.

Maybe its they have so many resources they want to spend, what are their dire needs, and what are the options to address them, and lets pick the best one or two.

to your point, it should seamlessly flow from their draft planning. the only thing that hits me is that I've been apart of some organizations that feel compelled to have the braintrust sort of work together to digest things and figure out what's next. So I can see them saying something like lets get together Tuesday, the main staff and do an audit as to where we are at. Cap wise. Roster wise. Option wise. And lets discuss over a few days what's next.

Those comments from Newmark to me double down on my initial thought while hearing it.

 

[Faithful Fan]

Yeah, or even if you go back to the same place like Joe gibbs, the magic was gone, albeit under very different circumstances with farquad running the show.

Even Gibbs did better than the other coaches in Snyder’s tenure: Two playoff appearances and the only playoff victory in the 25 years between 1999 and 2024.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I have seen some of this.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Maybe its they have so many resources they want to spend, what are their dire needs, and what are the options to address them, and lets pick the best one or two.

to your point, it should seamlessly flow from their draft planning. the only thing that hits me is that I've been apart of some organizations that feel compelled to have the braintrust sort of work together to digest things and figure out what's next. So I can see them saying something like lets get together Tuesday, the main staff and do an audit as to where we are at. Cap wise. Roster wise. Option wise. And lets discuss over a few days what's next.

Those comments from Newmark to me double down on my initial thought while hearing it.

Well, speaking to this point, some of the other things they’ve done suggest that this may be their process. And I thought it was a mistake then and it’s a mistake now.

I hated the process of the initial coaching search. They had to bring in a bunch of guys. Do multiple day interviews with all of them. Drag their feet and examine everybody. Just identify your target and aggressively go after them. It’s not like you haven’t already done hundreds of hours of footwork and scouting on those coaching candidates. If you want Mike McDaniel or Ben Johnson, tell them that, and chase them hard.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Well, speaking to this point, some of the other things they’ve done suggest that this may be their process. And I thought it was a mistake then and it’s a mistake now.

I hated the process of the initial coaching search. They had to bring in a bunch of guys. Do multiple day interviews with all of them. Drag their feet and examine everybody. Just identify your target and aggressively go after them. It’s not like you haven’t already done hundreds of hours of footwork and scouting on those coaching candidates. If you want Mike McDaniel or Ben Johnson, tell them that, and chase them hard.

Yeah, I get the idea of deliberating, deep thought, analysis, weigh all opinions, etc. But there is an advantage of being quick and decisive.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[heisenberg]

Even Gibbs did better than the other coaches in Snyder’s tenure: Two playoff appearances and the only playoff victory in the 25 years between 1999 and 2024.

No doubt and I use this argument all the time when I defend my opinion (Albeit obviously biased) that Joe gibbs is one of if not the greatest coach that ever lived.
Theres no other coach/team builder in two different hall of fames.

 

[heisenberg]

View attachment 14833

Getting released in April is like damn!

Couldn't even make the 90?

 

[MartinC]

Found the quote so people can make their own interpretation. It felt to me while listening to this that they were going to use this week for planning. Taking a "step back" next week. and doing an "audit of exactly where we are" comes off to me as not a team with a plan to pounce on players starting on Monday like others teams have done but comes off to me like they want to use the week to digest and figure out what's next.

Transcripts | Asst. GM Lance Newmark, April 25

Washington Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark addresses the media at the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft.

www.commanders.com

On the team's depth following the draft:
"Well, I think we addressed a lot of what we perceived as needs and we, I think we created competition and we created depth really in every room. I think we'll probably take a step back next week and look at where we are roster wise after the draft, after the undrafted free agency process and just take an assessment of where we are. Do we still feel we have voids that we can address, what's out there to potentially do that? We try to leave ourselves a little bit of flexibility to do that at the end of the draft process to, maybe there is somebody that falls through, maybe there is somebody that is still out there from the free agency process that might make sense. So, I think next week we'll do kind of an audit of exactly where we are and what we could potentially add to, to, to make our depth even better than it is now."

If this had been me I would have had contingencies ready based on what happened in round 1. What we did from round 3 onwards probably wouldn’t/shouldnt impact our self scout and analysis of areas we need to address/strengthen.

Then you push ‘go’ based on what happened.

 

[MartinC]

Getting released in April is like damn!

Couldn't even make the 90?

He only appeared in 2 games last year for them and had 3 combined tackles. So it’s probably not a shock to him!

 

[Faithful Fan]

View attachment 14833

Oof. First round picks from the Rivera era:

Chase Young
Jahan Dotson
Emanuel Forbes
Jamin Davis

You could hardly do worse if you tried to draft busts on purpose.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Saw a report from local reporter Darren Wolfson that Jauan Jennings finished 2-day visit with Vikings, left Minnesota with no deal.

Vikes apparently offering 1-year deal.

 

[NickyJ]

I guess they found a UDFA they were really impressed with and needed to make room. If it were Mason Foster, I'd assume it's because he isn't fast enough to get out of the parking lot before training camp, but he shouldn't be facing those same difficulties. Maybe an XFL team was pounding the table for him and the Raiders mercifully let him have his only chance at making a playoff team.

 

[Riggo44]

Forbes is the one that really grates my grapes. We passed on several all pros in the 5-6 picks after him.

 

[Riggo44]

Saw a report from local reporter Darren Wolfson that Jauan Jennings finished 2-day visit with Vikings, left Minnesota with no deal.

Vikes apparently offering 1-year deal.

Well he clearly wants to play here. Duh.

 

[ES1974]

Saw a report from local reporter Darren Wolfson that Jauan Jennings finished 2-day visit with Vikings, left Minnesota with no deal.

Vikes apparently offering 1-year deal.

Well if he’s after 20m per year, no way that ever fits into a 1 year contract.

You’ve pretty much got to go 3/50+ and hope the front end 35m over 2 years is money well spent.

 

[Faithful Fan]

I have seen some of this.

View attachment 14832

Interesting. Most of this seems reasonable to me. Allen is likely to get a good amount of the workload in the RBBC with Bill and the vets. William should be WR2 if we don’t add anybody, but they’ll move him around, and this is probably a WRBC situation. Von Miller makes sense as a rotational pass rusher, he keeps proving he can still do it. Grubin was drafted to play center, but he does have the flexibility to play guard.

The only one that puzzles me is Wagner returning. I assumed drafting Sonny Styles meant he would have to look elsewhere for work, and I say this as one of his biggest fans, not because he can’t play actually, but because he can. It is very hard to bench a future Hall of Famer, but how else do we get Styles and Chenal on the field?