The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[burgold]

OK, we’ve been kind of circling this for months now 😄


2. Peters’ performance specifically in giving Jayden weapons:
A. Outstanding
B. Great
C. Good
D. Fair
E. Poor

For me:

• #1: C — Good
• #2: E — Poor

I think my grade would be different.

#2
2024
Weapons added: Ekeler, Ertz, Noah Brown, OZ, Crowder, McCaffrey, and Sinnott
Grade C+/B-
Ekeler and Ertz turned out to be great. Brown, OZ, and Crowder produced better than should have been expected.
Overall: Peters signed a lot of players. Mostly players on one year deals who were has beens or disappointments, but hell if they didn't all work out.

2025

Weapons kept: Ekeler, Ertz, Noah Brown, McCaffrey, and Sinnott
Weapons added: Croskey-Merritt, Deebo, Lane, Hot garbage, steaming pile of doggy doo, and bleep-effin'-bleep
Grade D+/C
Overall: Injuries derailed this group, but the plan wasn't good. McLaurin, Deebo, and Brown/McCaffrey/Lane with Ertz, Bates, and Sinnott at TE, and a surprisingly good Bill, Eckeler combo actually doesn't sound like crap, but we never got to see that group.

2026
Weapons kept: Croskey-Merritt, Sinnott, Lane, and McCaffrey
Weapons added: Chig, Williams, Van Jefferson, D. Brown, White, Ford, K. Allen
Grade: Incomplete until we see the final roster

Peters 3 year weapons grade C

 

[burgold]

I hated one of his interviews where he explained he's not going to be an Ertz route runner type of player -- and implied he's better at other things. I mentioned it at the time of the interview. I applaud the honesty but lol I want the player to see himself as someone who can evolve to be a precise route runner like Ertz.

I hate that answer too. Even viewing this through the Gibbs prism. Gibbs was about letting the player do what they do best, but also expecting them to improve so eventually they could do it all. A one trick pony is fine for a few games, but once the trick is figured out he is easy to cancel out. Sinnott needs to be working on doing what he does great but also becoming a better route runner. He should be able to figure out how to be Ertz-like.

 

[DWinzit]

Logan in Sinnott's year 1 said from what he can tell he wasn't running precise routes, and wasn't in the right spots and noticed the team trusted him less as the season went on. I don't recall much positive or negative from Logan as to last season but he definitely has some hope-optimism that Sinnott evolves.

Wasn't the route running an issue for most of the receiving group? The word was that Jayden couldn't rely on players to be where they were supposed to be. If that's true, it is not a good sign for a number of these players.

On the other hand, hopefully it isn't that Jayden has a hard time trusting receivers to be where they should be.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Ok, let me play the optimistic sunny side up version of Peters roster building, which I again I like it, but sorry I don't love it. But I'll play the I love it card for fun just to bring home I believe I do understand the counter points or close enough but maybe I don't. But if I were selling it, I'd do it this way.

Weapons.

A. Chig is young and is finding his stride. He's not an elite or great TE yet, he's been good. But with Jayden, watch him become something special.

B. Sinnott will serve that Kyle Juszcyk role with this team, he's a good move blocker and can be sort of quick oulet TE for Jayden to dump the ball to when under duress

C. Terry will be Terry. He was out most of the season last year. It's not happening again.

D. Antonio Williams at slot will be a stud, polished route runner, etc. Heck Crowder was good as a rookie why not Antonio?

E. All this crazy consternation at Z for no reason considering they will have so many options so do you guys really think not one of these things happen?

1. Aiyuk's reunion with Jayden will go great. This dude will be motivated and at his best is a pro bowl type WR.

2. McCaffrey was coming on and getting better before his injury.

3. Lane is fast and has so many tools

4. Burks is a first round pick, and had that insane Beckham catch last season, he's still young with a lot of potential

5. Imagine if we got playoff Dyami? Why not? Jayden seemed to really click with him then.

And heck lol even if you haters don't buy this rap. they got Rachaad White, Jayden's pal as a RB-WR weapon. Croskey-Merritt is just heating up, he can be a superstar and those who don't see it are just oddly fixated on the idea he was drafted in the 7th round. And heck even if you don't buy this either keep in mind that the defense should be very good next season -- I don't understand how others don't understand how a great defense is a QB's best friend.

But lol before anybody takes it out of context, I don't believe in some of what i mentioned. I am just saying I can understand albiet I disagree with those that think the roster is complete or close enough to being complete. But if I was in the mode of selling the whole package of the off season, it would be something like that.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Wasn't the route running an issue for most of the receiving group? The word was that Jayden couldn't rely on players to be where they were supposed to be. If that's true, it is not a good sign for a number of these players.

On the other hand, hopefully it isn't that Jayden has a hard time trusting receivers to be where they should be.

That's a different narrative, that was the one from last year about the backup WRs. I don't know how Sinnott fell into that conversation one way or another.

 

[DWinzit]

That's a different narrative, that was the one from last year about the backup WRs. I don't know how Sinnott fell into that conversation one way or another.

I was under the impression the TE room and many of the WR's were unable to separate or run good routes

 

[skinsinparadise]

I was under the impression the TE room and many of the WR's were unable to separate or run good routes

Maybe so. I although I try to listen to every podcast-interview, I don't catch them all. And like anyone else my memory isn't perfect.

I do ironically recall my take on Sinnott on ES before that draft. I said i like the blocking, I like the hands, I like the YAC but my concern was he struggles to seperate. I've been right, I've been wrong about prospects. So far, I've been right about Sinnott, albiet I thought he'd be better than this.

I don't have an issue with anyone saying lets give these young TEs and WRs more time. But I don't think that's what we should depend on. Same point Aaron Schatz, ex-Football Outsiders said in the article I posted a little while ago.

Granted for TE, I can live with one proven pass catching weapon. I'd love to have more, but its not a big deal to me. My concern like you and others here is WR.

 

[CapsCommies]

Feels like base case scenario is that 2026 we're a playoff team but not a true SB contender, and next offseason we load up on offensive weapons and 2027 we become true SB contenders.

Of course, we could overperform this year and make a run like in 2024. And we could also underperform and fall apart like 2025. But feels like we're one more offseason away from finishing the rebuild.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think my grade would be different.

#2
2024
Weapons added: Ekeler, Ertz, Noah Brown, OZ, Crowder, McCaffrey, and Sinnott
Grade C+/B-
Ekeler and Ertz turned out to be great. Brown, OZ, and Crowder produced better than should have been expected.
Overall: Peters signed a lot of players. Mostly players on one year deals who were has beens or disappointments, but hell if they didn't all work out.

2025

Weapons kept: Ekeler, Ertz, Noah Brown, McCaffrey, and Sinnott
Weapons added: Croskey-Merritt, Deebo, Lane, Hot garbage, steaming pile of doggy doo, and bleep-effin'-bleep
Grade D+/C
Overall: Injuries derailed this group, but the plan wasn't good. McLaurin, Deebo, and Brown/McCaffrey/Lane with Ertz, Bates, and Sinnott at TE, and a surprisingly good Bill, Eckeler combo actually doesn't sound like crap, but we never got to see that group.

2026
Weapons kept: Croskey-Merritt, Sinnott, Lane, and McCaffrey
Weapons added: Chig, Williams, Van Jefferson, D. Brown, White, Ford, K. Allen
Grade: Incomplete until we see the final roster

Peters 3 year weapons grade C

I see it differently. But I appreciate you playing my quiz!

Sometimes feels like there is an underlying theme that some of us are dancing around in these discussions so going right to that helps clarify people's positions. And of course no rights or wrongs, just opinions.

 

[Conn]

There's a part of me that goes back to Gibbs when I hear this. If Sinnott's problem is that he's not great at running routes find out the routes he is good at running or find out what he is good at running and do that. If he doesn't fit into your square hole than design something that fits a circle peg. After all, Sinnott can't be completely lost as a route runner or he wouldn't have looked good in college. There has to be stuff he knows how to do well.

Even if that was the case and that was the fix we dreamed up, teams would then chart those routes and know what we’re doing. Would eventually turn into a disaster, it’s a lot harder these days to just let role players do the small number of things they’re good at over any decent sample size. Data and tendency-tracking is better than ever and coaches on the whole are smarter than ever at utilizing that info. You can limit his exposure to certain routes to a degree, but in the end he’ll need to be a well-rounded guy to actually be able to contribute anything sustainable.

Could still happen.

 

[DWinzit]

Maybe so. I although I try to listen to every podcast-interview, I don't catch them all. And like anyone else my memory isn't perfect.

I do ironically recall my take on Sinnott on ES before that draft. I said i like the blocking, I like the hands, I like the YAC but my concern was he struggles to seperate. I've been right, I've been wrong about prospects. So far, I've been right about Sinnott, albiet I thought he'd be better than this.

I don't have an issue with anyone saying lets give these young TEs and WRs more time. But I don't think that's what we should depend on. Same point Aaron Schatz, ex-Football Outsiders said in the article I posted a little while ago.

Granted for TE, I can live with one proven pass catching weapon. I'd love to have more, but its not a big deal to me. My concern like you and others here is WR.

Yes I recall Sinnott not being that great at separating as well. That always has seemed strange based being fun to watch on the YAC, physicality and his great athleticism.

It's been frustrating that none of the young weapons have blossomed into a legit threat outside of special teams.

If Chig and SInnott can provide stepped up production that defenses must respect it would be a big difference maker for the rest of our weapons, especially the WR's

 

[Conn]

Ben Sinnott passing grade when targeted: 124.4
David Njoku: 99.3

For me personally, it wasn’t about Njoku, but the rest of the tweet.

And this is obviously cherry-picking. A famous NFL stats idea that tends to follow talented breakout players over the years is that “targets are earned”. Part of that means that when a target hog leaves an offense and his targets are vacated, they don’t just automatically get allocated to whoever replaced him or even necessarily other guys on the field. But the other part of it is that guys with really high efficiency rates on small target sample sizes are usually fool’s gold, because good players earn targets. Sinnott was on the field sort of a lot, ran a good number of routes for a 2nd year TE with vets in front of him, and still earned VERY few looks on those routes. He didn’t earn them. And he earned very few schemed touches, which is how impressing your coaches earns you targets. But after getting on the field, you’ve got to either earn the targets from the QB by getting open, or earn them from your coaches by being prioritized in the read or even schemed up easy touches to get the ball in your hands. He did neither of those things. He has one designed screen that I can remember, behind the LOS, and did well to lumber forward. But there wasn’t much of it and Kliff loved screens. I’m interested to see if Blough tries to use him over the middle/down the seam off of play action. That’ll mainly be a Chig thing but Sinnott should theoretically do well with that now that he can block at an NFL level to sell the run play initially and then peel.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Yes I recall Sinnott not being that great at separating as well. That always has seemed strange based being fun to watch on the YAC, physicality and his great athleticism.

It's been frustrating that none of the young weapons have blossomed into a legit threat outside of special teams.

If Chig and SInnott can provide stepped up production that defenses must respect it would be a big difference maker for the rest of our weapons, especially the WR's

Will see about the young guys. Going purely with my college takes of these guys and bringing that to now:

A. Antonio Willams -- loved the prospect. I think he will easily be the best of the young WRs-prospects they've taken. Polished route runner, twitchy, good YAC -- hands are good not great, good at tracking the ball. I think he has a legit shot at being a good #2, but I wouldn't bank on it from the jump.

B. McCaffrey -- I rated him as a 6th rounder at the time, even though he was a good athlete he looked stiff as a route runner. In the pros, i don't think he's a bust. But I am not banking on him either. Good kick returner. Good blocker. Good hands. So so seperator. I'd be surprised if he emerges as a legit #2, but I think he has a shot at being a #3 type but more likely IMO a #4

As for the seperation skills where he had a good number in his rookie season, there was one observer maybe it was Logan but I don't recall for sure who talked about how stats like that could be deceiving with the argument that Luke was sort of used as a first level target near the line of scrimmage and because defenses were cued into other WRs who scared them more, they played a lot of off coverage on Luke and that inflated his numbers or something like that. Also, I've heard that he was not good in either camp.

C. Jaylin Lane. I liked, didn't love the college version of the player. The college version was a raw route runner, a lot of basic routes on the first level, shallow crossers, slants, hitches, screens. Good YAC player in college, you didn't see much of that in the pros. Similar story to me about McCaffrey, I'd bet on him being a #4, has a shot at #3, be very surprised if he's a #2. I thought late 4th round was a good value for him.

D. Ben Sinnott. Graded him a third rounder before that draft. the college version was a good blocker, good hands, good YAC, not a great seperator. In the pros, it feels like so far a good move blocker, who makes some occasional plays. I don't love his interviews and what I've heard about him -- but I don't dislike any of it either. He just feels from an intangible standpoint, just OK, I don't get the vibe that he has this drive to be great. But will see, you never know. I think being the #3 TE will be more or less his career.

 

[Conn]

Feels like base case scenario is that 2026 we're a playoff team but not a true SB contender, and next offseason we load up on offensive weapons and 2027 we become true SB contenders.

Of course, we could overperform this year and make a run like in 2024. And we could also underperform and fall apart like 2025. But feels like we're one more offseason away from finishing the rebuild.

Yeah, agree with this best case most likely. Which makes it feel like we’re a year behind…I’ll never understand that 2025 offseason and not doing everything possible to capitalize coming off an NFCCG appearance. Never.

 

[RedWolf]

I give AP a B, just because of all the shit that he inherited, otherwise I would give him a C

 

[RexTomb]

Didn't Cerrato call him "Orapko?"

And where's the love for the late, great Tony Woods, huh?

No, that was Joey T.

 

[Deebs31]

Why is Diggs not signed yet? This WR room is still iffy at best

 

[Discobob]

No, that was Joey T.

He might have done it as well, but Vinny repeatedly butchered his name...

 

[Ashburn Dave]

At this point, I'd take a swing at Diggs just to have a bird in the hand. I do feel like the moment we make a signing of anyone at Diggs' level that SF will cut Aiyuk. If that happens, I'd approach him and see if he would take that vet min plus incentives contract with the understanding/handshake agreement that if he does what everyone expects him to do they will treat him right in 2027.

I think we all want Diggs at this point, and we can't figure out why AP hasn't closed the deal yet.

 

[KDawg]

I think we all want Diggs at this point, and we can't figure out why AP hasn't closed the deal yet.

I mean, I think we can.