The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[HTTR]

Anyone think we need an upgrade at receiver? 😂

No doubt us fans are beating the crap out of this point, but I take it as a good sign. Tells us AP has done a good job filling all of the other holes on the roster to the point where we are hyper focused on this one.

Diggs has been cleared from his legal issues. Keenan Allen and others are still out there. Not expecting any of them would be a huge difference maker, but it drives me nuts that we’re going to go into the season once again with a ton of unused cap space and an incomplete roster.

If Aiyuk is the plan, then fine. But he’s not going to cost very much, so in the meantime can we go get some help at corner or up front?? So many useful players still available, and we just sit on the money and then wonder why we don’t have any depth to step up when there are injuries.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think they may have a star running back or one with the potential to be. We've disagreed about Bill in the past, but I stubbornly remember what he did to defenses before they realized they could entirely disrespect our receivers and tight ends and just stack the box on every play. I admit he has things to clean up, but even if he was an old rookie last year I still think he was a rookie and has a chance to improve. Moreover, even if he is largely the same (as a runner) he will appear to have improved if defenses can't play eight in the box on every play and if every run play isn't an unimaginative dive play.

I think Ertz was truly on his last legs in 2025. Even in 2024, when he was still good at finding holes in zones, he just physically couldn't do much else. Chig has the ability to test and threaten a D in a way Ertz can not. Ertz would catch a ball and fall down. He provided almost no threat of YAC. Chig has the ability to break off bigger plays even if he is not as savvy as Ertz. This will force more honest and diverse coverage which could ripple to help out the running game and other receivers.

OK, so yeah if Croskey-Merritt is a star RB or likely can be -- like a J. Gibbs, Barkley, Bijan, etc. That is exciting.

I don't agree. But lol would I be jazzed if he is that special. It would be one of my best gets of all time on the draft thread, I was pinning for them to take him on draft day a year back.

I of course liked him then, and still do. But I see him in that sort of mid tier range. But if Croskey is some sort of burgeoning superstar, I do think that takes some off of Jayden's plate. Same idea for why I wanted Love. Now, again I disagree with your take of the player but if I was that high on him like you are, it would relax me some about the weapons. I don't think Penix has enough receiver weapons right now but he has Bijan, and that makes a difference because the focus is on him. So if we had that level of a superstar in Croskey-Merritt, no doubt that would be tremendous. But I wouldn't bet a cent on that happening but I'd love you to be right.

As for Chig's potential. He was my guy on the FA thread. So love the player. He's not a great player, yet. He's good. My point wasn't that he doesn't bring things to the table that Ertz doesn't have. My point is Chig has yet to have a season like Ertz did in 2024. Chig is by a mile the better YAC player. Ertz is the better red zone-TD player.

 

[DWinzit]

Yeah I am not in a hold your horses this stuff doesn't happen as to transformation of defenses in one year. It happens. That's the unit that can change fast for better or worse from season to season.

NE's 2024 defense sucked. they made many moves. Ended up with a new D coordionator during the season and it all turned around in one year. I like Daronte Jones. I like the scheme. I think they can be good.
And they in my mind fixed the D line with an all in approach, that I love, they left nothing to chance.

My angst lol is totally driven ironically by optimism. Give Jayden a legit Z for three reasons.

A. I want to give the young Qb every tool imaginable to be successful
B. I do think its the missing ingredient for this team to be competitive with the big boy talent teams like the Rams. They wouldn't be as talented but it would close enough of the gap to hopefully upset some teams in the playoffs
C. If you don't have a legit #2, its easier for the whole season to fall apart when you lose your #1.

If that makes me a whiner, hater whatever, cool, I don't care. I see myself the opposite of that. You seem with me on this.

Finish the Death Star, its close to complete, I am not interested in 2027 right now, they can win this now IMO.

Yes I am with you on this and have been. It's frustrating that they make all the upgrades/changes they have but still have failed at the Z. As you stated, it's the 3rd season with the same big hole in the roster...how can that be? AP seems to have full faith in Aiyuk. Watching Ran Carathon with Keim he had all positives to say about Aiyuk, loaded with positives actually, which I enjoyed hearing.

Again I am thrilled with defensive changes and cross my fingers they all gel quickly. My gut is that they will. They did a good job not bringing in selfish primadonnas.

And no, I don't see you as a whiner lol

 

[gbear2]

While I understand the 2 new coordinators as a potential handicap for the season, I guess i think about jt differently than others. It seems like there is a sentiment that makes us unlikely to compete for super bowl but more likely for playoffs. I tend to think they make us likely to struggle early in the season but get better throughout as everyone grows into new responsibilities. We should be at our best if we make the playoffs. I think our super bowl odds should be improved with new (hopefully more successful coordinators), but our playoffs odds should go down if we struggle early. I expect a rough start on both sides of the ball. The question, like for most teams, is can we avoid injuries and catch lightning in a bottle at the end of the season.

 

[burgold]

Very reasonable, gbear

 

[Riggo44]

OK, so yeah if Croskey-Merritt is a star RB or likely can be -- like a J. Gibbs, Barkley, Bijan, etc. That is exciting.

I don't think he needs to be that to be a star. Kenneth Walker wasn't a "star" until this year. But if he puts up Javonte Williams numbers, I think we'd all take that!

BOLD PREDICTION: Bill will outperform Jonathan Taylor. After Taylor's insane 32 carry, 244 yrd game, he put up 134/446/3 for just a paltry 3.3 YPC. He's had back-to-back 300+ carry seasons. In 2024, he had 303 carries in 14 games--that's a 367 carry season. He's ripe to break down this year.

 

[NickyJ]

It's kinda funny tho, if you look back a couple months, Pierce signed for close to 30m with the colts. He's not even an elite receiver.

Fans here said soon after that we should pay Jennings, whatever it's going to cost us. SO, 25-30m a year for Jennings, remember?

AP didn't do it. No other team did either. 32 teams denied Jennings for months.

Snyderatto or Bruce Allen would have surely just paid that guy 20-25M a year for 4-5 years despite his current age and everyone here would have celebrated it. This is where weve came from, and you all cannot deny this. This is history. We've lived it, over and over for decades.

What I'm trying to say is don't try to pretend that you know better, AP knew that Jennings was worth almost nothing in NFL Wr terms, and he didn't overpay the guy.

We should actually celebrate that. We have actual disciplined management.

It's interesting you bring up Bruce, but Bruce wasn't always in on overpaying. He had his moments of 'why overpay for Calais Campbell when we can have McGee and McClain instead?', and 'Do we really need to pay DeSean? He's getting older, he's not going to be the same player. Why pay top dollar for him when we can get Terrelle Pryor?' Woof. No, none of the receivers this season are DeSean or Calais level players; but neither are the prices they're likely asking for.

You insist the players available are overpriced, but so far, none of them have price tags that we've seen to confirm they are overpriced. Diggs we have good reason to expect a high price tag, but we've also seen him put up a perfectly good season even after coming back from injury, so his price tag will likely be well warranted. The only other player to compare prices with so far is Jauan because he's the only player to actually sign now.

Could AP be brilliant by not paying what's necessary to land the remaining talent, namely Diggs at this point? Maybe. The plan of not paying too much is what made Deebo the only major addition to the offense last season, and it ended with Chris Moore and Robbie Chosen getting significant playing time. Playing time that Jayden got injured while trying to overcome. Now it's a season with the coaches on the hotseat. If the offense gets derailed by an injury to one of its few weapons, it will have been a waste of Jayden's cheap rookie contract.

AP's decisions last year made this year one that the team has to succeed in or risk blowing it up for a new coaching staff. I'd celebrate frugality if that frugality was sure to pay dividends in the future. I fear that the coaching staff won't be around to make use of it, and the next coaching staff would be saddled by Jayden playing on a franchise QB's contract. Not something impossible to deal with by any means, but wasting a time when things could have been easier.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Yes I am with you on this and have been. It's frustrating that they make all the upgrades/changes they have but still have failed at the Z. As you stated, it's the 3rd season with the same big hole in the roster...how can that be? AP seems to have full faith in Aiyuk. Watching Ran Carathon with Keim he had all positives to say about Aiyuk, loaded with positives actually, which I enjoyed hearing.

Again I am thrilled with defensive changes and cross my fingers they all gel quickly. My gut is that they will. They did a good job not bringing in selfish primadonnas.

And no, I don't see you as a whiner lol

Yeah I listened to that. My main fear about Aiyuk right now is does he have the self-awareness to show up to SF camp. I hope he doesn't dare them on that point. Becausse SF seems to be spiteful enough to deactivate him for the season.

 

[DWinzit]

Yeah I listened to that. My main fear about Aiyuk right now is does he have the self-awareness to show up to SF camp. I hope he doesn't dare them on that point. Becausse SF seems to be spiteful enough to deactivate him for the season.

Agreed. I have not been at settled with him getting to Washington, being healthy or being able to contribute. The more positives I hear from people close to Aiyuk, the more it works to settle me. There are a lot of warning flags with resting your WR room completion on BA.

 

[Riggo44]

The plan of not paying too much is what made Deebo the only major addition to the offense last season,

Not Tunsil or Conerly?

 

[Riggo44]

Robbie Chosen getting significant playing time.

He played three games, and 38% of the snaps in those games.

 

[Riggo44]

I'd celebrate frugality if that frugality was sure to pay dividends in the future.

Wild overspending doesn't pay dividends either...

 

[NickyJ]

Not Tunsil or Conerly?

I'm not debating about the offensive line, and never gave any indication that I was. I am talking entirely about the playmakers who can either contribute or fail to and force Jayden to make up for their contributions himself.

 

[Riggo44]

I put absolute 0 eggs in this basket.

 

[Riggo44]

I'm not debating about the offensive line, and never gave any indication that I was. I am talking entirely about the playmakers who can either contribute or fail to and force Jayden to make up for their contributions himself.

You said offense. They play offense. Offense is more than just wide receivers.

 

[NickyJ]

Wild overspending doesn't pay dividends either...

What wild overspending? You think that Stefon Diggs isn't a player who can contribute on day 1 and solidify a short list of playmakers? Or do you think his contract is going to eat up the majority of a $50m cap reserve?

You said offense. They play offense. Offense is more than just wide receivers.

As I have outlined in my posts repeatedly, I stand by the thought that Jayden picking up the slack for receivers who can't pull their weight puts him at risk of injury, which played out last season. That's been the theme of every post I've discussed about the receivers. If you disagree with that, fine. But feeling jazzed about the offensive line has never been the focus of my posts, even if you want to use my posts a springboard to express it.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Agreed. I have not been at settled with him getting to Washington, being healthy or being able to contribute. The more positives I hear from people close to Aiyuk, the more it works to settle me. There are a lot of warning flags with resting your WR room completion on BA.

Yeah I've been good with the Aiyuk idea from as far back as last season. My main fear about him is lol he never gets out of SF, and that is a possibility. I was listening to some SF reporters talk about it, and in the equation for them is Aiyuk never plays again if he doesn't show up to camp which they think is possible. Will see.

I don't think deep down Peters is happy with this Wr room and would love to go to war with it. Proof is in the pudding for them chasing Pierce and Doubs and by all indications they want Aiyuk.

Also, as Keim mentioned in his podcasts last year, they knew that the WR room last year was thin and they were taking a chance on it, Peters himself in his end year presser owned up to how he wished he handled that spot differently.

I think Conn nailed it weeks back, at this point it might not be able mindset with Peters as to approaching this but its about failing on the execution of a plan. Clearly their plan wasn't to ride with this WR room.

At this point it feels like their whole plan is now riding on Aiyuk. And for those that argue the WR room is likely fine as it, I am doubting even Peters agrees with that. But if they have to make due, you make due and ride it and hope for the best.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I put absolute 0 eggs in this basket.

Well, at least he doesn’t look fat and out of shape in that picture!

 

[skinsinparadise]

I was listening to an interview with Mitch Tischler and he said he knows people in NE who told him in the locker room, Diggs is a great teammate and the players love him.

Sounds similar to Aiyuk where you got the off field antics but in the locker room they are cool.

Tischler also mentioned from his observation Blough is quiet and introverted. and the way he said that, came off like he's more quiet than Kliff.

I am gussing that might be good with Jayden who is on the quiet side himself.

 

[DWinzit]

Yeah I've been good with the Aiyuk idea from as far back as last season. My main fear about him is lol he never gets out of SF, and that is a possibility. I was listening to some SF reporters talk about it, and in the equation for them is Aiyuk never plays again if he doesn't show up to camp which they think is possible. Will see.

I don't think deep down Peters is happy with this Wr room and would love to go to war with it. Proof is in the pudding for them chasing Pierce and Doubs and by all indications they want Aiyuk.

Also, as Keim mentioned in his podcasts last year, they knew that the WR room last year was thin and they were taking a chance on it, Peters himself in his end year presser owned up to how he wished he handled that spot differently.

I think Conn nailed it weeks back, at this point it might not be able mindset with Peters as to approaching this but its about failing on the execution of a plan. Clearly their plan wasn't to ride with this WR room.

At this point it feels like their whole plan is now riding on Aiyuk. And for those that argue the WR room is likely fine as it, I am doubting even Peters agrees with that. But if they have to make due, you make due and ride it and hope for the best.

Yeah I am okay with just adding one legit WR2 . I know others think we need two but Williams was a good add and Jaydens relationship with Dyami may be underappreciated