The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[skinsinparadise]

So, in Burgold's ideal world if there are no additions, this is what I imagine.

Bill has improved his pass pro to above average and becomes a scary, break a run threat. I think he already can be a good enough runner. He just has to be good enough on pass plays that his presence on the field will not be a tell.
Terry stays Terry for one more year.
Okonkwo causes chaos because he's impossible to match up with a linebacker.
Williams finds his home underneath and is the quick separator, move the chain receiver we want him to be.
Burks provides some tough possession catches.
Lane provides that punt returner as receiver mojo where teams feel if he catches it short he can break it.
White is who he has been. A very steady, better than average receiving back, and a reliable outlet.

Again, all of these are ifs and I'd like to add a bit more certainty (Diggs and Hill over Aiyuk) but there is a world that is reasonable where you can see these players exerting pressure on several points of the defense simultaneously. It doesn't have to be a one-dimensional offense even as is. Mind you, I unless the coaches know something we don't I think adding a bit more "ready to go" is a wise move.

I think best case to me, as for thinking which is the most likely of all these scenarios and I'll add a percentage chance guess:

A. Terry at 31 is as durable and as good as he was in this 20s. 70% chance.
B. Antonio Williams becomes a Jamison Crowder level slot WR. 80% chance. I know that's high for a rookie but this is the one I feel best about
C. Chig becomes a star at TE. 80 catches, 800 yards, etc. 70% chance

Now for Z.
A. Aiyuk is signed and plays like 2023 Aiyuk, 40% chance
B. McCaffrey emerges as a true #2 at Z. 25% chance
C. Dyami has a later career resurgence and is legit at Z. 20% chance
D. Same point about Van Jefferson. 15% chance
E. Same point about Burks. 15% chance.

As for the national rankings the thing is all these teams have these if and buts as to their guys suprising. Heck lets take the Giants, another team leaving it to chance at #2 WR. We can say we got it better with Dyami. But why? Homerism. They got Mooney who had almost 1000 yards as recent as 2024 and his down year last year is better than any peak year from Burks or Dyami, etc. Or take a bad team like the Jets, maybe Adonai Mitchell or Metchie doesn't emerge but they could and both have arguably more pedigree over Lane or McCaffrey.

My point is just about every team has these narratives of imagine oi this or that happens. And some of it does and some doesn't.

 

[Riggo44]

Dyami has a later career resurgence and is legit at Z. 20% chance

Wouldn't Dyami need to have a surgence anywhere in his career in order to have a resurgence?

Lane will have a better year.

 

[Riggo44]

My point is just about every team has these narratives of imagine of this or that happens. And some of it does and some doesn't.

Which is why I find these rankings so unbearably pointless fodder right now

 

[skinsinparadise]

Which is why I find these rankings so unbearably pointless fodder right now

I’ll go back to my stock market analogy. If you’ve got Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia — companies with proven track records and elite fundamentals — you can almost bank on success.

Some NFL rosters are built like that. Others are closer to having Apple, Microsoft, and then an intriguing upstart company you’re hoping turns into the next big thing.

Then there are teams like the Jets, Washington, the Giants (assuming Nabers misses time), the Raiders, and others that are loaded with wild cards. With those teams, it’s tough to confidently rank one over another because so much depends on projections, development, health, and best-case scenarios actually materializing. Whether a team is ranked 31st or 26th on paper almost becomes splitting hairs.

Every one of those teams can paint a best-case picture where everything clicks and they escape the basement at that spot. And history says some of them will. Some will surprise people, some will disappoint, and a couple offenses that look weak on paper today will probably end up being legitimately good because almost everything breaks right.

So if the argument is that it’s hard to separate the bottom-tier rosters as to weapons on paper because projections are volatile, I completely get that.

I’m seeing Twitter threads from fans hyping up Van Jefferson and insisting he’s clearly better than Chris Moore and that people are underrating him. But if you actually dig through the production, the resumes are pretty similar outside of Van’s one strong season years ago. Maybe the optimists are right. Maybe they’re not.

That’s just the nature of this time of year. Fans naturally lean toward believing everything that can go right for their team will go right. And usually reality lands somewhere in the middle — some things hit, some things don’t, and the outcome ends up being far less extreme than the offseason optimism or pessimism.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Wouldn't Dyami need to have a surgence anywhere in his career in order to have a resurgence?

Lane will have a better year.

Some will hype Dyami's two playoff games as the real him, so I was referencing that thought.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Some will hype Dyami's two playoff games as the real him, so I was referencing that thought.

Yep, yep, and Super Bowl Timmy was the real Timmy.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Antonio Williams
Clemson · WR

Washington Commanders
Round 3, No. 71 overall
As stated a month ago, I’m afraid the Commanders haven’t done enough to upgrade Jayden Daniels’ weaponry. Beyond Terry McLaurin, the receiver room doesn’t have a single player who eclipsed 350 yards in the NFL last season. This could put undue pressure on the ninth wideout selected in April’s draft. Williams spent the majority of his time at Clemson in the slot, leading many to assume that’s where he’d earn his keep in the NFL, but the Commanders continue to stress their belief that he can be an inside/outside threat. At a hair under 6 feet tall and 187 pounds, Williams wins with quickness, route savvy and ball skills. And he has a good feel against zone coverage. Not to mention, the guy throws a nice ball, as evidenced by this 40-yard dime on the move from last season. It will be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator David Blough deploys this Day 2 pick, but Jayden needs him to produce from Day 1.

 

[Anselmheifer]

I don’t think there is any way Aiyuk winds up here after that Jayden Daniels quote. He’s done. Maybe won’t even play football again.

 

[skinsfan4128]

I don’t think there is any way Aiyuk winds up here after that Jayden Daniels quote. He’s done. Maybe won’t even play football again.

Eh, I wouldnt say all that. JD5 was giving the equivalent of coach speak. The kid knows he cant reveal anything pertinent obviously due to rhe fact BA is still a 49er. Im sure that anything relevant on BA that JD5 knows about is behind closed doors with AP and DQ.

But more importantly, JD5 probably knows as much as we do about the 49ers thinking when it comes to BA. And let's not forget, BA hasn't been communicating with Lynch and co. So more than likely, no one really knows anything.

I certainly wouldnt read too much into JD5s comments though. The kid is smart and ain't about to fall into that trap.

HTTR!

 

[burgold]

Yeah, I'm sure there have been discussions about what can be said and what can't be said.

 

[DWinzit]

Yeah Jayden is a smart cookie and knows there are lines in the sand. Aiyuk isn't the only player Jayden is friends with so somewhat old hat other than the extreme situation with the Niners.

 

[KDawg]

I think we should all pretend Aiyuk doesn’t exist until he is added to the roster. It would be good for a lot of people’s health.

 

[DWinzit]

I think we should all pretend Aiyuk doesn’t exist until he is added to the roster. It would be good for a lot of people’s health.

Exactly, now go sign Diggs

 

[KDawg]

Exactly, now go sign Diggs

I think we should all pretend Diggs doesn’t exist until he is added to the roster. It would be good for a lot of people’s health.

 

[DWinzit]

I think we should all pretend Diggs doesn’t exist until he is added to the roster. It would be good for a lot of people’s health.

So lets just pretend we don't add a WR. Isn't that where we have been driving all the unhealthy discussions? It's a viscous circle

 

[burgold]

Yeah Jayden is a smart cookie and knows there are lines in the sand. Aiyuk isn't the only player Jayden is friends with so somewhat old hat other than the extreme situation with the Niners.

Honestly, I think he learned his lesson after he got his hand slapped after making that "bet" with Malik online before his rookie camp. Sometimes, you only need to touch the burner once to know it can get hot.

 

[KDawg]

So lets just pretend we don't add a WR. Isn't that where we have been driving all the unhealthy discussions? It's a viscous circle

I think we should all pretend wide receivers don’t exist until they are added to the roster. It would be good for a lot of people’s health.

 

[36ST21]

So lets just pretend we don't add a WR. Isn't that where we have been driving all the unhealthy discussions? It's a viscous circle

That's what I call a sticky situation.

 

[burgold]

That's what I call a sticky situation.

Didn't the NFL outlaw stickum?

 

[Conn]

So lets just pretend we don't add a WR. Isn't that where we have been driving all the unhealthy discussions? It's a viscous circle

Agreed. But how viscous? More slimy, or more molasses?

(I do think at this point there’s probably a 60% chance we just roll with the current WR corps, aside from a big injury. Depending on if Aiyuk ever plays football again, and we can’t depend on it)