The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Ashburn Dave]

With the way AP works, I doubt anyone would know of trade talks until the deal was announced.

This is how it's supposed to work, but we hate not knowing now since the previous regime always telegraphed their next moves.

 

[Boone]

I don't know. I guess I like that the organization runs a tight ship. But I will say this - whether misguided and frequently directed by the owner, when the Redskins under Snyder wanted someone, they were incredibly aggressive about it and generally got it done. No - I'm not pining for a return of the Snyder operational plan. But Peters so far seems pretty conservative. There are very aggressive GMs in the NFL who don't operate like we did during the Snyder era. Philadelphia (unfortunately for us) is a good example of a Front Office that always seems to be operating on another level compared to us. I think it's hard to argue they aren't. Results speak for themselves.

 

[Higskin]

FWIW

 

[Riggo44]

I don't know. I guess I like that the organization runs a tight ship. But I will say this - whether misguided and frequently directed by the owner, when the Redskins under Snyder wanted someone, they were incredibly aggressive about it and generally got it done. No - I'm not pining for a return of the Snyder operational plan. But Peters so far seems pretty conservative. There are very aggressive GMs in the NFL who don't operate like we did during the Snyder era. Philadelphia (unfortunately for us) is a good example of a Front Office that always seems to be operating on another level compared to us. I think it's hard to argue they aren't. Results speak for themselves.

George Paton is widely regarded as a good GM. He has done well for the Broncos.

He also traded 3 players and 5 draft picks for Russell Wilson, only to release him after 2 years.
He also just traded 3 picks, including a first rounder, for Jaylen Waddle. You could say it's the QBs (he did have a pair of Pro Bowl QBs though 🤣 ), but he has dropped off the last two years.

Sometimes aggression works, sometimes it doesnt.

 

[SkinsGuy99]

With the way AP works, I doubt anyone would know of trade talks until the deal was announced.

It could be the person that put up the trade talk X post is close to the Patriots and this source is coming from the New England side.

I'll take it with a grain of salt, though, until we hear more.

 

[burgold]

It could be the person that put up the trade talk X post is close to the Patriots and this source is coming from the New England side.

I'll take it with a grain of salt, though, until we hear more.

It could even be that someone on the Patriots' side is pushing the rumor to try to ratchet up some backdoor pressure on the Commanders because they want to make a move? Who knows though, really?

 

[DWinzit]

It could even be that someone on the Patriots' side is pushing the rumor to try to ratchet up some backdoor pressure on the Commanders because they want to make a move? Who knows though, really?

For sure! Or it could be someone reading my pro-acquisition posts and running with them. Hey, that would make me an influencer, right?

 

[Riggo44]

Sure, you can read something on ESPN, tweet it out and pretend you didn't see the article too and claim "SOURCES!"

 

[Old school]

Does Boutte add something to our WR room that we don't already have? He's not a speedster.

 

[Conn]

Does Boutte add something to our WR room that we don't already have? He's not a speedster.

Really he’d most directly be compared to Dyami Brown (unless the Burks longshot hits, but that would be a good “problem” to have).

He gives you a guy proven to be able to man that Z spot across from Terry, who is capable of making great catches down field along the sideline, with some redzone utility as well. Good blocker.

Projecting a little, he also has the sort of early breakout pedigree and college talent profile that gives you a chance at developing him into something greater. But even if that doesn’t happen, he’s already proven to be above average at a role we’re scrambling to fill with leftovers. It’s no shame to be bumped out of a job by AJ Brown and Doubs has a different skillset and higher pedigree/production as well.

Simply put, anyone who is a big believer in Dyami Brown and his chemistry with Daniels for whatever reason wouldn’t want Boutte. Anyone else probably would?

 

[Riggo44]

So people who think Dyami Brown is the first receiver out the door...

How much different of a skill set does he have than Antonio Williams?

 

[Discobob]

So people who think Dyami Brown is the first receiver out the door...

How much different of a skill set does he have than Antonio Williams?

IMO Van Jefferson is out the door before Dyami

 

[Conn]

So people who think Dyami Brown is the first receiver out the door...

How much different of a skill set does he have than Antonio Williams?

For me, I don’t think he’s the first out the door, I think he’s the Z starter who gets bumped down if we trade for a guy like Boutte. He’d still have a good shot to make the roster imo, and would likely be the clear backup there unless Burks really does break out

Dyami Brown has a very different skillset than Antonio Williams. It would be very easy to have them both on the field if we don’t bring in a potential improvement at Z. Williams in that case would prob play some Z but is the obvious top slot guy, with McCaffrey being his backup who can rotate in

 

[Riggo44]

I meant Boutte and Williams.

But I refuse to believe Dyami Brown is the starter at Z.

 

[Discobob]

Does Boutte add something to our WR room that we don't already have? He's not a speedster.

Of course... he gives us the excuse to crack a bunch of butt jokes!

 

[RedWolf]

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I don't know. I guess I like that the organization runs a tight ship. But I will say this - whether misguided and frequently directed by the owner, when the Redskins under Snyder wanted someone, they were incredibly aggressive about it and generally got it done. No - I'm not pining for a return of the Snyder operational plan. But Peters so far seems pretty conservative. There are very aggressive GMs in the NFL who don't operate like we did during the Snyder era. Philadelphia (unfortunately for us) is a good example of a Front Office that always seems to be operating on another level compared to us. I think it's hard to argue they aren't. Results speak for themselves.

Maybe but they did spend the 4th amount of cash this off season, which isnt overly conservative.

They could have spent more. But it’s not like the penny pinched either.

They needed to be differently aggressive last year. You could argue they were aggressive with the trades for Lattimore, Tunsil and Deebo. Lattimore was a mistake, Tunsil worked out, and Deebo for a 5th was good value. They needed to sign another FA WR who wasn’t going to obviously get hurt instead of Noah Brown. They were trade aggressive but not FA aggressive.

Roseman is elite. He’s also been a GM forever.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[skinsinparadise]

Roseman is elite. He’s also been a GM forever.

Roseman is elite. But he also has an elite owner. I like Harris a lot so no issue with him. But I've read multple times that Lurrie isn't limited by a cash budget so I gather that helps Roseman.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie explained his business philosophy, and it's not about money

Lurie says he doesn't care about his year-to-year profits

www.cbssports.com

The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the NFL's most successful franchises throughout Jeffrey Lurie's tenure as the team's owner. Lurie bought the team in 1994, and since then it has won 11 division titles, made the playoffs 19 times, made four trips to the Super Bowl and won the championship twice -- including this season.

During this most recent decade since general manager Howie Roseman re-took control of the front office, the Eagles have been even more successful. Since 2017, the Eagles have made the playoffs in seven of eight seasons, gone to the Super Bowl three times and won it twice. They are, by all accounts, a model NFL franchise, and have been for essentially the entire time he's owned the team.

And Lurie's business sense has been a big part of the team's success. His willingness to spend money up front in signing bonuses and option bonuses has helped Roseman run the team in a way that allows him to be aggressive in adding talent. And that's because Lurie's business sense is more about football than it is about money.

"You're obviously trying to run a sound business, but I think success is determined by your success on the field and your success in the community," Lurie said, via Sports Illustrated. "And so anything you can do to maximize those two, the value of the team is going to be appreciated more by your performance and your reputation in the community than anything else. It's not going to be the EBITDA in a certain year, or two or three or four.

....Lurie's willingness to spend up front cash means that they don't worry about things like dead money on their books. Philly paid out over $63 million in dead money in 2024, according to Spotrac, and yet still spent the fifth-most active cash in the league at over $255 million. And they don't worry about things like "we paid James Bradberry or Bryce Huff or [insert Player X here] a lot of money and so they have to get a lot of playing time." They'll cut a player or make him inactive for the biggest game of the season.

Ownership is the biggest competitive advantage in sports, and Lurie's willingness to think long term is why the Eagles have one.

 

[Conn]

I meant Boutte and Williams.

But I refuse to believe Dyami Brown is the starter at Z.

Same answer, different reasons. But Boutte on the outside (heh) lets Williams really do his thing inside (and still play outside when wanted) imo, in that hypothetical.

Williams is a crisp short-area-quickness YAC specialist. I kinda like SIP’s comparison of a really rich man’s Crowder.

Boutte is more of a long stride deep threat who has deceptive ability to get open deep and work past guys’ outside shoulder down the sideline. Very different skill-sets imo and can easily coexist

If Dyami isn’t the Z then it basically has to be Burks popping off (which I’m just not ready to assume, at all). Van Jefferson is qualified but Dyami has the edge on him imo, and in minicamps so far they’re keeping McCaffrey inside, so unless that drastically changes (it could after initial installs are done) then it can’t really be him even though I think he’s capable and has a higher ceiling than Dyami.