The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[DWinzit]

Barring one of our WR4's turning it up and becoming a true WR1 or 2, signing Diggs to a one year deal is leaving the team vulnerable to a another poor situation. Terry will be going into 2027 as the only top WR option leaving the team again at his mercy with that contract. There is no way AP wants that. I still believe he will attempt to pull some sort of a trade off to bring in a good younger talent that will be under contract in 2027.

 

[burgold]

The only benefit of the doubt I'll extend to Aiyuk is he already has his generational money so he really doesn't give a F. He has no F's to give. So, maybe he's having a grand old time being an arse.

I don't think that's it and really if it was that doesn't make it any better for any team considering signing him, but that's the only other explanation I have for his behavior.

 

[burgold]

As for our wide receiver corp, I look at it this way. (

We have Terry who is an aging 1/2 and a whole bunch of 3's. Probably Williams, Van Jefferson, Brown, and Burks are all capable of filling third receiver duties not meaning slot, but meaning the guy getting the third amount of targets as a wide receiver. Then, we have McCaffrey, Lane, and some others who are probably 4's and 5's.

The question I return too is whether having four 3's is equal to having one 2.

Acknowledging that some of our "3s" are low end 3s and maybe even 4s.

 

[DWinzit]

As for our wide receiver corp, I look at it this way. (

We have Terry who is an aging 1/2 and a whole bunch of 3's. Probably Williams, Van Jefferson, Brown, and Burks are all capable of filling third receiver duties not meaning slot, but meaning the guy getting the third amount of targets as a wide receiver. Then, we have McCaffrey, Lane, and some others who are probably 4's and 5's.

The question I return too is whether having four 3's is equal to having one 2.

Acknowledging that some of our "3s" are low end 3s and maybe even 4s.

Probably correct.

I was excited when we signed Burks last year as well as resigning him this year. However, it's hard to put a lot of faith in Burks being able to all of a sudden becoming a decent route runner and stay healthy. I have more faith in this occurring with Luke who is still learning the position.

I am more hopeful that the relationship Dyami and Jayden made late in 2024 can return and blossom into him holding up a solid WR3/4 option. I mean, we talk about all these other receivers Jayden played with in college for a year or two as being great options, why not one he had mid success with in the pros.

I'm not thrilled with needing hang hopes on our new 3rd rounder as being coming that WR2 we desperately need. It is placing a lot of pressure on him but maybe as the season progresses he grows into that dude.

 

[burgold]

I want more. I'm as greedy as the rest of us. At the same time, I can imagine it working. Maybe that's the optimism of the offseason or the foolhardy hope of the fan, but what encourages me is I think we can get another good year out of Terry so we have a threat at wide receiver. I think Chig will provide a threat at tight end so we have that outlet covered, too. At running back, White is a reliable outlet. So, we have a player we can trust and use in all three position groups. I also think I'm higher on Bill than many. I think that 2025 told a more true story than after the team began falling apart. I remember him going for eighty-two yards on ten carries in the opener and wondering why the hell Kingsbury stopped calling running plays. I think Kingsbury's reluctance to use the running game enough and vary it up was as big a factor as anything in what held Bill back. Sure, he has stuff he needs to improve on from his rookie season (pass pro, ball security, receiving) and they aren't little things, but he also had a year's worth of rust to shake and many rookies do hit a wall around the time Bill did... so I choose to be optimistic.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Probably correct.

I was excited when we signed Burks last year as well as resigning him this year. However, it's hard to put a lot of faith in Burks being able to all of a sudden becoming a decent route runner and stay healthy. I have more faith in this occurring with Luke who is still learning the position.

I am more hopeful that the relationship Dyami and Jayden made late in 2024 can return and blossom into him holding up a solid WR3/4 option. I mean, we talk about all these other receivers Jayden played with in college for a year or two as being great options, why not one he had mid success with in the pros.

I'm not thrilled with needing hang hopes on our new 3rd rounder as being coming that WR2 we desperately need. It is placing a lot of pressure on him but maybe as the season progresses he grows into that dude.

The Chig stuff is probably the oddest push to me. JP Finlay, who I like, loves this narrative: they got a TE who can catch, fans are sleeping on that. LOL. Zach Ertz was literally Jayden’s No. 2 target. And Chig has never even matched peak Washington Ertz production. There is zero, nada, zip that is novel about Jayden having a pass-catching TE. It’s just a different type of TE — valuing YAC and explosiveness over route running and polish.

And I like Chig. A lot. He was one of my guys on the FA thread. So this isn’t me knocking the player. He’s more exciting than Ertz, and I expect him to be good here. But he hasn’t been a superstar, isn’t viewed as one around the league, and I don’t expect him to suddenly become one in Washington. I’d love to be wrong and see him evolve into an elite TE, but I’m skeptical because so many of the truly great TEs are polished route runners, and that simply hasn’t been Chig’s game.

Do I think they can survive with a bunch of JAGs at WR? Yep. Why? Jayden’s legs. I hate putting that burden on him again, but Jayden is no dummy. He knows he isn’t surrounded by studs. He wants to win. So when guys aren’t separating, he’s going to run — and I think he’s going to run a lot. They’re already talking about designed movement, boots, getting him on the edge, etc.

If Jayden runs for around 1,000 yards, there’s almost nothing this offense can’t overcome. But that’s the irony: the argument that they can survive mediocre WR talent isn’t really a defense of the supporting cast. It’s another argument for how special Jayden is — and how much they’re still asking the Golden Goose to cover up.

 

[skinsinparadise]

And if this team ends up being as bad as so many in the national media expect — and/or Jayden gets hurt — then this organization needs to do some serious self-examination about what it actually takes to help a franchise QB become a franchise QB. Because simply having the guy isn’t enough. You still have to protect him, surround him with legitimate talent, and give him a real chance to become everything you drafted him to be.

People used to make fun of this team, the Jets, Bears, Lions and some others as places QBs go to die, bad places to develop a QB. I think the Bears have killed it for Caleb. Lions have escaped that rep. If they foul it up with Jayden -- Washington would justifably be linked with the Jets as to the really bad teams for a young QB to go to.

 

[DWinzit]

The Chig stuff is probably the oddest push to me. JP Finlay, who I like, loves this narrative: they got a TE who can catch, fans are sleeping on that. LOL. Zach Ertz was literally Jayden’s No. 2 target. And Chig has never even matched peak Washington Ertz production. There is zero, nada, zip that is novel about Jayden having a pass-catching TE. It’s just a different type of TE — valuing YAC and explosiveness over route running and polish.

And I like Chig. A lot. He was one of my guys on the FA thread. So this isn’t me knocking the player. He’s more exciting than Ertz, and I expect him to be good here. But he hasn’t been a superstar, isn’t viewed as one around the league, and I don’t expect him to suddenly become one in Washington. I’d love to be wrong and see him evolve into an elite TE, but I’m skeptical because so many of the truly great TEs are polished route runners, and that simply hasn’t been Chig’s game.

Do I think they can survive with a bunch of JAGs at WR? Yep. Why? Jayden’s legs. I hate putting that burden on him again, but Jayden is no dummy. He knows he isn’t surrounded by studs. He wants to win. So when guys aren’t separating, he’s going to run — and I think he’s going to run a lot. They’re already talking about designed movement, boots, getting him on the edge, etc.

If Jayden runs for around 1,000 yards, there’s almost nothing this offense can’t overcome. But that’s the irony: the argument that they can survive mediocre WR talent isn’t really a defense of the supporting cast. It’s another argument for how special Jayden is — and how much they’re still asking the Golden Goose to cover up.

I am really hoping that we don't find the need to sign Ertz whether due to injuries or lack of production at least in the red zomme, but my gut is he ends up on the roster (maybe just PS)

I was more excited about the addition of White than most. I still think he a huge this year. I loved signing Chig but don't hold as high of expectations on him as others. on a good note, he will require good coverage by the defenses which should assist other receiving threats

 

[burgold]

I think it's entirely reasonable to believe Chig's production has been handcuffed by his QBs. I mean look at who he's played with--

2022	Ryan Tannehill (12) / Malik Willis (3) / Joshua Dobbs (2)
2023	Will Levis (9) / Ryan Tannehill (8)
2024	Will Levis (12) / Mason Rudolph (5)
2025	Cam Ward (17)

 

[ntotoro]

The weird thing is, I can see this WR "solution" working well... for one season... then falling back into 2025-dom. If Diggs comes on, even better... for one season.

 

[Conn]

The weird thing is, I can see this WR "solution" working well... for one season... then falling back into 2025-dom. If Diggs comes on, even better... for one season.

Either way it needs a rebuild after this year due to McLaurin’s age. Even if the most bullish of positive outcomes occurs with the rest of the WR corps and their health/development, that’ll be important for 2027.

 

[burgold]

Yeah. We probably can't expect better than two more high-level years out of McLaurin at best. In recent years, we have seen a few high end receivers play into their mid-thirties, but even your Devonte Adams and the like are used as complimentary pieces. They aren't the focus of an offense.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think it's entirely reasonable to believe Chig's production has been handcuffed by his QBs. I mean look at who he's played with--

2022	Ryan Tannehill (12) / Malik Willis (3) / Joshua Dobbs (2)
2023	Will Levis (9) / Ryan Tannehill (8)
2024	Will Levis (12) / Mason Rudolph (5)
2025	Cam Ward (17)

Sure. I trust Logan, and he likes Chig a lot. But he also doesn’t see him as a particularly crisp route runner, he talked about it in his usual understated way but that's the impression I get. He references being a work in progress on that front and Ertz was special at it. He’s talked about how they’re working on Chig’s releases and even using Ertz as a model for him on that front.

The picture painted for me — not just from Logan, but from everything I’ve heard — is that Chig is a terrific YAC weapon, but not necessarily one of those TEs who might always exactly where he’s supposed to be, when he’s supposed to be there, like Ertz. He’s a completely different flavor of player.

And for all the knocking of Ertz, his yards per catch in Washington was basically identical to Chig’s. Some expect him to constantly rip off explosive plays downfield, but judging by his stats seems like their go to were throws in the flat and then YAC. He also hasn’t been much of a red-zone threat.

Chig is totally different from Ertz — younger, faster, more explosive and definitely more exciting. I like him a lot. But whether he’s actually a better overall TE than the version of Ertz we had is at least debatable.

More to the point, this narrative that “they have a TE who can catch, so that lessens the burden on the WR corps” is bizarre to me. We had that exact dynamic last year and the year before. Ertz was literally Jayden’s No. 2 option. A pass-catching TE isn’t some new wrinkle that suddenly makes a weak WR room less relevant.

And good offenses don’t generally treat this as an either/or proposition. They stack weapons. Good TE, multiple good WRs. One doesn’t remotely preclude the other. Bears have WRs they have TEs who can catch, too. Ditto Pats, etc.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Either way it needs a rebuild after this year due to McLaurin’s age. Even if the most bullish of positive outcomes occurs with the rest of the WR corps and their health/development, that’ll be important for 2027.

Yeah, I think WR almost certainly becomes code red next offseason. Terry will be 32 and making $35 million, and the position will be impossible to keep kicking down the road.

And like I’ve said, if this season goes south — I don’t think it will, but let’s say it does — all the Van Jefferson, Dyami Brown, reclamation-project, “we like our guys” stuff will become a punchline. Nobody will be celebrating the cleverness of trying to squeeze production out of bargain-bin WRs while Jayden is in his rookie-contract window.

At that point, I think Quinn is probably gone and Peters is squarely on the hot seat. Because if you have a franchise QB this good and the offense regresses while you surround him with one of the weakest WR rooms in the league, eventually “we tried” stops being a defense.

 

[RFK Lives]

I am sure it has been discussed, but I am curious as to whether our WR's will benefit from JD5 being under center more in Blough's system. In addition to what is perceived to be an upgrade at TE as far as catching, if the play-action pass comes back into play with the new system, maybe some of these "3's" will find more windows of opportunity for separation. Under Kingsbury's system, it wasn't exactly disguised with the QB being in the gun 90% of the time.

I like Dyami coming back, and think he will make some plays, but, yeah don't consider him a 2.

 

[burgold]

The difference is while Ertz knew how to get open and was a reliable receiver no one viewed him as a threat. He was just a safe outlet. It was also clear that Ertz was running on fumes. So Chig is different than Ertz because defenses need to pay attention to him. If Ertz catches a ball he catches it and falls over. At best, someone runs him down. If Chig catches a ball, the defense may not catch him or he might truck the defender.

So Ertz was a safety blanket and Chig is (potentially) a playmaker. A playmaker will stress the defense differently and may create opportunities for other receivers because they can't play him loose.

That's the theory the Chig supporters are working on anyway.

 

[Conn]

I am sure it has been discussed, but I am curious as to whether our WR's will benefit from JD5 being under center more in Blough's system. In addition to what is perceived to be an upgrade at TE as far as catching, if the play-action pass comes back into play with the new system, maybe some of these "3's" will find more windows of opportunity for separation. Under Kingsbury's system, it wasn't exactly disguised with the QB being in the gun 90% of the time.

I like Dyami coming back, and think he will make some plays, but, yeah don't consider him a 2.

This I’m sure will help, compared to a scheme where you rely on your WR’s to win with no help, in obvious passing situations and formations, in order to move the ball.

My issue with this logic though is that what we’re transitioning to isn’t some new unexpected thing, it’s very much en vogue right now and other teams are doing it as well. It’s not like you’re catching anybody off-guard doing what we want to do, you just have to be good at it and execute. And the teams we’re emulating still have better receivers and weapons in general than we do, especially the teams doing it really well.

Jayden Daniels is talented enough to act as an equalizer to some degree, I just don’t like forcing that to be the answer. And the scheme can help, but it’s also helping the teams already doing it who have less skill position talent deficiencies to hide. So it’s not necessarily a net positive compared to the league at large.

 

[DWinzit]

This is a good sign and one to signal to AP, let's try to get Brian Thomas Jr from the Jags. It would bring in a true WR2 to pair with Terry and be under contract in 2027 as well. The idea of them liking him more on the defensive side is BS, they love him on both sides of the ball.

NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter (knee) will be a “full go” for training camp.​

Hunter is working his way back from a 2025 knee injury and is expected to be a full go for the beginning of training camp, according to Wolfe. The 23-year-old is still going to play both sides of the ball, though Wolfe stated Hunter can be “unleashed” as a starter on defense and “the goal is to eventually have him play nearly all the snaps on defense in a particular game.” The Jaguars seem to like Hunter much better as a cornerback but he will still play offense with his wide receiver snaps fluctuating depending on the game. Hunter is attending meetings for both sides of the ball and will presumably practice both sides come training camp. He is expected to be healthy and ready to go by the time Jags veterans report to training camp in late July.

 

[burgold]

Just want to say that it's weird how much we're banking on the offense benefiting by becoming more of a standard, normal offense. We're going to beat them by not being innovative and doing what everyone does!

(Mind you, I feel that way, too, but it's kind of funny.)

 

[burgold]

This is a good sign and one to signal to AP, let's try to get Brian Thomas Jr from the Jags. It would bring in a true WR2 to pair with Terry and be under contract in 2027 as well. The idea of them liking him more on the defensive side is BS, they love him on both sides of the ball.

NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter (knee) will be a “full go” for training camp.​

Hunter is working his way back from a 2025 knee injury and is expected to be a full go for the beginning of training camp, according to Wolfe. The 23-year-old is still going to play both sides of the ball, though Wolfe stated Hunter can be “unleashed” as a starter on defense and “the goal is to eventually have him play nearly all the snaps on defense in a particular game.” The Jaguars seem to like Hunter much better as a cornerback but he will still play offense with his wide receiver snaps fluctuating depending on the game. Hunter is attending meetings for both sides of the ball and will presumably practice both sides come training camp. He is expected to be healthy and ready to go by the time Jags veterans report to training camp in late July.

I would want to know why BTJ suffered so badly from the droppsies last year. I agree that we should get him if we can, but supposedly he had a really off year. Mind you, I'm basing this on reports so who knows if my impression is reality-based.