2026 Free Agent Superlatives: Favorite Fits, Buyer Beware and more

Summary

The Athletic Football Show – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Athletic Football Show: A Show About the NFL
Episode: 2026 Free Agent Superlatives: Favorite Fits, Buyer Beware, and More
Date: March 6, 2026
Hosts: Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman

---

Episode Overview

This episode serves as the marquee pre-free agency deep dive, where Robert, Derrik, and Dave go through their biggest takes and predictions for the 2026 NFL free agent class. The trio kick off with analysis of the blockbuster DJ Moore trade to Buffalo, then transition into a superlative-packed roundtable, awarding favorites and offering warnings for this year’s top available players. Throughout, the hosts offer their signature mix of detailed football theory, cap talk, and rapid-fire banter, tackling dozens of notable names with humor and candor.

---

Key Segments & Insights

1. DJ Moore Trade Reaction

[01:20–16:52]

• The Bears have traded WR DJ Moore and a fifth-round pick to the Bills for 2026’s 60th overall pick (second round). Savings for the Bears: ~$16 million in cap space.
• Dave’s Snap Reaction: At first, thought it was a “mid-round pick,” so “I just assigned that as like a fourth round pick ... I was getting my talking points ready to say, ‘look at the free agent market. If you can’t afford to go after Alec Pierce, who would you rather have over DJ Moore for a 4th round pick?’” ([03:31])
• Downgrade After Actual Terms Revealed: “Eight minutes later it comes out that it’s pick 60. And I was like, ‘scratch everything. I just said. I don’t like this nearly as much as I did. It reeks of Brandon Beane being very desperate to solve an issue.’” ([03:55])
• Chicago’s Perspective (Robert): Bears free up cap space, gain a valuable additional draft resource for a player “who had become the third or fourth most important pass catching option on your team, this is a very good outcome.” ([05:52])
• Derrik’s Note on Personnel: Bears can only do this because "Colston Loveland and Luther Burden look like superstars" and justify the move ([07:34]).
• Cap/Contract Risks (Robert): Buffalo “guaranteeing $18 million of that third year ... essentially a three year, $75 million contract with $63 million guaranteed. That’s a ton to give to a guy entering his age 29 season.” ([09:41])
• Comparative Value: Wide receiver contracts are ballooning. Jameson Williams deal as reference ($26.5M/year, $67M guaranteed). Alec Pierce reportedly expected to land ~$27.5M/year in FA ([12:23]).
• Summing Up (Robert): “I understand how you get there. Even if I think the downside is pretty real.” ([15:18])

---

2. Free Agent Superlatives

In classic "who’s who" style, hosts hand out category-based awards on the eve of free agency.

A. Favorite Fits

[21:20–37:33]

• Tyler Linderbaum to Chargers (Derrik): Chargers “have to come away with either Tyler Linderbaum or Jalen Phillips.” Cited both roster need and the new FO’s Ravens DNA ([21:26]).
• Skepticism from Robert:
  • “I can’t see it happening. If you’re going to pay the sticker price for free agents ... you give yourself so few avenues for value.” Chargers more likely to target a mid-tier guy like Connor McGovern ([22:30]).
• Tyler Linderbaum to Bears (Dave/Robert): Post-trade, Bears could make a run at Linderbaum for center, but Robert prefers splitting the money “I’d rather have Biadasz for half [the price].” ([27:22])
• Chargers Free Agent Outlook: “I feel like the Chargers need to be using this money to bring in multiple real deal starters, even if they’re not top of the market.” ([25:08])
• Demario Davis to Bears or Contenders: Robert proposes the Bears as a fit for Demario Davis; Dave likes him better on a “step up" like Rams, Bills, Eagles or Packers ([27:45], [70:30]).
• Kaden Ellis to Vikings or Bucs (Dave): “I just like to see Kaden Ellis with Brian Flores. I think that would be really fun ... or the Buccaneers.” ([29:04])
• Nakobe Dean to Ravens (Derrik): “Could be really, really fun” next to Roquan Smith ([29:46]).
• Jalen Phillips to Baltimore: Robert, “they can get frisky if they want ... let’s get a real guy at this spot.” ([30:23])
• Mike Evans to Ravens: “What if we just dropped Mike Evans onto the Ravens?”—multiple hosts love it, but skepticism over the Ravens’ luck/track record at WR. ([32:18])
• Khalil Mack to Seahawks (Derrik): “Why not bring in another mercenary ... microwaving and hoping they can win a Super Bowl next year.” ([34:32])
• Draymond Jones to Cowboys (Dave): “Just a sensible signing that fits a need ... wouldn’t have to break the bank.” ([35:31])
• Odafe Oweh to Patriots (Robert): “Just an upgrade ... fits with their need for actual edge rushers.” ([36:13])
• Running Back Fits: Travis Etienne to Chiefs? Tyler Allgeier to Denver? Open questions, debate about whether KC would pay market for a RB ([37:33]).

B. Favorite Value Signings

[39:53–46:33]

• Kyler Murray (Dave): “Vet minimum for a starting quarterback—occasionally good one.” ([39:53])
• Joel Bitonio/David Njoku (Derrik): “A couple million dollars cheaper” than talent/track record would suggest; Browns’ recent struggles have slightly diminished their market ([40:50]).
• Quincy Williams (multiple): “A DNA-changer,” a value MLB who brings energy. ([41:46])
• Kenny Gainwell (Dave): “Excited to add to my RB room” ([42:55])
• Vet Safeties: Market deep with competent, bargain signings (Kam Curl, Kevin Byard, Alohi Gilman, Xavier Woods, Geno Stone, etc.) ([43:37])
• Bobby Wagner to Bengals?: A stabilizing vet, though Dave worries the risk (“that’s a shitty way to be the last image of a Hall of Fame worthy career ... taking the blame”) ([44:10]).
• Jonathon Grenard to Commanders (Robert): They have the need/cap space, might make sense with the current DC ([45:34]).
• Rasul Douglas (Dave): Is the cliff coming for him? “Chance that he’s just a zero for you the entire season.” ([46:08])

C. Don’t Overthink It: Just Sign Good Players

[47:05–56:29]

• Top Right Tackles: Jermaine Eluemunor & Jawaan Taylor. “You’ll get sticker shock, but that’s the cost. If you need a right tackle, it’s a blessing they’re available—just pay them.” (Dave, [47:05])
• Leo Chenal (Robert): Unique, flexible defender; “just a good player even if he’s a bit specific.” ([48:59])
• John Franklin-Myers (all): “He’s just a good player ... part of a DL rotation—a winning player.” ([50:01])
• Cam Curl (Derrik): “If you need B-minus level safety play, sign that guy.” ([50:24])
• Nick Cross (Dave): Young, availability/production, “won’t break the bank.” ([51:37])
• Tyler Linderbaum, Tyler Biadasz as “just sign him” types (debate on price/value).
• Tyler Allgeier (Robert): “If you’re a team that needs an early-down banger ... just sign him. Washington, Denver, Seattle—he can do it.” ([55:07])

D. Favorite Flyers

[58:15–62:50]

• Bargain, upside, deep-roster contributors:
  • Kenny Gainwell (reiterated)
  • Joseph Ossai—edge upgrade, still young ([58:29])
  • Mohammed Diabate, E.J. Speed—potential MLB/backup values ([58:29])
  • Derek Barnett (Robert): Depth DL for not much money ([59:20])
  • Taekwon Thornton (Dave): “If you have a good QB, throw a small amount of money at him.” ([60:09])
  • J.K. Dobbins (Dave): “If the price is low, he was good last year before he got hurt.” ([60:44])
  • Charlie Kolar, Ar'Darius Washington, Khyiris Tonga (Robert): Depth, flier role players ([61:13])
  • Trayvon Diggs (Dave): Negligible deal as a “scratch-off lottery ticket.” ([62:00])

E. Player Likely to Get Overpaid

[63:10–68:53]

• Wan’Dale Robinson: Price tag “way higher than you think” ([63:10])
• Jalen Nailor: Could get 8-figures, “better than Diami Brown ... had some flashes” ([64:10])
• David Edwards: “The idea that a slightly above average guard is now worth $15 million a year—hoo boy.” ([64:30])
• Illuminor, Taylor, Romeo Doubs: Addressed as potential 8-figure signings ([65:15])
• Logan Hall (Derrik): “If you’re looking for a young 3-tech starter, he is literally the only guy on the market,” will get overpaid relative to résumé ([65:54])
• K’Lavon Chaisson: Market for mid-level edge is weird; “could get 11–15M/yr simply due to scarcity.” ([68:53])

F. Best Finishing Moves (for True Contenders)

[69:42–73:38]

• Classic Veteran Adds:
  • Khalil Mack (multiple mention) as this year’s “DeMarcus Lawrence” ([35:02, 69:42])
  • John Franklin-Myers as a finishing accelerant for a defense ([71:17])
  • Rico Dowdle to Denver as RB complement ([70:19])
  • Zeitler: 1yr, ~$9M for instant RG solution ([70:19])
  • Demario Davis to Rams/Bills/Eagles/Packers (Dave) ([70:30])
  • Mike Evans to Denver (“Kroger brand Jamar & Tee,” Derrick) ([72:17])
  • Cam Jordan: veteran vibes/situational pass rush ([73:15])

G. Buyer Beware!—Players Who Worry the Hosts

[73:45–80:23]

• Alec Pierce: "It’s nothing personal, it’s a huge price tag ... scared of that deal.” (Dave, [73:45])
• Devin Lloyd: “If you look at history ... paying $20 million a year would frighten me.” (Robert, [74:52])
• Nashon Wright—“interceptions were cool, but production didn’t match down-to-down play.” ([75:32])
• Quay Walker (Dave): Still not sure he’s worth the prospective payday, though Derrik is more optimistic. ([75:52–76:52])
• Tariq Woolen: “If it’s $15 million a year ... I just wonder what he looks like outside Seattle.” (Robert, [78:04])
• Brian Cook, Isaiah Likely: “Fantasy-brained” target types for fans; might not be versatile/reliable enough for real-life big deals ([79:22])

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Dave on DJ Moore Deal:
  "It reeks of Brandon Beane being very desperate to solve an issue that helped sink his team last year." ([03:55])

• Robert on WR Contract Trends:
  “The idea that D.J. Moore is getting the Jameson Williams contract, he’s five years older than Williams was when he got that deal. I think that’s important to keep in mind.” ([12:23])

• Derrik on Bears’ WR Depth:
  “If Colston Loveland doesn’t look like a superstar and if Luther Burden doesn’t show you something, the Bears can’t do this [trade].” ([07:34])

• Robert on Chargers’ Free Agency Philosophy:
  “If you’re going to pay the sticker price for free agents that you give yourself so few avenues to have value across your roster...” ([22:30])

• Dave on Right Tackles in FA:
  “If you can find a guy in free agency that you don’t have to think about, that is a blessing.” ([48:09])

• Robert on John Franklin-Myers:
  “He’s never going to be the most productive pass rusher ... but I just think he’s a winning player as part of a defensive line rotation.” ([50:01])

• Robert on Allgeier:
  “If you’re a team that needs like an early down banger... Just sign him. Washington, Denver, Seattle—he can do it.” ([55:45])

• Dave on Buyer’s Remorse:
  “I’m a huge coward when it comes to free agency ... I don’t want to pay damn near anybody unless they’ve already proven themselves on my team.” ([77:42])

---

Quick Reference: Timestamps for Major Segments

• DJ Moore Trade Analysis: [01:20–16:52]
• Favorite Fits: [21:20–37:33]
• Value Signings: [39:53–46:33]
• Don’t Overthink It – Just Good Players: [47:05–56:29]
• Favorite Flyers/Bargain Bin: [58:15–62:50]
• Players Likely to Get Overpaid: [63:10–68:53]
• Best Finishing Moves: [69:42–73:38]
• Buyer Beware: [73:45–80:23]

---

Tone and Takeaways

The episode radiates football nerd joy mixed with sober realism about roster strategy and cap math. Throughout, Mays, Klassen, and Helman move deftly from detailed player analysis to larger team-building philosophy. They tackle almost 50 players, warning against overpaying for splashy names and shedding light on potential hidden gems. Listeners walk away with both specific free-agent targets to watch and a deeper understanding of market dynamics—including how even very good players can be unwise signings at the wrong price.

---

Next Up: The team’s annual “day one” free agency livestream, Monday at 11am Central. The best place to follow this wild NFL offseason.

---

Transcript

[Robert Mays]

Every idea starts with a problem. Warby Parker's was glasses are too expensive,

[Dave]

so they set out to change that. By designing glasses in house and selling

[Robert Mays]

directly to customers, they're able to offer prescription eyewear that's expertly crafted and unexpectedly affordable. Warby Parker glasses are made from premium materials like impact resistant polycarbonate and custom acetate, and they start at just $95, including prescription lenses. Get glasses made from the good stuff.

[Dave]

Stop by a Warby Parker store near you.

[Derek]

You're a pro at running your life. At committing to your workout, at showing up every day.

[Robert Mays]

At Bombas, we're pros too.

[Derek]

Pros at making socks.

[Robert Mays]

Our sport assortment has specialized socks for

[Derek]

whatever sport you're committed to running, hiking, golf, Pilates and so much more. Made with sweat, wicking yarns, blister fighting details and targeted arch support.

[Robert Mays]

Bombus Sport is pro level socks from

[Dave]

the Pros of Socks.

[Derek]

For another pro, you go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20% off your that's bombus.com and use code

[Dave]

audio this spring, follow your nose to what feels good right now get a

[Derek]

free Pura plus diffuser when you subscribe

[Robert Mays]

to 2 cents for 12 months.

[Dave]

Fill larger spaces with scent inspired by

[Derek]

layers of spring and let your home

[Dave]

open to the season [e-mail].

[Robert Mays]

Welcome to the Athletic Football Show. I'm Robert Mays. Our last pre free agency show today kick things off with the DJ Moore News. DJ Moore headed to the Buffalo Bills for a second round pick a fifth also going back to Buffalo in that deal they did some tweak tweaks to his contract. A ton to dig into with a DJ Moore to the Bills move. Talked about all of that with Dave and Derek and then spent some time today going through some free agent Superlatives for the 2026 class. Favorite fits Favorite Potential value signings. Don't overthink it. That guy's a good player. Just sign him. Favorite Flyers guys who are going to get PA more than the people might think. Best finishing moves for contenders and the players that you would be a little bit afraid of if your team was shelling out the money for them. So probably talk about 50 guys over the course of this entire show so this will be going to be the last one we have before free agency. 11am on Monday. Our free agency live stream right here on the athletic football show YouTube channel. Very much looking forward to that. For now let's get to our free agency superlatives with Dave and Derek. Our last show before free Agency starts in earnest next Monday. As a quick reminder, 11:00am Central, we will be here for our free agency live stream. Very much looking forward to that. We've got our last kind of big picture free agency show that we're doing today. We're going to hand out some free agency superlatives, few categories that we want to hit, but like there has been all week. David, a little bit of news. Before we started recording today, DJ Moore traded to the Buffalo Bills. This kind of came in stages, right? You see the fact that he was traded to Buffalo and first glance I'm like, all right, yep, that makes a lot of sense. Then you see mid round pick. I believe Ian Rapport reported that that was the initial trade terms. It was a mid round pick going back to Chicago. And then we get the final terms of the deal. The Bears are sending DJ Moore and a 5th round pick to Buffalo in exchange for the 60th pick in this year's draft. Which if you're a Bears fan, I think you have to be pretty happy with that. Haul your initial thoughts on the DJ Moore trade to the Buffalo Bills.

[Dave]

This is the joy of the Internet and it's why I'll never log off. Because if you're a geek like me and you don't put your phone down for more than 5, 6 minutes at a time, you got to live on this roller coaster to the point where the trade comes down and immediately I think one of the first things I saw was that it was a mid round pick and for right or for wrong, I just assigned that as like a fourth round pick. I'm on, I'm on Twitter, like, hey, this maybe isn't ideal. I think if you don't pay attention, close attention to the NFL, you're probably a little more excited about DJ Moore than you should be. Like at this point, DJ Moore is not like a blockbuster acquisition, but at the same time he is a quality receiver. He is an upgrade from what the Buffalo Bills have had. And if you're sending a fourth round pick, I was all, I was getting my talking points ready to say, look at the free agent market. If you can't afford to go after Alec Pierce, who would you rather have over DJ Moore for a 4th round pick? And maybe if you want to say Romeo Dobbs, I could get on board with that. But it is a very short list. And so I'm sitting there saying fourth round pick for what's left of DJ Moore's contract. And by the way, in a year or two you can get out from under it, because a lot of the guarantees will be gone by then. I think this is perfectly acceptable for where the Bills are. It's a great way to address a need without doing something completely heinous. And then like 15 minutes later, it was great. Cause I was actually going back and forth on Twitter with our guy Ted Nguyen, where he was like, you know, I don't know if I love this. I don't know if DJ Moore is worth that. And I'm like, it's a fourth round pick, like for where the Bills are with their cap. I think this is totally fine. And then eight minutes later it comes out that it's pick 60. And I was like, you know what? Scratch everything. I just said. I don't like this nearly as much as I did. It reeks of Brandon Bean being very desperate to solve an issue that helped sink his team last year is a steep price to pay. And on top of that, from the sounds of it, they're going to restructure his deal in such a way to guarantee his money into 2028. So another appealing thing about the DJ Moore deal when I first saw it was maybe in one year, or at worst in two years, you can get away from this. DJ Moore is now going to be involved with the Bills for three years, or at the very least, they'll be responsible for three years worth of money for a second round pick. That's.

[Robert Mays]

So the fifth does matter in the calculus. Right? So it probably settles. If you actually look at the draft capital, somewhere around a third round pick, but no, but extremely valuable. Right. Like, and the way that I'm looking at it from the Bears perspective, and we can dig into the Bill side of this in a second, my thought was they would get. So there are two different kind of competing trades that I think you could potentially use as a sort of blueprint for this sort of return. So if you look at like the Stefan Diggs trade, and I don't remember exactly how much money Diggs had left on his deal, but I assume it was generally in the same sort of range when it comes to a couple years of guarantees. 20 to 25 million dollars a year, the Bills get a second round pick in that deal, they give a Diggs a sixth round pick and a fifth round pick in the following year back to the Texans. So that's one kind of outline of a trade like this. And then you have the Amari Cooper trade, which he had $20 million, I think, for two more years left on his deal. The Browns get him for a 5th round pick. I always assumed that this would be closer to the Amari Cooper trade than it would be to the Stefan Diggs trade. And so my thought was the idea of a fourth round pick and the Bears being able to shed that salary. All right, that makes sense. It's always kind of what I thought it would be. This was always about freeing up that money you were going to have to pay DJ Moore if you were trading him away. But now, Derek, beyond that, you free up $16 million in cap space if you're the Bears and you now have the 60th pick in the draft. So DJ Moore is a good player, but the being able to potentially now add like one and a half to two and a half starters with the resources that you freed up in this sort of deal for a guy who had become the third or fourth most important pass catching option on your team, this is a very good outcome if you were the Bears in this sort of trade.

[Derek]

So that's the thing. I think if Colston Loveland doesn't look like a superstar and if Luther Burden doesn't show you something, the Bears can't do this. Like, I know that DJ Moore has been like a frustrating player over the handful of years that he's been there, but if those two guys don't hit the way that they do, they can't do this. The fact that those two guys. Burton, you know, we'll see. I think there's more flashes than substance.

[Robert Mays]

But come on, Luther Burton is the superstar.

[Derek]

He's. We'll see about that. Loveland, I'm willing to give superstar. That guy is going to be like Rob Gronkowski, but I'm like, because of how good those guys are.

[Dave]

Straight to Gronk.

[Robert Mays]

I love it. I have no pushback.

[Derek]

Okay, listen, the dude is amazing. He can count for like two or three wide receivers out there. So I'm super excited for him. This makes the DJ Moore thing make sense. And I also think, think even though this is a steep price for Buffalo and I would not have paid a second round pick for a guy like DJ Moore, I do think there is some argument for like DJ Moore's role and what he was within the offense and how he felt in Chicago was clearly just messed around the entire time that he was there. Obviously in 2023 he goes and is traded there and with Justin Fields, he's like a vertical guy and they actually. He has a kind of a decent connection with Justin Fields and that starts to work in 2024. They obviously bring in Caleb Williams. The offense is bad. The offensive line isn't good of becomes more of a short underneath like kind of possession guy. Kind of like he was at points in Carolina and then Ben Johnson comes in and he goes back to a vertical guy but his role and volume in the offense drops a little bit. So I just, there's still a part of me that I actually can see how this works out for the Bills. If he just immediately goes there and is like, I like playing with Josh Allen, I like Joe Brady's offense. I like the way that all this, this works. He'll clearly be the number one guy. Like even though it's a steep price, I actually am kind of okay with this for Buffalo. I'm kind of optimistic.

[Robert Mays]

I think the fit and like what he can be within the off, I have no issues with that whatsoever. It's a huge upgrade for them. I absolutely think the role will kind of crystallize in a way that it never did in Chicago for on a football level. I'm very excited to see what he can do in an offense with an offensive court with a play caller. He's not the head coach. Forgot about that. Joe Brady is the, was the offensive coordinator in Carolina when DJ Moore was there. So there's a little bit of a connection there.

[Derek]

Oh, that's right.

[Robert Mays]

For me, this is about the pri. This is about like this is more about the contract than it is about the trade value. Like guaranteeing 18 million of that third year. So now we're in a place where he has 23, I think and a half million dollars a year in 26 and 27. So guaranteeing that $18 million in 2028, we're now looking at essentially a three year, $75 million contract with $63 million guaranteed. That's a ton to get to give to a guy who's entering his age 29 season. If you look at other wide receiver contracts and kind aav if you account for inflation of the cap is less than the contracts handed out to guys like Nico Collins and Devonte Smith. But the guarantees are more again for a guy entering his age 29 season. And so this is just when you think about the draft capital needed needed to make this deal happen. Plus the amount of money you're now on the hook for into a guy's age 31 season at receiver. Even if I like the short term football outcome of this for the Bills, you are incurring a ton of risk with this sort of deal.

[Dave]

And that's at the end of the day that's the thing. And on the bright side, if you're a Bills fan, DJ Moore can still pay this off. Like he could be good enough to make this worth it, right? For the ambitions that the Bills have and where they're trying to go, if he helps you get there, you're not going to care about any of that stuff. And I do think he's, he's turning 29 this year.

[Derek]

He's.

[Dave]

Even if he's not like a blockbuster sort of player, like he's not what Stefan Diggs was when they traded for Stefan Diggs so many years ago, but he can still be good and potentially even better with a quarterback like Josh Allen. But it's just that much harder to meet that threshold. And all of the things that you typically like about a trade, like when you trade for a 29 year old receiver, you're like, okay, but we only gave up a mid round pick. Well, that's not true. Okay, but the deal is structured in a way that we can cut him next year. No harm, no foul. That's not true either. All right, well, at least it's only a two year deal. Also not true.

[Robert Mays]

So like none of 30 year guarantees to me is just crazy. Why, why was this necessary?

[Dave]

None of the things that make you feel better about taking a risk like this are there for the Bills, so it just, it makes it a little bit harder to meet that threshold. But fortunately you have an MVP quarterback. And I, you know, I, I'm just hoping if I'm a Bills fan, I'm hoping like hell that Josh Allen can, can bring the absolute best out of DJ Moore. And I guess I'm also hoping that the Bills aren't done right. Like I don't think this can be. And, and that that's the draft.

[Robert Mays]

The draft, yeah. They can have somebody in the draft.

[Dave]

I'm not saying they have to do anything crazy in free agency, but I would still be trying to add weapons in the draft even after this.

[Robert Mays]

So here is the bit of information. We do not have a sound version of this information that Brandon Bean likely does have. And that's how much some of these wide receivers in free agency were going to cost next week. And so that has to be part of the calculus and part of the conversation here. Right? And so let's just throw out a couple different names. The first one I'll throw out is not somebody that's a free agent, but just for some wide receiver contract like context. Jameson Williams, 26 and a half million dollars a year on a three year deal, $67 million guaranteed. So that actually is kind of what we're talking about here with the DJ Moore thing. And Jameson Williams got on a three year deal. That's probably the most analogous contract. So part of this is just that wide receiver contracts are becoming astronomical. And so the idea that D.J. moore is getting the Jameson Williams contract, he's five years older than Williams was when he got that deal. I think that's important to keep in mind. But I think Jameson Williams, a lot of people would be shocked that that is the price for him if you weren't paying attention to the details. To bring it to this receiver, wide receiver, the free agency group, though, let's just throw out some hypothetical numbers. I was talking to a GM yesterday who told me that Pierce is going to land maybe like 27 and a half million dollars a year. It's kind of what he thought might be the range for that. So you're coming in $4 million a year less for DJ Moore than you might have to pay for Alec Pierce. If we're in a world where Rashid Shahid is getting $15 million a year, would you rather pay $23 million a year for DJ Moore, even if he's a little bit older? This gets messy because the draft capital plus the contract sends you into a different place. But I can understand if you look just at the money of the guys who are going to be available in free agency and then you compare it to what DJ Moore can potentially give you. Derek landing in a place where you're just like it. Like, why would I pay $18 million a year for Romeo Dobbs if I can pay $23 million a year for a better player, Draft capital be damned. I don't love that thought process, but I can see how it happens.

[Derek]

Well, and it's, it's the certainty that you get them. Like when you trade for a guy like that is yours. Nobody else gets to compete for this like you are. You have him right there. Whereas if you go into free agency being like, oh, we'll sign a guy, and then you're trying to fiddle for a couple million dollars for this guy, and then maybe this guy just doesn't want to play in Buffalo. And then you have all these things, it's like, well, now the top five or six receivers are just off the market. And then you end up in the spot kind of where you were last year, where you end up signing a guy of like Josh Palmer's caliber who like can do something for you, but at bet at his Best is not as good as a player as DJ Moore is at his best.

[Robert Mays]

Josh Palmer is a great example. And that Josh Palmer is going to come up a couple times on this show when we talk about wide receiver contracts. But even if you look at the last couple years and we'll go back to a guy who was actually just cut today, Darnell Mooney getting $13 million a year from the Falcons. Rasheed Shahid. Would you be surprised if Rashid she got $15 million a year for Nasi? I don't think it would. I would be either. That's a Cooper cup got last year, right? I mean, Rashad Bateman got 12.3 on his extension.

[Derek]

Team stuff too. Right.

[Robert Mays]

So. And Rashid Shahid is kind of the guy when we were going to do best fits, he was the guy I was going to throw on the Bills. I was like, does this make sense in terms of skill set for the Bills who need a little bit of giddy up and a little bit of juice. So if he's making 15 and you're paying 23 for DJ Moore, I understand how you get there. Even if I think the downside is pretty real.

[Dave]

The funny thing is I already said it. I would be applauding the Bills if this was a lesser pick because I think I would. If it was a four, if it was a fourth round pick that you were sending, I would rather give up a four for DJ Moore on his contract than anybody that's available in free agency this year, including Pierce. For the price. Like I might rather have Pierce in a vacuum, but for the. For that amount of money. Not really. It's where it becomes a second round pick where I get a little dubious. And I was joking in our discord chat a couple hours ago. I was like, I guess you just gotta hope that it's the run of the mill type of second round pick, you know, I mean like it's not as if it's guaranteed Cook every time you make this pick. So maybe it goes back to what we talked about earlier in the week about overvaluing draft picks. If, if DJ Moore can elevate this offense, then it'll probably be worth it. But the cost of it makes me a little less confident than I would have been.

[Robert Mays]

We're not going to have to worry about that version of the hit on the second round pick for the Bears specifically because the Bears are dealing this pick and their first round pick next year for Max Crosby.

[Dave]

I'm glad you said it. So I didn't have to paint you into a corner. But like, I mean, with Bears freed up a ton of space, we're adding tools to the war chest.

[Robert Mays]

It's not that much space.

[Dave]

It's enough to do it when you. It's enough to have some fun with.

[Robert Mays]

So our producer, Katie, we were sitting in the bullpen before we started recording, and she said, how much cab space do the Bears have now after the DJ Moore trade? And off the top of my head doing the Dalman math and Edmonds math, and the more math I know it, it's like $30 million. I don't even have to look anymore.

[Dave]

$30 million is enough to sign whoever you want to.

[Robert Mays]

Okay. You need two safeties, a linebacker, a left tackle, and a starting center if you're the bears.

[Dave]

Still, I'm 100. I don't want to, I don't want to get into what we're going to talk about on the show just yet, but I've been thinking about this all morning. I'd be happy to pay Tyler Linderbaum what he wants and then use my draft capital to do the rest of what you just described. I'm in. I'd do it.

[Robert Mays]

All right, well, we'll address the little drool. Put that on the shelf. All right, we're going to take our first quick break and then we're going to come back and chat through a few of these superlative categories. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp March includes international Women's Day. A moment to celebrate women's strength and progress while also recognizing how much they carry every day. Between caring for others and managing unseen responsibilities, their emotional well being can easily be overlooked. I am lucky to have so many women in my life who are so

[Dave]

important to me, who I love dearly. My wife, my mom, two daughters, two sisters, my mother in law.

[Robert Mays]

I'm surrounded by so many strong women who have made a great impact on my life. We actually got to celebrate that recently. It was just my wife's birthday in

[Dave]

February and we brought the whole family together.

[Robert Mays]

It was such a great time, a

[Dave]

special time to show her how much we all love her, how much she

[Robert Mays]

all means to us, and how much we see everything that she does.

[Dave]

BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict

[Robert Mays]

code of conduct and are fully licensed

[Dave]

in the US BetterHelp does the initial

[Robert Mays]

matching work for you so you can

[Dave]

focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years

[Robert Mays]

of experience and industry leading match fulfill rate means they typically get it right the first time with over 30,000 therapists. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served more than 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a

[Dave]

live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. Your emotional well being matters.

[Robert Mays]

Find support and feel lighter in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] mace that's betterhelp.com mace

[Dave]

this episode is sponsored by Gab. The youth mental health crisis is all over the news and we know social media is driving it. And this shocked me. This number, unbelievable. 45% of girls and 32% of boys feel overwhelming stress from being on social media. And together 25% of both feel worse about their own lives. I have a four year old at home, so I haven't confronted this yet, but I know it's coming eventually. And I dread the day that she asked for her own phone and access to social media. But here's the good news. A company called Gab has solved the problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech in steps. Tech in steps works by providing kids safe phones and watches tailored to every age, offering the right device at the right time. From GPS tracking enabled watches for young kids to increase features and parent enabled apps on the phones for tweens and teens, each device grows with your child. Bottom line, you don't have to give your kid a device that was made for an adult. Get them Gab, which keeps them socially connected, safely. I can't recommend Gab enough. Use our code to get the best deal on something that will make parenting easier and give you peace of mind. Visit gab.com footballshow that's G-A-B-B.com and use code footballshow for a special offer.

[Robert Mays]

Thy ticket lady, Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks, good sir. Here is my Discover card.

[Dave]

They accept Discover at Renaissance fairs.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the place places

[Dave]

I love to shop.

[Robert Mays]

Get it with the times. With the times. You're playing the loot. Yeah. And it sounds pretty good, right?

[Derek]

Discover is accepted at 99 of places

[Robert Mays]

that take credit cards nationwide. Based on the February 2025 Nielsen report. All right, we've got about eight of these, eight to 10 of them that we're going to run through. So let's start with where my notes start because that. That's really the only guidance I have here. And that's with favorite fits. Just your favorite fits player team in this free agency crop. Derek, start us off, buddy. Your favorite fit as you went through this year's group of free agents and you were trying to pair them with the team.

[Derek]

I. I mean, I do have like a handful here, but I'll start with one of the big ticket items.

[Robert Mays]

We can talk about this.

[Derek]

Yeah, I'll start with a big ticket item before we get some of the smaller ones. The Chargers, they have to come away with either Tyler Linderbaum or Jalen Phillips. And Tyler Linderbaum seeing.

[Robert Mays]

We all saw interesting.

[Derek]

We all saw the playoff game that cannot happen again. Like, they need to have a center who I think can fix, you know, help Justin Herbert out, solidify the interior. Obviously there's, you know, Joe Ortiz having been in the Ravens building when Tyler Linder Brown was drafted. All that Jazz, Jalen Phillips. To me, Khalil Mack is probably going to walk because I think in terms of, like, long term plan for them, he probably doesn't really fit. Mack might end up elsewhere. I can talk about one of my favorite fits for him in a moment. Jalen Phillips, though, is kind of like a younger version of a similar style player where he has a very similar build. He's a really strong edge defender, really more of like a pocket pusher kind of bull type than he is somebody who really gets around the edge. Like, I just think if they want to go for somebody who is, injuries aside, entering his prime, I actually think that's a pretty good way for the Chargers to spend their money. And they don't have very many edge players right now on the roster.

[Robert Mays]

They have one. I mean, because always it's really just two weeks, so they're going to have to do something there. All right, so. So here's where I'm at with the Chargers and Linderbaum. I can't see it happening. I just can't because of just Ortiz's history and like the way that the Ravens have historically operated. But not just that. I think the way that he and that front office in general view free agency, and he's been open about this. I. If you're going to pay the sticker price for free agents that you give yourself so few avenues to have value across your roster, and I think that will continue to be a driving mindset for them even as they have money. So this, to me is like a very good thought exercise. Right. So the. The rave. The Chargers specifically feel like a team to me that instead of Giving Tyler Linderbaum $20 million a year, they give Connor McGovern $12 million a year. Where they think you Know what? We would rather just have a guy at almost half the price that we think is a starter for us out of. That's. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but I think that's the mindset that they're going to take into free agency. I'd be surprised if they shop at the top of the market.

[Derek]

Does Mike McDaniel being the offensive coordinator change that for you at all? Because I do think Tyler Linderbaum is like, a perfect fit for what he wants to do offensive.

[Robert Mays]

I don't disagree with that schematically. I just think in terms of, again, the mindset that their t that they took into free agency last year, and I think it's going to be hard for them to kick. I just don't see them, like, throwing a ton of money around on top of the market players.

[Dave]

I also don't think of the Ravens, and that's where Joe comes from, but like, giving coaches an outsized voice and stuff like that. Like, I think of the Ravens as having.

[Robert Mays]

They'll have a process.

[Dave]

They have a process. They stick to it.

[Robert Mays]

And I think the Chargers will have a similar process.

[Dave]

Yeah, that would be my guess.

[Robert Mays]

I. Conor McGovern was actually the one I was going to throw out for the Chargers. And from. From the run game perspective, you're 100% right. Right. I just think about, like, what McDaniel has been in the center. I mean, he signed Aaron Brewer to be a center two years ago, and I think that's exactly what they've sought out when it comes to all that zone blocking. For me, the reason I liked McGovern is he's so smart and having a guy that can handle some of that stuff, I just feel like the Chargers desperately need somebody like that in the middle of their offense and the other team that I would throw out and I don't know if they're going to be willing to spend this much money on a guy like this. Houston desperately could use a guy like this. That just helps them sort through stuff. So the Chargers and the Texans, both of them, I just felt like, could benefit from a guy like Connor McGovern in the middle of their offense.

[Dave]

Will you meet us halfway and at least, like, do you feel any sense of optimism that the Chargers, however they want to spend it, I feel like they need to do more this year than they did last year.

[Robert Mays]

Yes.

[Dave]

And I will not. Getting out over your skis and you're heading into your second year is fine, but last year it was Makai Becton And Will Disley and nobody else of note. I feel like the Chargers need to be using this money to bring in multiple real deal starters, even if they're not top of the market.

[Robert Mays]

I think that will happen. I think that they will use the money to find like three new starters along the interior of the offensive line. But because they have to find three. That's why I could see them moving the money around a little bit. Like just if we're doing the simple math on it, if McGovern's getting 12 to 13 a year and Linder Bomb's getting 20 a year, that's $7 million is a starting guard potentially. And I think that's how they will conceive of it. Again, that's just tea leaves talking to people and just knowing the mindset that I think kind of hangs over that organization when it comes to stuff like this. All right, so I had. Conor McGovern was one of mine.

[Dave]

Well, let's just get it all out of the way right here because we talked about it at the top. But Tyler Linderbaum feels like a great fit for the Bears. And the only thing that was holding it back before was they didn't have the money for it, but now they do. They have a needed center.

[Robert Mays]

They kind of do.

[Dave]

No, they do it like ob you got to get funny with it obviously. And I know the Bears are not the most flush with cash NFL organization in terms of like liquidity, but they have the cap space to make a deal work if they were hell bent on doing it. And it would probably be your biggest like maybe only expenditure of free agency. But. But you've got draft capital to deal with the rest of that. You just added a second round pick in the DJ Moore thing. I for the considering and I know that, I know that these are not their only choices, but between giving up a ton for Max Crosby in addition to what he would cost you, I would rather use that money on Tyler Linderbaum. I think obviously, I mean he's going to fit with what anybody wants to do, but I think he fits with Ben Johnson really well. Ben Johnson has just always had really, really good offensive linemen to work with and I think you don't want to step away from that after losing Drew Dalman. So souping that up, having him in the middle of that to keep your strength, the strength and you can have all that draft capital to spend on your defense, I think it would be really fun and I would rather soup up the Bears offense and, and worry about, you know, piecemealing it on the defense side.

[Robert Mays]

That.

[Dave]

That's just me.

[Robert Mays]

I think I'd rather have beat us for half. That's where I sit with it because I just think they have too many needs. So here's. Here's what I'll throw out there for you. Okay, let's do. Let's do this as an exercise. I had one guy that I was sending to the Bears as a best fit. If we're going to move on from Tremaine Edmonds, why don't we just drop Demario Davis into the middle of the Bears defense? Oh, yes.

[Dave]

We're going to reunite so much overlap on all of these notes because I've got Demario somewhere else in my notebook.

[Robert Mays]

Okay, so Demario Davis for Dennis Allen. Okay, let's say Demario Davis makes $8 million a year on a one year deal. And let's say you're paying Biotish $8 million a year. And then you need a starting safety in somewhere that's six to seven million dollars a year. That's three players for the Linderbell money. And I just think that's how I would do it. I'd rather do it that way.

[Dave]

It sounds good. I think it sounds good in March.

[Derek]

Yeah, I think I get that. But isn't there a value in, like, making sure the offense is supercharged when that is your identity? I think there's a little bit of value to that.

[Robert Mays]

I think you guys are underrating how many holes they have. I don't want to spend the next hour. I know they have holes. There are a ton of holes.

[Dave]

Okay, I. I hear you. I guess that depends on. And I mean, I know the goal is to win the super bowl, but what's your timeline like? I don't need the Bears to win the Super bowl in 2026. If. As long as we're working toward that over the next, like two or three years before. Caleb Williams is a really expensive player. So if. If we don't feel 100% good about the defense heading into 2026, I, Dave, don't personally care that much, especially if Tyler Linderbaum's now going to be a part of this thing for four or five years.

[Robert Mays]

I still think I'd rather have beatish for half. All right, your next. Your next favorite fit.

[Dave]

This is really basic because you just look at a guy guy's skill set and plug him into the thing that sounds the most fun. And I know, I know they don't have any money. They can. They're. They're working on fixing it. I just like to see Kaden Ellis with Brian Flores. I think that would be really fun. Oh, like the. The. The blitz happiest, best blitzer, linebacker possible with the guy that likes to do it the most. Or maybe realistic one. And again, also basic. But the Buccaneers badly need linebacker play. They're very familiar with Kaden Ellis. If they wanted to throw him some money. Either one of those, I think, could be a hell of a lot of fun.

[Robert Mays]

The Buccaneers, actually, I think that does make some sense. Derek, did you have any linebackers in your favorite fits?

[Derek]

I only had one, and I think money wise, it's going to be tough to figure out, but I'm also not sure what this player is going to make, given his injury history and, like, how specific of a player he is. I think putting Nakobi Dean next to Roquan Smith could be really, really fun. Like, I think they. I understand they're a little bit excited about some of the young players that they have, but I just think how explosive he is as a player, I think is. Is kind of, like, very similar to what they could have had with Patrick Queen, obviously, if they'd been able to keep him around. Obviously, they couldn't. So I think in terms of, like, money wise and, like, figuring out if they really want to step over young players, that's a tough one. But I do think that would be an incredibly fun, fun linebacker duo.

[Dave]

All right.

[Robert Mays]

I have two guys that I threw potentially on the Ravens. One I think is actually, like, a realistic thing that they should consider, and I think it actually does make a lot of sense. It's a guy. You already mentioned Eric Jalen Phillips to Baltimore. To me, yeah, that's awesome. I just think that he makes so much sense. It's a position of need. The Ravens are an interesting spot. Right. And so we obviously know that the Lamar contract is kind of looming over everything. If they restructure Lamar's deal, just take it down to zero, they free up a ton of cap space. That makes his 2027 cap hit insane. But that gives you a year to potentially do that extension. They want to bring that extension down. Exactly. And so if you wanted to kick the can, this is a team that, if they wanted to move on from Marlon Humphrey, if they wanted to restructure Lamar Jackson, they could be looking at, like, a ton of money in cap space. And again, they have $33 million a year in the 2027 cap in that situation. But if they want to extend Lamar, then that frees them up next year if they want to do that. A team where like, yeah, we can get a little frisky if we want to because we have more holes than we typically do coming into this part of the calendar. I think Jalen Phillips them just like, you know what, let's stop around with like this edge stuff. Like let's go out, let's solve this problem once and for all and let's get a real guy at this spot. They have signed guys in free agency at the top of the market at times when there have been players out there. Marcus Williams is the best example. And so if they see Jalen Phillips kind of an exception to the guys usually available, is he a guy that they would spend money for?

[Dave]

I mean, I know he was a trick, but they turned around and gave Roquan that deal as well. Like they are willing to splash money on guys.

[Robert Mays]

So that's one I would throw out. And the other one that I, this I think would be harder to do because I didn't realize that the Bateman extension was fresh enough where he's going to be on the roster this year. But the one that I had in mind and Derek, this is, I'm hoping not to like send you into space by doing this. What if we just dropped Mike Evans onto the Ravens?

[Derek]

Yes, yes. I, I, I want it to happen. I think I've just been so like, like the Ravens have no idea how to figure out how to find ball winners. So I've just kind of given up. Like they've spent a decade in, in the draft in free agency. It's like smaller deals, bigger, like they cannot find the guy who is the ball winner. So if they went out and just said, you know what, no messing around, Mike Evans is clearly still a very good player, I would be over the moon about that.

[Dave]

I don't want to splash cold water on that. I, I love Mike Evans. I think he's a Hall of Famer or at least has a great it. How many times are the Ravens going to do the like this guy was at the top of his game five years ago thing, like how many times?

[Derek]

But Mike Evans was at the top of his game two years ago.

[Robert Mays]

He was.

[Dave]

I'm aware he was. I am aware. But the Ravens always go after these all pro caliber receivers when they're entering the end of their time of usefulness. I mean, we can go through the list if we want to.

[Robert Mays]

So with Mike Evans specifically, I think what he had aged into starting last year, he was never just like a big ball winning receiver. He was more than that. Now I kind of think he's transitioning into a big ball winning receiver and that's what the Ravens need. And so the 2026 version of Mike Evans I think is fine. When you think about the exact skill set that Baltimore needs, this is, by the way, this is like a pie in the sky bullshit thing. I was just thinking about it as I was considering, like fun guys they could spend money on and skill sets they don't have. I think Mike Evans is probably going to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer next year.

[Dave]

This is completely ir. It's total bullshit. I know that, but. And I'm not even superstitious but like, if Mike Evans resigns in Tampa, if Mike Evans goes to San Francisco, I guess he's not going to go to Buffalo now. If Mike Evans wound up in Kansas City, I'd be like, great, he's still got some juice. He's going to be awesome if he signs in Baltimore, I'm just like, oh shit, it's over. He signed with the Ravens.

[Robert Mays]

He's not bold in erasure. And Quan Bolden had really nice stretches in Baltimore even though he was deeper into his career.

[Dave]

It was quite a while ago.

[Robert Mays]

That wasn't. It's. I said it wasn't that long ago to me. Feels like yesterday to me. All right, so I have a few more. Derek, do you have any others favorite fits that you like?

[Derek]

I. I've got. I've got two more that I want to bring up for sure and they're both. They're both a little bit further down the list in terms of payment. I talked about Khalil Mack and mentioned that a little bit. The Seahawks have enough money and enough edge players they need to replace. Why not bring in another mercenary like Club Mack? Him and him and DeMarcus Lawrence and Derek hall is the most you.

[Dave]

Oh, I.

[Derek]

That you can absolutely. Like. I just, I think it would be so good. Obviously you're just microwaving and hoping that they can just win a Super bowl next year because he's not going to be the future. But how sick would that combo be?

[Dave]

We were talking the other day about edge rushers. Just like Khalil Mack signing on with teams with a chance to win a championship.

[Robert Mays]

I mean, is best finishing moves going to be one of our categories here?

[Dave]

Absolutely.

[Robert Mays]

So we have best finishing moves coming up here later. Like guys that just. This is the last thing you need to do to put yourself over the top. My first note is, is Khalil mack this year's DeMarcus Lawrence.

[Derek]

Why not do it on the same team? Just run it back.

[Dave]

DeMarcus is like welcome. It's good.

[Robert Mays]

Do you have any other best bets?

[Dave]

Yeah, I have one. Cautiously optimistic again, I don't fully believe that the Cowboys will do anything next week. At least nothing of note. And I think, I think this is a great middle ground because you don't have to do anything crazy. This doesn't have to be a big contract. I'd like to see Draymond Jones in Dallas. Just a sensible signing that fits a need. He's familiar with that scheme. He can play a variety of different roles on your front. I still think he looked pretty good for Tennessee and Baltimore and I don't think you would have to break the bank to sign him.

[Robert Mays]

And useful player.

[Dave]

Yeah, that would be a great signal to me like okay, even if Dallas isn't going after big fish like this would be a departure from what they usually do.

[Robert Mays]

My one edge rusher that I had just because I think he's going to get paid. I think that they have money to throw around and just skillset wise I think that he fits with somebody leaving that team potentially this year in free agency. What if we just sent out Dafe away to the Patriots?

[Derek]

Oh, that would be good. And actually get some edge, you know, past our shoes because like Chazon and Landry were nice players but not like oh my God, that guy is going to tear off the edge and get to the quarterback.

[Robert Mays]

So that's. I kind of think of it as like just an upgrade on what Chase on was giving them last year. That's. That's how I conceive of it and that's kind of why I did that. I think so I think that skill set does make sense. Couple more that I had. I've talked about this a little bit. A bunch of different places. Dobbs in San Francisco or Kansas City, like either one of those places I think specifically needs a player with his skill set and like the Chiefs desperately need that sort of guy. Whether it's Dobbs, Juwan Jennings, Mike Evans, whoever it happens to be. There are guys that provide exactly what their offense needs available in free agency this year. But him in San Francisco, I could just see it. I can see him in the helmet, I can see him in the offense. It's easy. We talked about Alec Pierce in Tennessee like that. To me they have way too much money. They're the team that has the biggest needed outside receiver. That one I think tracks. Do we like a back on the Chiefs is There anybody that you had in mind that you wanted to put on the Chiefs at running back? I went with etn.

[Derek]

I think ETN probably makes the most sense for them. I also had another AFC west running back. This was the last one I wanted to show. Tyler Algier needs to be a Denver Bronco.

[Robert Mays]

Like, see, I had. I also had that. It was my. Don't. He's one of my. Don't overthink it guys so we can get to that. So. And that's an. Algier is like a finishing piece. I actually really do like that. I tried to drop him on a couple different teams, which we can talk about. And it's funny, that's actually not true. My best finishing moves for Denver, Rico Dowdle. So the exact same. Like, very similar. Same ideas, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Kind of player.

[Dave]

You think the Chiefs want to spend ETN money at running back? I mean, I know they need one.

[Robert Mays]

It's a great question.

[Dave]

They've needed one for a minute.

[Robert Mays]

It's a great question. I don't. I don't know the answer to that. I mean, if he's making. What do we think Travis ETN's gonna make in freedom? I think that's gonna be the question.

[Derek]

Oh, I don't know. 75% of whatever Kenneth Walker made makes.

[Robert Mays]

Okay.

[Dave]

Could I get him for 12? If I could get him for 12, I'd like that more.

[Robert Mays]

I assume that again, all these contracts that might be used as comparison points, none of them were free agents. But Derek Henry, on his most recent extension with the Ravens, signed a $15 million a year deal. The deal before that for Derrick Henry and free agency was 8 million bucks a year. And so I assume that the ETN Walker market, maybe Walker would get a little bit more just because. Because you're betting on can he be the explosive player he was in the playoffs for us moving forward, like, are we going to get his best football? But if ETN settled, like, at like 9 million bucks, 10 million bucks a year, I don't think I would find that shocking. Running backs, I don't really like. With receivers, it's like, add 3 million more to what you think it is. Running backs, I'm just not sure I would apply the same level of thinking.

[Dave]

I'm admittedly bad at projecting these sorts of things. It gives me all sorts of anxiety if I could get him for much cheaper than that. And I get that. That's what gave me pause is I'm like, do the Chiefs really want to hand out a contract? That, that big to a running back.

[Robert Mays]

I just wonder if they're not going to be as big as you think they are. No other positions. Yes.

[Dave]

And if they're not, then I'm way

[Robert Mays]

more interested so that I think that one makes sense. And I think that's the last one I had because the other one was Brashee Heat to Buffalo, which I now we don't need to talk about that anymore. All right, let's get to maybe some value signings that we like. Not necessarily based on fit, but just guys that you think where their price may land. You're going to be happy that your team signed them. Who's your first guy, Dave?

[Dave]

Obvious, but I'll get it out of the way. It's Kyler Murray for me.

[Robert Mays]

Oh, that's that one. Fine.

[Derek]

Whatever.

[Dave]

Vet minimum for, for a starting quarterback occasionally. Good one. That, that was where my head went first.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah. The last time we did this was Russell Wilson in like the 2024 version of Russell Wilson.

[Dave]

That's a little bit different, right?

[Robert Mays]

That's very different. Okay, that's what I'm implying is that it's different.

[Dave]

Like we don't have to, we don't have to to say it's that over for Kyler yet.

[Robert Mays]

I don't think it is. Yeah, that, that's kind of what I mean. I, I, I don't think it's nearly as over as it was for Russell Wilson the last time that we did this. Okay. And even. Well, we don't have to get into that. But I was going to say, even for the Steelers, like, he gave you more value than a million dollars.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Robert Mays]

Like, even if he wasn't that good of a quarterback, like just objectively he did. And so the fact that it's not that over for Kyler, I think that's pretty clear. Derek, who's your first one here? Favorite value signing that you guys, you just think are going to be available at the right price this week.

[Derek]

So I actually had a few and a lot of mine are actually like really down low in the, in the bargain bin in terms of guys that are going to sign for nothing and I think be solid, but two that I think will get like decent money and I think over perform or at least be really helpful for their team are two Browns players, I think Joel Batonio and David Njoku because of their age, some of the injury history stuff recently, the Browns obviously just being terrible last year. I think there's a little bit of like, like they're being pushed off to the side and I think some team is probably going to get them for a couple million dollars cheaper per year than they would probably deserve otherwise.

[Robert Mays]

I think those are both good names to throw out in that aging left guard conversation. We talked about them a lot this week. But if David Edwards, who we'll talk about in a minute, is going to make 15 to 16 million dollars a year, I'll take Salamala for half. Like, I just think that's the type of guy I'd be thinking about. Jalen Thompson is somebody we mentioned yesterday. Is he somebody that you can get from for 8, $9 million a year as a starting safety? I think that's one that I will like. Where are you at with Quincy Williams, Derek?

[Derek]

I okay, so I actually think Quincy Williams is I kind of almost had him in a different category, but I do think that he is going to be he is also in a similar category where I think because of the weird coaching like turnover last year and I think him just like not, you know, being on and off the field a little bit. It just seems like it wasn't the right fit. But you could totally I actually in the show that we did yesterday almost compared him to like when the Texans signed Aziz Al Shire where he is just immediately this like DNA changer, like speed, go, go, go violent hit type of guy that you can put into the middle of the defense. Almost the way we talked about like Dre Greenlaw as well when he got signed with Denver, like that kind of signing. I think he could totally be that and it's going to be cheaper than it was when the Texans signed Al Shayer or when the Broncos signed Dre Greenlaw. So I'm pretty still I'm still pretty into Quincy Williams as well of the best linebackers in this class.

[Robert Mays]

I my thought process is very similar when it just comes to you know what, what a disaster last year was like. If we can get him into a better spot, can we get him at the right price? He's just somebody that I'd be interested in if I had a need at linebacker. So I those were my three. Did you have any others?

[Dave]

We talked about them. Kenny Gainwell is just a guy I would be really excited to add to my running back room. And then I mean t with a with a few exceptions cause I do think there will be some guys that get bigger deals but those veteran safeties that I assume you can have for for a lower price. I think again going back to the Bears, if you not to keep harping on Tyler Linderbaum but like if they were to spend a bunch of money on one position, I think you could address safety without breaking the bank in this year's class. That would be my guess.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, that's probably right. But even like let's say it's Cam Curl, Kam Curl still probably going to get like $8 million a year in free agency. It's not nothing but. What a no.

[Dave]

But like you could even. You could go further down the line. I mean Kevin Byard had a great season but like you mentioned Alohi Gilman a couple days. A couple days ago.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Xavier woods for a very low price could probably play a useful role in a good defense. I know it didn't really go well in Cincinnati, but for the price Geno Stone like I like you could.

[Robert Mays]

That's. The other names are fine. You've taken this to a place I'm not willing to go.

[Dave]

Maybe not. There are some places where I think it could work.

[Robert Mays]

Speaking of the Bengals, I have a weird one for you that I we didn't talk about this for best fits but I, it just, it came across my mind today when I was just thinking about what he could be in the larger group and like where he would make sense right now. I don't. Who knows if he would even want to play there. He might decided that he'd rather hang it up than do this. But, but what about Bobby Wagner in Cincinnati?

[Derek]

I mean they need an adult in the room.

[Robert Mays]

So I actually do enjoy where it's like you, you, you sign a vet. He's. He's very limited at this point in his career but you ask him to do what he's good at. You were just a disaster when it comes to like your guys playing downhill last year and he doesn't help, you know the side to side kind of concerns you had on perimeter runs. Like that's not where he is right now. But I just think that adding some stability to that room when you were so, so young last year is that something worth thinking about.

[Dave]

I'm just imagining how sad it would make me if it didn't go well. Like if the Bengals defense doesn't get any better and Bobby Wagner is the only famous member of that unit and he's just taking all the blame for the Bengals being.

[Robert Mays]

I mean that may happen.

[Dave]

That's a shitty way to like be the, the la. The last image of a Hall of Fame worthy career would. That would bum me out. I mean if it worked that would be great. But I, I'm just drifting toward like Late October and the Bengals can't stop a nosebleed. And it's Bobby Wagner's fault, Even though he's 45 years old or however old he is.

[Robert Mays]

Speaking of the commanders, we talked about this earlier in the week, but them as the Jonathan Garnard team, just that one makes sense to me. They don't have the draft capital. Maybe it's a 2027 pick. Like, maybe you throw a 2027 third at Minnesota for them to get that contract off their books. Like, that's one that I just. I don't know.

[Dave]

I.

[Robert Mays]

This, the Durante Jones part of it. They need. They have such a need there. Like that one I can just see happening.

[Dave]

Oh, I had. I had one more. And this is another guy we've mentioned because we've been doing shows all week. But how big would the contract be for Rasul Douglas? And nothing.

[Derek]

Yeah, he's what, 31 and a half right now?

[Dave]

I think he's 32, maybe almost 32.

[Robert Mays]

I just. The problem with those, and I love. No one loves a let's sign him on June 1st Veteran Corner Edition more than me. The issue with that is that, that the cliff just happens immediately. Like you can. If you're going to be relying on that guy, there's a chance that he's just a zero for you the entire season. And so I wonder when that's coming for Rasool Douglas. Maybe it never comes.

[Dave]

That's. That's the joy of this. And yeah, maybe you wait until you've drafted a couple guys and you're like, oh, he can hang. He can play in front of the third round pick. And maybe by week four, it's like, no, the third round pick needs to play.

[Robert Mays]

That's okay if you're, if you're approaching it from two different angles, that's. That's where you protect yourself a little. All right, next category here. I like this one a lot. I think this was Bel Air suggestion. Don't overthink it. These guys are good players. Just go out and get the good players and you'll be happy about it. I had three guys that I wanted to talk about here. Who's your first one? Don't overthink it. In the 2026 free agent class, I

[Dave]

have two guys that play the same position at the top of my list, Jermaine Illuminor and Juan Taylor. Like, if that's something that you need, you're probably going to balk at the price because they play offensive tack tackle. And I'm not saying that they're perfect players. But this is if that's what you need, if you need a starting right tackle, these are the waters that you're in. Just pay them and they can do the job. And they'll probably never be all pro, but that's a different problem to fix. You find those guys in the draft, I would happily pay either one of those guys and I think you probably get a little bit of sticker shock. But that is the cost of finding offensive tackle play and free agency and the fact that those guys are available. If you need a right tackle that badly, I think it's a blessing for you that they're there. So just pay them.

[Robert Mays]

I the way I've been thinking about your main illumina is like it's if we reround the clock two or three years for Morgan Moses.

[Derek]

Yes, that's perfect.

[Robert Mays]

We're, we're going to give him like 10 million bucks. He's going to be our starting right tackle and we'll never have to think about it again.

[Dave]

If you can, if you can find a guy in free agency that you don't have to think about about, that is a blessing.

[Robert Mays]

I like Illuminar. I, I, I, I actually like that a lot because again I think that at he's 31, I want to say I think he'll be available for a decent price and I just think that he gives you short term stability and

[Dave]

he's been getting, he's been better of his career.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, I like that a lot. Again, he's been open about that like him the light kind of turning off from him when he got to New York and so I think I like that one.

[Dave]

That's when, when, when the deals start flying and people see the numbers attached to Jermaine Illuminor. I can imagine people being scared off by it and it's like that is, that's the be stressed out about your right tackle.

[Robert Mays]

All right. I've got a couple here. First one for me and I don't know exactly where he fits just because he is sort of a specific player. But I do think there are a couple teams that make sense and I just think he's a good player. Chanel.

[Derek]

Yeah. See, I love that you frame it that way because I'm trying to figure out like who really wants a player like that where more of a run defender than a pass defender. But you can put him on the edge and obviously be this movable piece. There's times where they've put him at like 3tech to defend the run obviously in like very weird scenarios, but there's got to be somebody who can make a useful player out of that.

[Robert Mays]

Again, I had two teams that came to mind for me and I'm thinking about blitz heavy teams and just him being able to play forward. The jets and the Commanders are two teams that I kind of had in mind there. Like would he make sense in Washington as they move on from Bobby Wagner? I just, that's again, you, you, Dorothy Jones is coming in. You're going to be a blitz heavy team, most likely. So I wasn't exactly sure where the best teams and the. Where the best landing spots might be, but he's just one of those guys that, that I think he's going to sign for less money than he probably should because he is a specific guy and he's going to be a winning player for you. The other guy that I think is going to sign for a lot of money. We talked about this just in terms of the lack of guys available to position. I just think he's good. John Franklin Myers.

[Dave]

Yes, yes.

[Derek]

First name I had on my list.

[Robert Mays]

He is just a good player. And like again, I think there's probably going to be some sort of sticker shock. But let's say he's getting 15 or so million dollars a year. Grady Jarrett and Jonathan Allen were getting 18 million last year. And so if you can get him for that sort of range. He's never going to be like the most productive pass rusher or anything like that. But I just think he's a winning player as part of a defensive line rotation.

[Derek]

You need a guy on your defensive line who is just making space for everybody else and being a wrecking ball. And JFM is that. He's been that for like three different teams now. Like I just, I would absolutely be over the moon to pay him. He is, he was literally the first guy I had on my list was John Franklin Myers and then the other two I had are guys that we've already talked about in some capacity. Joel Batonio I think is a very. Just like if you need a left guard, just sign him. Don't even think about it. And then Cam Curl, like, I mean I kind of made this case for Cam Curl two years ago when before the Rams signed him that like this is a guy just signed like he's a good player, not a Pro Bowler, not like an all pro player. But if you need B minus level safety play, sign that guy. You don't have to think about it again for the next year.

[Robert Mays]

That was the one in real time. It was two years ago when that contract got signed. It was four and a half million dollars a year. It's just, there's some guys like, I just remember in the moment when it happens, like Cam Crow was one of those, I've talked about this one before, but like when the Seahawks signed Michael Bennett and I saw that contract come across, I was like, that's bullshit. He's too good for like to be paid that amount of money. And then he ended up being great for Seattle. And so Camp Curl was a bargain the moment he signed that deal with the Rams. I assume he'll get a little bit more this year, but I tend to agree. Even two years later, later, I'll stump

[Dave]

for my guy, Nick Cross one more time. We already said he hasn't turned 25 yet. He's missed one game in his career. He's played 98% of Indy's snaps since he was named a full time starter two years ago. And he flirted with 300 tackles over a two year span. Like he's just a good, young, available football player. And I, I wouldn't guess that the deal would be huge. Like he's not going to like break the bank. Bank. And then one more that I had and I, so I took all of these notes on Wednesday night. So I didn't know what was going to happen today. So just indulge me. Not related to the Chicago Bears at all. I'm, I'm annoyed and tired of the Linder bomb discourse because I feel like he's being punished for how good at football he is. And I know this year wasn't like amazing. I know that. But like, the whole reason Tyler Linderbaum's not even like, the reason he's not under contract is because he's that good and because the franchise tag, or excuse me, the fifth year option tags are weird, right? Like the. You're not paying a center number, it's all the offensive line. So I get how the Ravens wound up in that situation, but like, I just, I don't think you're going to regret paying Tyler Linderbaum $21 million a year, even if he's not as good as Creed Humphrey. That's, I get that. And I just, I don't think it's going to be an issue. And if the fifth year option tags weren't so weird, the Ravens would have gotten this done 18 months ago and we wouldn't even be talking about it and nobody would care that he was that well.

[Robert Mays]

I don't think it's a thing where you're going to look at it and there's going to be a ton of buyer's remorse because he bottoms out in any sort of way. Like there's a couple different considerations there. One, he's a good player. To the history of signing interior offensive linemen and especially centers and free agency, it's one of the best things you can chase. Like the hit rate on it is just higher than almost any other position. I'll say this though, he is a specific type of player player. And I just don't know if I want to be paying $20 million a year to a specific type of center that is best in one kind of run scheme. And he's not because he's a little bit undersized. He's not like an elite, elite pass Protector be paying $20 million. And so when I think about that, to me it's about opportunity cost, right? It's just like if I think about giving him $20 million and I just want stability for $10 million, that's what I keep coming back to. I don't think that you're going to have fan bases beating down the doors of facilities with pitchforks and, you know, torches because their team signed Tyler Linderbaum. It's going to be one of those albatross deals you see in two years. I just am not sure him for $20 million a year is a good, smart football decision.

[Dave]

I think it just depends on where you are and what you want to do. And I mean, I'd say the way the league is trending, ending, it's a great time to want or need a center that can turn your run game into something really explosive and amazing. I mean, look at some of the best, most innovative lethal offenses. Lean on that stuff. I mean, Ben Johnson leans on that shit. For all the cool razzle dazzle that Caleb Williams does, that's an incredibly important part of it. And I get your point. I mean, this goes back to the mailbag thing we did two weeks ago about why center's not valued. I just think, think I, I feel like there's. It's turned into a discourse about whether Tyler Linderbaum is a good football player. And I think that strays away from the mark. Like, I just, I don't think whoever pays him is going to regret it.

[Robert Mays]

The answer to that can be yes, but he can also not be worth $20 million a year. Those two things can be true at the same time. And I think that's where I Land with it.

[Dave]

I guess we'll see.

[Robert Mays]

My last good player, Tyler Algier. Tyler Algier. Good football player?

[Derek]

Yes, very good football player. Don't overthink it.

[Robert Mays]

I just sign like. If you're a team that needs like an early down banger. The only reason that Denver to me wasn't as quick of an answer, Derek, is just because Denver last year, I mean they're. They were more slanted toward gap runs than almost any other team in the league. And obviously coming from Atlanta, it's been almost as much. If you look at percentages, zone runs for Algeria over his first couple years, that's the only reason that I didn't think he made the most sense there. I think you absolutely could drop him there. The other team that I was just like, yeah, I can cook with this is Washington.

[Derek]

Oh, that would be great because they tried to do that with like, you know, when Brian Robinson was there and all that stuff and like, yeah, that. Okay, that one could be really good.

[Robert Mays]

Early down grinder. If they're going to be more under center, like I just him in Washington, I think makes sense. But there are a bunch of different teams I think you could throw out for Tyler Algier as a replacement for Kenneth Walker. If Seattle moves on from Kenneth Walker, that's going to be. That's a very zone heavy scheme. Like, you could list me like eight teams. I think that could science tyre Alger and I think I'd be happy about

[Derek]

it because to me, I don't think it has to just be like, he's just our early down grinder. Like, if he is just straight up your starting running back, 75% of the snaps, like, he can 100% do that. He did it as a rookie and he was pretty good.

[Robert Mays]

There just aren't that many guys who are doing that anymore. You know, I don't think he's a explosive type.

[Derek]

Yeah, that's.

[Robert Mays]

I think he's absolutely. He is due for a bigger sort of role at his next stop than he had in Atlanta.

[Derek]

It's kind of just Josh Jacobs who is like that, right? Like, who is like not super explosive, just like grinds a bunch of carries. Like, it's kind of just Josh Jacobs in that role, which I like, I alir might be able to do that, but there's just not that many guys like that.

[Robert Mays]

All right, let's take our next quick break and then come back and hit a couple more of these categories. Season 3 of the Talent Transformation Podcast is here. Join Avature CEO Dimitri Boylan as he talks with HR leaders who are leveraging disruption to stay ahead. Hear from the brilliant minds behind the talent strategies at I, IBM, Siemens, Energy,

[Dave]

Transcom and many more.

[Robert Mays]

Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. The Talent Transformation Podcast Redefining talent One

[Dave]

conversation at a time.

[Derek]

Open the door to spring.

[Robert Mays]

Explore vibrant scents inspired by places you

[Derek]

love, designed to refresh your home and

[Dave]

how it feels every day.

[Derek]

Follow your nose.

[Robert Mays]

Let your space feel lighter.

[Dave]

Disc Discover the spring collection at pura.com

[Robert Mays]

shipping, billing, admin, payroll, marketing. You're managing all the things, so why waste time sending important documents the old fashioned way? Mail and ship when you want how

[Derek]

you want with stamps.com print postage on demand 247 and schedule pickups from your office or home.

[Robert Mays]

Save up to 90% with automated rate shopping.

[Derek]

That's why over 1 million small businesses trust stamps.com go to stamps.com and use code podcast to try stamps.com risk free for 60 days.

[Robert Mays]

We can run through this next one pretty quickly. We wanted to just like favorite flyers guys that are going to be available for next to nothing that I would want on my team. You mentioned already one of them that I thought about which was Kenny Gainwell. I had a couple more that I wanted to throw out there. Derek, did you have any of these?

[Derek]

I've got a couple and I dug a little deep for some of these. So the one that is not so deep is I think Joseph Os is actually pretty interesting from the Bengals. Again picking from sort of like the Browns offensive players I mentioned. Like picking from a unit that was terrible, but finding a guy, it's like okay, he's 25, 26, probably had his best season last year. He can defend the run a little bit. I think that one is interesting. And then I had two linebackers that might cost you like $0 who could be interesting. Mohammed Diabate from the Browns is a restricted free agent, but if they let him go I would be very interested in letting him come and compete in your room potentially being a starter. And then EJ Speed who had signed last year on a one year deal for the Texans, was a really good backup linebacker for them whenever he had to come in and play. And I think he was good with the Colts beforehand. Now I think coming off that little year where he got to sit, I think that he could be like a legitimate starting caliber linebacker for somebody for pennies.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, I think the Texans depth pieces are also a theme for me. I had Derek Barnett as one of my guys.

[Dave]

Like surprised he hasn't come up this week.

[Robert Mays]

I just. He's one of those guys where like it's not. He flashes more than he's conc. Consistently disruptive. But again, if we're just trying to like build out those rooms and you're trying to go five or six deep on your defensive line room, I just think that he's somebody that can give you a little bit of pop. Sheldon Rankins is probably more expensive than that, but I, I'd be excited to sign Sheldon Rankins in free agency after what he did last year.

[Derek]

And the thing I would say about Barnett is like, it's one of those cases where when you have a first round pick who kind of fizzles out and just isn't what you thought he would be, you kind of when he becomes like a C level player, we just like completely forget about him. Like he just was completely out of our mind. But it's like a C level player is still a C level player even if he's not what he was supposed to be as a first round pick.

[Robert Mays]

Do you have any favorite Flyers?

[Dave]

If you have a good quarterback, why not throw a small amount of money at Taekwond Thornton That.

[Robert Mays]

I like that. I was thinking about him yesterday too.

[Dave]

It wasn't amazing for Kansas City, but they undeniably.

[Robert Mays]

It was okay.

[Dave]

It was fine. Yeah, it was fine. I wouldn't do it unless I had one of the better quarterbacks, but why the hell not?

[Robert Mays]

Tutu Atwell made $10 million.

[Dave]

Yeah, like if you want 5, I wouldn't want to pay Tyquan 10. But yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Robert Mays]

But if you could get him for half that or third of that on a one year deal, it's like I'd be interested in him and just providing a very specific skill set to your

[Dave]

receiver room and then another one on offense. Lord help me. Don't make fun of me. I assume.

[Robert Mays]

I can't promise you anything.

[Dave]

I assume the price is going to be really low for very good reason. But if the price is really low, I'd give J.K. dobbins a shot to be part of my backfield.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, I'm glad he was good last year.

[Dave]

He was good last year before he got hurt. That's the. I mean the problem is he's hurt a lot. But if he's healthy and available and I just, I can't imagine that number is very big, I'd be happy to have him.

[Robert Mays]

I had three more guys. We've talked about one of them at least this week. Charlie Kohler. I just. Charlie Kohler or somebody.

[Dave]

I'm telling you, he's like, I'm not trying to break the bank for him, but he's. He would be so high on my wish list.

[Robert Mays]

Charlie Kohler just. It makes sense as to why he didn't play that much. He was banged up a little bit. I think he can be to say like a very solid two way tight end for you. Speaking of Ravens, are Darius Washington coming off the Achilles last year, the year before that, I actually thought he was playing really good football. If you could get him for next to nothing, is he somebody that you'd be happy about as a depth piece and then this one. There are a couple guys that like fill this role within the defense and are probably going to be available for next to nothing and you're going to be happy that you have them. Kyrie's Tonga, just based on the way he played for the Patriots last year. So he's a free agent. Can you get that sort of skill set for a very cheap price?

[Dave]

Would you be willing to throw a forgettable amount of money at Trayvon Diggs and see if it's a scratch off lottery ticket?

[Robert Mays]

I think that question is better served for you. Would you be willing to throw negligible amount of money at Trayvon Diggs? See, this is what I would like to do. I want to put it back on him.

[Dave]

You know what though? For a truly negligible amount of money money, I would do it. I mean the ball skills and the athleticism. He's only, he's. He turns 28 at the start of the year and remember it was back to back knee injuries. Not just one, he had one at in 2023. And then at the tail end of 2024 the Cowboys rushed him back because that's what they do. Because they'd rather just get him back on the field than spend money on another corner. So I, I could talk myself into him having a redemption arc, but it would have to be for a very small amount of money.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, I just, I just wore. He's done. That's my.

[Dave]

I mean it's always a concern with cornerbacks, but if it's for like I said, if it, if it's for like less than. If it's for like less than 5 million dollars. Like if it's like a 3 million dollar contract or something, it might be less than that. Yeah, exactly. So like who, who, who cares?

[Robert Mays]

Next category here. Guy who's going to get paid more than you think or more than like the General public may think I obviously I don't know the answer to this off the top of my head. I did some canvassing over the last couple of days to come up with a couple names we've talked about. A couple of them mentioned him yesterday. Wandell Robinson. Apparently the price tag on Wandell Robinson is just way higher than you think it might be, which we could also throw him into the players you're scared of, which we're going to do here in a little bit. I'd throw that in there as well. The other guy that this is not surprising. And I think this is just based on more about where the receiver market has gone over the last couple years. We mentioned the two. Two out well made $10 million a year last year. The two other wide receiver contracts that are important to keep in mind when you think about this guy and being shocked by the number. Diamond Brown made $10 million a year last year. Josh Palmer made 11. So the guy, I think that falls into that category where it's eight figures for that guy this year, Jalen Naylor.

[Derek]

So I actually think he's a better. He's a. To me, he's definitely a better player than Diami Brown. Josh Palmer, I think because they're so different, that can get a little bit sticky. But I actually do think Naylor had some flashes and if they, they were. If the Vikings were not totally griefed by their quarterback play this year, I actually do think he probably could have more seriously commanded that amount of money. So that one I actually think makes a lot of sense.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah. So he, he's one that was mentioned and then the other one we talked, we hinted at it a little bit. David Edwards making like 15, $16 million a year is just, I mean, that's one where he was a backup for the Rams. Like he signed. He was. He signed as a backup for the Bills like three years ago when he initially got there before kind of moving into that starting role because they moved McGovern to center. And so the fact that he's going to get 15 or 16 million is I think David Edwards is 29.

[Derek]

Yes.

[Robert Mays]

So, yes, he turns 29 in two weeks. Okay. I mean that's solid player. But the idea that like if you are a slightly above average guard, you are now worth $15 million a year is hoo boy. I know that's where we are, but every time I think about it, it still is a little bit surprising.

[Dave]

The I said and for the record, I would be happy to pay them, like I said, but illuminor and Juwan Taylor. I just imagine for what they can do for you and where they're at, I think the, the price tag would be bigger than, than the average person would suspect would be my guess.

[Robert Mays]

I think that makes sense.

[Dave]

And I've said Romeo Dobbs a few times this this week.

[Robert Mays]

I mean that's going to be now if you're the team that misses out on piercings like and unless Scarcity Evans goes back.

[Dave]

Yeah, I think, I think if, if you can't hang in the Pierce bidding then I mean that only benefits Romeo Dobbs. The number of teams that'll be calling him.

[Robert Mays]

Anybody on your end?

[Derek]

Oh yes. So I my I think this is not based on like the quality of player necessarily, but we've talked about this a little bit. Some of these markets are going to get really weird. Logan hall, if you are looking For a young 3 Tech starter, he is literally the only guy on on the market. Like there are some older guys, some like 30 year olds. You know, Sheldon Rankin's 32, you can get him for a year or two. There are some, some of those. If you are trying to find the second contract guy I can bet on at 3Tech it is just Logan hall and I think for the first three years of his career he was not great in Tampa Bay. I think the light started to come on a little bit last year and so I think there's a shot that somebody pays him a lot more money than anybody is really considering right now. Especially with how weird the Bucks defense had been overall the past couple of years.

[Robert Mays]

I like that one a lot. I think that's a really good one to point out.

[Dave]

I'm not willing to say he gets more than people expect. I'm genuinely curious what you think think Caleb on Chase on might get like I mean he had this breakout year, he was a big part of the super bowl team but he's such a specific type of player. Like is that enough for him to just enter this new tax bracket? Like I kind of. I don't think I think so. Like I think I don't either. I think he would still be more affordable than you might guess based on how big the spotlight was on him in the last like six weeks of the year.

[Robert Mays]

So it's interesting. There's at Edge rusher specifically. There aren't really that many guys making between like 8 and $11 million a year. There's almost none. So I think that in your at first glance it's like maybe $10 million a year. Those Edge rushers don't exist anymore. Like that essentially you are a depth or rotational piece or you're getting like $11 million a year. Like 11 million is kind of the floor for starting level players. Here are the edge rushers making $11 million are right around it. Dorance Armstrong making $11 million a year. Alex Wright's extension was exactly what Doris Armstrong was from the Browns. Malcolm Kuntz got $11 million a year on his one year deal. And then if you go one step down from that, Samson Ebucam, Patrick Jones got $7 million a year on their seven or $8 million a year on their extensions. Patrick Jones's last year year with the Panthers. So Patrick Jones getting $7 million a year like Chase on getting 12, is that. Would that surprise you?

[Derek]

No, probably not.

[Robert Mays]

Probably not, right?

[Derek]

I would be a little bit scared, maybe more because I'm. Cause I'm kind of with Dave in the sense of like. I almost wonder if some teams look at the way that Chase on played and he played well, but it's also like he was playing next to one of maybe the best defensive tackle pairing duos in the league. And I think that they kind of allowed to create a lot of space for him. It was also a team that blitzed a lot and really was able to get him some one on one. So I just wonder if there's a little bit of like we're six years into Chase on his career. We kind of know what he is and I think lucky is the wrong word, but it was very good conditions for him to have produced last year in a way that maybe not every team looking to sign him is going to have.

[Robert Mays]

Pff. Just looking at their free agent tracker, their projected contract for Clayvon chase on is three years, $15 million a year.

[Dave]

Yeah, that's. I mean.

[Derek]

Oh my gosh.

[Dave]

That's. That's why I asked because I wouldn't be surprised if it's significantly lower than you would guess. Just he was successful on a good team.

[Robert Mays]

Would you rather have Clavin chase on for 15 or Arnold Ebiketti for eight?

[Dave]

Oh, man, eight. How like how like how many years?

[Robert Mays]

Eight. Two years. Eight million a year.

[Dave]

Two years, eight million. I'll take Chase.

[Derek]

Honestly, I'll take Chase. You could kind of convince me if you put Ebiketti next to Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, you could kind of convince me he could do it.

[Robert Mays]

Chase, are you saying that's not the quality of defensive tackle that he was playing with in Atlanta over the last years?

[Dave]

Couple of.

[Robert Mays]

Couple years.

[Derek]

Unfortunately for him, it very much was not.

[Robert Mays]

We gestured at this one earlier. Wanted to do just best finishing moves best like last little tweaks that you could make to an otherwise contending roster. That might be the things that put you over the top. I had a couple old guys I mentioned Cleo Mac as this year's DeMarcus Lawrence potentially had a couple more. Rico Dowdle to Denver is one that we talked about earlier. Like, I think he could be that sort of back for a team like the Broncos goes and the last one I had again, I think you could. He's going to be this every single year. Zeitler, right. One million. One year, $9 million. Kevin Zeiler plays at like a borderline Pro bowl level. He solves right guard. We never have to think about it again.

[Dave]

I'm not trying to hate I. The re. So you brought up Demario Davis for the Bears. I want one step up of team to go after Demario.

[Robert Mays]

How dare you.

[Dave]

I want. I want Demario Davis on the Rams. Bills, Eagles or Packers? Packers. Which I. Oh, man. Bears fans are going to let me have it for saying like the packers are another step up from the team that won.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah, it's the team that went to the NFC championship game this year.

[Dave]

You know what? If the Bears want Demario, that's fine. I just.

[Robert Mays]

I would like. I just, just would encourage you to go look at the pair. The packers record against the Bears last year, it was one and two.

[Dave]

One and two, I believe.

[Robert Mays]

Yeah. Including in the playoffs.

[Dave]

You know, that's okay. The. The Bears can have him too. I want Demario Davis to sign with a contender, a team that's going to matter and. And the Bears should be that. That's. I just want Demario Davis to be on a good team. John Franklin Myers is a finisher. Like, I mean, more expensive. But I just think a team that doesn't have a whole lot of holes should be looking to add a guy like that.

[Robert Mays]

I think he in the same kind of vein. Like, he reminds me of what DeMarcus Lawrence was last year. He's a little younger than DeMarcus Lawrence, but when it comes to like, you drop him into the right situation and what he does is an accelerant for the rest of your defensive line group. I think we could have a similar sort of conversation.

[Derek]

I mean, if he's on like the Chargers defense and is a significantly better version of like what Deshaun Hand is for them who like actually, by the way, I meant to mention Deshawn Hand. In the bargain thing, I think that he could be like a nice low level starter for somebody. But if the, if the Chargers wanted to like get a much better version of that player, I think that that can make a lot of sense. One of mine is, I know there's a good chance that Mike Evans is probably just going to stay home in Tampa Bay, and that's totally fine. But one of my finishing moves potentially for Denver is Mike Evans, like, I think getting a version of like kind of like an older version of what the Bengals have in Jamar Chase and T. Higgins and like, all right, let's just have Cortland Sutton, Mike Evans, these big kind of veteran. Just bo's going to throw it outside the numbers and we're just going to chuck it.

[Robert Mays]

That's like this grotesque size is a Kroger.

[Dave]

Kroger brand, Jamar and T and grotesque sizes.

[Robert Mays]

I'm just like, all I want is another 6, 5 receiver that I can drop on the outside.

[Dave]

Why?

[Derek]

We know, we know Sean Payton, like, likes him.

[Dave]

I would, I mean, I'd be into it. It's just. Yeah, the, the discounts. Funny. I.

[Robert Mays]

His.

[Dave]

His 2025 stat line is, is misleading probably. It's funny. I'm just going to bring up Saints players who I want to see have one final act. But like, if you, if you are close enough to contending where you're just filling in gaps, like, get Cam Jordan on your team to be like the vibes guy who can chip. Chip in like three and a half seconds sacks. Like, if Brandon Graham can do it, Cam Jordan can do something for you. Even if he's not that Cam Jordan anymore, which I know he's not. But like, again, we're talking about teams that are just right on the cusp. Like, you don't need him to be a real difference maker. But he.

[Robert Mays]

That's what's going to happen to the Bears. They're going to sign Cam Jordan instead of Jamari Davis. That. That's what's going to happen to me.

[Dave]

That not that not good. Like, I want Cam Jordan to be like the fifth edge for the Rams and just be fun and he can go across the street to NFL Network the bye week and do TV stuff for them. That's what I want. The Bears, no, they have a bigger needed edge than Cam Jordan.

[Robert Mays]

All right, player, you're scared of guys that you. A little Buyer beware. When you're thinking about what they might make. This will be the last one we do.

[Dave]

It's nothing personal. It's It's a huge price tag for Alec Pierce to meet. It's just, it's huge. I'd be scared of that deal and if Drake May is just throwing howitzers to him all through next season, then I'll eat my words. But I, I would scared of the size of that contract.

[Derek]

Does it have anything to do with Alec Pierce or is it just throwing that amount of money at a free

[Dave]

agent receiver when you. It's not Alec Pierce specific. It's. I mean we went over the history of free agent wide receivers yesterday.

[Robert Mays]

47 catches last year, going to make $27 million a year at least.

[Derek]

They were pretty, they were pretty valuable catches, I'll give them that.

[Robert Mays]

Love Alec Pierce. I was, I was on this like week two. I was like that.

[Dave]

You really were.

[Robert Mays]

I like it. It's you. He clearly had gotten so much better. This like the la. It added to his game. I love him as a player. I understand where you're coming from.

[Dave]

It is not about Alec Pierce specifically. It is that you just, you have to be excellent to live up to a price tag like that. And, and that's, it's, it's a little bit of projection. So that's all I'm saying.

[Robert Mays]

Similar sort of conversation. You have to be excellent to live up to that sort of price tag. If you look at the history of that position when you're shopping at the top, top, top of the market. Devin Lloyd would just scare me if I was paying $20 million a year for Devin Lloyd. And again, Devin Lloyd had a really good year. I think Devin Lloyd is a good player. I just think if we're creeping up and up and up to like the top, top of the market, that would be one that would frighten me a little bit.

[Derek]

And that's to me is maybe me just being more of like a linebacker elitist than a wide receiver elitist. Alec Pierce does it for one year and I'm like, he's good. It's all fine. He can go do it again for $25 million or whatever it is. Devin Lloyd does it one year linebacker, and I'm like, I don't know. I kind of to want to see it again before I, I would be comfortable paying that amount of money.

[Robert Mays]

The other one I had, I, I kind of a couple more but this one is just like that production just did not match up with what he was down to down. I had a great time watching him last year. Nishan Wright would frighten me if I were going to like throw a bunch of Money at somebody like that's one where the interceptions were, were very cool. That's about as far as I'm willing to go with it.

[Dave]

I wouldn't want to do that. And I'll throw in Quay Walker's another guy where I like. It's easy to imagine, imagine the light coming on and all the talent just being consistent all the time. And it's so easy to imagine him being like an all pro caliber player. But it's a, it becomes a hefty price tag and I don't think there's enough evidence that you can count on that to where I would want to hand out that contract.

[Derek]

I'm actually in the opposite boat with Quaid Walker. I, I kind of think he would because the Green Bay defensive interior was so bad and so banged up for most of the year. I think you saw started to like, we started to see the light come on for Quay Walker at the end of 2024, a little bit early in 2025 before it really started to fall apart for him. And then obviously a lot of the defense started to fall apart for a number of reasons. But like I, it is going to be kind of expensive and there's a little bit of a gamble. But I do think there's. I would rather sign Quay Walker for whatever he's going to sign for than sign Devin Lloyd. And maybe that's not like, you know, all we have to consider. But I would be okay. I think with what Quay Walk Walker's gonna get.

[Dave]

I have both of them on my list. For the record, I'd be nervous signing either, but I think I'd rather roll with Devin Lloyd. And I, I hear what you're saying, like I can go find a dozen really kick ass way more than that. I can find so much kick ass stuff from Quay Walker if I go back and look. But is it consistent enough for what it's going to cost to sign him on the open market?

[Robert Mays]

He's only 25, turns 26 this year. Like that's that. That position specifically, like. And again it would be dependent on the price, but I could, I could imagine Quay Walker's best football being in front of him.

[Derek]

That's kind of where I'm at. Yeah. Especially if it's the right defense. Like I just, I could kind of get excited about it.

[Dave]

It's. Again, it's the same thing as Alec Pierce. I can imagine the highest ties in the world for both of those guys. But when the, when the price tags get involved, it's just, it gives Me pause.

[Robert Mays]

That's.

[Dave]

I'm a huge coward when it comes to free agency. I don't want to.

[Robert Mays]

It's the right mindset.

[Dave]

Yeah. Like, I don't want to. I don't want to pay damn near anybody unless they've already proven themselves on my team. Like, all most of the guys that I'm attracted to in any given year are deals that are not going to wreck me if they don't work out, because you just. You never know for sure.

[Robert Mays]

Last one for me talked about this a little bit over the course of the week, but just Tariq Wallen. Like, Tariq one at a very expensive price tag. I just. Yes.

[Dave]

Derek's.

[Derek]

Derek.

[Dave]

You're not afraid of anyone. You're just like, give me all of the freaks. Give me all the badass players. It doesn't matter how much they cost.

[Robert Mays]

I just.

[Derek]

I just think there is some level of. Of like a free agency just is expensive and is what it is. But I just don't think Reek is going to command like, an obscene amount of money for the.

[Robert Mays]

What if it's like $15 million a year? Yeah.

[Dave]

What's your definition of obscene?

[Derek]

Who else was making like 15 last year? Was that, like, Charvarius Ward and, like.

[Robert Mays]

So DJ Reed was at 16.

[Derek]

If he's making a million less than DJ Reed, yeah, I think that's totally acceptable.

[Robert Mays]

I just wonder what he looks like.

[Derek]

This is me just being a sizeist because he's like six two.

[Robert Mays]

But I just.

[Dave]

I don't think it's a coincidence that almost everyone we're talking about is. Is like a. Yeah. A huge, long, crazy, athletic player. Yeah. I think you love all those guys.

[Robert Mays]

I just. I think that Tariq was really good this year. I think that what he looks like outside of Seattle and again, the fact that, like, Josh Job was started over him this year, like, that was. That was the choice that they made. And so there's just. I don't know, there's a couple things that would give me pause about giving him, like, a ton of money and dropping into him into a different situation.

[Derek]

But, like, he had looked decent at points before Mike McDonald was there. Sure.

[Robert Mays]

No, he absolutely did.

[Derek]

I. Again, I'm also not on the side of, like, you signed Tariq Woolen and your secondary is fixed. But I think he, at least for one, is me that I'm not, like, going into it, assuming it's going to go poorly. Whereas there are a couple that. There are a couple other guys that I'm scared of. Like, my DB that I'm scared of. I've talked about this a little bit. Brian Cook from the Chiefs just that feels very. Almost like what you're saying with like specific defense. Like I think him stepping out of the spags defense scares me lot a little bit. And then my one other guy that feels like. I think every now and then there's a like fantasy football brained style of player that people love. I think Isaiah likely is a little bit that at tight end. Like it just feels like people are really chasing the. You want the tall, long, athletic tight end and it's like in reality he's not really good enough to be a wide receiver and he's not really a blocker for you. It's hard to figure out where you want to put him. Had a couple of injuries and stuff. Like he's the one who. It feels like people are going to chase something that's not, not quite there.

[Robert Mays]

And we talked about this with Chico conquo this week. Just like that, like that undersized, like receiving tight end. Like what is he right now and like what is the price tag and what should you be paying for guys like that? I think is a worthwhile conversation to

[Dave]

go back to the Seattle thing real quick. I was looking at them while I was prepping and for a team that just won the super bowl and doesn't have a quarterback on a cheap contract, they just, they have way more money than you would expect the reigning champs to have. And their. And we'll see what they do when the market actually opens. But their willingness to let Walker and Reek and Mafe all like potentially leave, that's interesting to me. Like, especially in the case of like a Reek Woolen, where defense Moses, Mike McDonald, who everybody and myself included respect the shit out of, like they're not making it a huge priority to retain him. It just makes me go, you know what?

[Robert Mays]

That's kind of where I'm at. It's just, just, just something to pay attention to.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Robert Mays]

All right. That is all we've got for today. As a reminder, 11am on Monday right here, we will be starting our day one of free agency livestream. We're not gonna have a show that's coming out on Monday because we're gonna be live at 11am Central and so we're gonna break that live stream probably up into a couple different podcasts. And so you will be getting the same amount of them over the course of the week. But no Monday show coming your guys's way unless something crazy happens on Sunday? I don't know. I'll be around. We'll figure that out later. But as of right now, no Monday show planned. But we will be here 11 to 4 Central Time on Monday. Very excited about it. A bunch of different guests rolling through one of my favorite days of the entire year. Encourage you guys to come join us for that. For now, that is all we got. Appreciate you guys listening. We'll talk to you very soon.

[Dave]

The longer you stay alive, the longer you can enjoy Boost Mobile's unlimited plan

[Robert Mays]

with a price that never goes up.

[Dave]

So here are some tips. Do not parallel park on a cliff

[Derek]

if you want to enjoy an unlimited

[Dave]

plan with a price that never goes up. Do not mistake a wasp nest for a pinata if you want to enjoy

[Derek]

an unlimited plan with a price that never goes up. Do not microwave a hard boiled egg

[Robert Mays]

if you want to enjoy an unlimited

[Dave]

plan with the price that never goes up.

[Derek]

Stay alive and enjoy Unlimited Wireless for $25 a month Forever with Boost Mobile

[Dave]

after 30 gigs, customers may experience lower speeds.

[Derek]

Customers will pay $25 a month as

[Dave]

long as they remain active on the

[Derek]

Boost Mobile Unlimited Plan this spring, follow

[Dave]

your nose to what feels good right now.

[Derek]

Get a free Pura plus diffuser when

[Robert Mays]

you subscribe to 2 cents for 12 months.

[Dave]

Fill larger spaces with scent inspired by

[Derek]

layers of Spring and let your home

[Robert Mays]

open to the season.

[Dave]

[e-mail] still listing your home address on business documents. Stable gives you a permanent business address,

[Robert Mays]

one you can use for the irs,

[Derek]

banks or vendors, you name it. So you can keep things professional and

[Robert Mays]

keep your personal address private.

[Dave]

Stable also digitizes all the mail that comes to that address accessible from our

[Derek]

secure online dashboard, which makes it easy to manage your mail from wherever you are. No P.O.

[Dave]

boxes, no Ms. Mail.

[Derek]

Just one less thing to think about as you scale.

[Dave]

Sign up for a virtual address [e-mail] pod and get 50% off your first three months of a grow or scale podcast plan.

[Derek]

That's usestable.

[Robert Mays]

Com Pod.

[Dave]

Your business moves fast. Your mail should too.