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The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
Strengths and weaknesses of the 2026 free agent class
01:08:22
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Robert Mays
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Derek
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Robert Mays
Every style, every home. Welcome to the Athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays. Little free agency primer Today we're about a week away from free agency kicking off in earnest. The first day of the league year is a week from. If you're listening to this on Wednesday is a week from today. Obviously the tampering period starts on Monday. As I mentioned at the end of this show today with Derek and Dave, we're going to be doing a five hour stream throughout the entire first day of free agency. Monday, March 9, 11am Central. We'll be starting right here on the YouTube channel. We're going to have 15 guests over that entire five hour period was going to be rolling through people like every 15 minutes similar to what we did last year. Truly one of my favorite things that we do. It's an absolute blast. Excited to be doing it from the studio this year so please be on the lookout for that. Today we took our first kind of foray into what that class looks like. We talked about positions that are strengths in this group, guys, where if you want to be looking for a safety, you might be feeling pretty good if you want to be looking for a running back or a linebacker, you might be feeling pretty good if you're trying to find a tackle or an interior defensive lineman in this class. Other end of the spectrum. So that's what we did today. Kind of a big picture Bird's eye view at the 2026 free agent class. We started the show with some news right before we started recording. I think I deserve some credit for bouncing back. Drew Dahlman announced his retirement. Came across the timeline per Adam Schefter. Also had the transition tag for Daniel Jones. Jonathan Granard being available via trade. We talked about Kyler being released or being told that he's going to be released by the Cardinals. So that's what we did at the top for digging into this free agency fun show. We enjoyed doing it. Hope you guys enjoy it as well. Let's get to it right now. We are about 6ish days from NFL free agency kicking off in earnest, and we are going to spend today just kind of doing what, I don't know. Let's call it a primer. Let's call it a primer on this free agent class. We're going to dig in a little bit deeper over the next couple days, hit some categories. Our favorite fits bargain signings, guys that might be a little bit scared of. But before we really dug into the nitty gritty, I wanted to just zoom out a little bit and talk about the makeup and the quality of this class overall, because I think that I'm guilty of this. I've painted free agency in recent classes with some broad strokes over the last year, as we've just discussed the types of players who are available. And I wanted to be a little bit more careful and specific about it than we have been. And so I wanted to spend a little bit of time today just taking stock of the pool of players who are going to be hitting the market here in the next week or so.
- [03:55]
Dave
And I'm glad we're doing that. And can I give you the analogy I came down with?
- [03:58]
Robert Mays
You sure can.
- [04:00]
Dave
This is an Aldi free agency class. Because the first time, the first time you go to Aldi, you're like, oh, that's like the cheap grocery store. Like, should I be doing that? Like, is this really where I want to be shopping? And then you go to Aldi and you put your little quarter in the card and you, you get it and you're like, holy crap, all of this was 60 bucks. There are some deals to be found at the Aldi and before you know it, you're excited to go there. And that's, I felt, digging into this free agency class, I don't love very many of the big ticket items, but looking through it, looking at a few different positions, I, I found myself getting really excited. There are a lot of good players to be found here at what I think will be decent prices. If you're willing to go to Aldi and look, you got to actually go. You can't just turn up your nose without trying it.
- [04:49]
Robert Mays
There are some bargains and some values to be had and we will be digging into all of that. Derek, what do you got?
- [04:53]
Derek
I don't have any special analogy like that. Like, Dave has already blown me out of the water. That was too good. I, for me, it was just like when I looked at this class and like what positions are good. It's like to me like the stitching the middle of the roster spots are actually kind of interesting. Running back, offensive, interior, offensive line, linebacker, I think is pretty interesting. Like the very middle of the roster spots are pretty good. You try to expand to like edge, corner, wide receiver. I think it gets a little bit more sticky and hard to find the big ticket guys that you might want to.
- [05:22]
Robert Mays
Oh, so that's interesting. We'll talk about this, but I actually think the Edge group is much better than it typically is in free agency in a typical given year.
- [05:28]
Derek
I think it's deep, but I, I think when I look at the guys that are at the top of the Edge class, except for maybe Phillips, I think I'm just not as excited about that group as I want it to be coming in.
- [05:39]
Robert Mays
See, this is going to be a good conversation. Before we dig into the free agents, we have some news to hit. About 10 minutes before we started recording, we were sitting. I'll, I'll lay it out for you. And how it all happened. We're all sitting here in the studio, in the office, and Scott Cringe, our social media. What's your actual title?
- [05:56]
Derek
Scott?
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Robert Mays
Social media producer. I always say he's like our social media guy, but I actually don't making sure that I should be saying that. Scott, who was our social media producer and a huge Bears fan, is sitting over there and he goes, drew Dolman just retired. And we were like, what are you talking about?
- [06:12]
Dave
We were having like a grand old time too. We were cutting up and joking around and just all the air went out of the room.
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Robert Mays
The mood changed. And then Derek in our Slack channel goes, drew Dahlman is retiring. And I was like, I Know, Derek, I'm aware of. I saw the news. So I'm currently working through that right now. I mean, just a massive blow to the Bears off season plans and you know, what the strength of this roster was supposed to be. And you think about the job they pulled off last spring, reworking that interior of the offensive line, signing Dolman and free agency, the trades they swung for Joe Tunney and Jonah Jackson. It was masterful, and it changed the fortunes of the offense and the roster and kind of the outlook for this team over the last couple of years. And then Adam Schefter comes across the timeline. 27 years old, Drew Dahlman walking away from a heck of a lot of money. So this leaves the Bears in a pretty tough spot. Who knows his reasoning? You know, I. Good for him getting out while he's still healthy, if that's why he was ultimately trying to do it. But if you were a Chicago Bears fan, you were somebody looking at the football ramifications of this, they are pretty intense is what I would say.
- [07:21]
Dave
This shit's hard, man. You could do everything right. And all of the stuff they did to retool the interior of the offensive line worked like gangbusters. And the minute you assume that that might be something you can work with for the next at least one to two years, hopefully two to three years, you just, you can't predict what. I mean, it's the off season, so the rosters are bigger now. You can't predict what like 90 different human beings are going to do or what their timelines look like, what they prior. And it's really, really hard to. To put a championship contender together with all of those different variables. And I, I lean toward thinking Drew Dahlman is just like, walking away from football on his own terms, which, yeah, I absolutely commend him for doing that. But you never, you never can say for sure what motivates 90 different guys in a locker room.
- [08:14]
Derek
It's always interesting seeing these guys. I feel like once every, like three, four years, we get one of these guys who is 26, 27, 28 years old, just kind of walks away. I think obviously it's in a really tough spot for the Bears because Dalman was. I think we knew Dalman was going to be good for them, right? Like, he made sense as a scheme fit. Like they paid for him. He was going to be a good player. I think he was even better than he was sold to be last year. Like, he was sensational. And so losing him, I think, is going to hurt. Obviously, that Being with the young quarterback, I think it helped having a veteran like that. The silver lining, if anything. And I kind of joked to you about this in the Slack channel before we got started, it is a, like, weirdly deep center free agency class, at least as it stands now. You know, maybe Linderbaum goes back in, a couple of these other guys go back to their spots, but, like, there should be enough options for them to replace. Whereas, like, I feel like in a lot of years, if this had happened, they might have just been screwed for the rest of the off season.
- [09:04]
Robert Mays
You saw it right now. So, I mean, two, two bits of news that kind of crept out after the Dolman thing became public. Albert Brew reported that the Bears have been sniffing around Tyrell Linderbaum a little bit, I assume just to try to figure out what his market is, just in case they needed a starting center. That seems very expensive for where this team is right now. And just all the other positions they're allocating money toward. And the fact that I believe, just looking at it pretty, if they were to the way that the money would work for Dalman, I'm pretty sure even if they made him like a June 1 cut, it's 11 and a half million dollars in dead money this year. And so you're going to be paying a lot for a center who's not going to be on your roster. We'll see what happens with the signing bonuses, all that stuff. But the other bit of news was, per Ian Rapaport, the Bears are already hosting Tyler Biotish, who was cut by Washington last week, had been their starting center. He's only 28 years old, and I'm not surprised that that's the mindset. You know, Dane believes that maybe there's three to five guys outside of the top, like 75, who might be starting caliber centers in this draft class. I don't think you can roll with a guy you draft in the third round and have that be the plan. Maybe you do both. But the idea that they want a veteran in there to make sure they have that solved to at least a certain extent before we really get into the teeth of the offseason. I'm not surprised that they're showing that level of urgency.
- [10:18]
Dave
And to reiterate what Derek said, I mean, sucks that you had somebody playing at Dalman's level and you can't guarantee that whoever you bring in will be as good as he was. But you, you have some choice. Like there are options available to you whether you get something done with Biotish early Or you wait for free agency to open and work with some of these other guys. Whether it's Linder bomb. I mean, Cade Mays, we brought up the fact that Lloyd Cushionberry is another guy that got cut. Connor McGovern, Luke Fortner did some good stuff for the Saints this year. Like there. There are for guys who can do this. It just sucks that it looked like you had this taken care of and you got to turn around and fish at this position again one year later.
- [11:01]
Robert Mays
The Linder bomb thing is obviously appealing, not just because he's the best player of all the options, but just stylistically and skill set wise. It's just a one for one replacement. Just a little bit better, arguably to what Dolman is giving you, especially as a run blocker. And so if I'm just like, all right, what is the thing that can allow the Bears offense and the engine of that offense to look similar heading into next year? That's the place my mind goes. Obviously, he's going to be extremely expensive, and this team does not have that much money to throw around. I don't know about you, Derek. I wasn't budgeting for a $20 million center for the Chicago Bears a week ago when I was trying to figure out what their finances are going to look like.
- [11:38]
Derek
I don't think I was either. But they've proven they'll throw around all those resources for the offensive line, whether it's first round picks, trading guys, spending 20 million on guards, all that stuff. So maybe they'll do it. That's a really good point, though, about the scheme fit. Like, a lot of these other guys looking at it like McGovern is coming from a system that was a lot of power. May is coming from a system that was a lot of power. Lloyd Cushionberry, they did a lot of that stuff. Like, it's. These are guys who are a little bit bigger and burlier and not that they can't do some of the zone stuff that Ben Johnson wants, obviously, but if they did want to pay up the nose for Lindenbaum, specifically because it makes so much sense, I would get it. Even if it was, you know, that's probably their entire budget for the offseason.
- [12:13]
Dave
You know what is cool about this? It's not cool for you. I'm sorry. Like, it's cool.
- [12:16]
Robert Mays
This whole thing sucks.
- [12:17]
Dave
It's cool for me, as a neutral observer, if they were to go after Linderbaum, if they were to get Linderbaum, it sends a very clear signal that Ben is like, we have. We need this. We have to have this. Bring me the best option. Whereas, like, it's easy for me as an outsider to be like, ah, this guy could do it for a third of the cost. But if you're really going after Tyler Linderbaum, it sends a very clear signal what the shot collar and the architect of everything for your team thinks about it. So I'm very intrigued as a neutral observer to see just how much Ben Johnson prioritizes this.
- [12:51]
Robert Mays
That's obviously the pie in the sky option. My assumption is they signed Tyler Biotish to like a 1 year, 7 million.
- [12:56]
Dave
He went to Wisconsin.
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Robert Mays
That Chicago feels perfect.
- [12:59]
Dave
It feels perfect for him.
- [13:01]
Robert Mays
Few more news, things to dig through. Today the Colts officially put the transition tag on Daniel Jones, which is $37 million. Transition tag means that they have the right of first refusal to match any contract that is offered to Daniel Jones. If they choose not to do that, he walks for nothing. Unlike the franchise tag, where you obviously get some draft compensation back. The appeal of the transition tag versus the franchise tags, it's about $6 million cheaper. Them like trying, whether they believe it or this is just cope or people trying to frame it a certain way. Of all, they had spent $6 million less for the transition tag. This entire thing, to me, Derek, is extremely frustrating because I understand why if you are Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard, you feel compelled to make sure that Daniel Jones is your quarterback next year. You don't want to wade into the wilderness again. You don't want to dive into the unknown with all teams at the same time. $37 million for Daniel Jones. We're doing this again with the tagging of Daniel Jones in a vacuum. Right. If you were, if you were making your choices in an optimized way, you would look at $37 million for Daniel Jones. And even if you didn't like the alternatives, you would say, you know what, we'll take our chances. Unfortunately, they are not in a position to do that. And that pushes you to make a decision you probably shouldn't be making. And that's exactly how I feel about everything that's going down right now.
- [14:22]
Derek
Yeah, I don't really care about the saving. The 6 million. You're still spending 37 million on him for a quarterback that is. I know the first six weeks or whatever the season were great, but the first like six years of Daniel Jones's career were not of somebody who you would pay $37 million even though a different team already did it. So I'm kind of in the boat of like, I understand that they don't really have many other options. Like, it's. They're not going to be the Malik Willis team. They already have proof of concept that this is going to work for them or can work on some level. But I just, I think we talked about this before when it obviously happened, but paying Daniel Jones this amount of money is after one year basically is a little bit scary as is. It's especially terrifying coming off of the injury, which makes it an even like. Like, we have no idea. Because the thing. The thinking is like, okay, if he just had the normal year, didn't get hurt, we would all be like kind of like Sam Darnold last year. It's like, okay, I still don't know if I believe that, but it was good enough. You can try it again. But coming off the injury, it's like, how am I supposed to believe that he's supposed to be the player that he just was. Like, it's hard to get there.
- [15:21]
Dave
Oh, this is really interesting because I don't, I don't agree at the end of the day. So I look at it like this. I mean, that it's hard to think of a team that's gotten just screwed by fate harder than the Colts over the last, like, year or so and
- [15:35]
Robert Mays
so, I mean, over the last eight years.
- [15:38]
Dave
Well, some of that's their own doing, though. I mean, like, Andrew Luck is certainly. I mean, that's fate. But like, the Anthony Richardson is. The Richardson thing is maybe we invest in a better offensive line and Andrew Luck is.
- [15:51]
Robert Mays
Well, that was not hit Chris Bowen's fault. But there are layers to this. Like, drafting Anthony Richardson is your own fault. Him snapping a workout band back into his face, not your fault. So a little bit of everything.
- [16:01]
Dave
Let's. Let's keep it in this short window of, like, since Daniel Jones got there. I think they're up shit creek. But, like, what are they. What are they supposed to do? Like, it's easy. It's easy in a vacuum to say there is a cheaper qualified option that you could pursue. But A, is that guy going to be better? B, is he going to fit in our building and our offense the way that Daniel Jones did when he was healthy? I certainly get the impression that Daniel Jones won over a lot of the. A lot of people in that building, from his teammates to the owner, Carly, or say Gordon, obviously Ballard and Steichen. You know what it can look like when he's there. And on top of that, if you screw this up, we're all Gone.
- [16:41]
Robert Mays
That's the reason though. It is a reason.
- [16:43]
Dave
I mean, the uncomfortable truth is that self preservation is a big part of this. But I think you got to make the decision that that gives you the best chance of not getting fired in December.
- [16:53]
Robert Mays
That's the problem though is when you start making decisions solely based off that you think you make mistakes. And this is my issue, and I don't disagree with anything that you just said. I just think that often the biggest missteps that NFL teams and NFL for offices can make is that they look at this decision and be like, well, I know what this is. And so I have to have this thing that I know what it is. When in reality I would bet, I think it's a very real argument that let's just say Geno gets cut, right? Let's just throw out like one of these guys who you're going to pay the minimum and you have to pay Geno Smith a couple million bucks to be your quarterback or you pay $37 million to Daniel Jones. Even if there is some semblance of familiarity and security and certainty to an extent with Daniel Jones for $37 million, I just don't think that is the best allocation of resources when there are other options that are cheaper available. Why wouldn't you find the next Daniel Jones? You turned Daniel Jones into a $37 million a year player. He was not that.
- [17:52]
Derek
And I think in a lot of other, in like again a non injury case, the idea would be like, okay, well we're thinking about some of the throws that these guys can make. Like Geno Smith makes a lot of the similar throws that Daniel Jones made last year. And I think part of the reason that the offense worked a little bit differently than just whatever we're talking about in the passing game is obviously Daniel Jones was really helpful in the running game. And when his like when his legs started to go, the running game didn't work. Especially all that being in the gun. But if he's not going to be healthy next year, then that doesn't matter. I would almost rather have whoever I think is the better passer, like a Geno Smith or whoever that might be in this, in this free agency class, which again, it's not very many options.
- [18:27]
Dave
But still we are a firmly Geno podcast. But like what if, what if it's gone?
- [18:32]
Robert Mays
Oh, I don't care about that. You give me five other guys that I'm paying $2 million a year. It doesn't have to be Geno Smith. It was solely a Placeholder.
- [18:39]
Dave
Respectfully, like, Kyler is the guy we keep coming back to. Outside of that, though, like, who?
- [18:47]
Derek
I mean, listen, man, if Daniel Jones.
- [18:49]
Dave
Pause is my point, the pause right there is my point.
- [18:51]
Robert Mays
I just.
- [18:52]
Boost Mobile Rep
We.
- [18:53]
Robert Mays
We keep doing this. Like, this is the exact same thing that the Giants did. Like, this idea of, like, well, it's Daniel Jones at $37 million or it's nothing. In reality, it should be nothing. You should just figure it out. And because they are up against it, they can't do that. And I understand that, but I don't have to like it as a solution or a plan. You're paying 7. $37 million to Daniel Jones, which means Al Pierce is about to walk in free agency. Like, I just. Nothing about this is good. No, it worked last year because you paid him $15 million. Find the next one.
- [19:23]
Dave
It's undecidedly bad, but I am willing to give them grace and say, like, I'm. I just feel like they're painted into a corner, and some of that is their own doing. But. And honestly, like, if you could guarantee me that the Colts could get Kyler Murray, I'd probably pivot and go that way. But if Kyler Murray gets cut. But then I assume there will be other suitors for him, and maybe you. Maybe you wind up in a bidding war for Kyler Murray, which doesn't sound overly fun either. Like, I don't think there is a. There's a tidy answer to this maybe, other than, yeah, if you could get Geno on the cheap. But if we get to September 25th and Geno looks more like Raiders Geno than Seahawks Geno, then everybody's getting fired before Halloween, and that's not a fun place to be, either.
- [20:05]
Robert Mays
My concern is that $37 million of a guy coming off a torn Achilles is. He's not going to look very good either, and you're paying him $37 million.
- [20:13]
Derek
Also, does Raiders Geno look like Raiders Geno because he's washed or because he was on the Raiders?
- [20:19]
Dave
Look, I get it, man. I know. And I am. I am cautiously optimistic that Geno's got one more act. But if I was the one signing the quarterback to try to save my job, I'd be a little. I'd be a little dubious. I'd be a little nervous. But that applies to every single option on the market right now.
- [20:35]
Robert Mays
The Achilles thing is what really worries me at a certain point, if he's healthy and you're paying him 37 million for, again, that level of certainty to me, only applies if he's healthy in the same guy that he was last year. The fact that you have no idea if that's going to happen. We have multiple recent examples and those guys were older, but we have multiple recent examples of quarterbacks coming off Achilles injuries and being heinous in that early stretch after they're coming off that injury. And so the idea that you're paying a guy operating under those circumstances $37 million for one year is just, again, it is not, to me an optimized way to be using these resources. But the Colts are in a place where have moved past optimization. The other tag news from today, this one is like, all right, whatever. Breeze hall tagged like, it's. This is. The jets have infinite amount of money. Breeze hall is a very good player. I, I have no issue with this whatsoever.
- [21:26]
Dave
I got a take on this and I was debating if I should save it for like half bake takes, like in the summer. Like, we don't have to do it right now. Or would you rather hear it?
- [21:35]
Robert Mays
I want to hear it.
- [21:36]
Derek
Let it rip.
- [21:37]
Dave
I think if you, like, if you have not made a good faith effort. No, I can't even say good faith because the jets obviously tried. But like, if you have not sniffed the postseason over a running backs time on your team, running back specifically, I think we should be able to bar teams from tagging guys like that. Cause like, they're just going to run this guy's odometer into the ground on a team that's going nowhere and that sucks. I want to see Breece hall on a good team and I think we should be able to bar teams from tagging guys like this, where it's like, you had four years to get this guy into meaningful football and you haven't done it. And by the time he's done, like, by the time you're done with him, nobody will want him because that's life, the life of an NFL running back. I think we should be able. For running backs specifically, we should be able to bar bad teams from tagging good running backs.
- [22:29]
Robert Mays
I actually like this a lot. I think that there should be a, like, how competitive are you?
- [22:33]
Dave
Yeah.
- [22:33]
Robert Mays
Consideration. I'm not even saying you got a franchise tag, you don't have to even make the play.
- [22:37]
Dave
But like, has Breeze hall ever played in a truly meaningful football game? Like a December high stakes football game? If the answer is no, over four years, you don't need to be tagging this guy. Go draft the next Breeze Hall.
- [22:48]
Derek
I love this because my Immediate thought was like, man, that stinks for Breeze hall, because it does. Like, if you think a shitload of
- [22:56]
Dave
money, like, that's great.
- [22:57]
Robert Mays
And for us, like, I would love to see Breeze hall, like an actually competitive team in a good situation on a good offense next year, and we're not going to see that.
- [23:05]
Derek
It.
- [23:05]
Robert Mays
My, my, like, ambivalence towards the whole thing is mostly a product of like, it's fairly harmless to the jets overall. But my right, I'm with you guys 100%. And the other question is kind of like you're tagging him to what end? Like, like, what it. What's the end game here? Like, Breeze hall is going to be on your team as you win four games this year and we're going to do the whole song and dance again next year.
- [23:25]
Dave
And because of the money that he makes, he's going to be the guy that has to face the music after any jets loss. And that just sucks. And like I said, by the, by the time. Or you know what, I'll, I'll, I will add, like, if you want to offer Breeze Hall a great contract and get him there for the long term, and if Breeze hall wants to sign that and he likes the jets organization that he's willing to re up, that's fine. But what we can't do is tag him and keep him from hitting the market. He should be able to have suitors that are more competitive while he is still in the prime of his career.
- [23:59]
Robert Mays
So the 2025 jets won three games. Should we say that you have to win at least six games the previous year in order to use the franchise
- [24:08]
Dave
tag on a running back? Like, I don't feel that way about all positions, but yeah, like, I don't know.
- [24:15]
Robert Mays
I don't hate it.
- [24:15]
Ad Read Host
You gotta like a 45% win percentage over that player's window with your team.
- [24:21]
Robert Mays
That's too much math. I was told there'd be no math.
- [24:24]
Dave
I think at some point in your rookie contract, your team needs to have been on the in the hunt graphic. That's my arbitrary definition.
- [24:32]
Robert Mays
Yeah, it's, it's definitely the least fun outcome possible for Bree hall and for the rest of us, but for the jets, it's kind of like, I, I can't get worked up over this.
- [24:39]
Dave
He is, he's gonn like $800,000 a week. So he'll, I mean, he will be okay.
- [24:44]
Robert Mays
That is. And we don't have to. And the running backs are a different consideration. Absolutely. Because the shelf life is shorter for players Overall, right. Like the franchise tag, we treat it as this villainous thing that's so terrible for players. And I do understand that there is a downside because you're taking away long term security for the most part. If you are a player worth being franchise tagged, even if you get injured outside of like a career altering injury, you will probably be in demand later on. And in that single given year you make a shitload. Like George Pickens is going to make $28 million this year.
- [25:15]
Dave
Running backs and maybe linebackers are like those are the positions where I feel some type of way.
- [25:20]
Robert Mays
And the tough, and the tough thing with that is obviously the running back tag is lower because of the way that we pay running backs. And so the running back thing is a different consideration at some other positions. I do think that we overstate how detrimental the or how prohibitive the franchise tag is to players ultimately making money. The last bit of news from today just we can talk about this very quickly. Adam Schefter reported that it sounds like the Vikings are opening to trading Jonathan Garnard, which Jonathan Garnard has been a really good player for the Vikings over the last couple years. He is still. I once looked this up before we started recording. I forgot to. He'll be 29 in May, so he's a little bit older than you might think as a guy on a second contract, but has been really productive. And we're looking at two years, 36 million, none of it guaranteed left on his deal. Sounds like Derek Jeremy Fowler reported this that they're looking for like a day two picks in exchange for Jonathan Grenard. Would you be throwing like a third round pick at the Vikings if you were a team in the mix for a pass rusher? I think I might, absolutely.
- [26:19]
Derek
Because I think Grinard is a really good player and like in some ways suffers from narrative in a couple different reasons. Obviously he was the guy who goes in and replaces Daniel Hunter. And Jonathan Garnard is great. Daniel Hunter's a better player now, plays on maybe the best defense in football. And so I think there's that part of it. And then I think when we talk about the Vikings defense a lot, it's a lot of like Brian Flores this, Brian Flores that, and rightfully so. Right. He's incredible. And sometimes you just for how good some of the individual players are and Garnard has been really, really good for them. And so I would say like him, he's maybe not like an elite pass rusher, but he's like a really good like 1B type of pass rusher and then he gives you a lot in run defense. Like if you're a team that is looking for edge stuff and maybe don't love some of the other like youngish options in free agency, I would be pretty willing to give up a pick for him.
- [27:03]
Robert Mays
Yeah, the team the fit that to me makes the most sense on a couple different levels. Durante Jones, who is just the past game coordinator for Minnesota is now the defensive coordinator for Washington. Washington has a shitload of cap space. They have. They don't have a second, they don't have a fourth and so are you the team that wants to throw some draft picks around? Probably not. But if you're another one of these teams that is going to be in the free agent market looking at these guys, Dallas teams like that, I absolutely think it's worth at least making a phone call. Dallas is also short on day two draft capital with the pick and straight. But if you're a team that has the picks, I haven't looked at it top to bottom yet but I absolutely think it is worth a phone call because while there are guys in this group that are going to be making probably around that same number and you could get without the pick, I think he might be better than them.
- [27:50]
Derek
Right.
- [27:50]
Robert Mays
Just like purely as a pass rusher would you rather have a Dafe, OA or Jonathan?
- [27:54]
Derek
I would rather have Ginard. I tend to prefer the players that have a little more punch to him like a Garnard. But like I would rather prefer him as a pass rusher and then even then I think Bernard's a way better run defender than OA is right now.
- [28:03]
Robert Mays
Yeah, I think I'm in the same boat. I think he probably to me slots probably right behind Jalen Phillips. If you were stacking up all the edge guys who are available in free agency like Trey, Jalen, Phillips, Phillips, Garnard or he's like would you rather have Jalen Phillips or Jonathan Phillips?
- [28:19]
Derek
Probably Phillips just barely and like Phillips is a little bit younger and so if he can stay healthy that would probably help you there. But like I it is pretty close. I would probably put him in that tier especially because I'm probably slightly lower on Hendrickson right now than maybe the market might end up suggesting. And so I would put him in that.
- [28:34]
Robert Mays
He's 31 so and coming off injury I do two years, 36.
- [28:39]
Dave
It's. I still think it's a market inefficiency where we value these picks so much and for good reason to a degree but if you can get a guy like that off his team and the contract's not detrimental and all Minnesota is asking for is a day two pick, odds that that is going to be more useful than whoever you draft with the 74th overall pick I think are extremely good. I'm looking at one. This is not technically a day two pick, but the Tennessee Titans have pick one. Oh one. First pick on Saturday, the first pick of the fourth round. Almost a top 100 pick. Throw that to Minnesota with all the cap space that you have to absorb it and that's Minnesota probably wants more, but depending on how robust the offers are. Yeah, there's there's half a dozen different teams. I think I would be, it'd be more than happy to do that.
- [29:30]
Robert Mays
That'd be one to watch. Cause I again, I think he's a really good player. Just one on one pass for our situations. I agree with Derek on the run defense stuff. So that's something that I would be sniffing around there if I were a team that needed edge help. All right, let's take our first quick break here and then come back and dig this free agent class.
- [29:47]
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Robert Mays
code podcast to try stamps.com risk free for 60 days. All right, so let's start this conversation with kind of a high level look at this and you know Dave said it it's this is not the year where you want a lot of these marquee guys but but there are I think a lot of starting caliber players available in this free agent class. And so I I just did a very quick exercise kind of looking at the last 5ish years and then I also looked back a little bit further just to compare and it actually was pretty similar. If you Go Back to like 2017, 2018. So just for context, so last year we had about, we had 14 guys in the 2025 free agent class that made more than $16 million AAV on the deals that they got in free agency. That's about 6% of the salary cap. $16 million was last year. If you go back over again the last like five, six years, typically that number, how many guys on their AAV made between. Made over 6% of the cap. You typically land between like 10 and 15ish players. It's usually around like a dozen. So last year was 14, 11 guys did it in 2023. We had 10 GU in 2024, which was on the low end. You look at it this year, 6% of the 2026 cap is going to be $18.3 million a year. How many guys in this free agent class do we think are going to make more than $18.3 million a year on their new deals?
- [34:29]
Dave
I can't do a number, but it can't be very many. It's going to be a small, small number.
- [34:34]
Robert Mays
I was looking at maybe like seven or eight and that's.
- [34:36]
Derek
I can't get to a dozen.
- [34:39]
Robert Mays
So I mean, you're looking at it. Trey Hendrickson will, Tyler Linderbaum will, Alec Pierce, Rasheed Walker will. Alec Pierce will. Which is that we did not discuss that as part of the Colts thing, by the way. Now by transition tagging Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce is going to hit the market. And I'm sure he knows what his market is already. We just spent a week in Indy. But if you're Alec Pierce, what incentive do you have to not wait until free agency and see what else is out there?
- [35:01]
Dave
What an exciting notification for him and his agent to get.
- [35:04]
Robert Mays
I mean, now you're looking at potentially a massive number for Al Pierce. I'll guarantee you it's over 18.3 million, doll. So we got Linder Balm, Trey Hendrickson, Rasheed Walker will. Just because that's the going price for tackles in that range. Right. Like that's the Dan Moore, Alaric Jackson, you know, 20 to 22 million dollars a year number. So he's going to get that Devin Lloyd, we'll see. Right. Like that one's probably on the edge. That's near the top of the linebacker market. It's very rich for an off ball. Linebacker away will probably get there just age production, what edge rushers get paid and then maybe Jalen Felton.
- [35:36]
Dave
Whoops.
- [35:37]
Robert Mays
Throw that in there. So we're talking 7 when in a given year it's between like 12 and 15. So it's not just a. Ah, the top isn't as good as it normally is. I think if you actually look at the numbers and what these guys are going to get paid, we are going to see the top of the free agent group not be rewarded like we typically do in a given year.
- [35:56]
Derek
Malik Willis, did we, did we mention
- [35:58]
Robert Mays
this is non quarterbacks?
- [35:59]
Derek
Oh, okay, non.
- [36:01]
Robert Mays
Obviously the quarterbacks are all, you know, that's if you look back in history. So it was always non quarterbacks. I appreciate you pointing that out.
- [36:06]
Derek
Okay. No, that, that makes sense though because yeah, otherwise I can't really find a whole lot like there are other free agents that I'm excited about. But there's just, it's not a huge class for a lot of these big ticket guys.
- [36:15]
Dave
You think Mike Evans could still get to 18?
- [36:17]
Robert Mays
Mike Evans might, yeah. Mike Evans is one I would throw out there. So that was like seven names that I said. I, I think between like 10 or fewer probably. It's probably less than 10. It would be my guess. And who knows when we actually get there. But you know, even if you're, let's say David Edwards makes a ton more money than we expect, that I think would still be surprising. The Edge rushers, it's always an interesting one. Like Khalil Mack, Quitty Pay, like Dial Dangbo made more money than we expected him to last year too. So is Quiddy pay this year's version of Diode Dangbo, somebody like Wanda Robinson, what does he get paid? So maybe there are guys that like bump up against that 18 million a year. But I still feel like it's probably going to come in short of what we typically see in a given year. So I think that just when you're looking at the top of the group, I felt like that was kind of a useful method and a useful measure to see how it compares to previous years. But like Dave said, there is still value to be found even if the top of this thing is not quite what we might come to expect in a given free agent class. So let's dig into where some of that mal you might exist. And let's start with the positions, Derek, that you feel like have the most options in this class specifically. So when you were looking at that, the spots where you think it would be wise to be shopping in this year's free agency group, where did you start? Start?
- [37:35]
Derek
Yeah, I think a couple of these positions are maybe not the ones that have some of the top tier players like I do get like the top of the edge class does have a couple of good guys compared to some of these other positions. But the three positions for me, running back, interior offensive line and linebacker have guys that kind of like every tier that you would want to pay them that I would be pretty interested in. And I think the running backs one is really interesting too because you have a lot of different style of guys like Kenneth Walker. Obviously the Seahawks said that they are not going to tag him. So he's going to hit the market. Travis ETN is probably going to be on the market market. Those are two. If you want the explosive, we're hitting home runs. Those are two types of backs that you can go and get. And then I think kind of on the other end you have a couple of guys that I think there are going to be teams that need some sort of bell cow a guy who can take 15 carries in a game if he needs to and kind of, you know, beat down the wall on like 3rd and 2 or something like that. Tyler Algier is a guy that I'm super interested in in this class because obviously he's not the caliber of player of Milton Williams. But like last year, Milton Williams with the Eagles, he was obviously barred behind two better players than him and the Eagles just didn't want to. Tyler Largio has been barred behind, I don't know, the second best running back in the NFL. He is a starting caliber running back and proved that as a rookie. And so I think there's just a lot of guys like that in the running back market that are interesting to me. And then linebacker, whether you need a three down guy, a weird guy who can be a run defender and put him on the edge, whether you just want a blitzer like Nicobi Dean, like every kind of linebacker that you need is on the board too. So I'm both of those positions I'm really interested in.
- [39:04]
Dave
I'm really encouraged to hear you say you like the linebackers because I just. You have a high standard for linebacker play.
- [39:09]
Robert Mays
There is a ton of them though. I mean I think the. This is fun because I think this is true for all the positions that we're going to talk about. I think there's depth at a lot of these spots. Derek just mentioned a bunch of them. There are a couple more that I would throw out. There's also depth that is comprised of a bunch of different flavors. Right. The linebackers are like that. The running backs are like that. The edge players are even like That. A little bit. And with running back, like the. A fun full circle moment. I was. This is. Derek's a little young for this, but the best case scenario for me.
- [39:37]
Derek
Me.
- [39:37]
Robert Mays
So he's leaving Atlanta. But a guy who went to Atlanta in a very similar situation is Tyler Aler. Just Michael Turner.
- [39:44]
Dave
Oh.
- [39:44]
Derek
Oh, I'm not that young.
- [39:46]
Robert Mays
Come on.
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Now.
- [39:47]
Derek
I remember.
- [39:50]
Dave
Not 18 year.
- [39:51]
Robert Mays
Did Michael Turner go to the. To go to Atlanta. It was like 2010, right?
- [39:54]
Derek
Yeah, but I mean, I'm 13 by then. I'm watching football. Yeah.
- [39:57]
Robert Mays
Okay.
- [39:58]
Boost Mobile Rep
Okay.
- [39:59]
Robert Mays
All right.
- [40:00]
Dave
2008.
- [40:01]
Robert Mays
Okay. Michael Turner went to Atlanta in 2008, which is. That's actually where I thought because 2006. I remember 2008. How old were you in 2008?
- [40:07]
Derek
11. Okay. So I wasn't. I wasn't doing the job.
- [40:12]
Robert Mays
You weren't grinding Michael Turner tape when you were in fifth grade. So apologies.
- [40:16]
Dave
That's where you're wrong, buddy.
- [40:18]
Derek
I wasn't. But those early Falcons teams, like Michael Vick when I was like nine, was like one of my favorite players. Obviously, you know, that blew up after that. But I. The early Falcons, NFC South. I grew up in NFC south territory. I'm. I'm familiar.
- [40:31]
Robert Mays
I think before high school, it's okay to qualify it as before your time. I think I feel pretty good about that. But I agree with you on Algeria.
- [40:40]
Dave
Even somebody.
- [40:40]
Robert Mays
And again, this is like what we're talking about with this free agent group. Kenneth Gainwell is not going to be like, an extremely exciting name.
- [40:49]
Dave
Screw that. He is an exciting name. I'm so glad you brought him up. He's on my list.
- [40:53]
Robert Mays
The way that he played last year and like, the skill set that he's giving you, like, I think you would be a better football team if you had a guy that gave like that brought what Kenneth Gainwell brings to the position. I think there's a lot of those types of players can he.
- [41:05]
Dave
Gainwell was awesome. Catch of the year.
- [41:07]
Derek
Kenny Gainwell.
- [41:09]
Dave
That's right. The fact that the Steelers got him for it was a silly deal. It was like a million dollars. Like 1.1.
- [41:16]
Robert Mays
Yeah.
- [41:16]
Dave
I'd be super excited to have him. I know his. His star kind of waned because of another guy that they drafted, but I don't. I assume Rashad White's price is not going to be very high for a low price. If Rashad White's my RB2, I'd be very excited about that. Gainwell and White were like the two big ones for me.
- [41:36]
Robert Mays
Yeah. I think Rashad White absolutely falls into that category. What were your positions that jumped out to you? Anything that, other than the linebackers and the running backs, which we can revisit here in a second. I just want to go through all of them before we do.
- [41:45]
Dave
That running back really stood out to me. Another one that I really love. I think there's a lot of value to be had at tight end. And again, it's interesting. It's just across the board. Like, I mean, you've got your big names and your guys that can be a big part of your passing game if that's what you want them to be. Like, I'm, I'm. This is all depending on Price, but like, like, I'm more than willing to kick the tires on David and Joku. Dallas Goddard is available, depending on the room that you have. Darren Waller showed a surprising amount of juice when with Miami last year. And then this is just my, my personal pet cat. But I'm, I, I didn't even mention Isaiah Likely. Excuse me, but that's because I'm so fixated on the other Ravens tight end, Charlie Kohler.
- [42:34]
Robert Mays
I'm. I'm so glad you're saying this. He's going to be. He was going to come up later in the week for me as we talked about, like, bargain type guys.
- [42:39]
Dave
Charlie Kohler is like one of my, like, if I was making a short list of guys I would be excited to add to my team. Charlie Kohler would be like a top five guy. Like, because I don't think the price will be crazy. I think he is a capable and willing blocker who's going to do all of the nitty gritty shit that you love from a tight end. And I'm not saying he's ever going to be an amazing receiver, but he's done it. And I would have to imagine there's more opportunity for it when you're not. Not playing behind Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. So if you're talking about like a buy pretty low and feel great about it, Charlie Kohler is, is absolutely in the middle of my short list.
- [43:15]
Robert Mays
I was saving all my Charlie Kohler takes for later in the week. Now we're having to spring them on us right now.
- [43:19]
Dave
We can, we can save it. We can save it for later. But I mean, no, I, I'm into it.
- [43:24]
Derek
I.
- [43:24]
Robert Mays
Because I feel the exact same way.
- [43:25]
Dave
Chigo Conquo is another one, obviously. I think Kate Otten is like, one of the biggest, like, second contract tight ends. I, I get a little nervous about how high that price might be, but there is. There is a tight end that fits damn near every archetype you could want.
- [43:41]
Robert Mays
My thing is, if you're paying Kate Otten $10 million a year, would you rather just pay Charlie Kohler $3 million a year?
- [43:47]
Dave
Yes. My only. I wonder if Charlie Kohler can get more than that because people are hip to his game.
- [43:52]
Robert Mays
The other one that I. And this to me is a. This is a like larger kind of theoretical conversation. So like Chiga conquest, like Chicaconkwo is attractive in a very specific way. Like we know what he is. Like, he's explosive. He can be a pass catcher for you. But I think the way the league is going with tight ends, I'll be interested to see how that shapes this market. Specifically Derek, because Chico conquo I'm looking at pff right now. So they do contract projections for everybody. Obviously there's going to be a little bit of margin for error when it comes to this stuff. But their deal for chico Kanko is three years, $9 million a year. Would you rather have that Skill set for $9 million a year within your offense or would you rather have like a somewhat more well rounded. Why? For less than half of that per season and what he gives your offense,
- [44:37]
Derek
even if it's the same amount of money. I would rather have Kate Otten for. For the same amount of money. And he's obviously way less sexy. He's like not as explosive, all that stuff, but he's. I would much rather have the guy that I feel like I can put in line, he can do a little bit of blocking. But it's a good point. Like six years ago. A guy like Ocon clearly gets paid a lot more and probably does more for your offense than a guy like maybe Kate Ottenwood or obviously like Charlie Kohler. But I don't know, man. With the way that things are right now, I feel like it's a little bit easier to find that kind of like ancillary, just useful. Put him on the field every now and then. Pass catching piece of tight end than it is these guys who are like, true. Why play him 50 snaps a game type of tight ends.
- [45:17]
Dave
Another one I wanted to shout out. And I think this is going to be fascinating. Fascinating because I love the safety class.
- [45:23]
Robert Mays
I'm surprised neither of you guys. Oh, you love the safety draft class.
- [45:26]
Dave
No, I love this. I love both and that's why I think it's so interesting. Yes, there are a shitload of like very capable safeties that are about to become available.
- [45:35]
Robert Mays
I can't believe you guys. Neither of you said that right off the bat. That was my first one.
- [45:39]
Dave
I just wanted to talk about Charlie Kohler, that's all.
- [45:42]
Derek
I think a couple of. A couple of the safeties that are going to get paid at the top of the market give me pause. Like, namely Brian Cook and Jaquan Brisker, who are probably two of the top four or five that most people would pick. I think. I think both of those guys give me a lot of pause. So maybe that's why I'm not as high on the safety class right now.
- [45:56]
Robert Mays
Well, what's interesting to me about the safety group is that I think there's. So if you look at it, last year there was like, real star power at free agent. The free agent safeties there has been over the last, like four, three or four years. Two years ago we had Xavier McKinney. Year before that we had Jesse Bates. And so this is just kind of how the league works. Like, safety is a position that not every team is going to value. And so a lot of the guys that are up near the top of the market at that position are going to be hitting free agents. See, unlike a lot of other spots in the NFL this year, there is not the same star power that there even was last year when Trevin Merrig or Javon Holland were hitting the market. Holland was, I think 15 million a year last year, and Merrick was 17 million a year last year. I don't think anybody in this group, maybe Brian cook, will hit $15 million a year in the same way Javon Holland did. But even if there aren't the names at the top, I think if you go down like one or two rungs beyond that, I think there's a lot. There's like 10 to 12, like starting caliber players who are going to be available at safety in this free agent group. Cam Curl, Jalen Thompson, Jalen Hawkins played really well for the Patriots last year. You know, Byard is older, but for the right team, I think that makes sense.
- [47:02]
Dave
Be in the right place at the right time.
- [47:03]
Robert Mays
Reed Blankenship, Nick Cross, even like a low, a low. Ben is like all is like that is a start. A guy I can start at safety. That's literally all he is for the teams that have had him. The Ravens traded for him because their thought process was, I can start this guy at safety and I can use Kyle Hamilton the way that I want to. And so if your bar is I can start this guy at safety. I do think there's like 10 to 12 guys in this group.
- [47:28]
Derek
You.
- [47:28]
Dave
So I said Charlie Kohler, and you just said one of my other favorite guys. Shortlist guys for my hypothetical NFL team that I'd be running out to try to sign. Nick Cross is one of my favorite guys in this whole free agent class. I think he's awesome. I think he's versatile.
- [47:43]
Robert Mays
He's also, like, 22 years old.
- [47:44]
Dave
He's 25.
- [47:46]
Robert Mays
No, he's turning 25 this year.
- [47:47]
Dave
Okay, sorry.
- [47:48]
Robert Mays
He's 24. This is his age. 25.
- [47:50]
Dave
Age 25 season. He's awesome for Indianapolis, man. Like, they play him everywhere. He's a willing tackler.
- [47:56]
Robert Mays
He.
- [47:56]
Dave
He's good in coverage. I don't know if he's like, in elite coverage safety, but he can do it all. And he's 25 or he's turning 25 years old. I would be so pumped to sign him. Reed Blankenship. I'm not the only one connecting these dots, but when you think about a guy like Christian Parker going to Dallas, like, looking for people who can implement his scheme, I think that makes a lot of sense. But the interesting thing.
- [48:18]
Robert Mays
That's perfect, by the way.
- [48:19]
Derek
Yeah.
- [48:19]
Robert Mays
Like, I think we'll see where Dallas spends its money. We'll get to some of the team needs at the end here. Like, teams. I'm just interested to watch Dallas and just how they spend their money on defense is a huge question for me. If you can get rebankage for 7 million bucks a year and you could throw some money around elsewhere, I think that absolutely makes sense.
- [48:34]
Dave
The thing that makes this doubly fascinating, and I know this isn't building the beast. Dane and I Talked about this two days ago. Dane's got 10 safeties that he thinks are worthy of top 100 picks.
- [48:45]
Robert Mays
That's wild.
- [48:45]
Dave
It is a wild safety class. There are so many good ones, and maybe, maybe only one or two of those guys go in the first round. But that means you've got a glut of day two safeties and teams drafting guys that they think are good enough to play an immediate role. So what does that do to the market? I mean, it's not unusual to see good veteran safeties sitting out there until June, July, August. And so if I can get these guys even cheaper because NFL teams would rather draft their safety of the future, that's fine with me.
- [49:15]
Robert Mays
And that's what happened to running back back last year. When you look at the running backs in free agency last year, I mean, Najah Harris made 5 million bucks. Rico Dottle made 2.7. Because teams were looking at the running back group in the draft last year and be like, I can find one. I don't need to spend a lot on free agents. And so if you're a team looking for safeties this off season, when you combine the draft and free agency and how the draft might depress these values even further, it's a good time to be looking for safeties. I may root for a team that needs two starting safeties and free agencies, though.
- [49:43]
Derek
We just mentioned both of the Bears safety.
- [49:45]
Dave
Both.
- [49:46]
Robert Mays
Both guys. So safety was my number one. Derek, it's interesting to hear you say that you don't think corner has a lot of guys. Cause obviously the top of the market doesn't have a lot of guys. But I think it's a, I think it's adjacent to the conversation we just had about safety.
- [50:00]
Derek
If you need a guy who is a certified corner three, maybe an okay corner two. I actually do think that there are a lot of good guys and that's actually, I'll, I'll kind of talk about that in the show we do a little bit later this week. I think it's just especially coming off last year where they're. There were like three, four or five, like CB ones that you could sign that I think a lot of people felt good about. And there are a couple in this class. But I just, I think to me, like, it doesn't. I'm not quite as sold on like the top end corner group as I was a year ago. Whereas like the Carlton Davis, like even D.J. reed, Charvarius Ward, it was like, if those guys are healthy, I'm. I feel really, really good about them. And so I, I think that's kind of the smite, the slight difference for me.
- [50:40]
Robert Mays
Yeah, I think that's totally fair. So if you look at it, there were five free agents. They all signed the same deal. So we had different guys that signed three years. $18 million a year is Byron Murphy. Travarius were Carlton Davis, Paulson, adibo, and then DJ Reed was right behind them at $16 million a year. I don't know if any of the guys in this group bump up against those numbers. Like, we'll see if a team wants to roll the dice on Tariq Woolen. Jamel Dean played well last year, but does he have the same sort of mic? Does JAMEL DEAN have D.J. reed's market? I don't know. Based on like his injury history.
- [51:11]
Derek
Exactly.
- [51:12]
Robert Mays
And so I don't know if the Top of the market is going to look the same at the same time, I think if you're paying a lot of these guys between like 6 and 10 million a year, like Jalen Watson will probably be worth more than that. Dino probably be worth more than that. But like the year that Monteric Brown had or the year that Eric Stokes had for the Raiders or Cordell Flot for the Giants, like, can you find a starting caliber corner for a reasonable price in this market? I think the answer might be yes. There's question marks with all of them, but that's just the nature of free agency. And then you get beyond that. Like, Rasul Douglas played well last year in like a stopgap role for the Dolphins. If you want to roll, do that again. You can cater. Kohu, speaking of the Dolphins, was hurt all of last year, but is he a nickel option that you could get at the right price? Like, I think that there will be. If there were half dozen starting corners that came out of this free agent group, even if the names aren't that sexy, that would not be surprising to me.
- [52:06]
Derek
Speaking of Nichols, though, the one thing that I think is interesting in this class is Elante Taylor, really the only like big ticket, type of nickel corner that you would sign like there. There are a couple of other options that you can be like, maybe we can get away with this, maybe he can pop for us. But Alante Taylor to me is the only guy where I'm like, yes, that is a good starting corner. Let's get him in the building.
- [52:25]
Dave
Put some respect on D. Alford, who is also available.
- [52:28]
Robert Mays
But that, but again, if you're paying d. Alford like 6 million bucks a year, whatever, it's going to cost 5 million bucks a year. He can probably give you like starting level stats he did last year.
- [52:37]
Dave
My I love the corner class. And this is, this is just my personal calculus when I'm watching football. I love the corner class as long as I've made my piece that this guy's probably going to drive me crazy at times because that's anybody but a lockdown. CB1 is going to do that. And I think it's one of the biggest disconnects in football is like, oh, our CB2 gets beat all the time. It's like, well, yes, that's what he does. That's what happens in the NFL. And so if you're comfortable with being frustrated by These guys, I'm 100% serious about the Alford, another really veteran guy, Robert, that I thought played well for the most part was Cheeto in his stint with Baltimore last year. I'd be like, depending on the price, comfortable doing that. I'm not giving up on Kobe Durant. I know the playoffs were rough, but depending on what the rest of your DB room looks like, I'd be willing to pay Kobe Durant to play cornerback for me. And then I'd be curious what the market is. And this might be playoff glasses in the good way. But like Josh Jobe was awesome for Seattle last year. Like, there's all kinds of role players that I'd be comfortable signing as long as, as we're not under the impression that these guys are going to be like the foundation of my cornerback room. Like there's all kinds of guys I'd be, I'd be pumped to sign in supplemental roles.
- [53:52]
Robert Mays
Bit of breaking news as we're recording this. Adam Shafter reporting that the Cardinals have informed Kyler Murray they intend to release him on the first day of the league year, which is next Wednesday. And so Kyler Murray will be playing for somebody on the minimum this year. And we talked about this at length yesterday on the Melbourne bag Kyler Murray for a million and a half bucks. Like whatever you think of Kyler Murray shortcomings, you could do a lot worse at quarterback in this cycle. A lot worse if you can get
- [54:19]
Derek
let's even say Kyler's not his best self. Let's say he's quarterback 20. Quarterback 20 at a million dollars is
- [54:25]
Robert Mays
pretty exactly what we said yesterday. Yesterday. It's like we, we need to divorce ourselves from like what we think of these guys when they're making $46 million a year and what you think of him for the minimum. Daniel Jones made 15 million bucks on last year and was a very good value for the Colts. Like I, I'll be very curious to see who chases Kyler and where he ends up. Like the jets have been a team that people keep throwing out and like I guess I kind of understand that. But if you're Kyler, why in the world would that be the choice you would make it the money is the same no matter where you go.
- [54:57]
Derek
Yes, exactly. At this point, yeah, that to me, jets made sense where it was like if somebody's going to trade for him, obviously the jets have capital, the most capital to wield in a way that other teams didn't. So now it made sense. But now that he's on the the market, absolutely not. He shouldn't sign with them. He should be looking at obviously the indie thing is kind of complicated now where it's going to be. But like Minnesota, that should be like free. Like just walk in there.
- [55:18]
Dave
If Minnesota and Pittsburgh and I'll throw in even Atlanta, like, why aren't you kicking the tires on that?
- [55:25]
Derek
Yeah, I like Atlanta has me interested. That's good.
- [55:29]
Dave
I joked about it yesterday. Like it, it makes, it makes me sound like a Kyler Murray. Stan. It's more just like what is the risk versus what could the reward be? Like, it's just playing the odds. And if you are a team with a need, a modicum of a need at quarterback with any sort of ambition to be a contender or a team that matters for the price it would cost you, why the hell not? I don't understand if decent teams are not interested.
- [55:55]
Robert Mays
Atlanta's a fun one. The Drew Petzon, Kevin Stefanski connection is like the first thing that comes to mind there. Like obviously they come from the same place. And so whether or not Kevin Stefanski wants Kyler Murray as his quarterback, I think that will be a conversation worth having. But those are the types of teams. Absolutely. That should be sniffing around. You know who else should have been sniffing around? The Colts after they decided to not transition tag Daniel Jones.
- [56:14]
Dave
Yeah, that's. I mean, knowing that he's about to become available, my opinion on that changes a little bit because I would rather have Kyler at whatever he's going to cost than the Daniel Jones recovery program.
- [56:25]
Robert Mays
Last couple of positions that I want to throw out that I think are strengths of this group. Derek, you mentioned this interior offensive line is much better than last year at the very least. Last year we were looking at Will Fry is making $17 million a year or nothing. It was dark. The guard market last year was dark. This year there's not a lot of star power, but you're looking at Connor McGovern AVT, which is like we'll see what the market is for that. I mean it's obviously a guy, second contract guy with that level of talent that's played as well as he has when he's been on the field. Somebody will take a chance. But the injury history is what it is. Zion Johnson, second contract player. Even if he's flawed, he'll have some interest. Dylan Parham, same kind of deal. Ed Ingram, Like, I think there's a lot guards that are going to be making double digit millions in this group that are going to surprise some people. Even a guy like Chris Paul, right, who played for Washington last year and kind of took that guard job over. I think there are a lot of Guys that could be starters in this group that just didn't exist last year. Like, again, you got past Becton last year, who because of his injury history, signed for, I think it was 10 million bucks a year. Like, it wasn't. It was a very low number. It was a very low risk contract. I think a lot of guys will be topping that in this group. And maybe that might surprise some people.
- [57:42]
Derek
And to me, it just feels like there's a lot of like, whatever your appetite for what you want to chase, I think is there. Like, David Edwards is probably the big ticket guy that you're going to get to guard.
- [57:50]
Dave
But like, if you.
- [57:51]
Robert Mays
David Edwards is who I meant David Edwards. I meant stupid Bills offensive lineman.
- [57:56]
Derek
But if you want to go like a little bit of a rung down from that and a guy who's a little bit older but still playing well, like Isaac, say a Mallo, I think could just step in for somebody and
- [58:03]
Robert Mays
be like, put him on 20 teams in the last two weeks because he's.
- [58:07]
Derek
He's going to go in and be like a league average guard for somebody at 32 years old, and that's going to be all somebody needs to help fix their offensive line. I think he could be really good. Avt to me is like, he feels like the Jonah Jackson bet this offseason where it's like a guy who is like supremely talented. It's just the injury history has been up and down, but if he can be out there, we know what he can be at his peak. And then like you mentioned, some of the other depth guys, like a Chris Paul could be maybe fringe starter or just really good depth for us. I think Sean Ryan from the packers has been that. Like, obviously when he stepped in at center, having to take over, that was a little bit tougher. But I thought in stretches over the last two years, he played fairly well at guard. And so maybe he's a guy you bring in for a competition and draft a guy and just see who wins. Like, it's just. It feels like at every level of this thing, there's guys that you could want at guard. And then throughout the entire show, we've talked about the 7 million centers that seem to be on the market already.
- [58:58]
Robert Mays
The last one I'll throw out is the edge group. Like, I think it's a pretty good group relative to other seasons. 2024, to me is the best recent year for edge free agents. If you look back at that group, Daniel Hunter, Jonathan Garnard, Bryce Huff was a free agent that year. Chase Young, Dorance, Armstrong. This one to me doesn't have those guys at the top. Top like Hendrickson is not right now that Daniel Hunter was when he signed that deal with Houston. But if you look one step down from there, even after you get past like the Hendrickson tier. OA Jalen Phillips. Khalil Mack still played really well last year. Like if you need a one year flyer, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa is like, it's kind of on the opposite end of the Khalil Mack thing. Like there are these two aging pieces where I think I know exactly what Khalil Mack is where with Joey Bosa, I have no idea week to week what he's going to be like the high end version of him and what he was for stretches last year was awesome and the back half of the year was much more consistent. But I still think somebody will roll the dice on him. Bradley Shub is in that same kind of mold like those older guys that could still have something in the tank. We talked about quiddy pay being this year's dial dang bow and then I just think there's so many useful like role players. Mafe and Draymond Jones are kind of like two opposite types of skill sets you could add to your defense. Joseph Osai played well last year for the Bengals with Clavin Chase and we've talked about a million different times on the show over the last year. And even, even guys like Kingsley Anne Igbare, right, Just guys you throw in the rotation.
- [60:20]
Derek
He's the one in this class that I am most interested that he could be somebody signs him to be your edge three run defender and he's a guy who's, he's only 26 years old but like if he just like sometimes with some of these guys who like it's all about power, sometimes like as they get into that 26, 27, 28 range, that's when they really start to figure out how to like play the position and really crush the pocket efficiently. He's, he's. I know I already said a little bit early in the show, I'm like a little bit iffy on some of these edge guys. Like maybe I'm a half rung lower on a lot of these guys individually and Igbari is the guy I'm pinning that like somebody's going to get pretty good value out of that guy.
- [60:56]
Robert Mays
I think, I think that I'm a little bit scarred because he made a lot of plays against the Bears last year and so like maybe I'M pumping up. To hear you say it makes me feel a little bit better because I NFL teams, they do that all the time.
- [61:08]
Dave
They're like, this guy kills us every time we play. Give him whatever he wants as a run defender.
- [61:12]
Robert Mays
I, I just, I think there's something to him. Like I think if he's part of your ed, if he's part of your defensive line rotation, I think that he's a winning player. I really do like him and so I think there are a lot of guys like that in this edge group. There are some positions where it's not quite as well stocked as we head into free agency and we're going to talk about some of those when we come back in a quick sec.
- [61:34]
Boost Mobile Rep
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Robert Mays
Wait, we're going on tour?
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Boost Mobile Rep
We're delivering and setting up customers phones? It's not a tour.
- [61:42]
Dave
Not with that attitude.
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Oh actually they will have to get up and open the door.
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Robert Mays
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Dave
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Robert Mays
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Dave
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Robert Mays
Visit bill.comproven for a special offer. All right, so it's not all sunshine and rainbows here. Like there are some spots where if you need a player at this position, you're probably going to be pretty upset with what the market is looking like. Dave, where did you think this group may be falling a little bit short position as you were digging into it?
- [62:43]
Dave
The wide receivers make me nauseous.
- [62:45]
Robert Mays
This is an this is an annual thing by the way. Yeah, this will be an annual thing and this wide receiver group is better than last year.
- [62:52]
Derek
I I here's what I will say about the wide receiver group though. I think if you specifically need a little bit of size and ball winning you can get that.
- [63:01]
Robert Mays
If you need Eric is it just Mike Evans and Juwan Jennings, Juan Jennings,
- [63:07]
Derek
Romeo Dobbs I think gives you some of that. Alec Pierce is going to give you some of that. Like I think if you are looking for specifically you can get it if you need just about Any other skill set. Good luck.
- [63:18]
Dave
I meant to ask you this yesterday, Robert, because you brought up Dobbs, and I like Dobbs. Dobbs strikes me as a guy where the price tag could, like, boggle your eyes compared to the actual production. And, like, he's.
- [63:32]
Robert Mays
I think, the product really well, last year.
- [63:33]
Dave
No, that's what I'm saying. I'm. But what I'm saying is, like, you're sitting here saying, oh, it'd be great to add Romeo Dobbs, but at what cost? Like, what if he, like, breaks the bank? And good for him for him if he does. But I don't know if I want to get into, like, a free agent bidding war for Romeo Dobbs. I don't want to do that for damn near anybody on this list. That's the problem.
- [63:52]
Robert Mays
All right, so I'm looking at free agent contracts handed out to wide receivers. Just contracts handed out to wide receivers over the last couple years. The two that. I think this is maybe the range we might be talking about with Dobbs. Let's start with, like, the Darnell mooney contract from 2024, which is three years. 39th. $13 million a year for Darnell Mooney. Khalil Shakir came in at 3.13.2, right above that. And then you have Cooper cup last year, and then Jacoby Myers just signed for $20 million a year. I think he probably ends up in that range of guys, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was closer to the top end than the bottom.
- [64:26]
Derek
Yeah.
- [64:26]
Dave
Did you say Dobbs as an $18 million a year guy? You might have. I don't remember.
- [64:29]
Robert Mays
I did not.
- [64:30]
Dave
He could be one of those guys. And that's. There's a guy every year where you're like, oh, I. I'd love to have this guy on my team for $6 million a year. And then the real price tag is like $10 million a year, and you're like, oh, we're. We're in deeper water than I thought we were. And Romeo Dobbs strikes me as. As maybe that type of guy.
- [64:48]
Robert Mays
All right, Derek, let's say it's Monday, right? We're recording. Nate is on. Just a little hypothetical. Let's just throw it out. Nate's on with us for the 15 minutes he's going to be here. Comes across the timeline. We get Romeo Dobbs, three years, 60 for the exact same deal that Jacoby Myers got. What is your reaction?
- [65:05]
Derek
If it's on the right team, I'm kind of down for it.
- [65:07]
Robert Mays
Like, honestly, I'm Kind of into.
- [65:09]
Dave
Listen, if the HR meme where like if the Chiefs do it, you're like, oh my God, that's so good. And if the Titans do it, you're like, oh no. Another bad Titans do.
- [65:18]
Robert Mays
I just think a guy that like is big is a, is a perimeter guy. He won in man to man situations consistently last year. He was the most reliable receiver on that team last year for stretches of last season. Christian Wilson is more explosive, but when they needed like a gotta have it moment, he was the guy on that offense. I think he really, really did come into his own last season in a way where I'm very curious to see where he lands.
- [65:40]
Derek
And so I actually think like Darnell Mooney, if he goes to a room where he fills it out, it makes sense to me. Like obviously Drake London is their big ball winner. So you bring in a Darnell Mooney, he's a little bit more, he's like the long speed, can be outside all that sort of stuff. Romeo Dobbs, if he goes to like the Chargers, that makes a lot of sense to me. Him and Ladd McConkey I think makes a lot of sense. You mentioned the Chiefs. I think that that makes a lot of sense. The jets are like an unappealing because they're a bad team and it would suck to see him go there. But like him and Garrett Wilson does make a lot to me skill set wise. Like there are some wide receiver rooms where I'm like for that amount of money that actually fills this thing out pretty nicely.
- [66:14]
Robert Mays
The team I threw out yesterday and I still like it. Just easy for him me to imagine him in this role is on the Niners.
- [66:20]
Derek
Oh yeah. Just a younger, slightly smaller like Juwan Jennings. I could totally see that.
- [66:25]
Dave
Dobbs, Mike Evans, Juwan Jennings are the three guys that I'd be pretty pumped about. I like Alec Pierce too, but I just think the price is going to be insane.
- [66:34]
Robert Mays
Yeah, it's, I'm almost not even counting him as a normal free agent. I'm not the amount of money that he's going to get.
- [66:39]
Dave
Exactly, exactly. And so like I don't even include Pierce, those three guys. And then after those three, I, I'm not finding a whole lot that I feel good about.
- [66:48]
Robert Mays
I am so pumped for Alec Pierce to get $35 million a year from the Tennessee Titans. I, I, I, I genuinely, I genuinely cannot wait for him to get the DK Metcalf deal.
- [66:58]
Derek
Even Cam Ward, I'm on board with
- [67:00]
Dave
that because Camel just chucked that 40 yards downfield to him like 10 times
- [67:04]
Robert Mays
a. I'm not really kidding. I would be pumped if that actually happened. All right, so I think wide receivers worth throwing out. I would say tackle. Every year is going to be like this. Yeah. Every year free agent tackles is going to be a wasteland and we are there yet again. Rasheed Walker is going to make again the Dan Moore contract that people are going to be like, what? Rashid Walker's making $22 million a year? And be like, yes. Because that's how if you have a pulse and you are starting caliber tackle hitting free agency, that's probably what you were going to make. I'll be curious what happens with Braden Smith. Obviously, like he's played well enough to justify paying him as a starting right tackle, but we had the health issues and just some of the lingering questions with him age. That's going to be a part of the conversation. I'm curious what happens with Jermaine Illuminor and his market. Like, he is a starting caliber right tackle. He talk about guys who come into his own. He has played much better for the Giants than he had at any point in his career. He's talked about this openly, but after that and Juwan Taylor now is in the mix after getting released. The list is like over. Like, it's like that's. Those are the guys you'd want to start for you at tackle.
- [68:05]
Dave
My hot take I saw like as soon as I saw Joanne Taylor was getting released by the Chiefs, I was like this. His next team will get panned for signing him because everybody knows he's the guy that false starts every snap. Or at least that's what people say. I would be excited to sign him. Like if, if my team needed a right tackle like you, you'd be giddy. The, the fact that he's available to play right tackle for you is a stroke of really great luck. Even if he is like the most flagged tackle in the NFL.
- [68:33]
Robert Mays
The other position that I think is truly like, I can't remember it being this bad because historically you could find gu this position in free agency and this class is just not like that at all. The interior defensive line, free agent group. Holy moly. I mean, it's brutal. It's John Franklin Myers and no. 1.
- [68:54]
Derek
It's the worst position in the class by a lot. I think obviously you can kind of always remove quarterback because that's always such a different consideration. But I, I think it's the worst in the class by a mile. Yeah, like JFM I think will be nice for someone and they're like, you can get me excited about Kair's Tonga, but even that is like a nose guard that you're going to play for like 20 snaps a game maybe.
- [69:13]
Robert Mays
And that's what this group is, right? It's like there are like DJ Reader and Kyrus Tonga and people like that, Roy Lopez, like guys that I think players that are worth having on your team and if you sign them for 1 year, 4 million, there is a decent chance that they're going to outperform that deal in like a very specific role. But you go back even to like last year, all those third contract guys, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Grady Jarrett, that are making 18 million bucks a year, all of those are probably misguided contracts, but there aren't any. There isn't even an opportunity to hand out misguided contracts on the interior of the defensive line this year.
- [69:46]
Dave
It is bad and I'm not arguing with you. But one guy that was on my nerdy short list who shouldn't be expensive, Neville Gallimore, I thought was like a decent piece of the Colts rotation. But again we're talking about a guy who if you're doing this the right way, you're paying him a modest contract to be your third or fourth guy and rotate in. But I think thought he, he was good for the Colts last year. He played more than they probably expected because of the Buckner injury. I'd be, I'd be pretty excited to add him again, like not for a big contract but it just speaks to. Yeah, like if you're talking about star power or big time starters, it's, it's just not here.
- [70:27]
Derek
And also how many non nose guard starters do you think you can sign here? It's like John Franklin Myers, I think Logan hall because of the age and I do think he played better this year than he had at any other point in his career. Maybe you can get there but like outside of that I don't really don't know if you can sign any like three Tech starters.
- [70:47]
Robert Mays
The other guy that I think played really well this year, but he's 32 years old. Sheldon Rankins. Sheldon Rankins was really good for the Texans last year, but you look back two years ago, obviously he was hurt and dealing with a bunch of health stuff but it's, I'm with you. There just aren't that many guys where you feel good about it and that historically had been a position where there was often a lot of guys available in free agency and it Just feels like that's starting to dry up a little bit. And you don't want to make sweeping proclamations based on a couple years, but this really creeping into premium position territory where it's becoming kind of on par with what you need from your edge rushers. When you talk about the most impactful players in the league, it's not a surprise that we might be seeing fewer of those guys available in free agency in a given year.
- [71:29]
Dave
Are you excited to see where Clayus Campbell winds up for his age 40, 41 season?
- [71:34]
Robert Mays
Listen, if he wants to continue playing, I'm happy to continue watching cla Campbell play. All right, That I think is all we've got for today. So there's your kind of high level look at the class. Tomorrow we're going to be doing a little bit of historical comparison. We're going to look at a lot of 20, 26 free agents and try to figure out from the last few years how does this player fit into some of the archetypes we've seen in free agency. I think both good and bad guys that have worked out, guys that haven't. So just going to be doing 20, 26 versions of recent free agent players and types. Tomor on Friday we're going to be doing a little bit of superlatives best. I mean we talked about some of it on today's show, but we'll have plenty more of them favorite fits guys that we think are good bargains, buyer beware type of players. All of those will be on Friday's show. Very much looking forward to that. And I think we've talked about this a little bit or danced around it Bell, but we might as well just kind of do this, you know, full go.
- [72:31]
Ad Read Host
Yeah, let it rip.
- [72:32]
Robert Mays
Next Monday, 11am Central Time. We will be here at this desk, the three of us, and we will be reacting to all things NFL free agency as the news rolls in. We did this last year where we were live for 5ish hours. We're gonna do the exact same thing on Monday and we're gonna have guests the entire time. So we have 15 people I believe set up to join us in like 15 in minute increments. And so we're just gonna be rolling in friends of the show over an entire 5, 5 hour stretch as all of the NFL news starts rolling in. And I'm very excited about it. It's one of my favorite days of the year.
- [73:10]
Dave
What could be better? I love live shows. I love having wild shit to react to. I'll never forget I was on with y' all last year, like right after the Darnold deal came down and we were all very confused. And now he's a Super bowl champion. So we get to find out what story starts next week.
- [73:28]
Robert Mays
It's going to be the Tyler Lindebaum signing in Chicago and roots of the Bears winning the Super Bowl. That's exactly what's going to be happening next week. That's all for we got for now. Sincerely appreciate all you guys listening. We'll talk to you very soon.
- [73:52]
Boost Mobile Rep
Big news. Boost Mobile is now sending experts nationwide to deliver and set up customers new phones at home or work.
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Robert Mays
Wait, we're going on tour?
- [73:58]
Boost Mobile Rep
Not a tour. We're delivering and setting up customers phones so it's easier to easier to upgrade.
- [74:02]
Robert Mays
Let's get in the tour bus and hit the road.
- [74:04]
Boost Mobile Rep
No, not a tour bus. It's a regular car we use to deliver and set up customers phones at home or work.
- [74:09]
Robert Mays
Are you a groupie on this tour?
- [74:10]
Boost Mobile Rep
We deliver and set up phones. It's not a tour.
- [74:13]
Derek
Oh, you're definitely a groupie.
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Boost Mobile Rep
Introducing store to door switch and get a new device with expert setup and delivery wherever you're at.
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Robert Mays
Delivery available for select devices purchased@boostmobile.com hi,
- [74:22]
Liv Perez
I'm Liv Perez and I'm the host of the let's Get Dressed podcast. This spring I'm on the hunt for those quality closet essentials that will work for all of the getaways and gatherings that I have on my spring calendar. I always think of Banana Republic first when it comes to these occasions. They have such a great travel inspired heritage, but also have a very refreshing take on the everyday classic. Their clothes are known to stand the test of time, which is something that is so important to me when I'm building a foundational wardrobe. I love their new spring collection. It's infinitely versatile, effortless pieces that you can pack for vacation and also pick out for a special vacation. And the nicer the weather gets, the more I'm looking forward to styling all of the of those pieces. Relaxed suits, airy dresses, all made from 100% European flex linen that just feels so soft and lived in and effortless. I also love their mix and match sets. There's no easier way to look put together. They're easy, flexible and you're maximizing all of your outfit options without any extra effort. Plus there's a wide range of cotton poplin skirts, open weave knits and denim that can be styled well into the season. So go shop new arrivals right now
- [75:30]
Robert Mays
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