Aaron SchatzFeb 27, 2026, 06:30 AM ETCloseAaron Schatz is an NFL analyst for ESPN.com. He has more than 20 years of experience working in NFL analytics and is the creator of the DVOA and DYAR metric. He also serves as the Chief Analytics Officer at FTN Network.Follow on XMultiple Authors
play1:21The teams Ben Solak expects to be in on Malik WillisBen Solak joins Rich Eisen to break down the interest he expects for free agent quarterback Malik Willis.
play2:05Will Kenneth Walker III still be with the Seahawks next season?The “Get Up” crew debates whether the Seahawks should do all they can to keep Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
play0:42What is Alec Pierce’s fantasy outlook for 2026?Matt Bowen breaks down the importance of Alec Pierce’s free agency destination for his fantasy value next season.
The teams Ben Solak expects to be in on Malik WillisBen Solak joins Rich Eisen to break down the interest he expects for free agent quarterback Malik Willis.
Ben Solak joins Rich Eisen to break down the interest he expects for free agent quarterback Malik Willis.
Will Kenneth Walker III still be with the Seahawks next season?The “Get Up” crew debates whether the Seahawks should do all they can to keep Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
The “Get Up” crew debates whether the Seahawks should do all they can to keep Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
What is Alec Pierce’s fantasy outlook for 2026?Matt Bowen breaks down the importance of Alec Pierce’s free agency destination for his fantasy value next season.
Matt Bowen breaks down the importance of Alec Pierce’s free agency destination for his fantasy value next season.
Below, I’ve suggested one free agent signing for each team. I set myself a couple of rules for this exercise: only one free agent for each team, and only one team for each free agent. I also didn’t assign any player to return to his current team, even on the franchise tag. For example, I didn’t include wide receiver George Pickens (expected to be franchise-tagged by the Cowboys) or quarterback Daniel Jones (expected to be re-signed by the Colts).
At the end, I’ve also included a list of additional free agents, as certainly some of these teams will sign multiple big-name free agents. Let’s get started with the Bills.
Buffalo needs a No. 1 option for quarterback Josh Allen, and Evans is still a talented “X” receiver. He has the size — standing at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds — and ball skills to win contested catches. Allen could also trust Evans on third down; in 2024, he had a team-high 220 yards on third down for the Bucs.
The Dolphins’ top three tight ends from last season are all free agents (Greg Dulcich, Darren Waller and Julian Hill), and they could use an upgrade at the position anyway. Waller had six touchdowns in his return from retirement, but he played only nine games due to hip and pectoral injuries.
The Patriots’ two biggest needs this offseason are edge rusher and offensive line. On the O-line, they will likely depend on the development of young players like Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. But the edge is a good place to bring in a veteran.
Phillips had two sacks and 27 pressures after he was traded to the Eagles from Miami at midseason. His 12.4% pass rush win rate ranked 24th among qualifying edge rushers. Phillips could replace free agent K’Lavon Chaisson and/or make a good partner for Harold Landry III.
Yes, it was a small sample size with just one start and four total games played, but Willis had a phenomenal 93.1 QBR for the Packers in 2025. And he had an impressive 77.3 QBR in two starts the season before.
Willis is going to sign somewhere to start, and the Jets need a new quarterback. Justin Fields didn’t work out, and Fernando Mendoza seems to be the only QB prospect worthy of the first-round pick in April. It’s unlikely Mendoza falls past Las Vegas at No. 1 overall.
The teams Ben Solak expects to be in on Malik Willis
The Ravens are going to need a replacement at center if Tyler Linderbaum leaves town. Why not the underrated 28-year-old McGovern, who quietly had one of the top seasons for a center in 2025? His 97.2% pass block win rate last season matched Linderbaum for second place behind Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey. And McGovern’s 72.6% run block win rate ranked third among all centers.
With Trey Hendrickson probably on his way out of Cincinnati, the Bengals need an edge rusher. And with the seventh-most cap space this offseason (per Roster Management System), they’re in position to rain money down on a player still in his prime.
Oweh finally broke out after the Ravens traded him to the Chargers last season, with 7.5 sacks in the final 12 games and two forced fumbles in Los Angeles’ playoff loss to the Patriots. The only question with the 27-year-old is whether he’ll be comfortable playing with his hand in the dirt in Cincinnati after a few years as an outside linebacker in 3-4 schemes.
There’s more to the return game than just having a fast return man. The blocking matters. Still, the addition of Shaheed would be a big step forward for a Browns special teams unit that I had ranked 32nd on punt return value and 28th on kick return value through my special teams DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) in 2025.
Shaheed would also be a strong downfield receiver for a unit that desperately needs improvement. Last season, starting for the Saints and then the reigning Super Bowl champions, he had seven games (including playoffs) with at least 50 receiving yards. No Browns receiver eclipsed Shaheed’s 687 receiving yards in 2025.
Last season’s safeties in Pittsburgh are free agents with the exception of DeShon Elliott and, if you want to consider him a safety, Jalen Ramsey. That’s why the Steelers need to attack this packed safety free agent class.
Brisker can play both deep or in the box, and he’s a hard-hitting safety who will fit the Steelers’ defensive personality. He missed 12 games in the 2024 season due to a concussion, but he had at least 90 combined tackles in each of his three healthy NFL seasons. Over his career, Brisker has recorded seven sacks, four interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Incumbent Jake Andrews ranked last among qualifying centers with 92.4% pass block win rate, so this is a position where the Texans need to take a big swing. Bringing over Linderbaum, who ranked second at center with a 97.2% pass block win rate, would really help solidify the offense and keep the Texans as a Super Bowl contender in 2026.
The Colts ranked just 30th in pass rush win rate (29.1%) last season, and three of their top four pass rushers are hitting free agency. So, this is a good time to bring in a veteran. The Dolphins cut Chubb to clear money off their salary cap, but he is still just 30 years old. He had 8.5 sacks last season with 36 pressures.
Wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is expected to be back at the start of 2026, but the Jaguars still need another CB starter on the outside if Montaric Brown and Greg Newsome II leave in free agency.
Woolen has stirred some controversy in Seattle and was benched briefly a couple of times last season due to mistakes. But he still ranked 12th in the league in my coverage DVOA metric. He’s also a larger (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), more physical corner who could cover receivers who might be too big for the slight-framed Hunter.
Tennessee would have been the perfect landing spot for George Pickens, as it desperately needs a No. 1 option for quarterback Cam Ward. But since Pickens is expected to be franchise-tagged by the Cowboys, let’s further strengthen the Titans’ pass rush with Chaisson.
Tennessee was ranked a surprising 15th in pass rush win rate (37.3%) last season, but Arden Key and Jihad Ward are both free agents. Chaisson blossomed over the past two seasons with the Raiders and then the Patriots. In 2025, he had 7.5 sacks, 32 pressures and an above-average pass rush win rate of 12.9%. The Titans could put him on the strong side across from Oluwafemi Oladejo.
Tight end is a clear need for the Broncos, so why not sign a bigger name such as David Njoku? Because the Broncos already have a receiving-first tight end in Evan Engram, and they need a No. 1 tight end who is also a strong run blocker. That’s Otton. He’s also useful as a receiver when needed, with 1,172 receiving yards and five touchdowns over the past two seasons.
His ability to generate explosive plays could be a valuable part of lifting the Chiefs’ offense back to the top of the league.
Will Kenneth Walker III still be with the Seahawks next season?
The Raiders could use playmakers all across their defense, and both of last season’s starting linebackers are free agents. Walker had 128 combined tackles with the Packers last season and has sideline-to-sideline speed to track down running backs. He can be used as a blitzer as well. The Raiders would just need to make sure their other linebacker is strong in coverage, as that’s a weakness for Walker.
The Chargers will get tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt back next season, but they still need big help on the interior offensive line. Left guard Zion Johnson, now a free agent, was near the bottom of the league in pass block win rate (87.4%) last season. Center Bradley Bozeman also announced his retirement on Feb. 23.
On the other hand, the veteran Seumalo was second among 65 qualifying guards with a 97.3% pass rush win rate and fourth with a 76.9% run block win rate. This would be a huge step toward making the Chargers a serious Super Bowl contender.
The Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in NFL history in 2025, according to my DVOA metric, and they are in desperate need of playmakers. So why not bring in Lloyd? He is a solid starting linebacker who had five interceptions and 1.5 sacks last season.
Cornerbacks are a tough choice in free agency because they are so inconsistent from season to season. Stokes was one of the worst cornerbacks in the league in 2024, but he transformed into one of the league’s best in 2025 with 53 total tackles and five passes defensed.
It’s safe to say that we don’t know what version of Stokes we’ll see in 2026. But this is a clear position of need for the Giants, who ranked 17th in yards allowed per completion last season (10.9). They can take a chance that Stokes is closer to his 2025 play.