Matt Johnson
The legal tampering period in the National Football League allows clubs to speak with certain players and conduct negotiations with agents, so big news is imminent. It is a known fact that teams and players often have handshake deals in place, so before everything goes down, we are taking one last swing at predicting what might happen.
Let us dive into our NFL free agency predictions for the NFC, projecting one player each club signs.
Washington Commanders: Kenneth Walker II, RB
With the New York Giants reportedly out of the mix for the Super Bowl MVP, we now think that Kenneth Walker III will sign with the Washington Commanders. The pressure is on general manager Adam Peters to build a better supporting cast around quarterback Jayden Daniels after what happened last season. Walker’s boom-bust nature makes this riskier, but his explosiveness and ability to help as a third-down back mitigate some of that risk. It is going to be an expensive addition, likely $14-plus million per season, but Washington can lessen some of the long-term risk a bit by using Jacory Croskey-Merritt as a complementary back to avoid overworking Walker.
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New York Giants: Isaiah Likely, TE
A new regime for the New York Giants means that tight end Theo Johnson could face a lot more competition in 2026. John Harbaugh saw the improvements made by Isaiah Likely after he entered the league as a fourth-round pick in 2022, but he never got to ascend into a bigger role in Baltimore because of Mark Andrews. With Harbaugh now the head coach of the Giants, Likely could slide into the New York offense as a viable receiving threat at tight end to support Jaxson Dart.
Related: 2026 NFL Free Agency Predictions for Top Quarterbacks
Dallas Cowboys: Nakobe Dean, LB
Following the Rashan Gary trade, the Dallas Cowboys can now devote more of their money in NFL free agency to other positions. Defensive coordinator Christian Parker saw the impact that Nakobe Dean could have when healthy, and off-ball linebacker is a glaring hole on the Cowboys defense. Dean will immediately provide outstanding juice as a blitzer, and there have been reports that Parker believes Dean can thrive in the Mike linebacker role in his system.
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Philadelphia Eagles: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE
Jaelan Phillips is the second-best edge rusher available this offseason, and it is hard to envision Howie Roseman letting him depart. After being acquired ahead of the NFL trade deadline, Phillips generated 17 pressures with seven QB hits in eight games with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he held his own as an edge defender against the run. While durability may always be an issue for him, he will only be 27 years old in May, and he has proven to be a perfect fit for Vic Fangio’s system.
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Arizona Cardinals: Malik Willis, QB
After spending two years developing under Matt LaFleur, a career-changing time for Malik Willis, we believe he stays within the LaFleur family. Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur can provide Willis with a system he is familiar with, and this is a landing spot with low stakes. Plus, he will be walking into an offense with three excellent pass-catchers (Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson) to start behind an offensive line that may have the third overall pick at right tackle. It is the ideal landing spot for Willis.
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San Francisco 49ers: Romeo Doubs, WR
While the San Francisco 49ers are increasingly being linked to Alec Pierce, we think Romeo Doubs falls more within their price range. He is not nearly as great of a deep threat as Pierce, but he is a willing blocker who can make contested catches and work in different areas of the field. It would also be a return to California, where Doubs grew up, and he could operate as the No. 2 receiver in Kyle Shanahan’s offense for the next three-plus years.
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Seattle Seahawks: Jauan Jennings, WR
The Seattle Seahawks will have a No. 2 receiver void to fill with Rashid Shaheed likely headed elsewhere. Jauan Jennings comes from a system where the receivers are asked to block, and he has great familiarity with Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, Brian Fleury. While the Seahawks obviously lose something in their return game with Shaheed’s departure, Jennings will probably prove to be a better complementary receiving option to Jaxon Smith-Njigba than Shaheed was.
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Los Angeles Rams: Zach Wilson, QB
Signing Zach Wilson would not be the kind of move that fans love to see from the Los Angeles Rams, but the team just spent a ton of money on Quentin Lake, Kam Curl and Trent McDuffie. With Jimmy Garoppolo potentially headed elsewhere, head coach Sean McVay could bring in Wilson as a developmental backup behind Matthew Stafford. Maybe Wilson shows the Rams coaching staff enough during the summer to at least have a shot at staying with the team long-term.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trey Hendrickson, EDGE
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to upgrade their pass rush this offseason, even if it means letting Mike Evans finish his career with another team. Tampa Bay’s window for contention is short with Baker Mayfield, and this defense absolutely needs to take a step forward. Trey Hendrickson can still be one of the league’s best pass rushers, and a three-year deal worth $35-plus million per season would give him what he wants without the Buccaneers having to eat up a ton of cap space beyond the 2027 season.
New Orleans Saints: Dallas Goedert, TE
Taysom Hill might be retiring, and Kellen Moore does like using two tight ends on the field. While the New Orleans Saints might not have a ton of cap space this offseason, they stand out as a viable landing spot for Dallas Goedert. The 31-year-old would walk into an offensive system he knows fairly well and could function as a secondary receiving option behind Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson. Plus, he could spend a year living in New Orleans.
Atlanta Falcons: Marcus Mariota, QB
The Atlanta Falcons need to find a viable bridge starter in 2026 who can step in while Michael Penix Jr. recovery from ACL surgery. Because the former first-round pick will still be given a real shot to reclaim the starting job, one of the top quarterbacks likely isn’t coming to Atlanta. However, this is a prime landing spot for Marcus Mariota. He put up a 93.4 passer rating with a 14-7 TD-INT line in 14 games over the last two seasons and could accurately get the football out to Kyle Pitts and Drake London, with his legs adding a little something to the run game.
Carolina Panthers: Odafe Oweh, EDGE
The Carolina Panthers pass rush needs a lot more juice next season for this defense to take a step forward. Enter edge rusher Odafe Oweh. He thrived after being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers, putting up 19 pressures with 13 QB hits and 7.5 sacks in 12 games and then recording 3 sacks, 3 QB hits and 2 forced fumbles in the Wild Card Round. Heading into his age-27 season, Oweh could be a very good No. 2 pass rusher in Ejiro Evero’s defense.
Minnesota Vikings: Kyler Murray, QB
Kyler Murray as the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback in 2026 feels inevitable. He is easily the best proven starter on the market and, unlike the other options, Minnesota could pay him the minimum salary since Arizona is on the hook for a majority of his pay this season. It is the perfect storm, with Murray given a chance to revitalize his career the way Sam Darnold did in this same situation.
Chicago Bears: David Onyemata, DT
Connections carry weight in NFL free agency, and there is a strong one here. The Chicago Bears need help on the defensive interior, and veteran David Onyemata is very well-known to Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. When Allen served as the defensive play-caller for the Saints from 2015-2024, Onyemata was there for nearly the entire stretch (2016-2022). While he is not quite as strong of an interior pass rusher as he used to be, there is still some juice left there and he is good against the run.
Detroit Lions: J.K. Dobbins, RB
The Detroit Lions have to find a 1B at running back with David Montgomery gone, as Sione Vaki isn’t a viable option for that role. J.K. Dobbins is an obvious durability risk, but he’s asoa veraged 4.8 yards per carry on 348 attempts (1,677 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns) in the last two seasons. Detroit can bring him in as the change-of-pace to pair with Jahmyr Gibbs and hope that a reduced workload keeps him healthy.
Green Bay Packers: Javon Hargrave, DT
Poised to be released by the Vikings, signing Javon Hargrave would not impact the projected compensatory picks that the Green Bay Packers are expected to receive in the 2027 NFL Draft. The veteran defensive tackle also played under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for two seasons (2021-22) with the Eagles. Hargrave fills a glaring need on the defensive interior for Green Bay and he should be relatively cheap to sign. Plus, general manager Brian Gutekunst could still pursue a cornerback to add depth in the secondary.
Realted: 5 Potential Green Bay Packers Free Agent Targets
