While two NFL teams are thinking about the biggest stage in sports next weekend, the other 30 are preparing for next season. Every team is likely to attempt what the Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman did last offseason, when the Birds shored up the weak spots on their roster by adding two All-Pros and a handful of other valuable contributors.
One way to do that? Acquire players off the league's best rosters. A year ago, Sam Darnold was preparing for Super Bowl LVIII as the backup to Brock Purdy in San Francisco. He ended up winning 14 games for the Vikings this season. On the other side of the ball, Nick Allegretti quietly put together a solid game for the Chiefs as Joe Thuney's replacement at guard, showing enough to become one of the many free agents who joined the Commanders in free agency. Allegretti shockingly came within one game of making it back to the title game with his new team.
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Let's run through the intriguing free agency and cut decisions for the Chiefs, Eagles and the other 12 playoff teams (in order of seeding in both conferences) and try to figure out which players might be joining other organizations this offseason. I'll touch on the top priority for each team and the potential veterans who could be released or otherwise moved on for cap reasons. It seems natural to start with the Eagles, who did an incredible job of retooling after they fell apart in the second half of last season. Saquon Barkley isn't going anywhere, but can Roseman keep his other All-Pro addition?
Jump to a team:
Bills | Bucs | Broncos
Chargers | Chiefs | Commanders
Eagles | Lions | Packers | Rams
Ravens | Steelers | Texans | Vikings
AFC playoff teams
Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Projected cap space: $16.3 million (23rd in the league)
Notable unrestricted free agents: LB Nick Bolton, WR Marquise Brown, WR Mecole Hardman, RB Kareem Hunt, WR DeAndre Hopkins, OT D.J. Humphries, DT Derrick Nnadi, DE Charles Omenihu, RB Samaje Perine, S Justin Reid, G Trey Smith, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Justin Watson, QB Carson Wentz, DL Tershawn Wharton
Top priority: Smith. The 2021 sixth-round pick is a great run blocker who made his first Pro Bowl this season, but the Chiefs have a tough decision to make about how much they want to invest in positions they might not classify as essential. General manager Brett Veach handed center Creed Humphrey a four-year, $72 million deal last August, a market resetting contract at a position where the prior high-water mark was $13.5 million per year. Star guard Joe Thuney is entering the final year of his five-year, $80 million contract, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor has one year of guaranteed money left on his four-year, $80 million pact.
With left tackle a clear point of weakness for the Chiefs among Humphries, Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia this season, would Veach commit significant money to three interior linemen? Thuney is currently playing left tackle out of necessity, but I would be surprised if they shifted him there as the full-time starter in 2025. Offensive line coach Andy Heck has an excellent track record of developing interior linemen, and the organization has been comfortable letting talented players leave in previous years (Mitch Morse and Rodney Hudson, for example). It's always easy to justify retaining linemen to protect Patrick Mahomes, but I wonder if Kansas City might find a better use of that money elsewhere with the idea it will develop a replacement for Smith in the draft.
That money could instead go to Bolton, whose range as a tackler has helped the Chiefs' run defense take a step forward. He has missed more tackles than usual this season, but he has also been valuable as a green dog rusher, and his speed and quickness play up in Kansas City's blitz-heavy packages. As a player who doesn't turn 25 until March, Bolton will be one of the youngest free agents on the market, which will attract analytically inclined teams that prioritize youth when they pursue veterans. He's also likely to come in on a smaller deal than Smith given the spike at the top of the guard market a year ago, which could make him a more palatable re-signing option.
Justin Reid has essentially been a replacement for Tyrann Mathieu since joining from the Texans in 2022, and his versatility as a deep zone defender, tackler and potential blitzer have made his deal a success. While the exploding guard market might make it harder for the Chiefs to retain Smith, the collapse of the safety market during that same offseason could help them retain Reid. As a player who turns 28 in February, Reid should still be productive on a third contract.
The Chiefs' wide receivers potentially hitting the market have more in the way of names than production at this point of their respective careers. Hopkins felt like a potential postseason stash when the Chiefs traded for him at midseason, but he has played just 28 snaps and has one catch during the playoffs. As a contested catch/physicality wideout who doesn't play special teams, has injury issues in his recent past and turns 33 in June, he isn't going to have a huge market. He's probably at the same place in his career Julio Jones was when the future Hall of Famer finished up with the Bucs and Eagles.
Andy Reid has found roles for Smith-Schuster and Watson as bigger wide receivers in multi-TE sets, but the most interesting wideout of the bunch is Brown, who spent most of the season on injured reserve (shoulder) before returning in December. He was targeted on a whopping 45.5% of the routes he ran in a limited role during the regular season, suggesting Reid had some concepts specifically dialed up for him, but that has cooled to 18.4% during the playoffs. With Rashee Rice returning from a torn ACL, another one-year deal for Brown in the $7 million range would make sense, although Kansas City might want to shop for a bigger wideout in the same price range.
Potential candidates for release: None. The Chiefs don't have anyone who would generate significant cap savings by being released. Taylor and linebacker Drue Tranquill have guaranteed base salaries in 2025, which would make them plausible trade candidates as opposed to players likely to be released.
The Chiefs will create cap space by restructuring Mahomes' deal, which should free up about $39 million. They could use some of that money to retain Bolton and Reid, but they also have an expensive class of young talent becoming eligible for extensions this offseason, including edge rusher George Karlaftis and cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Buffalo Bills (2)
Projected cap space: Minus-$2.5 million (27th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: WR Amari Cooper, CB Rasul Douglas, FB Reggie Gilliam, S Damar Hamlin, WR Mack Hollins, DT Quinton Jefferson, RB Ty Johnson, DT Jordan Phillips, DL Dawuane Smoot
Top priority: Douglas. That negative cap space number is scary, but I'll address it in a moment. The Bills will bring most of their core back; the only players on this list who played more than 20 snaps per game on offense and defense are Douglas, Hamlin and Hollins, none of whom has the sort of prohibitive market in free agency that would keep Buffalo from competing. Douglas has been a solid starter since the team acquired him from the Packers in October 2023, but 30-year-old cornerbacks are usually looking at short-term deals for modest money.
Cooper's situation will be interesting. The Bills traded a third-round pick as the focal point of their package to acquire him from the Browns, which is a lot for a player in the final year of his deal. The former Raiders and Cowboys wideout never caught on in Buffalo, though, with injuries limiting him to 297 receiving yards over eight games in the regular season and just 41 more yards across three postseason games.
While Cooper is one year removed from a 1,250-yard season, the market for veteran wideouts on the wrong side of 30 is often disappointing. Mike Evans, the picture of consistency in Tampa Bay, landed only a two-year, $41 million deal with $29 million guaranteed as a 30-year-old last offseason, and he was coming off a 1,255-yard, 13-touchdown campaign. Cooper's deal should come in closer to Adam Thielen's three-year, $25 million contract with the Panthers, which guaranteed only $14 million.
There's uncertainty there. The Bills probably traded for Cooper hoping they would get a productive year out of him and either re-sign him or recoup a meaningful compensatory pick. The latter doesn't seem likely after his injury-marred campaign, but if he doesn't have a huge market, they might actually find themselves in position to re-sign him at a reasonable price.
Potential candidates for release: Edge Von Miller. It would be shocking if the 35-year-old returned to the Bills, given that he has been limited to a part-time role since tearing his ACL in 2022 and was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The Broncos legend had six sacks and 25 pressures on 186 pass-rush opportunities in 2024, with his 13.4% pressure rate ranking fifth in the league in a small sample, so it wouldn't be a surprise if there would be a market for his services.
That market won't get to $17.4 million, though, which is what the Bills would pay him if he was on the active roster next season. Designating Miller as a post-June 1 release would free up that same $17.4 million in cap space. Buffalo could also look at a new deal for Josh Allen as a potential source for cap flexibility, although that's more likely to come a year from now given the structure of the quarterback's contract.
Baltimore Ravens (3)
Projected cap space: $9.3 million (24th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: WR Nelson Agholor, LB Chris Board, LB Malik Harrison, OL Patrick Mekari, FB Patrick Ricard, CB Brandon Stephens, OT Ronnie Stanley, DL Brent Urban
Top priority: Stanley. After taking a pay cut to stay with the team in 2024, he had his best season since suffering a career-altering ankle injury in 2020. NFL Next Gen Stats data credited him with 3.5 sacks allowed all season, and crucially, he stayed healthy and played a full 17-game schedule. The Ravens rotated Stanley at times last season, but outside of a few moments when he sat out in garbage time, the 2019 All-Pro was an every-down left tackle.
Stanley's market will be tough to gauge. There will be teams with serious reservations about his health, and there are organizations that likely don't want to make a serious commitment to a soon-to-be 31-year-old player who has struggled to stay on the field. Tyron Smith landed only a one-year, $6.5 million deal in free agency a year ago, and that turned out to be a disappointment for the Jets.
On the other hand, there are more teams that need left tackles than viable options out there. Terron Armstead had a track record of struggling to stay healthy and landed a five-year, $75 million deal from the Dolphins just before his age-31 season. The Ravens just replaced three starters on their line a year ago, and while they have Roger Rosengarten locked in at right tackle, there's no clear left tackle of the future on their roster.
General manager Eric DeCosta has hinted at the possibility of moving Rosengarten to the blind side, but given that all of the second-round pick's starts in college came at right tackle, I would suspect that comment is more negotiating leverage with Stanley than anything else. The Ravens could also choose to let Stanley leave, bring back Mekari to solidify the interior and find a left tackle in April's draft.
Potential candidates for release: TE Mark Andrews, S Marcus Williams. Williams is a lock to be released after losing his spot in the lineup. He already had agreed to reduce his 2025 base salary to $2.1 million, which is a tactic teams usually use before designating players as a post-June 1 release. (The only exception I know of is wideout Michael Thomas with the Saints.) Doing so would free up $2.6 million in cap space for the Ravens, although that move would leave $9.4 million in dead cap on the books for Williams in 2026.
Andrews is entering the final year of his four-year, $56 million extension, and while I don't think the drop that ended their playoff loss to the Bills will matter much in Baltimore's thinking, he hasn't come close to matching the 1,361 yards he posted in his breakout 2021 campaign. He finished the season with 11 touchdowns but only 673 receiving yards across 17 games.
The three-time Pro Bowler averaged 2.2 yards per route run last season, which ranked third among tight ends, behind George Kittle and Trey McBride. I think it's more likely the Ravens choose to let Andrews play out the final year of his deal, which would amount to $11 million. Given Isaiah Likely's production (477 yards, six scores), though, they could consider moving on and using that money elsewhere.
Houston Texans (4)
Projected cap space: $2.6 million (25th) before Stefon Diggs's contract voids, adding $16.6 million in space
Notable unrestricted free agents: Edge Derek Barnett, WR Stefon Diggs, DL Foley Fatukasi, G Kendrick Green, LB Neville Hewitt, Edge Jerry Hughes, WR Diontae Johnson, S Eric Murray, CB Jeff Okudah, RB Dare Ogunbowale, LB Devin White, WR Robert Woods
Top priority: Diggs. When the Texans traded a second-round pick for Diggs and voided the final four years of his deal as a motivational tactic, it seemed like they were going to either end up landing a big win or a big loss. In the end, it fell something closer to incomplete. Diggs averaged 62 receiving yards per game and 1.91 yards per route run this season, figures close to what the four-time Pro Bowler posted in his final season with the Bills.
Unfortunately for all parties involved, Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 and missed the remainder of the season. It's unclear whether he will be able to return in time for the start of the 2025 season, and as a 31-year-old with numbers down comfortably from his peak, my initial suspicion was that he probably isn't looking at a significant deal in free agency. Then again, Odell Beckham Jr. got a one-year, $15 million deal from the Ravens in 2023, and that was after missing an entire season with a torn ACL.
The Texans need to reenvision their offense after a disappointing performance on that side of the ball led to the firing of coordinator Bobby Slowik. They also have a hole at wide receiver behind Nico Collins after Tank Dell suffered a multiligament knee injury in December. A reunion with Diggs on a one-year deal in the Beckham range would make sense, but if he is able to land a multiyear guarantee elsewhere, Houston would probably need to bow out.
Potential candidates for release: DT Denico Autry, OL Tytus Howard, G Shaq Mason. After the disaster that was their offensive line, the Texans have to give serious thought to making major changes up front. Howard wants to play right tackle, but the Texans have moved him to left guard each of the past two seasons, and they're likely to start 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher at his natural position on the right side next season. Just $1.8 million of Howard's $16 million in compensation is guaranteed, so the 2019 first-rounder is a candidate to take a pay cut or get traded.
Autry has been one of the league's most underrated players over the past few seasons, but he was suspended for the first six games of the season after violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing drugs. In an abbreviated debut season with the Texans, the 34-year-old had three sacks and six knockdowns in 10 games. None of the $9 million he's owed in 2025 is guaranteed, and Houston might regret its decision to sign him given what has happened since.
Los Angeles Chargers (5)
Projected cap space: $64.9 million (sixth)
Notable unrestricted free agents: C Bradley Bozeman, RB J.K. Dobbins, DT Poona Ford, DL Morgan Fox, CB Kristian Fulton, TE Hayden Hurst, Edge Khalil Mack, S Marcus Maye, S Elijah Molden, C Sam Mustipher, WR Joshua Palmer, LB Denzel Perryman, CB Asante Samuel Jr., P JK Scott, DT Teair Tart
Top priority: Molden. There's not an obvious priority here, but there are several players the Chargers will want to bring back after turning over their roster and winning a playoff spot in Jim Harbaugh's first season with the team.
Molden might be the best representative of that turnover. Acquired for a seventh-round pick from the Titans at the end of training camp, he was forced into the starting lineup early because of injuries, and he excelled. He spent time at cornerback and safety during his time in Tennessee, but the Chargers kept him out of the box and used him as one of their two deep safeties for most of the season, which freed up Derwin James to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Molden allowed a 62.6 passer rating in coverage before suffering a fractured fibula in December, which ended his season.
This could just as easily be Bozeman, who went from being cast off by the Panthers to serving as a valuable run-blocking center for L.A. Elsewhere, there's an entire valuable Chargers defensive tackle rotation hitting the market, as Ford and Tart made their presence known on a weekly basis for defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
The biggest name is Mack, who confirmed last week he intends to continue his career. After a 17-sack season in 2023, the 33-year-old took a pay cut to stay with the Chargers, then racked up six sacks and 15 knockdowns over 616 snaps. Minter reduced Mack's role in the lineup, and while the former Defensive Player of the Year earned a Pro Bowl nod, second-year defender Tuli Tuipulotu had a case for playing better than the veteran. Mack is going to have suitors, and those teams might be able to offer more playing time.
Potential candidates for release: Edge Joey Bosa. The situation with Mack could change if the Chargers decided to move on from the 2016 No. 3 pick. Bosa was drafted by a long-departed regime in San Diego, and while he quickly emerged as a superstar, we have seen him neither healthy nor productive for several seasons. He was limited to five games in 2022 and nine in 2023, and while he suited up for 14 games this season, he failed to play even 30% of the snaps four times. During the second half of the season, with Bosa playing the heavy end of a rotation, he racked up two sacks and eight hits.
In the second year of a restructured deal, his cap hit is a whopping $36.5 million. He's owed $25.4 million in compensation, about half of which comes as a roster bonus in mid-March, which puts a deadline on general manager Joe Hortiz's decision-making process. Cutting a 29-year-old who looked like he was on a Hall of Fame track three years ago has to be painful, but when his name is removed from the equation, he's a pass rusher who has 14 sacks while playing about one full season's worth of snaps (941) over the past three years.
Bosa won't be back at that number. The Chargers will either cut him or redo that deal to reduce the cap figure. After taking a $7 million pay cut last offseason to stay with the team, would he take another one in 2025?
Pittsburgh Steelers (6)
Projected cap space: $43.3 million (14th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: G James Daniels, QB Justin Fields, RB Najee Harris, CB Donte Jackson, WR Van Jefferson, S Damontae Kazee, OT Dan Moore Jr., LB Elandon Roberts, CB Cameron Sutton, WR Mike Williams, QB Russell Wilson
Notable restricted free agents: RB Jaylen Warren
Top priority: Wilson. On Monday, Steelers owner Art Rooney said he would prefer to bring back one of Wilson or Fields to serve as the team's starting quarterback in 2025. Given that Mike Tomlin & Co. clearly preferred Wilson to the younger, more mobile Fields when both passers were healthy, it stands to reason the organization's first choice would be re-signing the veteran.
As was the case in Denver a year ago, Wilson's numbers look better than the public perception of his performance. He averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, threw 16 touchdown passes against five picks and posted a 95.6 passer rating. The issue is that he turned only 33.3% of his passes into first downs and took sacks on just under 9% of his dropbacks. Total QBR, which factors those numbers in, ranked Wilson 22nd in the league, just between Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins.
Wilson will get a raise from the $1.2 million he earned last season, but it's tough to see him getting much more. There isn't a better landing spot for him as a starter, and while I'd argue the slide to end the season was more a product of facing stiff competition than the offense falling apart, it surely didn't endear him to other teams. Wilson's fit is as a safe pair of hands on a veteran team, and every other team hoping to compete for a title has higher ambitions for their quarterbacks than Pittsburgh.
The running back situation is also interesting. The Steelers declined Harris' fifth-year option after three years of steady, below-average production. They got more of the same this season, although he was slightly more efficient as a receiver and didn't fumble for the first time since his 2021 rookie campaign. He finished with minus-3 rush yards over expectation (RYOE) and averaged minus-30 RYOE over the four seasons of his rookie deal. There's value in a back who absorbs a heavy workload at slightly below league-average efficiency, but Pittsburgh has to be thoughtful about its ability to get that production elsewhere.
If the Steelers re-sign Harris, I wonder if there'll be another team interested in targeting Warren as a restricted free agent. The 26-year-old struggled through an injury-impacted season and has had trouble with fumbles, but he has been more explosive, efficient and versatile than Harris within the same offense over the past three seasons. The whole situation is reminiscent of Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler with the Chargers, where a first-round pick took touches away from a smaller, more talented back. The Steelers would need to offer Warren a $5.2 million salary for 2025 to receive any compensation if they declined to match a potential Warren offer.
Potential candidates for release: LB Cole Holcomb, DL Larry Ogunjobi, Edge Preston Smith. The Steelers don't need to create cap space, but there are a few veterans on defense whose salaries aren't in line with their roles. Holcomb suffered a serious knee injury in December 2023 and missed all of the 2024 season, which was one of the reasons the Steelers signed Patrick Queen in free agency. Payton Wilson seems likely to start alongside Queen in 2025, and it wouldn't make sense to pay Holcomb the $6 million he's owed to serve as a backup linebacker.
Smith was acquired in midseason from the Packers and played about 20 snaps per game with the Steelers, racking up two sacks and two quarterback knockdowns. He was a healthy scratch in Week 17 and then again in the playoff loss to the Ravens. With Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig ahead of him on the depth chart, there's no way he will be back at the $13.4 million figure he's owed, all of which is unguaranteed.
Denver Broncos (7)
Projected cap space: $39.8 million (16th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: LB Cody Barton, FB Michael Burton, P Riley Dixon, WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, DT D.J. Jones, QB Jarrett Stidham, LB Justin Strnad, RB Javonte Williams
Top priority: Jones. The Broncos don't project to lose much this offseason. Jones wasn't an essential player for a very good Broncos defense this season, but he has been a useful run-plugging defensive tackle at his best. He got a deal in 2022 averaging $10 million per year to sign with the hope he might be able to do more as a pass rusher. Given that coordinator Vance Joseph reduced his snap share down to 40% while playing him just 15% of the time on third downs, it's clear the team sees him as a two-down tackle.
Off-ball linebacker might feel like a bigger concern given that Barton and Strnad, who led the Broncos in snaps at the position, are both free agents. I wouldn't be shocked if one returned, but I don't get the sense that Denver believes either is irreplaceable. Alex Singleton should be coming back in 2025 after an early-season ACL tear, and there will inevitably be rumors that Sean Payton will be interested in making a move for a former Saints draftee in newly minted All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun.
Potential candidates for release: LB Alex Singleton. Alternately, if the Broncos choose to bring back Barton and/or Strnad, there might not be a spot on the roster for Singleton. The 31-year-old is owed $5.6 million in the final year of his deal, none of which is guaranteed. At this point of his career, he is what he is: He's going to get in position to make a ton of tackles, miss a bunch of them and struggle in coverage. A solid run-defending linebacker at that cost is reasonable enough, but Denver might want to try to upgrade at that position this offseason.
NFC playoff teams
Detroit Lions (1)
Projected cap space: $58 million (eighth)
Notable unrestricted free agents: LB Derrick Barnes, QB Teddy Bridgewater, Edge John Cominsky, Edge Marcus Davenport, CB Carlton Davis, DB Ifeatu Melifonwu, DL Pat O'Connor, DL Levi Onwuzurike, WR Tim Patrick, OT/WR Dan Skipper, G Kevin Zeitler
Top priority: Onwuzurike. It's getting tougher to be the Lions, but there's still plenty of wriggle room for general manager Brad Holmes to work with this offseason. Detroit got mixed results out of one-year deals with Davis, Davenport and Zeitler, as Davenport and Davis both ended up on injured reserve by the time the team got to the playoffs. Detroit should still be in the market for short-term additions at all three positions, but it's tough to imagine Davenport returning given his significant injury history.
A more likely investment might be retaining another member of Holmes' first draft class. The Lions have already re-signed 2021 picks Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Alim McNeill, but they might want to follow up by keeping Onwuzurike, too. Moved into an expanded role as a result of all the injuries up front, he racked up 13 knockdowns while playing just about every spot on the line outside of a true zero-technique nose. He missed all of 2022 after undergoing spinal fusion surgery, and the 26-year-old's medical outlook could color his market. There's a useful rotational pass rusher here, though, and the Lions still need secondary rushers behind Aidan Hutchinson.
Potential candidates for release: QB Hendon Hooker. The Lions don't have anybody playing meaningful snaps who sticks out as a likely cap casualty. One potential candidate is the 27-year-old Hooker, who has thrown nine passes in two years. It seems telling that the Lions signed a quasi-retired Bridgewater at the end of the season and quickly pushed him ahead of Hooker on the depth chart, a move which ended up mattering when Jared Goff briefly left the playoff loss to the Commanders.
Hooker is owed only $1.3 million in unguaranteed money in 2025, but he's too inexperienced to be a reliable backup and too old to be a quarterback of the future, especially after Goff signed an extension last May.
Philadelphia Eagles (2)
Projected cap space: $26 million (19th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: LB Zack Baun, G Mekhi Becton, RB Kenneth Gainwell, Edge Brandon Graham, DB Avonte Maddox, CB Isaiah Rodgers, Edge Josh Sweat, DT Milton Williams
Top priority: Sweat. That's not the longest list of notable free agents, but there are a handful of key players in the mix, including three contributors to Philadelphia's much-vaunted defensive line. Graham is either going to retire or return to Philadelphia, but Sweat and Williams are young and valuable. With Bryce Huff struggling badly in his first season with the Eagles, general manager Howie Roseman might be more inclined to bring back Sweat to play across from Nolan Smith Jr.
Like everybody else on the Eagles' defense, Sweat slumped badly last season, but he was back up to eight sacks and 15 knockdowns this season. As an edge rusher in good health who doesn't turn 28 until March, he should have a big market. Williams is wildly underrated, but with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis starting, the Eagles will probably lose the 2021 third-round pick to a team willing to pay him starter money in free agency.
In what would have been a surprise to Roseman himself before the season, though, there's a case to be made that the most pressing concern is bringing back Baun. An obvious first-team All-Pro pick and a runner-up on my Defensive Player of the Year ballot, Baun might have been an even better free agent signing than Saquon Barkley. He put up 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss while leading the league in stops (88) and tackle percentage (14.6%).
The franchise tag for linebackers is based off edge rushers who are listed as linebackers as opposed to defensive ends, so the $27.1 million projection doesn't fit the market for off-ball linebackers such as Baun. The top of the market for inside linebackers is Roquan Smith's average annual salary of $20 million per year. I still can't imagine Philadelphia paying that much for a linebacker, even with Nakobe Dean recovering from a torn Achilles, but there was once a time when Roseman wouldn't have given serious thought to paying a running back $12.5 million per year, too.
Becton could also be an interesting situation. Signed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal and kicked inside from tackle to guard, the 363-pounder has been superb in his debut season with the Eagles. Roseman has long established a willingness to pay offensive linemen, but he has handed out market-value deals on offense to his quarterback, running back, top two wide receivers, tight end, left tackle, left guard and right tackle. Center Cam Jurgens will probably get an extension this offseason. Roseman can't pay everyone on offense, can he?
Potential candidates for release: CB James Bradberry, CB Darius Slay. After a disappointing 2023 season, the Eagles moved Bradberry to safety over the summer, only for him to suffer a lower-leg injury in training camp. Despite initial reports that the injury would cost him six to eight weeks, he hasn't returned to the roster. While he's owed only $2.1 million next year, the Eagles are likely to make the 31-year-old a post-June 1 release.
Slay is still playing well enough to start, but with the emergence of rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, it would be a surprise if Philadelphia didn't want to start its two budding stars on a full-time basis in 2025, which would push DeJean ahead of the veteran on the outside in two-cornerback groupings. Slay has a $16.1 million bonus due before the start of the 2025 season, but I would expect Roseman to either redo Slay's deal or move on from him to avoid paying that amount. The 34-year-old Slay could choose to retire, which also would resolve the situation.
Minnesota Vikings (3)
Projected cap space: $63.9 million (seventh)
Notable unrestricted free agents: RB Cam Akers, S Cam Bynum, DL Jonathan Bullard, QB Sam Darnold, CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Shaquill Griffin, RB Aaron Jones, DL Pat Jones, TE Johnny Mundt, CB Byron Murphy, G Dalton Risner, OT Cam Robinson, WR Trent Sherfield, DT Jerry Tillery, Edge Jihad Ward
Top priority: Darnold. The Vikings have plenty of cap space, but that free agent list features a lot of players who were on the field regularly last season: four players who played at least 400 snaps on offense and seven who played 400 snaps on defense, including most of the starting secondary. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done an incredible job adding free agents to the roster, but one of the downsides of those deals is the majority of them don't last as long as rookie contracts.
Everything starts with Darnold, who had a roller-coaster final month of the season. The frustrating end shouldn't completely overshadow the prior four months of solid-to-very-good quarterback play, but his performances against the Lions and Rams were exaggerated versions of his weaknesses during the season.
My colleague Ben Solak wrote a great piece on Darnold and the other quarterback dominoes that might follow, and I'd recommend checking that out for more detail on Darnold's market. I agree with Solak that Darnold's value should come in around $40 million per season, with Daniel Jones' deal with the Giants in 2023 as a potential comp for a quarterback with one year of success.
Will that come from the Vikings? They can afford to retain him, but that seems less likely with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy returning from the knee injury he suffered in August. There's a universe in which the Vikings could franchise tag and then trade Darnold, but that would have to happen almost immediately after the tag gets handed out. The Vikings almost certainly don't want to be tied up with a potential $41.3 million cap hold for Darnold, and if a multiyear market for him doesn't develop, the 27-year-old might just prefer to sign the tag.
The trade I've brought up as a market indicator dates back to 2009, when the Patriots placed the franchise tag on Matt Cassel and sent him (and Mike Vrabel) to the Chiefs for the No. 34 overall pick (which became safety Patrick Chung). If the Vikings can land a second-round pick for Darnold, that would be good value. But because they're likely signing free agents to replace their outgoing players, there's a reasonable chance they won't recoup a compensatory pick for him if he hits the open market.
Potential candidates for release: C Garrett Bradbury. The veterans the Vikings have under contract are generally locked in or playing well enough to alleviate any concerns about being released. The one exception might be Bradbury, who has settled in as a low-end starter at center. At the same time, his $5.3 million compensation for 2025 isn't outlandish for a veteran in that range. If the Vikings want to upgrade, his unguaranteed contract could be vulnerable, but it's more likely he's back as the Week 1 starter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
Projected cap space: $23.8 million (20th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: Edge Shaquil Barrett, G Ben Bredeson, LB K.J. Britt, LB Lavonte David, S Mike Edwards, Edge William Gholston, WR Chris Godwin, DT Greg Gaines, Edge Anthony Nelson, Edge Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Top priority: Godwin. Few players endured a more frustrating end to their season than Godwin, who suffered a dislocated ankle in garbage time of a Week 7 loss to the Ravens. Quandre Diggs, Allen Hurns and Laquon Treadwell returned from the same injury in recent years, but they also fractured their fibula in the process. It's unclear whether Godwin did the same when he suffered his injury and what his rehab might look like.
Before the ankle injury, the 28-year-old was on pace for 121 catches, 1,399 yards and 12 touchdowns, which would have been his best season since 2019. After he went out, the Bucs used tight end Cade Otton as a slot receiver and got more production from rookie receiver Jalen McMillan, but they could bring back Godwin and play him alongside McMillan and Mike Evans in three-wide sets.
Is that enough to justify resigning Godwin? There's going to be a market for his services, especially with two former Bucs offensive coordinators needing better receivers as coaches for the Jaguars and Panthers. Godwin's medicals will determine whether he's looking at a one-year deal or a multi-season guarantee, but the Bucs might have to use the money they had committed to him to replenish their defense. Both of their starting linebackers and several members of their pass-rush rotation are also hitting free agency.
Potential candidates for release: CB Jamel Dean. The Bucs have six players with cap holds over $5 million on their 2025 roster. The only one in danger of being released is Dean, though that's more a product of injuries than subpar play. He has yet to play a full season as a pro, and he has missed nine full games and significant portions of five more over the past two years because of injuries.
He is a solid corner in a defense with a blitz rate that puts its corners in difficult situations on a regular basis, which will play in his favor, but the 28-year-old's $13 million compensation is unguaranteed. The Bucs might try to play hardball and ask him to take a pay cut to return.
Los Angeles Rams (5)
Projected cap space: $41.1 million (15th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: WR Tutu Atwell, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, DL Michael Hoecht, OT Alaric Jackson, S John Johnson, OT Joe Noteboom, LB Troy Reeder, WR Demarcus Robinson, LB Christian Rozeboom, CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Top priority: Jackson. Replacing a legend is tough. The Rams got more than they could have ever expected when they signed Andrew Whitworth as a free agent in 2017, but it hasn't been quite as easy to replace the retired left tackle. Noteboom got first crack at the role in 2021, but he hasn't been the same caliber of player after tearing an Achilles in 2022. (He has been an injury fill-in and swing tackle since.)
Jackson has been the full-time starter the past two seasons outside of a two-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he allowed just two sacks in 2024 while blocking one-on-one 82% of the time, rates that were both above the league average. On the other hand, he allowed pressures 9% of the time and 10 quick quarterback pressures, which was closer to league average for a left tackle.
Jackson is an excellent athlete, and there aren't many tackles hitting free agency in their mid-20s with several years of experience at the most important position on the line. There also isn't the sort of chatter around Jackson as an upper-echelon left tackle in NFL circles that there is for other players at the position.
Then again, what can the Rams do? They're trying to win now with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and there's no other left tackle ready to step in for Jackson. Sean McVay & Co. deserve credit for molding Jackson from an unrestricted free agent into a starter, but it's tough to ask them to do that again at such a critical position in the twilight of Stafford's career. The $25.6 million franchise tag seems too rich for Jackson, but it might be a realistic option for L.A. to buy itself some time to get another look at him in 2025.
Potential candidates for release: TE Tyler Higbee, G Jonah Jackson, WR Cooper Kupp, QB Matthew Stafford
There's a lot to unpack here. Let's start with the obvious one: The only reason the Rams would "release" Stafford would be if he retired. If that happens, they would ask him to reduce his $23 million base salary to the league minimum and carry him on the roster through June 1, at which point he would officially file retirement paperwork. The Rams would pay him a $4 million bonus in March, but they would spread the $50 million in dead money for his deal over the next two seasons, freeing up $23 million on next season's cap, though the money wouldn't be available until June.
Kupp wants to continue playing, but it probably won't be with the Rams unless he takes a pay cut. The organization tried to trade him before the deadline and didn't find any takers. The former Offensive Player of the Year has clearly taken a step back from being the No. 1A wideout alongside Puka Nacua. He averaged a solid 2.1 yards per route run this season, but from Dec. 1 onward, that fell to a below-average 1.4.
Kupp is still an excellent blocker and useful player, but he's 32 and has repeatedly battled injuries since a high ankle sprain in 2022. Crucially, he's owed $20 million in 2025, $7.5 million of which is already guaranteed as a bonus March 15 (the remaining $12.5 million base salary is not). The Rams moved on from Todd Gurley in 2020 and paid him a $7.5 million bonus to avoid triggering any future guarantees on his deal, which they could do with Kupp as well.
L.A. could also try to find a trade partner for Kupp, but it's tough to see any team paying him $20 million next season. Reducing that base salary to $1.5 million and adding incentives would make sense for everyone involved, but if the two sides can't come to an agreement, his eight-year career with the Rams would be over.
Jonah Jackson's situation might be even more difficult to resolve. After the Rams signed the former Lions guard to a three-year, $51 million deal last offseason, he got injured and then lost his starting job. While the Rams could start over and find a role for him in 2025, they seem content on the interior with Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson at guard and Beaux Limmer playing center.
Like Kupp, Jackson has a guaranteed roster bonus in 2025 ($8.5 million). He's also owed a $9 million base salary. The Rams would likely be thrilled to get out of all of those obligations, but that doesn't seem likely, even with a spike in the guard market. It's more plausible they could find a team to take on his salary. As was the case with Allen Robinson in 2023, though, they might need to eat some money to get a deal done.
Washington Commanders (6)
Projected cap space: $91 million (third)
Notable unrestricted free agents: TE John Bates, WR Dyami Brown, WR Noah Brown, S Jeremy Chinn, Edge Dante Fowler Jr., TE Zach Ertz, CB Noah Igbinoghene, OT Cornelius Lucas, QB Marcus Mariota, CB Benjamin St-Juste, LB Bobby Wagner, P Tress Way, WR Olamide Zaccheaus
Top priority: Fowler. It's good to be the Commanders considering how much cap space they have to build around Jayden Daniels. There's a lot of work to be done, though. Ertz, Igbinoghene and Chinn turned out to be great one-year signings by general manager Adam Peters, but after exceeding expectations, they're all going to rightfully want more money this time around.
The most productive one-year signing had to be Fowler. Signed for $3.3 million after spending the past two seasons with coach Dan Quinn in Dallas, he had the best season we've seen from the 2015 No. 3 pick in years. He racked up 10.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. The only regulars in the league with higher sack rates on a per-rush basis were Trey Hendrickson and Nik Bonitto.
The Commanders have to be careful, as Fowler is 30 years old. Those 10.5 sacks came on just 12 quarterback knockdowns, an unsustainable ratio and one out of line with his career to this point. His 11.5-sack 2019 season led the Falcons to give him a significant deal in free agency, and he responded with 7.5 sacks combined over the next two seasons. It's tough to expect the same results, but he has clearly earned another opportunity to start for Washington in 2025.
Peters will also have to decide how ambitious he wants to be in adding playmakers for Daniels. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler will return at running back, and the Commanders will expect more out of Day 2 picks Ben Sinnott and Luke McCaffrey at receiver next season, but the only player assured of being an every-down playmaker is Terry McLaurin. Brown and Zaccheaus found meaningful niches in Washington's rotation and could come back as a third or fourth wideout option, but the Commanders will probably want to swing higher for starters this offseason.
Potential candidates for release: OT Andrew Wylie. It would be a major surprise if the Commanders moved on from defensive tackle Jonathan Allen or recently acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore, but both players have no guaranteed money left on their respective deals and missed significant time with injuries in 2024. It wouldn't make much sense for them to trade three picks for Lattimore and then cut him the following offseason, but we've seen sudden changes of heart like that occur with Julio Jones in Tennessee and Mohamed Sanu in New England. Lattimore never seemed to be healthy after joining Washington and didn't play well when he was on the field.
A more realistic candidate is Wylie. He was fine at right tackle this season, but he was acquired by the former regime, and the Commanders might want to target a long-term solution on the right side to protect Daniels. Even if they did want to go after a free agent upgrade, they could afford to keep Wylie's $7.8 million salary and bonus on the books as a swing tackle.
Green Bay Packers (7)
Projected cap space: $44 million (13th)
Notable unrestricted free agents: RB AJ Dillon, LB Isaiah McDuffie, K Brandon McManus, C Josh Myers, CB Eric Stokes, LB Eric Wilson
Top priority: Myers. The youngest team in the league is returning the vast majority of its starters from a year ago. The one position in which the Packers are losing two starters is linebacker, but their 2025 starters are already on the roster in Quay Walker and budding star Edgerrin Cooper. Stokes is a 2021 first-round pick for whom the team held high hopes, but injuries slowed his development, and he has allowed a 118.5 passer rating in coverage over the past three seasons.
Unless you want me to pick a kicker, that leaves Myers, who was a Week 1 starter as a rookie and has been in the pivot when healthy over the ensuing four seasons. The Packers hinted they might move him out of the starting lineup and kick Zach Tom inside last offseason, but when first-round pick Jordan Morgan was limited to 186 snaps by a nagging shoulder injury, they kept Tom outside for most of the season.
General manager Brian Gutekunst can afford to re-sign Myers, and the Packers just let a starting interior lineman leave in free agency last offseason when Jon Runyan joined the Giants. If they think Morgan's ready to start on a full-time basis in 2025, though, it will likely come at the expense of Myers' spot in the lineup. Realistically, they might be more focused on re-signing McManus after he went 20-of-21 on field goals during the regular season.
Potential candidates for release: CB Jaire Alexander. The more difficult decision for Green Bay will come at cornerback, where Alexander's future with the organization is uncertain. The 2018 first-round pick has generally produced at a high level when he has been on the field, but getting him there has been a challenge. He has missed 34 games over the past four years with various injuries, including the second half of 2024 with a knee injury.
Alexander is owed nearly $17.2 million in cash in 2025, none of which is guaranteed. There also hasn't been a significant on/off split for the Packers with him over the past four season by expected points added (EPA) per play. They can afford to pay him in the hopes that they see him on the field regularly, but are they better off spending that money on players who are more likely to suit up for a full 17-game season?