Confetti fell on the Seattle Seahawks roughly two weeks ago, but the NFL doesn't stop just because the season is over. The offseason is near and plenty of talks will occur during this week's NFL Scouting Combine that will position the league for another active period of player movement -- the 2026 NFL free agency period, which officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11.
With this in mind, why not pair some impending free agents with new homes?
I've avoided including players whom I believe should stay with their teams, so you won't see receiver George Pickens (who the Cowboys should re-sign, even if it requires a franchise tag) or edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (who Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would be wise to retain, even on a short-term deal) on this list. Plenty of others will likely be on the move, though.
It's time to play matchmaker. Here is one team fit for five notable free agents, plus two trades that should happen.
NOTE: All cap figures and projections cited below come from Over The Cap, unless otherwise noted. As with Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101 NFL Free Agents of 2026, each player's listed age represents how old he will be on Monday, Sept. 7.
The Steelers have spent the last two seasons living in the short-term world of mercenary solutions at the game’s most important position. While Aaron Rodgers could be convinced to return for one more season under a coach he knows intimately in Mike McCarthy, it’s also time for Pittsburgh to commit to a plan with a longer runway, GM Omar Khan said Wednesday.
That’s where Willis enters the picture. Green Bay snagged Willis in a low-buzz trade with the Titans in 2024 and did an exceptional job of cultivating his talents and transforming him into a plus backup with starter potential. Although his sample size is limited -- and could lead a desperate team to overpay for his services -- Willis’ appearances have proven he can succeed in an offense tailored to his strengths. He also did himself a huge favor by delivering the best outing of his career in a Saturday night showdown against Baltimore, producing a transcendent performance that landed him on the radars of those who never contemplated his existence prior.
Pittsburgh is the ideal fit because Khan likely won’t be fooled into engaging in a bidding war over Willis but can present an enticing pitch to the Liberty product: Come to the Steel City to compete for a starting job and embrace an opportunity to claim a long-term occupation with a team that expects to contend annually. McCarthy could be the ideal coach to guide Willis, too, given his history of success with different quarterback archetypes. The more I write, the more I love this fit for both parties -- but at the right price.
The Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player might not fetch the offer he expects from the Seahawks, who have a number of defensive players to attempt to retain after their climb to the NFL’s mountaintop. Seattle has a decent argument against paying Walker, too: Despite the recent success from of a handful of prominent running backs, along with a recovery of the running back market, it’s still not a position that’s generally worth investing in lucratively. Walker also doesn’t have a demonstrated history that’s necessarily deserving of a lavish contract. In fact, while he had an excellent 2025 season, his role in Seattle’s offense only grew after Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending injury in the playoffs.
Yes, Walker delivered. But he’ll likely fetch a better offer outside of Seattle and owes it to himself to at least listen to other interested parties.
Houston should absolutely become one of those parties. Joe Mixon’s mysterious foot ailment cost him all of 2025, forcing the Texans to rely on rookie Woody Marks and diminished veteran Nick Chubb. The results were largely forgettable: Houston finished 22nd in rushing in the regular season and clearly couldn’t balance out the offense in order to help quarterback C.J. Stroud, positioning him for a ghastly showing in the Divisional Round.
If the Texans are serious about finding a way to advance to Championship Weekend, they’ll need to upgrade at running back. They can clear $8 million in cap space by cutting Mixon with a post-June 1 designation, opening the right amount of money to immediately hand to Walker in what might be a backloaded deal in order to fit him into their cap.
Baltimore’s defense depended on do-everything safety Kyle Hamilton to bail it out on multiple occasions in 2025, largely because the defensive front disappeared midway through the campaign. Seemingly overnight, the traditional strength of the Ravens went missing and there isn’t much reason to believe they’ll recover up front in 2026. Adding Hendrickson on an expensive but short-term deal would provide the Ravens with a proven edge rusher capable of harassing opposing quarterbacks and returning some strength to their front.
Hendrickson would also fit into an established approach adopted by the Ravens over the last decade, one in which they entice veterans looking to chase a ring and manage to fit them into roles in which they make a difference (e.g., Kyle Van Noy in 2023 and 2024). It’s a short-term solution, but it’s a strong answer to one of Baltimore’s biggest lingering questions.
The Browns followed up a 5-12 season by firing their coach and burning a bridge with the defensive coordinator (Jim Schwartz) they wanted to retain but failed to do so after choosing Todd Monken over him for the top job. That alone would be ugly enough for most fanbases, but things have gotten worse since then. Multiple veterans have posted public goodbyes to Cleveland, including tight end David Njoku and guard Wyatt Teller, and of the Browns’ five offensive line starters from 2025, only one is under contract (left tackle Dawand Jones, who is far from a proven commodity).
Cleveland has a lot of work to accomplish in order to rebuild this unit. Joel Bitonio could delay retirement and return for one more year on a new contract, but the Browns would still need to fill three spots (and then some). They’re expected to spend draft capital on young linemen and could pursue a promising youngster with NFL experience to fill one of the vacancies.
This situation is begging for a veteran to bridge the gap between 2026 and the future. Enter Seumalo, a 32-year-old guard who would likely cost less than what Teller earned in 2025 and can be counted on to provide quality play along the interior. Whomever the Browns turn to at center (Luke Wypler is on the roster but also isn’t close to a guaranteed producer) will need help from the two guard spots, so bringing in a proven veteran makes sense.
It will be up to GM Andrew Berry to figure out how to fit such a solution into the cap.
Two trades that should happen
If you’re tired of hearing about the annual drama involving Brown and the Eagles, just imagine how Philadelphia might feel. Is trading Brown a smart move? Absolutely not. GM Howie Roseman said it best after the trade deadline passed in November: “You don’t get rid of guys like that.”
But this relationship sure feels like it’s headed toward a divorce, even after the Eagles fired offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. If so, the Eagles won’t have a hard time finding interested trade partners. They might be able to extract the most value from a team like the Bills, who have desperately needed a top receiver ever since they sent Stefon Diggs to Houston.
Brown would give Josh Allen the star target he’s lacked in recent years and might welcome a fresh start with another title contender. It should cost the Bills a significant amount, but if ever there were a time for Buffalo to push all of its chips to the center of the table, it’s now.
I’ve written about this once already but I’ll double down on it because it just makes too much sense on paper.
Arizona seems interested in moving on from Murray, a quarterback it essentially soft benched in favor of Jacoby Brissett last season. The move was certainly justifiable. Arizona’s offense became a more productive unit with Brissett in the lineup, an admission that’s damning for those in Murray’s camp. Murray might also want a change of scenery, especially after the Cardinals wiped out the coaching staff in favor of yet another new regime.
Miami is already aiming to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, creating a dire need at the position for the Dolphins. Why not buy relatively low on Murray with the hopes he becomes a long-term answer? There’s no guarantee the fit ends up working out, but at this stage, neither team has all that much to lose from such a deal. In fact, let’s take it a step further: Trade one for the other, straight up. If you want to toss in a pick or two to make it more interesting, level out the compensation comparison and get the deal done, that works too. Plus, it’ll give us plenty to talk about in the spring and summer.
