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Daily Slop – 5 Mar 25 – Who are the NFL’s top free agent targets?

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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders GM Adam Peters takes risk-reward path in Deebo Samuel trade

Putting this hybrid receiver-running back into offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s up-tempo scheme with Daniels is scary. Washington’s 28.5 points per game last season ranked fifth despite limited playmaking from the skill positions beyond All-Pro receiver Terry McLaurin.

Over the past four seasons, Samuel ranks 11th with 63 scrimmage plays of 20 or more yards and is tied for third with 11 plays of 50-plus yards. The healthy version upgrades a receiver room that had only McLaurin and 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey under contract.

“Good addition,” one general manager texted. “(Deebo) still has something in the tank, and Kliff will use him right.”

Therefore, the acquisition cost seems low for some not immersed in football economics. Peters’ risk-reward ploy nearly mirrors last year’s successful approach to taking on distressed assets.

The trade doesn’t become official until Samuel passes a physical, and the new league year begins on March 12. By making the trade rather than seeing if Samuel would be released, Washington takes on his $17.55 million salary. An extension is unlikely. Part of the low-risk, high-reward move centers on the Commanders’ ability to move on cleanly if Samuel doesn’t rebound following a disappointing 2024 campaign.

NFL.com

Commanders among five NFL teams that need to make a splash in free agency

The Commanders already helped us out with this exercise by producing the Deebo Samuel trade over the weekend. The deal that brought the rugged playmaker to Washington ensures that this team is willing to do what it takes to continue the momentum created by last season’s 12-5 regular-season record and run to the NFC Championship Game. Quarterback Jayden Daniels now has another weapon to take some pressure off top target Terry McLaurin, but general manager Adam Peters could still make plenty of moves in the coming months.

The Commanders have a young star quarterback on a rookie a deal and nearly $65 million in cap space. It’d be hard to find a personnel evaluator in the league who wouldn’t be jealous of that combination. Peters was extremely active last offseason, when he added several established veterans to a team that held the second overall pick in the draft. The strategy paid off — as the leadership of players like linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz proved invaluable — but now Peters must figure out which guys to keep, as a number of key contributors are heading right back into free agency. Wagner and Ertz make sense, given what they mean to each side of the football.

All that cap space also suggests the Commanders have the resources to make a run at trading for Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, even though Cleveland has said it’s not interested in dealing the disgruntled first-team All-Pro. The Commanders need to find defensive line help somewhere — ends Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler Jr. are free agents, and the team has granted defensive tackle Jonathan Allen permission to seek a trade — so they should be in the market for [replacements].

Commanders.com

Four takeaways from the 2025 Scouting Combine

The offensive line talent pool is full of athleticism.

Athleticism wasn’t relegated only to the skill players at the Combine. The offensive line got in on the action, too.

Offensive linemen aren’t known for their speed, but five prospects, including first-round pick and offensive tackle Will Campbell, recorded sub-5.0 40 times. Georgia center Jared Wilson led the group with a 4.84, and for comparison’s sake, that time was similar to some from the tight ends and would have ranked second among defensive tackles. What’s even more impressive is that Wilson clocked that time while weighing 310 pounds.

In the drills, players like guard Tyler Booker and tackle Josh Conerly Jr. showed fluid movement and impressive footwork. Booker, regarded as one of the top guard prospects in the draft, performed on the low end of the broad and vertical jump but showed plenty of power in his college career. Conerly’s fundamentals will need some work, like all rookie offensive tackles, but his 8.69 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is a promising foundation for his future.

The Commanders have been projected by some analysts to use the 29th overall pick on an offensive lineman, but even if they don’t, they could find a quality player with the potential to start on Day 2.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles should do what it takes to keep Zack Baun

STATS: 939 defensive snaps, 151 tackles, 11 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 passes defensed, 1 interception, 80.5 passer rating allowed

PLAYOFF STATS: 266 defensive snaps, 33 tackles, 2 TFLs, 0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, 61.2 passer rating allowed

REVIEW: No one expected Baun to be as awesome as he was in 2024. Not even Baun himself. But he was excellent from the jump with a big Week 1 performance and he kept it rolling from there. Despite lacking extensive experience in his role, Baun was an elite off-ball linebacker who made impact plays on a weekly basis, including his diving pick in the Super Bowl. He proved capable of contributing in all phases. He was incredibly stout as a run defender. He was able to provide pass rushing juice. He looked as smooth as a defensive back in coverage. Baun was very deserving of his first-team All-Pro honors and he arguably should’ve received more attention for Defensive Player of the Year, where he finished with the fifth-most votes.

OUTLOOK: Baun is currently set to be a free agent next week. The Eagles don’t have a history of spending significant resources at off-ball linebacker but they also don’t have a history of letting elite players walk out the door. Keeping Baun is a no-brainer; BGN’s Jonny Page wrote at length about how he’s the team’s most important defender. Baun’s likely looking at somewhere between $15 million and $19 million per year but he’s worth the investment. He’s going to be 29 this season but it’s not like he has a ton of mileage on him after playing sparingly during his first four NFL seasons. The idea that the Eagles can easily find a new version of Baun is a pretty wild assumption. Reports indicate that the team views signing him prior to free agency as a priority. As it should be. No need to overthink this. Baun was one of the very best players on the team last year and he should be back. If the Eagles let him walk, what do they even have at linebacker? Burks is also set to be a free agent and Dean is going to miss time next season. Pay the man.

MY TAKE: Stay.

Pro Football Talk

Inside the Osa Odighizuwa deal

He’ll make $22 million in 2025, if he satisfies the offseason workout obligation and is on the active roster for all 17 regular-season games. That’s $3.12 million less than he would have made under the tag.

The full guarantee at signing is $39 million, with (as the Cowboys said) a total injury guarantee of $52 million.

As to the base value, it’s technically $80 million. However, $4 million is tied to complying with the offseason workout program for the next four years, and being on the active roster for every regular-season game in each of the next four years.

If Odighizuma had been tagged twice, he would have made $55.264 million through 2026. He’ll instead make $39 million over the next two years, with $2 million tied to offseason workouts and active per-game roster bonuses.

The Cowboys can exit the deal after two years.

So he’s getting $39 million for a two-year commitment in lieu of $25.12 million in 2025 and either $30.144 million next year or a shot at the open market next March.

It’s ultimately his right to take the deal. But even if the Cowboys wouldn’t have tagged him in 2026, he would have needed to make only $13.88 million in 2026 to break even.

To summarize, some players bet on themselves. Some take the bird in the hand. Odighizuwa took the bird in the hand.

Blogging the Boys

Potential Dallas Cowboys cap casualties heading into the 2025 league year

[T]he list of players Dallas could release or waive and save $3.5M of cap space or more is very short and is comprised of just:

  • Terence Steele
  • Trevon Diggs
  • Donovan Wilson
  • Malik Hooker
  • DaRon Bland

From that list, moving on from Steele at this time seems unlikely, and while Diggs is expected to miss at least a significant portion of the 2025 season, the two-time Pro Bowler is under contract for three years past this upcoming season. Bland can be crossed off the list for the reasons listed above, which leaves just Wilson and Hooker.

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ESPN

2025 NFL free agency: Ranking top 100 players, QBs available

I ranked the top 100 free agents, factoring in age, positional value, expected future production, scheme versatility and buzz around the league. This list is only unrestricted free agents; restricted and exclusive free agents — for whom the original teams have the right of first refusal — are not included. And the pool might continue to change, even though the franchise tag deadline passed Tuesday. Players can still re-sign with their current teams before free agency, so some of these names won’t end up being available. And on the flip side, teams will make cuts over the next few days, adding more contributors to the list.

1. Ronnie Stanley, OT

2024 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2025 season: 31

At 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, Stanley can use his long frame to build a wall on the edge. He played the entire regular season, answering questions about his durability, and has the high-end tape to get paid. Stanley tied for 11th among offensive tackles with a 92.5% pass block win rate in 2024.

2. D.J. Reed, CB

2024 team: New York Jets | Age entering 2025 season: 28

Reed is a highly competitive coverage corner with press-man traits and the transition speed to break on the throw. More of a ball disruptor than playmaker, he has 40 pass breakups — compared with six interceptions — over his career. Reed should be viewed as a scheme-versatile corner who should get paid well this month.

3. Chris Godwin, WR

2024 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2025 season: 29

Godwin suffered a season-ending left ankle injury in Week 7, but there’s no denying his production level. His 50 receptions over the first seven games were the most in the NFL to that point, and he caught 30 of them out of the slot. A savvy route runner with the toughness to work the heavy-traffic areas of the field, Godwin has the veteran traits to upgrade any wide receiver room.

NFL.com

Top 101 NFL free agents of 2025: Sam Darnold, Zack Baun among best available players in free agency

Rank 1 – Milton Williams DT · Age: 26

Not re-signing Williams sooner may be the rare Howie Roseman decision he’d like back. It’s hard to ignore Williams may have been the best defensive player on the field in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.

Rank 2 – Ronnie Stanley OT · Age: 31

Stanley has occasionally looked all-world in a career with wild ups, downs and injuries. He’s coming off a fully healthy season where he shined as Lamar Jackson’s blind-side protector.

Rank 3 – Zack Baun LB · Age: 28

He and Jalen Carter were the two best players on the best defense in football. Baun’s versatility — he played more than 150 snaps as a defensive lineman and in the slot, in addition to his linebacker duties — unlocked the Eagles defense. They gotta keep him!

Pro Football Talk

NFL teams use fewest franchise tags since 2006

Although it seemed on the front end that zero franchise tags could be applied for the first time since 2001, the tagging of Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Bengals receiver Tee Higgins results in the lowest total number (via Spotrac.com) since one franchise tag was used in 2006, by the Bills on cornerback Nate Clements.

Last year, eight players were tagged. The most tags were used in 2012, when 18 players received the franchise tag — including five kickers and a punter.

For Smith and Higgins, their teams have until July 15 to sign them to multi-year contracts. Until they accept the tag, they are not under contract and in turn have no obligation to report for mandatory minicamp or training camp.

Over the Cap

Seahawks Release Four To Become Salary Cap Complaint

The Seahawks have finalized a number of expected cuts today per Ian Rapoport, releasing Dre’Mont Jones, Roy Robertson-Harris, Rayshawn Jenkins, and George Fant. The four moves will clear $27.25 million in cap room while creating $18.4 million in dead money.

Jones will save the team $11.572 million and carry a large dead money number of $14.07 million. Jones signed a three year, $51.5 million contract with Seattle as a free agent in 2023 and never really lived up to the salary number. His contract was restructured for cap relief last season.

The release of Jenkins will save the team $5.28 million and he carries just $2.5 million in dead money for the year. He had signed a two year, $12 million contract last season but wound up appearing in less than 50% of the snaps for the team in 2024.

Fant had signed a two year deal worth $9.1 million last season but was injured and his age worked against him coming back. Fant will count for $1.85 million on the Seahawks cap this year while they save $3.8 million in cap room.

Seattle is now under the salary cap for 2025. They should have in the ballpark of $16 million in cap room, ranking 23rd in the NFL.

Front Office Sports

FanDuel Retains Sports Betting Crown With $14B in 2024 Revenue

Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, said late Wednesday that it posted a 14% increase in fourth-quarter revenue to $3.8 billion, and a 19% lift for the entire year to $14.05 billion. Net income swung from losses in 2023 to profits in 2024, with a $156 million gain for the fourth quarter and $162 million for the whole year.

Those financial results further confirmed recent monthly reports in key sports betting locales such as New York, Illinois, and New Jersey. Across those states, and in many others, FanDuel remains the clear market leader, controlling as much as 45% of revenue. Flutter said that more broadly, FanDuel is claiming 43% of U.S. sportsbook gross gaming revenue.

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