OTAs, Minicamps Will Determine Biggest Upcoming Roster Decisions for NFC teams

The next step for the 2026 NFL offseason is the OTAs, followed by the mandatory minicamps. It’s not the sexiest part of the calendar, but it’s one that will start determining some of the biggest decisions remaining around the league.

With most of free agency and the draft behind us, teams primarily have their rosters. Now it’s a question of who will play, how much they will play, and whether a general manager or two decides to make a big upgrade before the season begins in the second week of September.

For some teams, the looming questions are enormous. Who is the starting quarterback? Is there an All-Pro to acquire in a trade? Is it time to play our first-round pick? And for some, the questions are more about rotations, depth and who fits best in 13-personnel.

Let’s dive into all those curiosities and more for every NFC team, starting in the desert.

Arizona Cardinals

How does the running back rotation work out?

We could talk about the quarterbacks, but realistically, that job is Jacoby Brissett’s to lose. More interesting is what’s happening seven yards behind him.

After selecting Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick, the former Notre Dame star is going to get plenty of action. With the Fighting Irish, Love ran for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns across the past two years, earning All-American honors and third place in the 2025 Heisman voting.

However, Love doesn’t join a room without skill. In free agency, the Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier to a two-year, $12.25 million deal to pair him with fellow veteran James Conner. In the case of both Allgeier and certainly Conner, they’re overqualified to be role players, yet seem to be headed that way.

In Atlanta, Allgeier was a backup to Bijan Robinson over the past three seasons despite rushing for 1,035 yards on 4.9 yards per carry as a rookie. As Robinson’s understudy, he has managed 1,841 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns since the start of 2023. Meanwhile, Conner was limited to three games last year with an ankle injury, and is 31.

With an eye on the future, perhaps the rebuilding Cardinals will flip Conner to a contender before the season begins, netting a late-round pick. If traded post-June 1, Arizona would save $2.58 million in cap space.

Atlanta Falcons

Who gets the most snaps besides Drake London at receiver?

Kevin Stefanski is coming to Atlanta with an eye on rebuilding a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2017 season, when it lost to the Eagles in the divisional round.

To get back there, it’ll take Robinson having a second consecutive All-Pro campaign after amassing a league-best 2,298 yards from scrimmage. But it will also take the combination of tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London, and someone to step up as a secondary option.

In 2025, Pitts blossomed as a second-team All-Pro with 88 receptions for 928 yards, while London amassed 919 yards in only 12 games. Looking at the depth chart, there’s not much behind London with veterans Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus as the main options alongside third-round pick Zachariah Branch from Georgia.

A year ago, Dotson and Zaccheaus combined for 575 yards while playing with the Eagles and Bears, respectively. Branch is a speed demon from Athens, running a 4.35 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Still, he’s a 177-pound mid-round rookie who might make a more immediate impact as a returner after racking up 385 return yards as a Bulldog last season.

While Atlanta has one of the league’s top trios in Robinson, London and Pitts, finding someone to take advantage of single coverage on the other side would be an enormous boost to an offense that finished 2025 ranked 14th in yards and 24th in points.

Carolina Panthers

Rasheed Walker or Monroe Freeling at left tackle?

Entering his third season, coach Dave Canales is both feeling good and feeling the pressure.

Although the Panthers went 8–9 last season, they won the NFC South and took the Rams to the limit in a 34–31 wild-card loss in January. Now Canales and his charges are expected to fight for a division crown once more, and if that’s going to happen, he has to get more from 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young.

The Panthers showed faith in Young by picking up his fifth-year option this spring, despite him throwing for 3,011 yards on 6.3 yards per attempt in 2025. Now they have to protect him after watching left tackle Ikem Ekwonu go down with a ruptured patellar tendon in that playoff defeat to the Rams. To replace him, the Panthers have a pair of options: free-agent signing Rasheed Walker and first-round pick Monroe Freeling.

Freeling came to the NFL by way of Georgia, where he made only 18 starts. The 315-pounder played exclusively at left tackle in college and could stay there or eventually slide over to the right side with current 31-year-old starter Taylor Moton signed through 2027 (Carolina would save $14.5 million by releasing him after this season).

Meanwhile, Walker is a left tackle who made 48 starts with the Packers over the past three years. He’s allowed 15 sacks and 113 pressures across that span, which, compared against Ekwonu (24 sacks, 110 pressures) is an improvement. But is it enough of a jump to keep a top draft choice on the bench as a swing tackle? That’s the battle to watch in camp.

Chicago Bears

Battles at left tackle and center are, well, front and center

GM Ryan Poles has been here before. He thrived last year. Can he do it again?

Going into last offseason, Poles made it his mission to upgrade a group that got Caleb Williams sacked a league-worst 68 times as a rookie. To that end, Poles traded for All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney and right guard Jonah Jackson, and signed center Drew Dalman, who then earned his first Pro Bowl honor. The Bears won 11 games, the NFC North title and a playoff game behind a front wall that allowed only 24 sacks, third-best behind the Broncos and Rams.

Suddenly, though, there are issues. Dalman shocked the team by retiring in March at age 27. Without Dalman, the Bears signed veteran Garrett Bradbury and drafted Iowa’s Logan Jones in the second round. While Bradbury has 105 starts over seven years, he struggled with consistency in Minnesota and New England. Last year, he ranked 21st among 26 centers with at least 800 snaps, earning a 59.8 grade from PFF. As for Jones, he was a six-year collegiate athlete who started 51 games at center and won the Rimington Award as the nation’s best in 2025.

On the left side, Chicago is trying to figure things out with second-year man Ozzy Trapilo sidelined. Trapilo started the final six regular-season games as a rookie but is likely out for most (or all) of the season with a torn patellar tendon sustained against the Packers in the wild-card round.

In Trapilo’s stead, veteran Braxton Jones and free-agent signing Jedrick Wills Jr. are the top options. Jones is the favorite after starting 44 games over the past four years in Chicago, but if Wills is healthy after missing all of 2025 with a knee injury, he could provide competition. Only 27, Wills has 57 career starts. He’s the wild card in camp for Chicago.

Dallas Cowboys

Will the Cowboys cave and give George Pickens a monster extension?

Back in April, Dallas co-owner Stephen Jones made his intentions clear, stating he wouldn’t extend Pickens on the franchise tag. Case closed, right? Well, this is the Cowboys.

Over the years, Dallas has awarded massive contracts to stars, even after protracted negotiations. In 2024, the Cowboys waited until September to extend quarterback Dak Prescott on a four-year, $240 million deal. CeeDee Lamb waited almost as long, signing that August for $136 million.

Perhaps Stephen and his father, Jerry, will hold the line and won’t provide the massive payout. We saw that a year ago when the Cowboys stunningly traded All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and a pair of first-round picks. That said, Dallas has usually been willing to pay its playmakers. It’s a moniker Pickens certainly qualifies for after posting 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns as a second-team All-Pro in 2025.

If the Cowboys don’t extend Pickens before the July 15 deadline, he’ll be forced to play on the $27.3 million tag he signed after the draft. However, Pickens is already skipping voluntary team workouts and could be unhappy about his situation heading into the season.

It’s understandable Dallas wants to see another year of top-tier production before paying Pickens like one of the game’s best. It’s also understandable if Pickens is angered by not getting paid after the season he put forth after his acquisition from the Steelers for a third-round pick.

The smart money says the Cowboys wait this out, Pickens plays with an edge and we revisit the situation in February 2027. But Dallas risks having an unhappy camper all year while also potentially losing him in free agency a year from now if it doesn’t reverse course.

Detroit Lions

Who will get the most run opposite Aidan Hutchinson?

This has been a problem in Detroit for years. Hutchinson is great, and the other side is a question mark that persists and becomes problematic throughout the season.

Since coming into the league as the No. 2 pick in 2022, Hutchinson has 43 sacks. The next-highest total for a current Lion in that span belongs to Alim McNeill, a defensive tackle with 10.5 sacks. It appeared Detroit finally found a surprising answer, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who came from nowhere in 2025 to post 11 sacks after having 15 combined over his first eight seasons.

Unfortunately for the Lions, Muhammad left in free agency, signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers, leaving them with the options of veteran newcomers D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner, and second-round rookie Derrick Moore.

While Wonnum has a pair of eight-sack seasons in his career, he’s posted only seven sacks since the start of 2024. About to be on his third team in four years and turning 29 in October, it’s fair to wonder if he can regain his old form. As for Turner, he’s a rotational player, never taking more than 41% of defensive snaps after amassing five sacks in four years with the Saints. That leaves Moore, who comes from Michigan, where he had 10 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss as a senior last year.

Moore might be the best bet to get production, while Wonnum and Turner provide solid depth. But there’s no clear solution, prompting the question of whether Detroit will add a defensive end in the coming weeks and months, with free agents Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney among others still on the market.

Green Bay Packers

How does the receiver room shake out without Romeo Doubs?

In recent years, the Packers have enjoyed a deep receiver room, even if it lacked top-end talent. Now, the latter part is still true, but the depth is being tested.

This offseason, Green Bay traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles and lost Doubs in free agency to the Patriots. Instead of replenishing the group, GM Brian Gutekunst is relying on Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden to be a solid trio alongside star tight end Tucker Kraft, who is coming off a torn ACL sustained in Week 9 against the Panthers.

However, Watson has struggled to stay healthy, missing 20 games over his first four years. Reed is talented but was limited to seven games last season with a broken collarbone, catching only 19 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. Golden struggled as a rookie with 29 receptions for 361 yards.

Green Bay hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams in 2021, and it only had a wideout top 100 yards in a game one time last season, with Watson doing so in Week 17 against the Ravens.

Going into this season, Kraft needs to be back for coach Matt LaFleur, who is losing Doubs’s team-high targets (85) and yards (724). Without the ability to throw four or five starting-caliber receivers on the field, missing a true gamebreaker could be a glaring problem.

Los Angeles Rams

What will Sean McVay do with his tight ends?

Nobody loves tight ends more than Sean McVay. In fact, there’s not a close second.

Last year, McVay’s Rams spent 30.48% of their offensive plays in 13-personnel (one running back, one receiver and three tight ends). The next-closest team? The Steelers were at 14.17%. To dive further into the numbers, Los Angeles had 331 snaps in the grouping, while Pittsburgh had 140. Finally, only four teams played three tight ends on at least 100 snaps, with the Cardinals and Colts also doing so.

The Rams have invested in the position. This offseason, they extended veteran Tyler Higbee, signing him to a two-year, $8 million deal, keeping him alongside fellow veterans Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen, both entering the final year of their contracts. GM Les Snead also spent second-round picks in consecutive years on Terrance Ferguson and rookie Max Klare, giving Los Angeles five viable options who have different skill sets. It signals a stark departure for McVay, who was once famous for almost exclusively playing in 11-personnel.

Furthermore, the Rams aren’t built like so many other teams that have recently invested heavily in block-first tight ends. For example, we saw the Jaguars draft Nate Boerkircher in the second round, while Sam Roush went to the Bears one round later. Both are true Y tight ends, guys who are extensions of the run game. In free agency, Charlie Kolar signed for three years and $24.3 million with the Chargers, despite catching 10 passes last season.

Los Angeles has such a player in Davis, who has 40 catches over three seasons (although 24 came last year), but the other four are all catch-first. Higbee has had four seasons of at least 500 receiving yards, while Parkinson had 408 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. As for Ferguson and Klare, both came from college as receiving tight ends who will need to work on their blocking skills. Still, with more mass on the field, the Rams ranked fifth in EPA per rush (+0.01) while Kyren Williams racked up 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns on 4.8 YPC.

In 2025, Parkinson and Davis played more than half the snaps, while Higbee (limited to 10 games) and Ferguson eclipsed the 30% threshold. We should expect four tight ends to see plenty of action again, but will McVay actually keep five tight ends on the roster, when most teams keep three or four? If so, which position is impacted by that move? It’s something to watch throughout the summer.

Minnesota Vikings

Who will be the starting quarterback?

This might seem like an obvious question and an even more obvious answer.

It’s not.

After finishing with five consecutive wins, the 2025 Vikings had a 9–8 record. In reality, they were a floundering team throughout the season, never finding consistency at quarterback with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer all making starts. This offseason, after firing GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Minnesota brought in Kyler Murray on a one-year, $1.3 million deal to compete with McCarthy, who is entering his third year.

So far, McCarthy has been a disappointment. A 2024 first-round pick, McCarthy missed his entire rookie year with a torn meniscus and was limited to 10 games last year with a variety of ailments. When playing, the former Michigan star has been underwhelming, with 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions while completing 57.6% of his attempts.

Conversely, Murray comes to Minnesota with 87 career starts and a pair of Pro Bowls on his résumé. Still, recent returns aren’t great. Those Pro Bowls were in 2021 and ’22, and over the past three years, Murray has started only 30 games, tossing 37 touchdowns and averaging a middling 6.8 yards per attempt. His scrambling ability has also slightly diminished over that time. During his first four years, Murray averaged 38.7 rushing yards per game. Over the past three seasons, that number has dipped to 33.0.

The Cardinals were so tired of Murray that they released him, even though they ate $46.5 million in dead cap this season. To that point, Minnesota is paying him the veteran’s minimum, making the investment meager. The Vikings are hoping to catch the proverbial lightning in a bottle as they did with Sam Darnold in 2024, when he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, helping them win 14 games. Unfortunately, Minnesota let Darnold leave in free agency and then watched him win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks, banking on McCarthy instead.

Ultimately, if the competition is even close in training camp, McCarthy will win the job. The question: Will it be close, or is this summer when the Vikings quietly lose all remaining faith in their 23-year-old quarterback?

New Orleans Saints

How does the receiver rotation work out?

Quietly, the Saints could be a team to watch this season after winning four of their final five games last season behind first-year coach Kellen Moore and quarterback Tyler Shough.

This offseason, New Orleans went with a youth movement, letting longtime defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis leave in free agency. Offensively, the Saints signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. away from the Jaguars, giving him the starting role over veteran Alvin Kamara. But the question of the receiver depth chart beyond Chris Olave looms.

Olave was a star in his fourth season, catching 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. Unfortunately, he’s dealt with multiple concussions throughout his career, contributing to him missing 13 games. In the draft, general manager Mickey Loomis added to his receiver room with three picks, including another big talent with an injury history, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.

When healthy, Tyson was great with the Sun Devils, racking up 136 catches for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns over three seasons. However, he also had a torn ACL, MCL and PCL while at Colorado before breaking his collarbone and dealing with nagging hamstring injuries at Arizona State, playing 33 games over four years.

With Tyson penciled in as one starter outside and Olave able to move around (346 slot and 541 boundary snaps in 2025), there’s an opportunity for everyone else. New Orleans acquired Devaughn Vele from the Broncos before last season for a fourth-round pick, but he struggled, catching 25 passes for 293 yards on 402 snaps. Then there are two late-round rookies, fourth-rounder Bryce Lance and sixth-round choice Barion Brown. While Brown is a 177-pounder from LSU who is more of a deep threat with return chops, Lance, who is 6' 3", ran a 4.34 40-yard dash and typically plays outside, kicking Olave into the slot.

Moore will have options to mix and match, but he must hope a few of the rookies make his decision on who to give a bulk of the snaps to much easier.

New York Giants

How does the offensive line jell with a new part in a new place?

Pass protection has been a problem for the Giants in recent years. This offseason, they made a pair of big moves to shore up the issue.

Exiting 2025, the offensive line was an obvious area to upgrade. The unit was seventh-worst in pressure rate allowed at 37.8% and tied for eighth-worst in sack percentage at 8.4%. The season before, the Giants were sixth- and 12th-worst in those respective categories as well.

To fix the group, New York retained right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency on a three-year, $39 million deal. Then, in the draft, the Giants selected Francis Mauigoa from Miami (Fla.), a three-year star for the Hurricanes who started 42 games, all at right tackle. With Big Blue, he’ll kick inside to guard, giving them strength on the interior. And if left tackle Andrew Thomas deals with injuries again, having missed 22 games over the past three years, Mauigoa gives New York an option there as well.

If Mauigoa can adjust to playing inside at the next level, this is a promising line. Center John Michael Schmitz Jr. and left guard Jon Runyan Jr. are experienced, if not overwhelming, and together they have 120 starts. New York also brought in fullback Patrick Ricard from Baltimore, reuniting him with coach John Harbaugh. Ricard is a 300-pound bulldozer, providing extra muscle to block for Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. The 31-year-old will play plenty, having seen at least 39% of offensive snaps each of the past six seasons.

With second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart trying to establish himself, the line needs to settle in and become a cohesive unit as he attempts to stay healthy after being evaluated five times for a concussion in 12 starts (14 games).

Philadelphia Eagles

When will A.J. Brown be traded, and what assets will he bring back?

It’s the worst-kept secret in sports. The Eagles have long been heavily rumored to trade superstar receiver A.J. Brown once the June 1 threshold passes, as it alters the financial picture. If Brown were traded before that day, Philadelphia would take on $43.4 million in dead money in 2026. If he’s dealt afterward, that number shrinks to $16.3 million.

Assuming the long-held belief that Brown will be dealt, there are two questions: Where is he going? What’s the trade compensation?

Looking at the situation, Brown will turn 29 in June. He’s signed through 2029 at base salaries of $1.3 million for the next two years, and then $1.4 million in the final two seasons of the deal. For the acquiring team, his cap hits are $23.4 million in 2026, $22.7 million in ’27, $27.5 million in ’28 and $29.3 million in ’29. Brown also has $33 million in guaranteed salary over the next two seasons.

Still, Brown is a difference-maker in his 20s and locked up long-term. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is one of the league’s best, as evidenced by his two rings, and he’ll be looking for plenty in a return.

This offseason, Jaylen Waddle fetched first-, third- and fourth-round picks after being traded from the Dolphins to the Broncos, with a fourth-rounder also going to Denver. Waddle, 27, is signed for three years with a combined $50.2 million cap hit. He’s also posted 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns over the past five years, while Brown has 5,903 yards and 37 scores during that same span. Brown is also a three-time second-team All-Pro, while Waddle has never been an All-Pro or Pro Bowler.

In March 2022, the Raiders acquired Davante Adams from the Packers after he was coming off three consecutive first-team All-Pro seasons, and surrendered first- and second-round choices. At 29, Adams also signed a then-record-setting $140 million contract in Las Vegas.

Bottom line: Comparisons would say Brown is worth at least first- and third-round picks, and likely more.

San Francisco 49ers

What does the starting secondary look like come September?

The 49ers don’t have a great corner. What they do have is a litany of options to find a quality unit. For new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, the challenge will be finding the combination suits the group best.

After primarily going with the trio of Renardo Green, Upton Stout and Deommodore Lenoir last season, GM John Lynch added a pair of veteran corners on one-year deals, Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs. Jones has bounced around the league with three teams over four seasons—the Patriots, Raiders and Dolphins—but he’s also made 33 starts since the start of 2024. Hobbs played his four-year rookie deal out with Las Vegas before signing with the Packers last offseason, but was limited to 11 games due to a balky knee.

Both Jones and Hobbs should push for time on the boundary, where a bulk of their snaps came from last year. Hobbs can play a bit inside (232 outside snaps, 86 inside) while Jones is exclusively on the perimeter. The only certainty is that Lenoir will be at one of those boundary spots after logging 1,047 snaps in 2025 while earning a $92 million extension in November. It’s also a safe bet Stout will be in the nickel with 568 slot snaps as a rookie.

That leaves Green to fend off Hobbs and Jones, with Hobbs having the ability to occasionally spell Stout for a few plays inside. Last year, Green ranked tied for 81st out of 94 corners who played at least 200 coverage snaps with a PFF grade of 54.7, ironically the same grade as Jones.

The start of the regular season should provide an immediate challenge for the secondary with the Rams in Australia in Week 1, but then the slate eases with the Dolphins, Cardinals, Broncos, Falcons and Raiders over the following seven games. None of those teams ranked higher than 17th in yards per attempt, and that was a Miami offense that’s now without Hill and Waddle.

Last year, the defense ranked 25th against the pass, plagued by a league-worst 20 sacks paired and a 31st-ranked pressure rate (26.7%). But the 49ers also permitted 3.8 yards of separation per target, only better than the Raiders and Cowboys. With Mykel Williams and Nick Bosa expected back after torn ACLs last year, along with the trade for Dallas defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, the pass rush should be far better. If the back end follows suit, San Francisco is a title contender once more.

Seattle Seahawks

How much do the new faces in Seattle’s secondary play?

It’s never easy being the defending champions in the ensuing offseason. You pay the tax for winning when many of your players believe they contributed above their pay grade, and other teams are willing to make their financial dreams a reality.

The Seahawks found that out in March, when, after beating the Patriots in Super Bowl LV, the defense was hit hard, losing corner Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant and defensive end Boye Mafe. That trio accounted for 2,355 snaps in the regular season, with Bryant playing a defense-high 977. On the open market, they were scooped up for a total of $112 million, far more than Seattle could muster.

To replace those talents, general manager John Schneider is relying on familiar faces and a pair of second-day rookies. Expect Josh Jobe to gobble up most of Woolen’s snaps on the perimeter, something he’s ready for after playing 72% of the snaps in 2025. At safety, Bryant will likely be replaced by Ty Okada, a fourth-year man, who, after playing two years almost exclusively on special teams, started 11 games and racked up 65 tackles and six passes defensed.

With Jobe and Okada likely to see increased time, Seattle will hope the rookie tandem of corner Julian Neal and safety Bud Clark can step in seamlessly. Clark spent six seasons at TCU, starting 49 games, showcasing coverage skills that make him an enticing option as a third safety early on. Meanwhile, Neal was mostly a reserve at Fresno State over four years before transferring to Arkansas and starting 12 games. Less experienced than Clark, Neal could see a longer road to the field.

Looking at the roster, the Seahawks should have one of the league’s best secondaries with star corner Devon Witherspoon and standout rookie safety Nick Emmanwori. But if injuries surface as they did last year, with the duo missing eight games, the depth is much more uncertain than in 2025.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Todd Bowles has plenty to figure out in the front seven

Last year, the Buccaneers were an average defensive team. Tampa Bay was 18th in EPA per play (-0.03) and 20th in EPA per pass against (+0.01). In more traditional stats, the unit tied for 18th with 37 sacks despite ranking third in pressure rate (39.1%). Part of the reason for those numbers? Coach Todd Bowles called the fourth-most blitzes by percentage (29.6%).

To that point, general manager Jason Licht understood the assignment this offseason: Find some edge rushers who can disrupt the passing game without needing help from blitzing secondary players, repeatedly putting the corners in tough spots.

Licht started his quest by signing former Lions defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who last year notched a career-best 11 sacks. Before 2025, Muhammad was a solid but unspectacular player, totaling 15 sacks across three teams since entering the league in ’17. In the draft, Tampa Bay spent its first-round pick on Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., selecting him at No. 15 despite many believing he’d be a top-10 pick.

With the Hurricanes, Bain was a force over his three seasons with 20.5 sacks. He was at his best in last year’s College Football Playoff, amassing five sacks and eight tackles for loss against Texas A&M, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Indiana. Bain should slide in opposite of veteran YaYa Diaby, who has 19 sacks through his first three seasons. With both Diaby and Muhammad entering contract years, there’s reason to think that trio could be dynamic.

At linebacker, the Buccaneers are without Lavonte David for the first time since 2012. They will be replacing him with Alex Anzalone, another former Lion who can drop into coverage, defensing nine passes in 2025. Anzalone is also able to get some pressure on blitzes, garnering 2.5 sacks last year.

Washington Commanders

Is it time to take a big swing at receiver, and if so, with who?

Few teams with playoff aspirations have a more dire need than the Commanders have with their receiving corps.

While Terry McLaurin is a bona fide stud, having notched five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons until an injury-plagued 2025 resulted in 582 yards and three touchdowns over 10 games, he’s the only meaningful talent. With Deebo Samuel Sr. hitting free agency (and remaining there), the Commanders have Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks and Jaylin Lane as holdovers. That trio totaled 558 receiving yards, which, if that came from one player, would have ranked 71st in the NFL.

While Dyami Brown came over from the Jaguars and Antonio Williams is a promising third-round pick, neither projects as a game-changer. Brown posted 20 catches for 227 yards last year, while Williams was a four-year starter for Clemson, who, outside of a standout 2024 campaign (75 catches, 904 yards, 11 touchdowns), never eclipsed 604 yards or four touchdowns in a season.

Currently, the Commanders are asking third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels to work with McLaurin and nothing else of note. With Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill and Samuel still available, along with a potential trade for the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk, Washington has to make a move. While all of those players have drawbacks, whether it’s age or off-field concerns, any one of them would immediately give the Commanders’ offense a significant jolt.

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