The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL 2026 free agency doppelgängers
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Mar 5, 2026 They map 2026 free agents to past signings, using historical comps to predict market fits and risks. They dissect recent moves like Trent McDuffie and Stefon Diggs’ release and what those mean for cap space. Position-by-position comparisons cover centers, safeties, receivers, edge rushers and linebackers, weighing best- and worst-case archetypes for players like Jamel Dean, Alec Pierce and Trey Hendrickson.
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Centers Can Be Underrated Fixes
- Centers on the open market become surprisingly valuable when teams need quick offensive stabilization.
- Derrik compares Connor McGovern to Drew Dalman as the sort of center a Raiders/Titans/Chargers-type team will pay to solidify protection.
Short Deals Can Turn Corners Into Playoff Catalysts
- Teams will sign older, injury-prone corners to short deals for an immediate defensive boost.
- Derrik Klassen compares Jamel Dean to James Bradbury: one-year pop followed by decline and potential buyer's remorse on multi-year extensions.
High Priced Receiver Market Has Bad Returns
- Top-tier receiver free-agent history is poor; big AAV signings often underperform.
- Dave Helman traces examples from Sammy Watkins to Kenny Golladay to Calvin Ridley to show the risk for Alec Pierce at $30M+ AAV.