March 9, 2026
Carolina Panthers impending free-agent power back
Rico Dowdle "has been linked" to the Washington Commanders by some people around the NFL, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Dowdle should do quite well for himself on the open market this offseason after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Panthers. In 17 regular-season games last year with Carolina, the 27-year-old South Carolina product had a career-high 236 rushing attempts for 1,076 yards (4.6 yards per carry), and six rushing touchdowns, adding 39 receptions for a career-best 297 yards and another score on 50 targets. Dowdle would become Washington's favorite for RB1 duties next season if they were to sign him, giving them a more experienced and established lead back over
Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The Panthers are probably unlikely to re-sign Dowdle since he wants to pursue a lead-back role, which he won't get in Carolina alongside
Chuba Hubbard.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 9, 2026
Impending free-agent wide receiver
Romeo Doubs plans to hit the free-agent market after talks with the Green Bay Packers didn't result in a new deal. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, and Tennessee Titans are "closely watching his market," as are the San Francisco 49ers. Some evaluators consider Doubs to be the "best all-around receiver" in this year's group on the open market. It's basically the same list of interested teams for Indianapolis Colts impending wideout
Alec Pierce. Doubs led the Packers with 724 receiving yards and six touchdown catches on 55 receptions in 16 regular-season games. The production doesn't exactly turn a ton of heads, but the 25-year-old has proven to be reliable and versatile, which will attract plenty of interest in free-agency. Doubs could be one of the most underrated sleeper receivers in fantasy drafts this fall, depending on his landing spot.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 8, 2026
Indianapolis Colts impending free-agent wide receiver
Alec Pierce appears set to hit the open market on Monday, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that he's poised to make at least $27 million per year on a new deal. The New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans are "among teams in the mix." The good news for the Colts is that Pierce is close with quarterback
Daniel Jones (Achilles), so he could be partial to re-signing in Indy. Fowler adds that Pierce's "upside and penchant for chunk yardage are attractive to teams." The San Francisco 49ers are another receiver-needy team that could make a big splash with the addition of the 25-year-old wideout. Pierce led the Colts in 2025 with 1,003 yards and six touchdowns on 47 receptions, and he's led the NFL each of the last two years in yards per catch. Regardless of where Pierce lands, his fantasy price will go up coming off his career year.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 8, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles have received trade calls on defensive tackle Jalen Carter, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The Eagles must decide if they want to give Carter a contract extension after already locking down defensive tackle Jordan Davis to an extension on Saturday. Carter, the former ninth overall pick in 2023 out of Georgia, has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons, so it's probably unlikely that the Eagles will be looking to trade him. The 24-year-old has 13.5 sacks in 43 games (27 starts) in his first three NFL seasons, although he did play in a career-low 11 regular-season games in 2025, finishing with a career-low three sacks. Carter has been an effective hog molly on the interior of Philly's defensive line, but he'll be expected to take another step forward in Year 4 if he's given a long-term contract extension.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 8, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles remain interested in re-signing outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, and talks are expected to continue to intensify, sources told FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. If Phillips reaches free agency, Schultz thinks he's "poised to cash in big" due to his strong market. The Eagles acquired the 26-year-old from the Miami Dolphins at last year's trade deadline. The former first-rounder in 2021 (18th overall) out of the University of Miami finished 2025 with a combined 53 tackles (29 solo), five sacks, seven tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, four pass breakups, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 17 regular-season games. Phillips hasn't exactly been a must-roster player in IDP fantasy formats, but he has the potential to be a key linebacker for the Eagles if he's brought back. It was good to see him play a full 17 games last year after battling injuries the previous two seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
March 8, 2026
If free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum doesn't re-sign with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, there is a belief among NFL teams that the Washington Commanders will "heavily pursue" him, multiple sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. The Commanders are looking for a new center after releasing starting center Tyler Biadasz, who quickly latched on with the Los Angeles Chargers. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Linderbaum will be "tough to keep" if he makes it to the legal tampering date on Monday. In addition to Washington, the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans could be involved in the Linderbaum market. The 25-year-old three-time Pro Bowler should easily surpass $20 million per year on his next contract. Landing Linderbaum would be a huge score for a Commanders franchise that dealt with injuries at key positions to miss the postseason after being on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance the year before.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
March 8, 2026
Veteran free-agent quarterback
Joe Flacco wants an opportunity to at least compete for a starting job somewhere in 2026. However, if he's forced to settle for backup work, Flacco would "strongly consider" returning to the Cincinnati Bengals to back up
Joe Burrow, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The 41-year-old made his first Pro Bowl team in 2025 after initially beginning the season with the Cleveland Browns as their starter. Cincy traded for Flacco after Burrow went down with a turf-toe injury early in the season, and Flacco proceeded to pull more magic out of his hat by throwing for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine games (six starts) for the Bengals. He became a waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues for QB-needy managers and had some decent performances along the way. There don't appear to be any glaring options for Flacco to be handed another starting job, so the likelihood of him returning to Cincy could be pretty high.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
March 8, 2026
The wide receiver position is an obvious area of need for the Cleveland Browns this offseason, with their receiver room being the least productive in the NFL last year (1,467 receiving yards), according to ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. It might be tough for the Browns to entice top free-agent wideouts to join them, which is why Oyefusi suggests the team "could explore the trade market again to bring in a pass-catcher." Under general manager Andrew Berry, the Browns also have a history of trading for veteran WRs, including
Jerry Jeudy and
Amari Cooper. A trade also makes more sense for Cleveland because of the fact that they will have limited salary cap space to work with to sign free agents at the position. Jerry Jeudy,
Cedric Tillman, and
Isaiah Bond are currently the team's top three receivers, so they could certainly use an upgrade. The problem with any receiver joining the Browns for 2026 is that the Browns could once again have a messy QB situation;
Shedeur Sanders and
Deshaun Watson (Achilles) are the best two current options under center.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
March 8, 2026
ESPN's Katherine Terrell writes that New Orleans Saints running back
Alvin Kamara's (knee) long-term future is "uncertain," with the team possibly "looking to get younger and spend less" at the RB position. Kamara's previous salary cap number in 2026 before his contract restructure of $18.63 million was one of the highest on the team. It didn't make sense for the Saints to take that hit with a player going into his age-31 season who has finished the last two seasons unable to play due to injuries. After restructuring his contract, Kamara's new cap number is at $10.51 million, while the team will save $8.12 million. The unusual manner in which the Saints restructured Kamara's contract will give them some flexibility if they part ways with him this offseason. It means that Kamara being released by New Orleans could be imminent. Either way, the five-time Pro Bowler's 2026 fantasy stock is going to be way down. For all of Kamara's success in his nine years in the NFL, he's never rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
March 8, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers have all expressed interest in signing Tampa Bay Buccaneers impending free-agent wide receiver
Mike Evans, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot also believes the Cleveland Browns will pursue the six-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer. Evans is likely to prefer a team that has a realistic shot at a Super Bowl run, which would eliminate the Browns, but Evans did thrive under new Browns head coach Todd Monken when Monken was the offensive coordinator in Tampa. The Chargers and Commanders are intriguing potential landing spots, but the 32-year-old former seventh overall pick could decide that staying in Tampa with quarterback
Baker Mayfield gives him the best chance to compete for another ring. The 12-year veteran played in a career-low eight games in 2025 due to a broken collarbone. Durability concerns are becoming much more real as Evans nears the end of his outstanding career.
--Keith HernandezSource: Tampa Bay Times - Rick Stroud
March 8, 2026
The NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports that right now, the momentum "seems to have stalled" in trade discussions surrounding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
A.J. Brown. However, it's not for lack of creativity on general manager Howie Roseman's part, as Garafolo explains that Roseman has floated the idea of doing half of a deal now and the other half after June 1, which would help Philly's salary cap picture for the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Josina Anderson has reported that the New England Patriots are currently telling the Eagles that they are not giving up a first-round pick for Brown, per a league source. The Eagles have "floated" a first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a player asking price to the Pats in exchange for Brown. The 28-year-old wideout, who had a fourth straight 1,000-yard season in 2025, is under contract through 2029 and carries a salary cap hit of just under $24 million for 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Mike Garafolo
March 8, 2026
The Green Bay Packers and offensive tackle Sean Rhyan reached an agreement on Sunday on a three-year, $33 million contract extension with a maximum value of $39 million, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal includes an $11 million signing bonus and prevents Rhyan from reaching the free-agent market. The 25-year-old former third-round pick by the Packers in 2022 out of UCLA is expected to open the 2026 season this fall as the team's starting center after taking over the position last year when Elgton Jenkins suffered a season-ending leg injury in November. Rhyan has started 28 of the 47 games he's appeared in over his four NFL seasons, with 28 of those starts coming in the last two years. The 6-foot-5, 321-pounder will take on a bigger role for the Packers' offensive line moving forward.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 8, 2026
The Indianapolis Colts acquired defensive tackle Colby Wooden from the Green Bay Packers on Saturday in exchange for linebacker Zaire Franklin, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Wooden was the 116th overall pick in the fourth round by Green Bay in 2023 out of Auburn. The 25-year-old has totaled 87 tackles (45 solo), half a sack, nine tackles for loss, seven QB hits, and three pass breakups in 47 regular-season games (17 starts) in his three NFL seasons. The Colts will be hoping that Wooden continues to improve after posting a career-best 50 tackles (26 solo), six tackles for loss, and a pass breakup in 17 regular-season games in 2025. For now, Wooden can be ignored in IDP fantasy formats as he gets set to enter his first year with the Colts' defensive line.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
March 8, 2026
The Buffalo Bills re-signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52 million deal on Saturday, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. McGovern will receive $32 million guaranteed. McGovern previously played left guard, but he has served as Buffalo's starting center in each of the last two seasons. Getting the 28-year-old locked up long-term was a huge priority for the Bills this offseason, and now they can focus on other needs as free agency officially kicks off on Wednesday. The former third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 out of Penn State was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024 in his second year in Buffalo. He has started 78 of the 94 games he's appeared in over the course of his six-year career, including all 49 games in his three seasons with the Bills. Retaining McGovern is good news for quarterback
Josh Allen and the rest of the offense going into the 2026 campaign this fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
March 8, 2026
The Los Angeles Rams and cornerback Trent McDuffie reached an agreement on Sunday on a record four-year, $124 million contract extension that includes $100 million guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Rams just acquired McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a first-rounder and more draft capital recently and have now made him the highest-paid corner in league history. It's a pretty big statement from a Rams team that was a serious contender for the Super Bowl title last year before falling short to the division-rival and eventual Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship tilt. L.A.'s secondary definitely needed some upgrades, and they now have it in the 25-year-old McDuffie, a former first-rounder and All-Pro.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
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