With the Super Bowl behind us, it’s almost time for a new league year. On March 11th, the official new league year will begin, and the free agency frenzy will kick off. There are a lot of quality players set to hit the market, and every team has needs to fill, so there will be bidding wars happening across the league.

We’ve already identified one player every team should target when free agency opens in a little under a month, so now it’s time to look at one player every team can’t afford to lose this offseason.

Arizona Cardinals: DL Calais Campbell

The Arizona Cardinals don’t have a ton of key players hitting the market this offseason, but if they need to keep one of them around, it’s Calais Campbell. I know he’s almost 40 years old, but he was efficient last season, and if the Cardinals use their top pick on David Bailey or Rueben Bain, it won’t hurt to have a veteran around for another year to coach them up.

Atlanta Falcons: LB Kaden Elliss

Ever since Kaden Elliss signed with Atlanta, he’s been a star. In his three seasons in the ATL, Elliss has racked up 380 tackles, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. He’s a key piece of their defense, so they’ve got to keep him around.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Baltimore Ravens: C Tyler Linderbaum

The Baltimore Ravens should’ve gave Tyler Linderbaum whatever he wanted last year, so he couldn’t go out and test the market this year. He’s a top-five center in the league, and now he’s going to drive his price up by negotiating with other teams. The Ravens, who don’t have a ton of cap space, are going to have to give him a bag if they want to keep him around.

Buffalo Bills: OG David Edwards

David Edwards has been a cornerstone piece of Buffalo’s offensive line for the past two years, during which he’s given up just two sacks. He is going to be one of the top guards on the market, and a lot of teams need interior offensive line help. If the Bills want to keep Allen upright next year, bringing Edwards back will be very important.

Carolina Panthers: WR Jalen Coker

The Carolina Panthers have guys like Cade Mays and Rico Dowdle hitting the market, but they need to bring back Jalen Coker. He’s shown time and time again that he has a ton of upside, and Bryce Young needs all the weapons he can get. It will be interesting to see what kind of market he draws.

Chicago Bears: CB Nahshon Wright

Nahshon Wright got burned a few times this year, but he’s 6-foot-4 and has great ball skills, so that’s not someone you let just walk away. Sure, there’s work to be done, but Dennis Allen has a great track record with defensive backs, so I’d give him another few years to work his magic with Wright.

Cincinnati Bengals: DE Joseph Ossai

Outside of Trey Hendrickson, who they are certainly not bringing back, the Bengals don’t have a lot of key guys hitting free agency. Joseph Ossai had the best season of his career with 41 pressures and five sacks, so while everyone’s attention is on Hendrickson, maybe Cincy can get a deal done with Ossai for relatively cheap.

Cleveland Browns: LB Devin Bush

We’ve been waiting for Devin Bush to break out again after a really strong rookie season. And just when everyone thought it might never come, it finally did in 2025 with Cleveland, where he totaled 125 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions – two of which were returned for touchdowns. He has become a key piece of Cleveland’s defense, and they’d hate to see him walk.

Dallas Cowboys: WR George Pickens

This one isn’t hard. George Pickens cemented himself as a top-10 receiver in the league this year with Dallas, and you don’t let someone like that just walk out the door. He’ll probably end up on the franchise tag, but at least he’ll stick around.

Denver Broncos: CB Ja’Quan McMillan

I could’ve gone with Jonathan Franklin-Meyers here, but Ja’Quan McMillan’s emergence over the last two seasons has been huge for the Denver Broncos. He’s given them a real threat at corner opposite Pat Surtain, so while they should want Franklin-Meyers back, McMillan is the first one I’d pay.

Detroit Lions: DE Al-Quadin Muhammad

Al-Quadin Muhammed isn’t a household name yet, but he put himself on the map this year, logging 51 pressures and 11 sacks opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. He has become exactly what Detroit needed. Hutchinson is fantastic, but having someone coming off the other edge who can be very productive is massive. They should pay whatever it takes to keep him around.

Green Bay Packers: LB Quay Walker

The Green Bay Packers have guys like Romeo Doubs and Rasheed Walker also hitting the open market, but Quay Walker is my pick for them to re-sign. He’s recorded 100+ tackles every season since he was drafted, and he’s strong in both the run and pass game. His 2025 season wasn’t as great as 2024 or 2023, but if he can get back on track, he’s a great linebacker to have in the building.

Houston Texans: OG Ed Ingram

A lot of players the Houston Texans have hitting the market this offseason are aging veterans, but Ed Ingram is only 27 years old, and they need to keep him around. Houston needs to improve their offensive line, but Ingram was far from their weakest link. He’s not perfect by any means, but he’s young and serviceable. The last thing Houston can afford to do is field an awful offensive line and let that ruin another season with this elite defense.

Indianapolis Colts: QB Daniel Jones

I’d feel a lot more confident in this if Daniel Jones didn’t tear his Achilles. He was playing really good football, but his season came to a crushing end. It’s scary to sign a quarterback who already had some question marks to a long-term deal coming off such a major injury, but their offense worked so well with him under center last year, that I think you have to do it.

Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Devin Lloyd

While Devin Lloyd set a career low in tackles this season, he actually improved so much as an overall linebacker. Lloyd allowed just one touchdown while picking off five passes and breaking up two more in coverage while posting a career-high 81.1 coverage grade. He was a huge reason why Jacksonville’s defense was so good this season.

Kansas City Chiefs: CB Jaylen Watson

The Kansas City Chiefs would obviously love to get Travis Kelce back, but Jaylen Watson is the first guy I’d pay if I were Kansas City. Ever since he was drafted, Watson has been a stud. In four years, he’s never allowed higher than a 65.7 percent completion rate (which came as a rookie), and he hasn’t given up a single touchdown in the past two seasons. Young corners like him don’t just grow on trees, so they need to bring him back.

Las Vegas Raiders: LB Devin White

After a couple of down years, Devin White caught fire in Las Vegas in 2025, totaling 174 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. The Raiders have too many roster holes and too much cap space to let someone like White, who is still just 27, walk in free agency.

Los Angeles Chargers: ED Odafe Oweh

The Los Angeles Chargers traded for Odafe Oweh during the season, and he did not disappoint. In 12 games, Oweh recorded 35 pressures, 23 hurries and 7.5 sacks for LA, but they’re going to have to give him a pretty penny to stick around. But I think he’s worth it.

Los Angeles Rams: S Kam Curl

Kam Curl had a career year at the perfect time. The Los Angeles Rams safety logged a career-high with 122 tackles, while also picking off two passes and forcing a fumble. But his biggest contribution didn’t come in the regular season; it came in the playoffs, when he picked off Caleb Williams in OT to set up the Rams’ game-winning field goal. He’s a great playmaker in the backend of their defense, and the best part is he won’t demand as much as some of the other safeties.

Miami Dolphins: CB Rasul Douglas

Rasul Douglas gave up a 54.7 percent completion rate this season, which was the second-best mark of his entire career, while matching a career-high with nine pass breakups. After a down year in 2024, the Dolphins took a shot on him, and it paid off big time. Now, they need to keep him around because if they lose him, their defensive backfield is going to be very thin.

Minnesota Vikings: LB Eric Wilson

The Minnesota Vikings don’t really have anyone big hitting the market, so if they’re going to keep anyone around, it may as well be Eric Wilson, who started his career as a Viking before leaving and returning in 2025. He really improved as a pass rusher this season, setting career-highs in pressures (37), hurries (27) and sacks (6.5), so he could be a valuable piece to this defense in 2026.

New England Patriots: DE K’Lavon Chaisson

The New England Patriots spent the most money of any team in free agency last year, and they struck an absolute bargain with K’Lavon Chaisson. For $3 million, they got 10.5 sacks out of him, three of which came in the playoffs. He broke out in his first year with New England, and his price tag is going to be relatively high, but they should try to keep him around.

New Orleans Saints: CB Alontae Taylor

Alontae Taylor played really well as a rookie, but his play fell off in years two and three. Then, in 2025, Brandon Staley came along and gave him a new role, and now he’s looking to reset the slot corner market. If the Saints can keep him around, they’ll have themselves one of the top slot corners in the league for years to come.

New York Giants: WR Wan’Dale Robinson

Wan’Dale Robinson quietly finished with the 14th-most yards in the league last year. After Malik Nabers went down, Robinson stepped up in a big way and built a great connection with Jaxson Dart. The New York Giants should absolutely want him back, but it will be interesting to see if other teams offer him more money than the Giants want to.

New York Jets: RB Breece Hall

I wanted to go with Alijah Vera-Tucker, but the New York Jets can’t afford to invest a lot of money into a guard who might not play half the year every season. So, that leaves Breece Hall. I’m not convinced they’re in a position to invest $14+ million into a running back, but if they can get him in that $9-12 million range, it could be worthwhile.

Philadelphia Eagles: DE Jaelan Phillips

The Philadelphia Eagles really struggled getting after the passer this season, but Jaelan Phillips changed that. Even though his sack numbers weren’t anything special, he was putting a lot of pressure on the opposing quarterback, and he’s still very young. There’s a lot of upside with Phillips, so Philly should try to tie him down long-term.

Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Kenneth Gainwell

Kenneth Gainwell had a career year in Pittsburgh, going for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the first time ever. He excelled as a receiver, and with the way NFL offenses are constructed nowadays, you need a back who can catch passes. Gainwell has proven to be one of the best receiving backs in the league, so the Steelers need to keep him around.

San Francisco 49ers: WR Jauan Jennings

Jauan Jennings has over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns over his last two seasons, and with Ricky Pearsall not quite panning out and Brandon Aiyuk going AWOL, he’s the best receiver San Francisco has. It’s a no-brainer to keep him around, especially because he and Brock Purdy have a strong connection.

Seattle Seahawks: RB Kenneth Walker

Do I really need to explain this one? 313 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs. Super Bowl MVP. They couldn’t have won it without him, so of course Seattle should bring Kenneth Walker back.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Mike Evans

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense was at its best when Mike Evans was on the field. It opened things up for Emeka Egbuka, and there’s also the added bonus of Evans being a franchise legend. If the Buccaneers want to make another playoff push in a weak NFC South, bringing Evans back makes a lot of sense.

Tennessee Titans: DE Jihad Ward

The Tennessee Titans are another team without many key players hitting the market, so I’ll say they should re-sign Jihad Ward. He played all 17 games and started the final 12, logging 48 pressures and five sacks, both of which were career-highs. He’s not going to cost a lot, so bringing him back gives Tennessee an effective pass rusher and frees them up to spend elsewhere.

Washington Commanders: WR Treylon Burks

The Washington Commanders took a chance on Treylon Burks, and while he didn’t put up huge numbers, he made quite a few plays for them. He’s going to be extremely cheap, and we all know Washington needs help at receiver. Worst case, he costs you a few million bucks and doesn’t play well. Best case, he pops off and you have a solid receiver for a few years.