STORYLINES FOLLOWING 2025 NFL FREE AGENCY

CAM WARD LOCK #1 PICK? 

Heading into free agency the Tennessee Titans were a team in flux at the QB position and so far they continue to have no answer. Most recently they made several additions to their OL including an upgrade at LT with Dan Moore, giving first round pick JC Latham the flexibility to shift back to RT, and at G with veteran Kevin Zeitler who had a resurgent year in Detroit. The team also made a couple moves on defense and look to be building around the QB whoever it may be for 2025. 

Will Levis is listed as their current QB at the moment but its obvious he will not be at the helm this season which leads to one direct- the NFL Draft. The top QB prospect by many is Miami’s Cam Ward who boasts a strong arm to pair with great athleticism and looks to just be scratching the surface with his potential. HC Brian Callahan had first-hand experience coaching up an MVP caliber QB in Joe Burrow during his time with the Bengals and its apparent that he will be searching for this QB to groom this draft cycle. Is it the aforementioned Ward or maybe they make the surprise splash with Colorado prospect Shedeur Sanders? What if they shock the whole draft community and trade back and still grab themselves a QB like Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss? Either way, the Titans will have a new QB in 2025 and it most likely be with the #1 pick and the pick likely being Cam Ward. 

HOUSTON TEXANS REBUILDING THE OL 

During the first wave of free agency, the biggest move that no one saw coming might’ve been the Texans trading away their franchise LT Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders for draft capital. The Texans already could use some help on their OL and this move made that need that much more important. QB CJ Stroud is coming off a decent year but not the same as we saw in 2023 when he won Rookie of the Year and will be looking to rebound with hopes that the team will get him some protection. 

This year’s draft class may not have the same star power on the OL like we saw last year with Joe Alt but it has a ton of depth and several players who could be in the range of when the Texans pick starting with Ohio State’s Josh Simmons. The stout pass protector is arguably one of the best pure LTs in the draft but his season was cut short with a season ending leg injury which may cause his fall in the draft to a team like Houston. A couple of other names who would be an upgrade include Oregon’s Josh Conerly, Alabama’s Tyler Booker and possibly North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel who will likely pair on the interior along with Booker. Some may say its to early to take an interior lineman but with such a talented QB like Stroud on his rookie contract, the Texans could use all the help they can get on the OL regardless of position. 

SAN FRANCISCO IN A RE-TOOLING PHASE 

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last half decade, but it seems like they may be in a re-tooling phase after the departure of several high caliber starting veterans. The 49ers traded away former Pro Bowl WR Deebo Samuel to the Commanders and in free agency let go of LB Dre Greenlaw, EDGE Leonard Floyd, OL Aaron Banks and S Talanoa Hufanga, all of which were big time contributors to the team on and off the field.  

The biggest question mark surrounding the franchise seems to be the contract for QB Brock Purdy and its likely they will sign him to a multi-year deal worth at least $35-45 million per season. Thanks to GM John Lynch, HC Kyle Shanahan and their coaching staff, the 49ers still have a talented team with several star players, but it certainly does not feel like the same team we saw play in the Superbowl only a couple season ago. One of the top positions they could address in the draft early is the OL with their star LT Trent Williams nearing the end of his illustrious career, they could use an heir apparent to the position like Texas prospect Kelvin Banks Jr. or even LSU’s Will Campbell if they believe he’s fit to play LT full time. San Francisco has several needs and will be a fun team to watch this draft cycle. 

WASHINGTON GOING ALL IN THIS SEASON

Coming off a red hot 2024 season where the Commanders were a win away from the Superbowl, they have not slowed down on their pursuit for a championship since the end of the season. GM Adam Peters made the first of two big trades by acquiring former Pro Bowl WR Deebo Samuel from the 49ers in hopes they can get the gadget weapon that we were used to watching in San Francisco when he was one of the best WRs in the league. The Commanders currently have a pair of go-to weapons in WR Terry McLaurin and the return of TE Zach Ertz who formed a great duo for rookie of the year QB Jayden Daniel so Samuel will not have the spotlight on him and can operate as the team’s secondary target. 

Soon after the new league year began in March, the Commanders made yet another huge move to get more protection for Daniels by trading for Texan’s star LT Laremy Tunsil in one of the most surprising moves of the off-season. The superstar lineman who been one the league’s best at his position for the last several years and it was shocking to see the Texan’s trade him especially considering he was their best lineman by a mile. Washington also added a couple pieces to HC Dan Quinn’s defense in linemen Deatrich Wise Jr. and Javon Kinlaw who will be week 1 contributors only adding more firepower to a developing defense on one the league’s best up and coming teams. The Commanders play in one of the best divisions in the league headlined by the Superbowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and so far they are swinging for the fences in hopes they can get over the hump in 2025 as not only the best team in the NFC East but in the entire NFC. 

TEAMS BUILDING AROUND THEIR YOUNG QBs 

As stated above the Washington Commanders are going all in with their young star Jayden Daniels but they arent the only team building around their talented second year QBs including the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos. Starting with the Bears, it was no surprise they needed OL help as much as anyone and they addressed it in multiple waves including trades for Gs Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and free agency by signing C Drew Dalman effectively rebuilding their entire interior OL. They also added a couple pieces on their DL in Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo showing that they are serious building around QB Caleb Williams with new HC Ben Johnson at the helm. 

Moving up north the New England Patriots had one of the biggest wallets to flaunt this off-season and they did without hesitation on the defense by bringing in multiple key pieces including EDGE Harold Landry, who has familiarity with HC Mike Vrabel, CB Carlton Davis and DL Milton Williams who signed one of the biggest contracts in free agency. On offense they brought in a couple experienced OL in OT Morgan Moses and recently released C Garrett Bradbury who should make QB Drake Maye happy along with their newest WR, Mack Hollins, who may not be a star but will surely be a big-bodied target for Maye. 

Lastly, we go west to Denver where the GM George Paton and the Broncos may not have made alot of moves but they were quality led by a pair of former 49ers in LB Dre Greenlaw and S Talanoa Hufanga. Both Greenlaw and Hufanga are going off quiet seasons due to injury but should hopefully be ready to go for week 1 and when healthy are big time contributors and can bring a winning mentality to the young Broncos team. On offense, HC Sean Payton needed a quality receiving TE and got himself a veteran option with Evan Engram who can start week 1 and hopefully be a security blanket target for QB Bo Nix. All three of these teams have young QBs with bright futures and it's exciting to see them each invest in their young assets now while they are still on rookie contracts which should only make this season that much more fun!