Alright, so the 2024 season hasn’t even really gotten going, and my brain’s already jumping ahead to the 2025 NFL free agent class. It’s a bit nuts, I know, but I was just sitting around the other day, and it kinda hit me – next year’s crop of free agents could be pretty wild. So, I figured, why not try and get a super early jump on predicting some of this stuff? Just for kicks, you know.
How I Started My “Process”
First things first, I didn’t pull out any fancy spreadsheets or cap calculators. Nah, that’s not really my style. I just started thinking about the big names, the guys whose contracts I remembered were coming up. You know, you hear stuff during the season, “Oh, he’s in a contract year,” that kind of thing. So, I mentally listed those guys out, or sometimes I’d just scribble a name down if I thought of one while I was doing something else.
Then, I tried to put myself in a GM’s shoes, or at least what I imagine it’s like. It’s not just about who’s good, right? It’s about team needs, how much money they realistically have, and who they absolutely can’t afford to lose. Some teams are just gonna be desperate for certain positions, and they’ll probably overpay. It happens every year.
Digging a Little Deeper (My Way)
So, after the initial brainstorm, I did a bit of casual digging. Nothing too intense. I’d look up current contract situations for some players I was curious about. You can find that stuff pretty easily. I wasn’t getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty of void years or bonus structures – my head would explode. I was just trying to get a general feel for who’s a free agent, and who might be a surprise cut or trade candidate leading up to it.
Then I started thinking about team situations.
- Which teams look like they’re on the upswing and might want to add that one missing piece?
- Which teams are rebuilding and might be sellers, or looking for younger, cheaper talent?
- And yeah, the money. Who actually has cap space? Some teams are always up against it, others seem to have a blank checkbook.
It’s like putting together a puzzle, but half the pieces are missing, and the picture keeps changing. For example, a guy might be a stud, but if his team drafts his replacement high, well, that changes things, doesn’t it?
Making Some Guesses (Emphasis on “Guesses”)
Okay, so let’s talk about some actual predictions, or more like, my early thoughts. Take the quarterback position. There are always a few interesting names. I started thinking, Dak Prescott is the obvious one. Is Dallas really gonna let him walk? Seems crazy, but stranger things have happened. If he hits the market, man, the bidding war would be insane. I’m leaning towards they figure it out, but the drama will be there.
Then you got guys like Tua Tagovailoa. He’s had his moments, but also those injury concerns. What’s his market gonna be? A team might take a gamble if the price is right. I also started looking at receivers. That market always goes bonkers. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a couple of guys, maybe not even the absolute top-tier ones, get massive deals from receiver-needy teams. Someone like Tee Higgins, if he doesn’t get tagged or extended by Cincy again, he’s gonna get paid. A lot.
And don’t forget the franchise tag. Teams love to use that thing. It kicks the can down the road, but it also means a player isn’t truly “free.” I always try to factor in who’s a prime tag candidate. Usually, it’s a guy they want to keep but can’t agree on a long-term deal with.
It’s All Just a Bit of Fun, Really
Look, making these predictions this far out is mostly just for fun. So much can change between now and the start of the 2025 league year.
- Players get injured, unfortunately.
- Some guys have unexpected breakout seasons, and their stock goes way up.
- Other guys might fall off a cliff performance-wise.
- Coaching changes, scheme changes – all that stuff plays a part.
So, yeah, these are just my initial thoughts from messing around with the idea. I’m not putting any money on these, that’s for sure. But it’s interesting to think about how the league landscape might shift. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all unfolds. It’s always a circus, and honestly, that’s why we love it, right?
