Mud settled on free company weeks in the past, however the expertise pool wasn’t completely drained.
Dallas discovered one other receiver post-draft, agreeing to phrases on a one-year cope with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Monday, in an indication of life left in veteran free company. “MVS” had 14 receptions and one landing final season. That is not precisely the type of manufacturing that brings groups knocking in your door in March.
However in Dallas, he was focused to fill a clearly outlined function which may embody holdout insurance coverage ought to negotiations with George Pickens shift from cordial to contentious as proprietor Jerry Jones’ historical past with holdouts suggests.
Listed here are a couple of different veterans able to filling a task, huge or small, regardless of their identified shortcomings:
QB Aaron Rodgers
Week 1 Age: 42
Final season: 24 TDs, led Steelers to AFC North division title
Rodgers and Mike McCarthy are each sporting the realizing smirk we learn as an virtually apparent signal of the pending reunion of former Packers in Pittsburgh. Rodgers can nonetheless get the job performed — he had solely seven interceptions with a really modest skill-position group in 2025 — and starred on this system in his bodily prime. Who else is bidding? Barring harm, most groups are usually not seemingly curiosity within the Rodgers Rodeo. Father Time can wipe away these facial expressions shortly, and Rodgers’ subsequent IR journey if seemingly his final.
WR Deebo Samuel
Week 1 Age: 30
Final season: 72 receptions for 727 yards, 5 TD receptions with Commanders
Samuel’s lone season with the Commanders was a wrestle and it is onerous to understand how a lot of it was the revolving door at quarterback, a brand new offense, friction with jettisoned offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury or the bodily toll of enjoying huge receiver like a working again. He has 406 profession catches and will nonetheless maintain down a task in the suitable scheme.
DE Joey Bosa
Week 1 Age: 31
Final season: Led NFL with 5 compelled fumbles; had 16 QB hits in 16 video games
Jan 30, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; AFC linebacker Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers in the course of the Professional Bowl Abilities Problem at Nicholson Fieldhouse. Obligatory Credit score: Kirby Lee-Imagn Pictures Bosa had 54 pressures in his solely season with the Payments, which is sufficient for a staff to consider taking a flier on the longtime Chargers’ edge rusher. He had 5.0 sacks and would make sense for a handful of contenders, together with the San Francisco 49ers, the place little brother Nick Bosa would not thoughts the assistance. San Francisco’s abysmal move rush to finish final season was sans Nick Bosa due to a season-ending ACL harm, and did not get plenty of consideration within the offseason.
RB Najee Harris
Week 1 Age: 28
Final season: 15 carries, 61 yards, season-ending Achilles harm Sept. 21 vs. Broncos
Harris is not to the magical downhill decline age for working backs however there isn’t any denying his mileage is excessive, making the return from a season-ending harm final September far bigger than a footnote to his 2026 standing. However the twenty first decide within the 2021 draft had 4 1,000-yard seasons in a row, 28 dashing TDs and by no means missed a sport in 4 earlier seasons with the Steelers earlier than his wheels gave him points with the Chargers final season.
WR Stefon Diggs
Week 1 Age: 33
Final season: 85 receptions, 1,013 yards with Patriots
Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots huge receiver Stefon Diggs (8) protects the ball from Buffalo Payments cornerback Taron Johnson (7) after making a catch within the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Mark Konezny-Imagn Pictures Diggs is coping with a authorized headache and will not be thought-about for sainthood as a teammate, which could have one thing to do with him enjoying for the Vikings, Payments, Texans and Patriots since 2019. A disappearing act within the playoffs will not assist his trigger. Diggs had 14 receptions in 4 video games however averaged 7.9 yards per catch and his lack of ability to persistently separate was an issue. His longest playoff catch of 13 receptions earlier than the contested, acrobatic seize within the Tremendous Bowl was 14 yards.
