This free agency frenzy provided one of the biggest what-could-have-been moments in recent memory when the Ravens nixed the Maxx Crosby trade and didn’t relinquish two first-round picks to the Raiders.
Baltimore’s change of heart also prevented football fans from possibly watching Crosby and Trey Hendrickson on the same defensive line because Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta revealed that he had planned to land both star edge rushers.
Oh, what could have been. Still, several signings and trades across the league will surely make the 2026 NFL season intriguing. However, it’s hard not to wonder about other free-agent pairings that didn’t come to fruition last week.
We asked our MMQB staff to pretend to be a GM of any NFL team and suggest one move they would have made, along with the signings they would have approved. Let’s get to our latest free agency roundtable.
One free agency move you would have made as a GM of any team?
Matt Verderame: The Bears giving Coby Bryant three years and $40 million. Today’s game is much more reliant on safeties than in past decades, as the player in the position is asked to disguise coverage, play single-high, drop down into the box against the run, blitz occasionally and play man coverage. Bryant is a do-it-all talent coming off a Super Bowl in Seattle, and he’ll be a terrific fit for Chicago and coordinator Dennis Allen in his scheme.
Gilberto Manzano: If I were Steelers GM Omar Khan, I would have pursued quarterback Malik Willis and given him the three-year, $68 million contract that he got from the Dolphins. I agree with Matt that Willis won’t get much help from a rebuilding Miami squad. Pittsburgh would have been a better fit with an offensive unit featuring DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren and newcomers Michael Pittman Jr. and Rico Dowdle. And, yes, there’s the possibility of Aaron Rodgers signing there, but it would have been good for Willis to compete for the job after how poorly it went for him with the Titans. Strangely, the Steelers are again waiting around for a middle-aged QB with not much upside at this point in his career.
Michael Fabiano: As a lifelong Cowboys fan who will question every move Jerry Jones makes (or in this case doesn’t make), I’m left questioning his decision not to add Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. Who knows, maybe the former might still happen with Rashan Gary taking a pay cut after being traded from the Packers. But Jones had two impact players available who could cause chaos for opposing offensive lines, yet he chose Gary. I know the draft is still ahead, but by whiffing on this duo and trading Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers, Dallas’s defense might be even worse in 2026.
Conor Orr: If I were the Falcons, I would have renegotiated or re-signed Kirk Cousins to be my bridge quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa is as injury-prone as Michael Penix Jr., and unless Kevin Stefanski has a particular plan to maximize Tagovailoa that Mike McDaniel did not, I feel like he’s going to be a bit of a combustible No. 2 option that doesn’t add much for Penix. Cousins is an expert at preparation and is already familiar with the offense, having played with Stefanski in Minnesota.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The MMQB Debates Moves NFL GMs Should Have Made During Free Agency.
