Shawne Merriman explains why he couldn’t play in today’s NFL
Shawne Merriman shares that the change in player safety wouldn’t allow him to play with the passion and mentality he once had.
Ah, the offseason.
Like the voice that introduces, Goo Lagoon in “SpongeBob,” the offseason is meant to be a slowing down period for NFL fans. It’s been a long season and now is the time to rest, for a couple weeks. There might only be 22 weeks of games, 23 if you count the Pro Bowl, but the NFL is a year-round sport now.
For some, the offseason is the best part of the year.
The bad teams are finally competitive, signing free agents and drafting what everyone hopes will be the next group of stars. There’s no trophy for this time of year, but that doesn’t mean competition isn’t at an all-time high.
There will be bidding wars and more when free agency rolls around. For now, it’s a mystery where everyone will wind up when the dust settles.
That doesn’t mean we can’t call our shot, however. Here’s a look at where we predict some of the top free agents will land.
Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers
The popular pick for Higgins is the New England Patriots, who are armed with a Mary Poppins’ bag of endless cap space. While teaming up with Drake Maye would be enticing, Higgins could head west to pair with Justin Herbert, who is in desperate need of some pass-catchers. Injuries are a concern, but someone will pay up for the best free agent on the market who is just 26 years old.
Higgins returning to Cincinnati feels like a long shot given the team’s history of penny-pinching. Jim Harbaugh invested in the offensive line last offseason in addition redefining the team in his vision of having a solid running game and defense. Ladd McConkey wasn’t enough when it mattered most. Higgins fits as a great running mate to elevate the offense in L.A. moving forward.
Prediction: Chicago Bears
The Chiefs will almost certainly make Smith a priority this offseason, but it could become a numbers game by the time free agency begins. Kansas City enters with just a projected $11.5 million in cap space, per OverTheCap, and has no shortage of work to do after the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, the Bears enter with around $62.96 million to spend before making any additional moves. It’s no secret that Caleb Williams struggled behind an offensive line that sometimes looked like the turnstiles at the amusement park. Some of the sacks are on him, but new head coach Ben Johnson will be eager to fix that major problem in year one. Much of his success in Detroit was thanks to building one of the league’s best offensive lines. Signing Smith would be a good start to turning the ship around.
Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Buccaneers could easily try to make the Godwin a “Buc for life” like Mike Evans, but what about their fellow Floridian as an option? Tampa had to live life without the receiver for most of the 2024 campaign after he suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 7, which ended his season. That helped lead to the rise of Jalen McMillan and Cade Otton, making Godwin expendable if the Bucs wants to improve other areas of the team, especially given the receiver’s injury concerns.
Godwin following Liam Coen, his offensive coordinator with the Bucs and now head coach of the Jaguars, to Jacksonville makes plenty of sense. The 28-year-old would have a big role in the offense alongside Brian Thomas Jr., boosting a Jaguars’ unit that struggled to score points in 2024.
Prediction: Buffalo Bills
The Bills appear destined for a life of coming close, but never getting over the top. Whether Holland wants that life remains to be seen, but he certainly fits into Buffalo’s roster. The safety took a step back in 2024, but has been a key piece to the Dolphins defense during his years in Miami. Going from the warm climate to the cold could ultimately play a factor here, with the west coast native possibly heading home in free agency.
However, there is no denying Buffalo’s need for secondary help and they have seen plenty of Holland in recent history. It will take some cap maneuvering to make this deal happen, with the Bills entering the offseason about $12 million over the cap. However, it’s clear that Buffalo needs change and they’ll likely start restructuring deals to make that a reality.
Prediction: Detroit Lions
Reed has been in the shadows of Sauce Gardner the last few seasons, but the cornerback had been a star for the Jets during his time there. He is ready to move on after a frustrating season, Reed told Tyler Dunne of Go Long. With the Jets eager to build a new culture under head coach Aaron Glenn, he is essentially guaranteed to suit up in a different jersey next season.
The cornerback could instead land with Glenn’s former employer, who will be on the hunt for some secondary help this offseason. Injuries derailed the unit at the end of the season, opening the door for Reed to pair up with Terrion Arnold. Carlton Davis had a great season in the Motor City, but could move on with Glenn leaving town.
Prediction: Houston Texans
The Texans‘ offense disappointed in 2024, leading to the firing of offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik. Houston has replaced him by taking a branch off Sean McVay’s coaching tree, hiring Nick Caley. With Tank Dell likely to miss the 2025 season and Diggs coming off a torn ACL, the Texans will need to find some reinforcements to take that next step.
Still, C.J. Stroud spoke glowingly of Diggs and it makes sense for the 31-year-old to return. Given the injury, it might also drive the price down on the receiver. Diggs staying put in Houston is probably the best outcome for both sides.
Prediction: Las Vegas Raiders
Possibly the most interesting free agent of the offseason, Darnold is looking to parlay his 2024 success into a solid payday. It remains to be seen whether the 27-year-old returns to Minnesota, but the Vikings’ decision was likely made easier by Darnold’s clunkers down the stretch last season. With J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings, investing in Darnold could hamstring the team from a cap perspective with a ceiling that looks clearly defined now.
Minnesota surprised and exceeded expectations, but Darnold will probably call another NFL city “home” in 2025. The Raiders make sense as a team that could take a shot on the quarterback. Pete Carroll watched as Geno Smith revived his NFL career in Seattle. Given the Raiders’ current situation, they could sign the one-year wonder and hope that Darnold’s 2024 is the rule rather than the exception.
Prediction: Denver Broncos
It’s not easy to be a running back in the modern NFL. When the music stops, many are left without a chair. Jones will look to avoid that fate this offseason after thriving on a one-year deal in Minnesota. However, the Vikings don’t seem like a team to prioritize the 30-year-old running back with plenty of miles on his tires.
That opens the door for a squad like the Broncos, who struggled mightily in the running game last season. Jones could slide in nicely and add that dimension to the Denver offense, which exceeded expectations in 2024. It’s probably another one-year value deal for the running back, but the Broncos are a nice landing spot for Jones.
Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are basically stuck in the middle. The quarterback class in the draft is less than impressive, the free agent market is even worse and no one is coming available in the trade market. All of that seems to add up to another year of Wilson in the Steel City. Pittsburgh’s defense has kept them from bottoming out, leaving them without a true avenue to catapult back to contender status.
Kirk Cousins might be an intriguing option if he becomes available, but it would be surprising if Wilson wasn’t wearing the black-and-gold again next season.
Prediction: New York Jets
With Reed heading out of town to Detroit in our scenario, the door is open for a new cornerback to emerge in the Meadowlands. Davis thrived in Glenn’s scheme last season in Detroit, making him the perfect player to follow the coach to the Jets.
He’ll be one of the top cornerbacks on the market and could prove to be too costly, but the fit makes too much sense to ignore. We should expect to see some of Glenn’s former players head to “Gang Green” and Davis just happens to be among the best of the bunch.
NFL free agency officially starts with the beginning of the new league year. In 2025, the NFL league year begins on Wednesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. ET.
There is a “legal tampering period” that begins two days prior, on Monday, March 10 at noon ET. During that period, teams can negotiate with players and agents on contracts, but they won’t become official until the new league year.
Regardless, that means fans can see what moves their favorite teams are making as early as Monday, March 10.
