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2026 Free Agent Superlatives: Favorite Fits, Buyer Beware and more
We are officially on the doorstep of the legal tampering window and thus, the beginning of the 2026 free agency signing period. So, what are our favorite player/team fits? Who do we think can put a contender over the top? Who would we be wary of signing? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig deep on free agent superlatives on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.com
Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Video Producer: Katy Duffy
Audio Producer: Michael Beller
Social Producer: Scott Krinch
Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @robertmays
Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass
Theme song: Haunted
Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs
Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
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Ravens Maxx Crosby trade highlights a busy weekend on the eve of free agency
01:02:23|When we signed off for the weekend on Friday, we said we'd come back before Monday if the news dictated our sooner return. Welp, the news dictated just that. Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round picks. Connor McGovern back to the Bills! Taylor Decker released! Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman cover everything that went down over the weekend, and get ready for free agency, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
2026 free agency doppelgängers
01:07:18|Sayings become sayings for a reason. A particular favorite for us here (or at least for the person writing this description)? History does not repeat, but it does rhyme. So, what free agency signings in the recent past might rhyme with, say, 2026 Jamel Dean or Alec Pierce or Trey Hendrickson. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman remember some guys and project ahead to next week on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Strengths and weaknesses of the 2026 free agent class
01:08:22|Free agency might begin next week, but we already have plenty of player movement news to tackle. The Bears are surprisngly in th emarket for a tackle after Drew Dalman's sudden retirement. The Cardinals will be shopping for a new quarterback next week, and Kyler Murray will be looking for a new home. Daniel Jones (most likely) and Breece Hall are staying put. Thats' where Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman kick off this episode of The Athletic Football Show. After that, the guys dig into the contours of this free agent class, focusing on the positions where needy teams can find answers, and those at the opposite end of the spectrum.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Free agency mailbag: New staffs, Tyler Linderbaum's catbird seat, the cap space tipping point, and more
01:11:07|We're all free agency, all the time over the next two weeks on The Athletic Football Show. And what better way to kick that off than with your questions? Robert Mays and Dave Helman tackle questions on how new coaching and front office staffs handle free agency, the great spot in which Tyler Linderbaum finds himself, the idea of the importance of cap space as potentially outdated, and a whole lot more on this episode of TAFS.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanWith: Michael BellerExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
Takeaways from the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine
01:01:22|Another combine is in the books, and with its closing comes another set of results that will affect the upcoming NFL Draft. Among them? Hello, Sonny Styles and Kenyon Sadiq. Dane Brugler and Dave Helman go a whole lot deeper than that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Dave HelmanCo-Host: Dane BruglerExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Follow Dane on X: @dpbruglerTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
The Jets-Titans trade, the Malik Willis market, and the rest of the news from combine week
59:24|We wrap up our week at the combine with a look at the biggest actual news that happened while the entire NFL world was in Indianapolis. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen dig into the Jermaine Johnson/T'Vondre Sweat trade, the Malik Willis market, the rest of the QB carousel, the shifting sands at wide receiver, and plenty more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
The most interesting teams of the offseason, part 3: Bengals, Ravens and Eagles
01:09:54|We wrap up our combine beat writer series with three teams that suffered through various levels of disappointing seasons in 2025. First, Paul Dehner Jr. joins Robert Mays to break down the offseason facing the Bengals. After that, Jeff Zrebiec hops on with Robert to discuss the Ravens' transition to new coach Jesse Minter. Finally, Zach Berman and Robert dive into how a team coming off consecutive division titles, just one season removed from a Super Bowl Championship, could possibly be in as much tumult as are the Eagles.Connect with The Athletic Football ShowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysWith: Paul Dehner Jr., Jeff Zrebiec, Zach BermanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC
The most interesting teams of the offseason, part 2: Chiefs, Vikings and Colts
01:04:47|The Chiefs of recent vintage haven't been among the most interesting teams of the offseason because their offseasons have been, "Alright, Pat, let's run it back." That's not the case this year. The Vikings have a massive question at quarterback. The Colts started the season 8-2, lost Daniel Jones to injury, and then didn't win another game. Those three teams comprise part 2 of our Most Interesting Teams of the Offseason series. Jesse Newell (Chiefs), Alec Lewis (Vikings) and James Boyd (Colts) join Robert Mays to run through their respective teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)3:00 Kansas City Chiefs28:48 Minnesota Vikings48:51 Indianapolis ColtsConnect with The Athletic Football ShowBuy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerchYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysWith: Jesse Newell, Alec Lewis, James BoydExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC