It’s safe to sigh and take a breather — as long as everyone passes their physical.
The first week of free agency for the 2026 NFL offseason is mostly behind us, but the tinkering with rosters is far from over, of course. And while free agency typically plays a significant part in crowning offseason champions, it never fills every need.
So, The Athletic’s NFL writers re-check their to-do list for each team this offseason. Who’s done what and what’s still missing for each NFL roster?
Arizona Cardinals
GM Monti Ossenfort did a nice job bolstering the offensive line during free agency. The Cardinals added veteran guard Isaac Seumalo, as well as tackles Elijah Wilkinson and Matt Pryor. Seumalo has started for the bulk of his 10 seasons, while Wilkinson and Pryor have starting experience and versatility. This is a good start. But it’s not finished. At some point, the line can’t be something the team pieces together every offseason. The Cardinals have an anchor in left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. They need to find another in the draft. Keep building up front. — Doug Haller
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons re-signed defensive tackle LaCale London and added defensive tackle Chris Williams, but they only have six combined starts in seven NFL seasons, and Atlanta lost veteran David Onyemata (and his 115 starts) to the New York Jets. The Falcons like their young talent up front (Brandon Dorlus, Ruke Orhorohoro and Zach Harrison), but they need more bodies there. It will be a surprise if they don’t use one of their first two picks in the draft (which come in the second and third rounds) on a big defender. — Josh Kendall
Baltimore Ravens
This is the same answer as it was before free agency started: trench help. The Ravens added starting left guard John Simpson, but they also lost Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. They now need a starting center, and they also have to consider any potential starting right guard upgrades, too. On the other side of the ball, they need at least one starting interior defensive lineman and possibly two if they know Nnamdi Madubuike isn’t returning. They still need to get bigger and deeper along both fronts. — Jeff Zrebiec
Buffalo Bills
With due respect to the Bradley Chubb signing, which definitely improved the situation, infusing youth into the outside linebacker position is Buffalo’s biggest need moving forward. The group lacks an explosive option to get after the quarterback, so it could be a heavy lean come draft day. Chubb’s presence will give the Bills a dependable starter, but their top outside linebacker before that signing was projected to be Michael Hoecht, who is rehabbing an Achilles tendon tear sustained in early November. The team also has the option of using Greg Rousseau there, though his best fit may be at defensive end in an odd-man front for the new scheme instituted by defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. — Joe Buscaglia
Carolina Panthers
With left tackle Ikem Ekwonu expected to miss at least part of the year following patellar tendon surgery, the Panthers signed Stone Forsythe, who was with Dave Canales in Seattle. They gave Forsythe a modest, one-year deal after he allowed 11 sacks in 13 games last year in Las Vegas, finishing with Pro Football Focus’ worst pass-protection grade among 89 tackles. The Panthers planned to re-sign Yosh Nijman, but the swing tackle announced last week he was retiring. And while drafting a tackle at 19 is very much in play, the Panthers could use another veteran given the uncertainty around Ekwonu’s recovery timeline. — Joseph Person
Chicago Bears
The recent additions and re-signings to both the offensive and defensive lines have set the Bears up to be flexible in next month’s draft. But a quick scan of the depth chart reveals an obvious need for greater talent and depth in the trenches, with no obvious long-term answers at either left tackle or center and more needed on defense — particularly on the interior — to energize the pass rush. Several waves of free agency remain. But it would not be a shocker if the Bears used the first two nights of the draft to strengthen both lines. — Dan Wiederer
Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden specifically outlined the need to add a combo-linebacker in free agency capable of playing along the defensive line as well as off the ball so Demetrius Knight Jr. doesn’t have to do that anymore. The staff also expressed a desire to add a veteran who can provide leadership to the group that started two struggling rookies all of last season. Somehow, they failed to add anyone despite 11 linebackers changing teams for between $6 million and $15 million per year. There are flawed second- and third-tier options still available, but the position remains top of the list in the defensive rebuild. — Paul Dehner Jr.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns added three offensive linemen and brought back another, but needs remain across the offense. The most pressing need is either at wide receiver or quarterback, but for now we’ll assume that the Browns plan to let Shedeur Sanders try to lock up the quarterback job. A thin and unreliable receiving corps needs help on all fronts. The team is hoping Jerry Jeudy can bounce back after a miserable 2025, but both size and playmaking are needed to fill out the depth chart. — Zac Jackson
Dallas Cowboys
They still need another starting-caliber edge rusher and starting-caliber cornerback. But both take a back seat to how badly they need help at inside linebacker. Their current depth chart at the position is DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron. Overshown has impressive ability, but his injury history is very concerning. With the move to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, at least one more starting inside linebacker is needed for this group and another reserve player. Dallas had interest in Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker but wasn’t able to land one of the top-tier free-agent linebackers. If they don’t make a notable trade, one of their two first-round picks will have to be spent on the position. — Jon Machota
Denver Broncos
The Broncos as of Friday afternoon were the only team in the NFL that had not signed an external free agent. They have brought back every offensive player who had a touch last season and re-signed both of their primary starters at linebacker last season (Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad). The Broncos, who were 14-3 and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2025, clearly like their roster and are leaning hard into a draft-and-develop strategy that has helped them dig out of a stretch of seven straight losing seasons that preceded the drafting of quarterback Bo Nix in 2024. Still, the Broncos could use another playmaker. They have their No. 1 running back after re-signing J.K. Dobbins, but another weapon at wide receiver or tight end could help round out an offense seeking more reinforcements in the draft. Among the names that could be interesting for the Broncos are tight ends Dallas Goedert and David Njoku and wide receiver Jauan Jennings. — Nick Kosmider
Detroit Lions
Take your pick between tackle and edge. The Lions released left tackle Taylor Decker, and if the season started today, his replacement would be former Bears and Dolphins tackle Larry Borom — signed to a one-year deal in free agency. It certainly feels like they’re going to need one in the draft, and they should have their options at No. 17. That said, I’d give the slight edge to, well, edge. The Lions lost Al-Quadin Muhammad (and his 11 sacks and 52 pressures) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. Aidan Hutchinson and 2025 sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein are the only edge rushers on the team right now. Stating the obvious, but they absolutely need more here. — Colton Pouncy
Green Bay Packers
This might be an obscure one, but backup quarterback remains a need for the Packers. They saw firsthand the last two seasons how important it is to have a reliable backup to Jordan Love. Perhaps Malik Willis’ significance will push the Packers to upgrade from Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord. Could one of those guys win the No. 2 job? Sure, but don’t rule out Brian Gutekunst acquiring a veteran backup via trade or signing if he doesn’t see what he wants from Ridder and/or McCord this offseason. That’s what happened when Gutekunst traded a seventh-round pick to the Titans on the eve of the 2024 regular season after neither Sean Clifford nor Michael Pratt seized the backup job. — Matt Schneidman
Quarterback Malik Willis, who played a key role as a backup for the Green Bay Packers in 2025, signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent. (Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA Today via Imagn Images)
Houston Texans
The Texans still have a hole at left guard. They signed a right guard in Ed Ingram, re-signed Trent Brown, who started at right tackle in the seven games that he didn’t miss to injury, signed former Colts right tackle Braden Smith, potentially to start at that spot and opposite second-year left tackle Aireontae Ersery. But they still need help at left guard. Will they roll with Jarrett Patterson, who started five games last season, keep looking for an upgrade through free agency, or draft a potential starter for that spot? — Mike Jones
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts still need to add some juice to their pass rush via the latter stages of free agency or next month’s draft. Laiatu Latu, who had 8.5 sacks last year, is the team’s only proven starter at defensive end. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that Indianapolis tried to sign former Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, but he chose to join the Ravens after the Maxx Crosby trade fell apart. Indianapolis picked up veteran defensive ends Arden Key and Micheal Clemons, though they project more as rotational pieces than starters. – James Boyd
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars need more pass-rushing help to support defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, who led them with eight sacks in 2025. Travon Walker, the No. 1 pick in 2022, tied a career low with 3.5 sacks last season despite starting 14 games. While Hines-Allen has been a high-end rusher for most of his career, he can’t do it alone. Problematically, the Jaguars still have the least amount of cap space in the league, according to Over The Cap, and they don’t have a first-round pick because of the Travis Hunter trade. So they’ll need to find a creative path to boost the edge. — Jeff Howe
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs’ top remaining need is edge rusher. Kansas City can feel good about some of its youth there — George Karlaftis won’t turn 25 until April, while rookie Ashton Gillotte showed some positive flashes late last season — but the best defensive teams can rotate players on the outside. Former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah has constantly battled injuries, and the Chiefs have yet to replace free agents Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna on their depth chart. Expect K.C. to address edge rusher late in free agency and also with a top-two-round pick in April’s draft. — Jesse Newell
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders signed Kwitty Paye, and Maxx Crosby seems like he’s re-committed to the Raiders, so they seem set at the edge position, but they still need to add beef to the interior of the line. They are transitioning to a 3-4 defense, but they don’t have a true nose tackle on the roster. They have a bunch of young players who look like they can transition to 4-tech (head-up on tackle) with ends like Tonka Hemingway and Tyree Wilson, but they can still use a veteran who has played the position. One of their biggest signings was linebacker Nakobe Dean, but he’s small and needs to be protected to be at his best, so that offensive linemen can’t easily get to the second level and block him. The Raiders can wait until the draft to add a nose tackle with some intriguing options like Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter. — Ted Nguyen
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers needed to find three new starters on the interior of their offensive line this offseason. Center Bradley Bozeman retired. The Chargers cut right guard Mekhi Becton for cap savings. And left guard Zion Johnson left in free agency to sign a $49.5 million deal with the Browns. The Chargers have filled two of the starting spots, signing Tyler Biadasz at center and Cole Strange at right guard. They do not have a starting left guard on the roster. That will have to be addressed either in free agency or the draft. — Daniel Popper
Los Angeles Rams
After bringing in three big-name defensive backs, perhaps the only need that stands out on offense or defense now is wide receiver. Los Angeles has two stars in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, but both players missed three games each last season, and the depth became shaky after Tutu Atwell fell out of the mix with their style of offense. The Rams will mitigate that role by running lots of three-tight-end sets, but they still need versatility in 11-personnel, and they also need to look for a future replacement for Adams, who will turn 34 late next season. Given the need to bring this position along slowly while also seeking a talent who can adequately replace Adams in a year, the No. 13 overall pick feels like a prime spot to answer the team’s biggest remaining need. — Nate Atkins
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins answered their quarterback situation with Malik Willis, but let’s not gloss over the situation around him. Willis, the expected starter for the first time in his career, needs help, and the Dolphins are anything but a turnkey situation. They’re swimming in dead money due to the release of Tua Tagovailoa and are paring payroll just to be cap compliant, which is an extremely dangerous situation for any QB, let alone one with only six career starts. The Dolphins’ greatest need is to continue supporting Willis, however that looks and with whatever diminished assets they’ve got. — Howe
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings answered the most important question of the offseason Thursday by signing Kyler Murray. Now, the biggest need is debatable. How about the safety position? The Vikings have faith in fourth-year player Jay Ward, and the future of potential Hall of Famer Harrison Smith is still up in the air. But what about the future at the position? What if Ward leaves after 2026? What if Smith doesn’t return? The Vikings have shown confidence in safeties Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson, but they could benefit greatly from younger talent at the position. Brian Flores’ defensive scheme runs through the safety spot, so smarts and versatility here are critical. — Alec Lewis
New England Patriots
The Patriots added an edge rusher (Dre’Mont Jones) and wide receiver (Romeo Doubs) to help address their two biggest positions of need. But both spots could use extra depth if not a starting-level player. Edge rusher is probably the bigger concern, and the early guess would be that the Patriots use their first-round pick at the position. Their current projected starters there are Jones and Harold Landry. Maybe that ends up OK with Milton Williams and Christian Barmore on the inside, but you’d like more from your edge rusher position. — Chad Graff
New Orleans Saints
As a whole, the Saints should be applauded for their early work in free agency with big fish like running back Travis Etienne and guard David Edwards. New Orleans could still use help at wide receiver, though. Chris Olave can’t be Tyler Shough’s only trustworthy weapon at wideout. By signing Etienne, running back is no longer a need early in the draft and could leave open receiver options like Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson or Makai Lemon. At No. 8, the Saints could have their choice of any of them if the board falls right. — Larry Holder
New York Giants
Take your pick between right guard and defensive tackle. For all of new coach John Harbaugh’s emphasis on the trenches, the Giants were shockingly inactive on the interior of both lines during the first wave of free agency. And no, re-signing draft bust Evan Neal doesn’t count. The good news is that there are still plenty of quality veterans available at both positions. That should produce bargains at this stage of free agency. Patience could pay off for the Giants, but they need to add a starting right guard and a starting defensive tackle to ease concerns about the state of their lines. — Dan Duggan
New York Jets
Wide receiver is the easy answer here. The Jets have been trying to find some consistency opposite Garrett Wilson ever since he came into the NFL — and we’re not counting Davante Adams since he was just a mercenary brought in to appease Aaron Rodgers at the end of a 2024 season that was already in a tailspin. Adonai Mitchell showed some real promise last year after coming over from the Colts, and Isaiah Williams showed some flashes of being a capable slot receiver, but the Jets need to add at least one more quality wide receiver — and probably more than one. Mitchell, for all his talent, should not be the no-doubt No. 2 receiver going into the season. The Jets, according to team sources, went into free agency not planning to invest at the position since that often leads to significant overpays. They will wait and see if anyone interesting falls through the cracks at minimal cost — someone of the Darnell Mooney, Christian Kirk or Marquise Brown ilk would be interesting — but more likely they’ll try to find someone in the NFL Draft (they own the 16th pick in addition to No. 2 overall, as well as No. 33 and No. 44 in the second round) and/or in a trade. — Zack Rosenblatt
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles still need another high-level pass rusher. Re-signing Jaelan Phillips was a high priority for them entering free agency. The Carolina Panthers spent lavishly to lure Phillips away with a four-year, $120 million contract that was beyond what the Eagles were willing to spend. They submitted an offer to Trey Hendrickson, whom the Baltimore Ravens swept away with a four-year, $112 million deal after nixing their Maxx Crosby trade. The Eagles considered trading for Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, but ended the week signing former Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie to a one-year, $7.3 million contract. It was an uninspiring addition in comparison to the caliber of players they were pursuing. Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt remain their top edge rushers under contract. The Eagles could still stand to add another. But with a budget that’s come up repeatedly short in free agency and the trade market, perhaps this is a hole best filled in the upcoming draft. — Brooks Kubena
Pittsburgh Steelers
For the second consecutive offseason, the Steelers don’t have a definitive answer at the most important position in football. GM Omar Khan said at the combine that he didn’t anticipate the uncertainty around Aaron Rodgers would linger “like it did last year.” How much longer can this continue without it turning into last year? From all levels of the Steelers organization — from players to the coaching staff and up through the key decision makers — the prevailing sentiment is they believe an answer will come sometime this month, and they believe it’s more likely than not the 42-year-old QB will play in Pittsburgh. But it can be a dangerous game to predict what Rodgers will do (and when). Aside from that one glaring hole, the Steelers added a much-needed WR2 (Michael Pittman Jr.), a starting corner opposite Joey Porter Jr. (Jamel Dean), a running back to round out the room (Rico Dowdle) and some safety options (Jaquan Brisker and Darnell Savage). The other obvious area of need is a starting left guard after Isaac Seuamlo departed in free agency. — Mike DeFabo
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers not only didn’t add a pass rusher the first week of free agency, but they lost one as 2025 sack leader Bryce Huff (with four … yes, four) retired suddenly on Thursday at the age of 27 to start a company to build safety infrastructures for the use of lithium batteries. The 49ers need to get a charge out of the draft, and Texas A&M’s bendy, quick pass rusher Cashius Howell should be there at No. 27. It’s also possible that the 49ers could still add Nick Bosa’s older brother, Joey, in the next stage of free agency. The 49ers wanted to get younger, but would settle for better with additions Mike Evans, Osa Odighizuwa and Bosa. — Vic Tafur
Seattle Seahawks
A healthy lead running back. Seattle’s roster has seven running backs: Zach Charbonnet, George Holani, Cam Akers, Velus Jones Jr., Kenny McIntosh, Jacardia Wright and Emanuel Wilson, who has agreed to a one-year, $2 million free-agent contract. Charbonnet is most equipped to take over the lead role vacated by Kenneth Walker III, but he just had surgery last month to repair his torn ACL. Wilson had some strong performances in Green Bay as Josh Jacobs’ backup, and McIntosh (also coming off a torn ACL) and Holani have shown flashes as well, but there’s a reason general manager John Schneider had this to say about their running back spot on Thursday: “We love the guys on our team right now but we’ll be continuing to look at that position.” – Michael-Shawn Dugar
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs’ most pressing need is the happiness of QB Baker Mayfield, who is entering the final year of a prove-it deal that he has greatly exceeded. The Bucs know they must address Mayfield’s deal, and they’re aware that his price has skyrocketed. But to make this matter even trickier, the Bucs lost franchise icon Mike Evans in free agency. If Evans wasn’t optimistic about their Super Bowl chances, what’s that going to mean for Mayfield? The Bucs cannot afford any missteps, or they could be back in the QB market as early as 2027. — Jeff Howe
Tennessee Titans
Offensive weaponry is the Titans’ biggest remaining need, though a difference-making edge and reliable starters at center and right guard also would help a lot. The Titans did add Wan’Dale Robinson, and he’ll be a high-volume contributor in Brian Daboll’s offense, as he was with the Giants. But the rest of the receiving corps is either aging (Calvin Ridley) or young and perhaps a bit too high on the depth chart (Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor). At running back, Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are solid but not dynamic. It would not shock if the Titans were to take Jeremiyah Love at No. 4, then a receiver at No. 35. — Joe Rexrode
Washington Commanders
General manager Adam Peters has so far done what he said he would this offseason: build up the defense, prioritize the pass rush, make the roster younger and add some speed. Washington’s 12 new acquisitions through Friday are all in their 20s, with many coming off their first NFL contracts. They have experience, but still plenty of potential, and they all help to fill significant voids on the roster. Washington still has plenty of work to fill out its roster (it’s still unknown what they plan to do at center) and add depth. But what the team still needs the most is an elite offensive playmaker to complement Terry McLaurin. The team agreed to short-term deals with receivers Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson, but neither have consistently been true No. 2s. And only one of their tight ends (newly acquired Chigoziem Okonkwo) has scored multiple times in a season. — Nicki Jhabvala
