NFL free agent and trade rumors for Chiefs, Broncos, Eagles, Raiders, and more

A week from now the 2026 NFL league year will officially begin.

However, before we reach that point everyone’s favorite time of the year will arrive, as the official tampering period begins on Monday, March 9.

Putting aside our semantic arguments about “official tampering,” and our questions over just how teams and agents can get deals done so quickly on Monday, we can take a spin around the latest NFL rumor carousel as that period fast approaches.

Maxx Crosby’s trade value

It would see the Las Vegas Raiders still seeking the Micah Parsons package for Maxx Crosby in any potential trade.

Last summer the Dallas Cowboys shocked the NFL world when they traded the star pass rusher to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a pair of first-round picks as well as defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

It would see the Raiders believe that has set a new standard for trades involving pass rushers.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Raiders are holding to their asking price in any trade involving Crosby, which is a pair of first-round picks plus a player in return. As noted by the NFL insider on Wednesday morning, “[b]ased on several conversations with league sources, the Raiders have not moved off from their asking price of two first-round picks and a player.”

Russini also notes that while Crosby has not made a “stink” in public, his patience with the Raiders has clearly worn thin. While he has “deep affection” for the Las Vegas fan base, he’s enjoyed just one winning season with the Raiders, and the team has cycled through coaches and coordinators during his Raiders tenure.

While general manager John Spytek told the media in Indianapolis during the NFL Combine last week that Crosby is an “elite” player and “it’s hard to build a great team without elite players,” he conceded that the team is “always listening” to offers.

Crosby has been linked to several teams this offseason for a potential trade, including the New England Patriots, the Chicago Bears, the Buffalo Bills and yes, the Cowboys.

The latest on A.J. Brown

Another big name that has surfaced in potential trade scenarios is Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.

And similar to Crosby, it would see that his current team is seeking a lot in any potential deal.

In addition to her reporting on Crosby on Wednesday morning, Russini addressed the potential asking price for the wide receiver in a potential trade. While Russini did not offer the same kind of specifics as she did with Crosby, she noted that the asking price not only remains “high,” but that it dates back to last season, giving credence to rumors that Brown might have been on the trade block dating back to a year ago:

While several teams are interested in his services, the Patriots seem to be at the front of the field. New England head coach Mike Vrabel spoke fondly of Brown during the NFL Combine, adding more fuel to that particular fire.

Pass rushers could dominate free agency

The incoming class of rookie pass rushers is an intriguing group, led by Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Texas Tech’s David Bailey, and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk.

But the free agency class of pass rushers is a dominant group as well.

With the Cincinnati Bengals letting Trey Hendrickson walk in free agency, and opting not to use the franchise tag on him, Hendrickson leads a very deep position group into the start of a new league year. While he is perhaps the prize of the bunch, teams that need help on the edge will have several options, including Jaelan Phillips, Khalil Mack, Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Boye Mafe, and Bradley Chubb.

And those are just the names so far, as more players could be released in the coming days.

As far as Hendrickson specifically, ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum believes that the former Bengals star will be on his way to Dallas:

“The Cowboys will sign Trey Hendrickson. He would help to buttress their pass rush, which fell over the cliff after the Micah Parsons trade,” Tannenbaum wrote. “Hendrickson was injured for much of last season, but when healthy, he is still one of the best pass rushers in the league.”

If, of course, the Cowboys don’t trade for Crosby.

Teams looking at Brian Thomas Jr.

A.J. Brown might be the biggest name on the wide receiver trade market, but he is not the only one.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are not actively shopping the wide receiver, but rumors about a potential trade have followed Thomas in the wake of a disappointing 2025 campaign. Similar to what John Spytek said about a potential Maxx Crosby trade, the official word from Jacksonville is that the receiver will be “100%” a part of the team going forward:

Still, WR-needy teams are calling about a potential move, including the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buffalo Bills, and the Carolina Panthers. Thomas is still on his rookie deal — with two years remaining on that contract — so financially it would be a low-risk investment for a new team.

Broncos looking at running backs

The New York Jets made a little bit of news on Tuesday, placing the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall.

Apparently that was because of … the Denver Broncos?

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Broncos are looking at running backs in free agency, and were zeroing in on Hall ahead of yesterday’s move by the Jets:

The Broncos are poised to make a splash at running back next week. Denver is the reason why the Jets used the franchise tag on Breece Hall rather than the transition tag, according to sources, making sure Denver wouldn’t get the opportunity to put together an offer the Jets would refuse to match. A few connections there underline that tango: Jets GM Darren Mougey came from Denver, while Broncos running backs coach Louis Ayeni identified Hall as a high school prospect years ago and recruited him to Iowa State before Ayeni left Ames for Northwestern and eventually the NFL.

Now that Hall is off the board, Denver is reportedly looking at Kenneth Walker III and Travis Etienne Jr. as other options.

So too are the Chiefs

The Broncos are not the only team in the AFC West looking to upgrade their running game.

Many analysts — including this author — believe that bolstering the run game is a priority for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. For one reason, the Chiefs are waiting to see how quickly Patrick Mahomes can rebound from his late-season ACL injury but for another, even when Mahomes is healthy, having a competent rushing attack will help the offense.

And it will take some pressure of Mahomes when he returns to the lineup, if he is not completely 100% when he comes back.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is a common pick in mock drafts (one I will keep making until told otherwise) but perhaps that day is fast approaching? According to Jones, the Chiefs do not believe Love will last until the ninth pick in the first round when Kansas City is on the clock.

That could force the Chiefs to look at free agency to address the position. They might not be in a position to pay what Walker is looking for, but options such as Etienne, Rico Dowdle, and Kenneth Gainwell could be backup plans for them.