BY JACK WHITE

NFL free agency is always one of the most exciting periods of the offseason. Every year, dozens of players seek new contracts and opportunities elsewhere, making one fanbase extremely hopeful and another devastated upon their favorite player’s departure. Trades and free agent movement are a key part of what makes the NFL so special, as they help maintain the parity within the sport that has seen three different Super Bowl winners the past three years.

Last time, we discussed five boom and five bust candidates as it related to teams that missed the playoffs in 2025. This week, we will analyze five more boom and five more bust candidates for this upcoming NFL season. However, the category will be players joining new teams in 2026, excluding draft picks.

Boom: Tariq Woolen

A massively underrated cornerback that was a key part of Seattle’s Super Bowl run, Woolen signed for one year, $12 million with the Eagles in March. While Philadelphia already has a strong secondary with stars like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the addition of Woolen will allow defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to get creative and move DeJean to a safety/CB hybrid role, allowing Woolen to thrive even more in an outside role.

Bust: Malik Willis

As much as this pains me to write, as I am an avid believer in the improvement Willis has made since he entered the league, there is just not enough talent around him in the offense for him to be successful. While he is extremely athletic and good at extending plays, his top receivers being Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert are just not going to cut it against, quite frankly, any competent secondary in the NFL (which obviously excludes the Jets and Bengals).

Boom: Jared Verse

For once, the Browns actually won a trade. While Myles Garrett is undeniably the best pass rusher in the league, trading him for a two-time Pro Bowl DE entering the prime of his career in Jared Verse and a 2027 first round pick while getting rid of an aging vet with a damning cap hit sets Cleveland, and therefore Verse, up for great future success.

Bust: Wan’Dale Robinson

With Malik Nabers out most of last season with an ACL tear, Robinson stepped up with his first 1,000-yard season. In the offseason, he signed a four-year, $78 million contract with Tennessee. While the move looks good on paper, the addition of Carnell Tate via the draft and an unproven QB and coaching staff have me worried that Robinson will not be utilized properly. Plus, has a player ever gone to Tennessee and actually played better than where they were before?

Boom: Mike Evans

With Brandon Aiyuk on a path to self-destruction and Jauan Jennings leaving in free agency, San Francisco was in desperate need of WR help. Luckily, Mike Evans was willing to take a big pay cut to head to the Bay. While he is coming off of an injury-riddled worst season of his career, I trust Kyle Shanahan to bring out the last few years of greatness that he has in the tank.

Bust: Travis Etienne, Jr.

With New Orleans upgrading the weapons arsenal in the form of Jordan Tyson, it also made sense for them to address a run game that was at best decidedly mediocre last season. However, that description also fits Etienne’s career so far. While he is coming off an 1,100-yard season, 4.3 YPC won’t blow anyone out of the water. And the two years before that he averaged 3.7 and 3.8 YPC, respectively.

Boom: Jaylen Waddle

Courtland Sutton is a certified number one receiver. But Jaylen Waddle has also proven he could enter WR1 conversations with his production the last few years. The marriage of the two will alleviate the pressure of dealing solely with the opposing team’s CB1, allowing them to work in space. This will have the greatest impact on Waddle, as his 14.2 yards/rec in 2025 was in the higher percentile of all WRs.

Bust: Tua Tagovailoa

Does anyone actually expect him to perform well in Atlanta? While the accuracy is there, his play has dipped the last few years, becoming so bad in 2025 that he was benched for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, I don’t see how he can revive his career, especially when he was so reliant on top tier weapons like Hill and Waddle in Miami to have success. Atlanta has talented playmakers in their own right, but head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t exactly known for bringing high-flying offenses to his teams.

Boom: AJ Brown

One of the marquee moves of the offseason, Brown was sent to New England in exchange for their 2027 5th round and 2028 first round picks. With better QB play and a better OC, the table is set for Brown to become the WR1 that New England has been searching for ever since Julian Edelman retired. Josh McDaniels has proven his ability to utilize members of the offense, and he will fall in love with the 6-1, 226-pound speedster that has shown the ability to torch any defense he is facing.

Bust: Geno Smith

It’s quite obvious the Jets are trying to tank, as they traded for a 35-year-old QB who finished with the worst QBR and led the NFL in interceptions last season. So in a way, this move could be considered a boom, as the Jets set themselves up better to obtain the number one pick next year!