NFC free-agent watch: One pending FA each team should keep

Ahead of the AFC and NFC championship games Sunday, Yardbarker NFL writers identify which pending free agents in the NFC merit a new deal with their current teams.

From noon ET on March 10 to 4 p.m. ET March 12, teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. Free agency officially begins March 12. (Regular-season records in parentheses.)

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS (7-10) | RB Rico Dowdle | Dowdle rushed for 1,079 yards in his first year as a starter, the same number of yards Tony Pollard had this season for Tennessee after signing a three-year, $21.7M contract to join the Titans in the offseason. With Malik Davis and Deuce Vaughn as the only running backs signed for next season, the Cowboys should lock down Dowdle with a significant raise on last year’s $1.2M salary. 

NEW YORK GIANTS (3-14) | LB Azeez Ojulari | Ojulari has missed 22 games since joining the team as a second-round pick in 2021 but finished 2024 with six sacks and 28 tackles in 11 games, numbers nearly identical to those of teammate Kayvon Thibodeaux, who played in 12 games. The 24-year-old linebacker led the Giants with eight sacks in 17 games as a rookie and could do the same in 2025 if he can stay healthy. 

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (14-3) | RG Mekhi Becton | After appearing in just 31 games in four years with the New York Jets, the 6-foot-7, 363-pound tackle agreed to join the Eagles in a backup role before injuries to the offensive line forced him into the unfamiliar role of right guard. Philly fans can only hope the rest of the NFL didn’t see this stellar block that led to Saquon Barkley’s 62-yard touchdown in the playoff win over the Rams. 

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (12-5) | LB Bobby Wagner | Wagner led the team with 132 tackles in the regular season and has 16 tackles with a fumble recovery in Washington’s past two playoff victories. The veteran linebacker grew up in head coach Dan Quinn’s system, when both were in Seattle, and while Wagner will be 35 next season, he hasn’t missed a game in three years. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-9) | EDGE Baron Browning | The Cardinals acquired Browning from the Denver Broncos before the trade deadline and gave him something he did not really have in Denver: an opportunity. He provided the Cardinals with capable pass-rushing depth (two sacks, four tackles for loss and three QB hits) in eight games and could be nice depth to keep around for a team that desperately need a pass rush.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (10-7) | LT Alaric Jackson | Jackson, who has gradually worked his way up the depth chart after being an undrafted free agent, was one of the few bright spots on an offensive line that was a weakness in 2024. He is not only coming off a career-best season for the Rams, he is also a solid starter at a position of need and will be one of the top left tackles available on the open market.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-11) | LB Dre Greenlaw | Greenlaw was limited to two games this season as he tried to come back from an Achilles injury, and even though it was a small sampling, the defense looked remarkably better with him in the lineup. He will be only 28 next season, and if the 49ers believe he can come all the way back from the Achilles injury, he should be at the top of their re-sign priority list.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-7) | LB Ernest Jones | Jones came over to the Seahawks in a midseason trade with the Titans and immediately helped transform the middle of the defense, filling a huge hole at linebacker. He should be a must-sign for the Seahawks not only because he is one of the top middle linebackers in football, but because he is also still young enough (25) to be a focal point of Mike Macdonald's defense for the foreseeable future. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS (5-12) | LG Teven Jenkins | The Bears aren’t in a position to let talented offensive linemen walk after giving up an NFL-worst 68 sacks in QB Caleb Williams’ rookie season. Upgrading the offensive line should be priority No. 1 for Chicago this offseason, and letting a proven talent walk would make that a tough task.  

DETROIT LIONS (15-2) | CB Carlton Davis III | Davis missed the last four games of the season. In his absence, the Lions gave up 334 passing yards to Chicago's Caleb Williams, 377 to San Francisco's Brock Purdy and 299 to Washington's Jayden Daniels. The cornerback room is a mess behind Davis, so Detroit can’t afford to lose him.  

GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-6) | Kicker Brandon McManus | The Packers finally found a reliable kicker this season in McManus, who made 20-of-21 field-goal attempts during the regular season and drilled two game-winners. Although he missed a shorty against the Eagles in the wild-card round, McManus is a much better option than other kickers looking for a job.  

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (14-3) | Safety Camryn Bynum | Bynum has blossomed into a fine starting safety since joining the Vikings as a fourth-round draft pick, and he’s coming off a career-high 10 passes defended and three interceptions in 2024. With veteran Harrison Smith considering retirement, Minnesota needs to keep at least half of its safety duo intact. — Jack Dougherty

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS (8-9) | Center Drew Dalman | The fourth-year center was stout as a run- and pass-blocker, grading as Atlanta’s second-best run-blocking lineman by Pro Football Focus while only allowing two sacks in 273 pass-rush opportunities. Dalman, a fourth-round pick (No. 114 overall) in 2021, missed eight games from Weeks 4-12 with a high ankle sprain, but he did enough when healthy to earn a second contract with the Falcons. 

CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-12) | Offensive lineman Cade Mays | Mays, a restricted free agent, started eight of Carolina’s final nine games at center, replacing Brady Christensen, who moved to left tackle following an injury to Ikem Ekwonu. 

“He’s a hell of a football player,” guard Robert Hunt said about Mays in November after he was named the starting center for the third consecutive week. Mays backed up those words with strong play, allowing no sacks and 10 total pressures in 308 pass-rush opportunities (h/t PFF).

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-12) | Safety Will Harris | Harris, who signed as a 2024 free agent, was a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season for the Saints. The strong safety was the team’s hardest hitter and a versatile playmaker, logging at least 100 snaps along the defensive line (112), as a box defender (257), free safety (352) and slot corner (113), according to PFF.  

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-7) | Wide receiver Chris Godwin | Godwin’s season-ending ankle injury and rookie wideout Jalen McMillan’s emergence could complicate negotiations. But the 2017 third-round pick has been a perfect second option next to wideout Mike Evans for years and was on pace for his biggest season since 2019, when he had a career-high 1,333 receiving yards, making it too early for the Bucs and Godwin to split. — Eric Smithling