The day after the New England Patriots' exhilarating win in Super Bowl LI, coach Bill Belichick remarked that his franchise was five weeks behind the rest of the league in offseason work. As Belichick noted, that's exactly the way his team wants it to be, as the opportunity to play on the game's grandest stage is the ultimate goal.
Belichick's statement was a reminder that free agency is just around the corner -- teams can begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents on March 7.
After our NFL Nation reporters put together a list of the biggest upcoming free-agent decisions for each team, I decided to put on my general manager hat and make teams' decisions for them. Below are my two cents for all 32 teams. For a primer on the franchise-tag process, check out this FAQ from last March.
NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West
AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Guard Ronald Leary
Leary was rock-solid stepping in for the injured La'el Collins in 2016, but ultimately, Dallas has larger priorities to address in free agency, with pass-rusher at the top of the list. With Zack Martin and Collins entrenched as starters in 2017 and beyond, the team is in a position to let Leary move on.
Verdict: Let him walk.
New York Giants
Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul
