Five teams that could be hit hardest by free agency, plus Jets trade up to No. 1 pick in our mock draft

Welcome to the Friday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! 

I thought about turning this into a hockey newsletter, but since Team USA lost, 3-2, to Canada in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, I am no longer going to do that. As a matter off fact, I take the blame for the loss: I turned the game on at the start of the third period and things went downhill from there for USA. If you missed the championship game, we have full coverage here and here. 

If you’re wondering why I’m talking about hockey in an NFL newsletter, DON’T WORRY, we have plenty of NFL stuff coming your way, including a mock draft where the Jets trade up to the NO. 1 OVERALL pick to grab a quarterback. As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. 

1. Five teams that could be hit the hardest by free agency

The down side of being a good team in the NFL is that you have to pay your best players even more money to keep them, and if you can’t afford it, then they’re going to hit free agency. With that in mind, Jordan Dajani decided to take a look at the five teams who are likely going to be hit the hardest by losses in free agency this year. 

Let’s check out the top-three teams on his list: 

EAGLES

• Potential losses: EDGE Josh Sweat, LB Zack Baun, OG Mekhi Becton, DT Milton Williams, RB Kenneth Gainwell
• Dajani’s take: “The reigning Super Bowl champions can’t keep everybody. This offseason, Philly has several big names set to hit the open market and cash in. Edge rusher Josh Sweat, who should have won Super Bowl MVP after recording 2.5 sacks and six combined tackles against the Chiefs, is a free agent who could decide to chase a bag. Defensive tackle Milton Williams, who recorded a career-high five sacks this past season and got to Patrick Mahomes twice in New Orleans, is also looking for a new deal. Then there’s linebacker Zack Baun, who was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist after a career campaign in which he recorded 151 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.”

BENGALS 

• Potential losses: WR Tee Higgins, DT B.J. Hill, CB Mike Hilton, OT Trent Brown, TE Mike Gesicki, OT Cody Ford, S Vonn Bell
• Dajani’s take: “The Bengals have plenty to worry about this offseason, which will affect their game plan in free agency. Wide receiver Tee Higgins is looking for long-term security after being franchise-tagged last year, Ja’Marr Chase’s record-breaking extension could be handled in the coming months, and then Trey Hendrickson wants an extension or trade. Those are the top three issues in Cincinnati, and we’ve only discussed one free agent thus far. Apart from Higgins, defensive tackle B.J. Hill, veteran nickel Mike Hilton, offensive tackle Trent Brown, pass rusher Joseph Ossai, tight end Mike Gesicki and safety Vonn Bell are notable players searching for new contracts.”

COWBOYS 

• Potential losses: WR Brandin Cooks, EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence, LB Eric Kendricks, CB Jourdan Lewis, DT Linval Joseph, DT Osa Odighizuwa, RB Rico Dowdle
• Dajani’s take: “The team that was least active in free agency last year has some tough decisions to make this offseason. Not only does Dallas rank bottom 10 in cap space with the looming Micah Parsons extension to worry about, but the Cowboys also have several important players who need new deals. Osa Odighizuwa is up for a new contract after recording a career-high 4.5 sacks and 47 combined tackles, 32-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence is a free agent after missing the majority of last season with a foot injury, 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle is looking for a new contract, and so is cornerback Jourdan Lewis.”

If you want to check out all five teams on Dajani’s list, you can do that here. 

2. Ranking the top running backs available in free agency and their best fits

After going over the top available free agent quarterbacks on Thursday, we’re going to switch things up by taking a look at the market for running backs. This year’s free agent class definitely isn’t as notable as last year’s class, which featured Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs, but there are still some big names out there. 

Here’s a look at the top-five running backs on our list: 

1. Rico Dowdle (Cowboys)
Best fits: Cowboys, Steelers, Broncos, Raiders, Chargers

2. Aaron Jones (Vikings)
Best fits: Vikings, Packers, Rams, Chiefs

3. Najee Harris (Steelers)
Best fits: Steelers, Browns, Raiders, Chiefs

4. J.K. Dobbins (Chargers)
Best fits: Chargers, Rams, Steelers

5. Nick Chubb (Browns)
Best fits: Browns, Steelers, Bengals, Chiefs, Chargers

If you want to check out Garrett Podell’s full list of top free agent running backs, then be sure to click here. 

3. ‘With the First Pick’ mock draft: Jets and Raiders both land a QB

We started the week with a mock draft on Monday, and now we’re going to end the week with a mock draft. (By the way, as we get closer to the NFL Draft, you’re going to notice that we’re going to be featuring a lot more mock drafts around here.) 

CBS Sports NFL Draft gurus Ryan Wilson and Mike Renner teamed up on a recent episode of the “With the First Pick” podcast, and they conducted a mock draft that got a little crazy. 

In this mock, there were two trades in the top 10, including the Jets pulling off a blockbuster deal to move up to the No. 1 spot to get a quarterback. Let’s check out the top-11 picks in their mock:  

1. Jets (via trade with Titans): QB Cam Ward (Miami)
2. Browns: DL Mason Graham (Michigan)
3. Giants: CB/WR Travis Hunter (Colorado)
4. Patriots: OT Will Campbell (LSU)
5. Jaguars: EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State)
6. Raiders: QB Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
7. Titans (via trade with Jets): WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
8. Panthers: EDGE Jalon Walker (Georgia)
9. 49ers (via trade with Saints): OT Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas)
10. Bears: OT Armand Membou (Missouri)
11. Saints (via trade with 49ers): DL Shemar Steward (Texas A&M)

If you want to see how the next 21 picks in the first round pan out, then be sure to check out their full mock draft here. You can also listen to the mock draft on the latest episode of “With the First Pick” (click here for that).

4. Cam Ward landing spots: Best fits for the Miami quarterback

Ward is widely considered the top quarterback in this year’s draft class, and there’s a good chance he could end up being the first player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that in mind, Garrett Podell decided to take a look at the which teams would be the best fit for the former University of Miami quarterback. 

1. Titans (No. 1 overall pick). “The Titans have put it out there that they could be open to trading the first overall pick. Sure, it’s possible, but the Titans also desperately need a new quarterback to build around because Will Levis is not that guy. … The Titans’ offensive line is still a youthful work in progress overall, so Tennessee would be wise to use some of its $35.7 million in effective cap space, per Over the Cap, to fortify that area. If they do, the Titans could pave the way for Ward to be the 2025 NFL Draft’s first overall pick as a dynamic creator who also takes cares of the football; his 3.3% turnover worthy throw rate, per Pro Football Focus, is way lower than what’s been going on in Nashville lately.”

2. Browns (No. 2 overall pick). “The Browns need a fresh face at the quarterback position in 2025. They went 3-14 in 2024 with quarterback Deshaun Watson tearing his Achilles in Week 7 and again during his rehab process. … It’s just the latest chapter in Cleveland’s quarterback carousel. Since the Browns returned to the NFL as a franchise in 1999, they have started 40 different quarterbacks, which is the most in the league in that span and as many as the Packers, Chargers, Patriots and Seahawks have combined during that time. Ward could potentially break the quarterback wheel in Cleveland.”

3. Giants (No. 3 overall pick). “The Giants have some resources to improve the roster, and they need a new quarterback to build around after cutting Daniel Jones in-season in 2024. Ward could potentially be the guy to turn things around and save head coach Brian Daboll’s job.”

You can check out our full list of possible landing spots for Ward here. 

5. Zack Martin planning to retire: Cowboys star set to hang up his cleats for good

One of the best offensive guards in NFL history has decided to call it quits: According to multiple reports, Zack Martin has informed that Cowboys that he’s planning to retire. 

Here’s what you need to know: 

• Why now? Martin has been battling injuries and  missed the final seven games of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery on his right ankle, marking the third time that he’s had to undergo surgery on that particular ankle. 
• Martin is one of the best guards in NFL history. After the Cowboys made Martin the 16th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, they threw him into the starting line up right away and he thrived. During his rookie year, not only was he voted a first-team All-Pro, but he actually finished SECOND in NFL Rokie of the Year voting, behind only Odell Beckham Jr.
• Magical 11-season run. During his 11 years in the league, Martin was voted a first-team All-Pro a total of seven times while also being voted to the Pro Bowl nine times. The most improbable stat of his career might be the fact that he had has many first-team All-Pro nods (7) as he did holding penalties in his career. Martin is tied for the most first-team All-Pro nods by any guard in NFL history. He played in a total of 162 games for the Cowboys and started in every single one of those.  

We took a closer look at his career, which you can check out here. 

6. Extra points: Aaron Rodgers breaks silence

It’s been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 

• Aaron Rodgers offers a few tidbits about his future. TMZ hunted down Rodgers on Thursday, and he answered exactly two questions about his NFL future: He wants to go to a “good” team and he wants to go where he’s wanted. If he wants to go to a good team, then the Steelers or Vikings would probably be his best options, but there’s no guarantee either of those teams want him. You can read more about Rodgers here. 
• Chargers hand out extension to starting safety. Elijah Molden has signed a three-year, $18.75 million deal with the Chargers that includes $13.5 million in guaranteed money. The safety is coming off the best season of his career. After being traded from Tennessee to the Chargers in late August, Molden quickly became a key part of an L.A. defense that was one of the best in the NFL last season. Molden finished second on the team with three interceptions. You can read more about his extension here. 
• Veteran offensive lineman retires, but is open to possible comeback. After missing the 2024 season due to injury, Jon Feliciano has decided to retire, but there’s a catch: Feliciano said he’d be willing to return for the playoffs if the 49ers or Bills — two of his former teams — need him. The 33-year-old played for a total of four teams over a 10-year career. You can read more about his retirement here. 
• Eagles starting center undergoes back surgery. Cam Jurgens underwent back surgery this week to help fix an injury that he had been dealing with for most of the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. The injury was bad enough that it kept him from starting in Philadelphia’s NFC Championship win over Washington, although he did end up playing. The Eagles Pro Bowl center is expected to be out until July, so he shouldn’t miss any training camp as long as his recovery timeline stays on track. You can read more about Jurgens’ injury here.