Author: Ben Solak

Posted on

Solak answers nine burning questions on NFL free agency: What now for Kyler Murray, A.J. Brown?

Ben SolakMar 5, 2026, 06:30 AM ET

CloseBen Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.Open Extended Reactions

I love NFL free agency. I love the oxymoronic legal tampering window. I love the preposterously large deals that will almost inevitably look bad in two seasons. I love the one-year deals that end up season-changing bargains. And I love watching 32 fan bases talk themselves into every single move their teams make.

With a salary cap over $300 million and fresh off a season in which the

Link to Original Article - on ESPN

Posted on

NFL franchise and transition tag winners, losers: Solak sizes up deadline dominoes

Ben SolakMar 3, 2026, 04:20 PM ET

CloseBen Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.Open Extended Reactions

Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for NFL franchise and transition tags has come and gone. All those players who could have been but were not tagged — like Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Colts receiver Alec Pierce — will either be re-signed to contract extensions over the next few days or become free agents. If it’s the latter, they will be able

Link to Original Article - on ESPN

Posted on

Ranking the deepest, thinnest positions of the NFL offseason: It’s a good year to need …

Ben SolakFeb 20, 2026, 06:35 AM ET

CloseBen Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.Open Extended Reactions

February, March and April bring unbridled hope to every NFL fan base. We all fall in love with the same seven free agents and the same 15 draft sleepers. But team needs don’t always line up with the players available in free agency, the trade market and the draft class. Each offseason is better for some needs than it is for others.

Last year’s quarterback class, for instance,

Link to Original Article - on ESPN

Posted on

Looking for QB answers this NFL offseason? Good luck … it’s a bad year to need a new signal-caller

Ben SolakFeb 10, 2026, 06:35 AM ET

CloseBen Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.Open Extended Reactions

Welcome to the 2026 NFL offseason. If your favorite team needs a quarterback, I have some bad news.

Because many football fans are just now turning their eyes to the offseason, here’s a quick overview. The 2026 NFL draft class isn’t particularly strong overall, and it is extremely thin at quarterback. After presumed first selection Fernando Mendoza (Heisman winner, national champion at Indiana and Raiders QB

Link to Original Article - on ESPN

Posted on

Five head-to-head matchups that could impact the Super Bowl

Ben SolakFeb 4, 2026, 06:20 AM ET

CloseBen Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.Open Extended Reactions

Two weeks is a long, long time to game-plan an NFL game. It’s also a long time to think about the game plan when you’re on the outside looking in.

I’ve had (almost) two weeks to think about the matchups that will define Super Bowl LX. How will the Patriots try to cover Jaxon Smith-Njigba? How might the Seahawks attempt to block Milton Williams?

Link to Original Article - on ESPN