Cowboys, Packers among seven handcuffed teams heading into NFL free agency, draft

NFL free agency starts this week, but Dallas and Green Bay could be among the teams that struggle to make an impact.

Quite a few NFL teams are maxed out this year.

Not Maxxed out, like the Baltimore Ravens, who will soon be enjoying the services of Pro Bowl pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Not, well, Maxx out, like the Las Vegas Raiders, who now have two first-round draft picks in 2026 (and 2027) and scads of salary cap space. But maxed out, i.e. they don’t appear to have the cap resources to sign or trade for a player of Crosby’s caliber this week as NFL free agency kicks into high gear – the negotiating window for players on expiring deals set to open at noon ET on March 9, while trades and new contracts can officially be executed once the league’s new year officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 11.

Furthermore, some teams not only lack spending bandwidth but also – at this point – appreciable draft capital. (But you never know, two apparently resource-deficient squads – the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears – agreed to a trade of WR DJ Moore that improved the Bills’ roster and the Bears’ draft outlook.)

Here are seven teams that seem to be in a serious bind in 2026 when it comes to trying to keep up with the Ravens (and even the Raiders) in terms of trying to upgrade their existing rosters (salary cap projections courtesy of Over The Cap):

OFFSEASON CHAMPS? Maxx Crosby-less Raiders, 6 other NFL squads could make big gains in free agency, draft