Colin Cowherd Podcast - NFL Free Agency Reaction: Malik Willis-Dolphins, Mike Evans-49ers, Walker-Chiefs

Rough morning—I clipped the garage with my wife’s car—so I cooled off walking the dogs and diving into free agency, starting with Malik Willis to Miami; I know it’s a small sample, but the arm, the twitch, and the off‑script juice are real, and I think the Dolphins found something.

Miami’s brass knows him well from Green Bay, where he ran scout team and showed big growth; he went from unplayable in Tennessee to poised, live‑arm, cold‑weather capable, which answers a Dolphins knock, and while I don’t see a top‑eight ceiling, I see a legit starter with a great turnaround story.

We’ve seen late bloomers thrive with better coaching and schemes, and this feels like that; shifting gears, Mike Evans to the Niners just fits—veteran, red‑zone problem, quick study for Shanahan, and another trusted target for Brock Purdy.

San Francisco needed proven firepower with questions at receiver and the Rams loading up on the back end; Evans is a culture match and instant production, which they badly lacked when injuries hit.

My favorite move so far is Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders; outside of Creed Humphrey, you could argue he’s the best center in the sport, and it’s exactly how you protect a young quarterback and set the run game.

Elite centers stabilize contenders, and he’s been ironman‑durable; the flip side is Baltimore losing a linchpin in front of an older quarterback while also parting with a unique matchup piece, so that offense has real questions even if the defense stays championship‑level.

Rashan Gary to Dallas signals the Cowboys will buy a front and draft the back end; I still think they target a top defensive back early and keep building around a veteran core while their window’s open.

They draft well, especially up front, and the NFC East looks tighter with the Giants stabilizing and the Eagles retooling their pass rush; Dallas just needs a steady defense because their offense can score.

Kansas City bringing in Kenneth Walker makes sense—they needed backfield pop—and it frees them to spend draft capital at tackle, edge, or corner.

It’s a premium for a runner, but necessary, and I could see Andy Reid leaning into a heavier ground game to take pressure off a rehabbing quarterback, especially with Eric Bieniemy back and a line built to move people; the tricky piece is deciding how to handle Travis Kelce at this stage.

On receivers, Alec Pierce got paid in Indy, and Pittsburgh adding Michael Pittman feels like a shift—moving money to offense after years of defensive spending—and it clears space for Pierce to be their downfield guy.

Pittman’s a tough, physical chain‑mover who looked like a volume target two seasons ago, but Pittsburgh still needs a quarterback and a real running back to make those investments matter.

Stacking veteran pass catchers tells me Aaron Rodgers is likely back; he prefers experienced targets, and with a healthier room their red‑zone issues already looked better.

If he returns after a broken hand and the Achilles saga, it’s pure love of ball, because that division’s brutal; McCarthy’s résumé is underrated, and paired with a competent staff the ceiling is a tough, 9‑to‑10‑win fighter if the quarterback is right.

Big picture, GMs are betting on older or dinged players because the cap jump and cash on hand let them swing; I still think Linderbaum is the clean A, Pierce might be rich but in‑house fits help, and the Colts’ core around their back and tight end is strong.

With new money flooding in, you overpay in free agency and just hope it’s for the right archetype; the scary market is that second‑tier receiver bucket, so you’d better be sure the arrow’s up or it can blow back fast.

Quiet Raiders pickup I love is Jalen Naylor—smart OCs wanted him, speed shows up on tape, and with a pile of picks they’re clearly building a comfort cocoon for Fernando Mendoza, even eyeing a move down to snag his favorite target.

Naylor’s explosive per‑catch profile hints at a real field‑stretcher if the volume comes, and with pick flexibility they can play the board and still grab a late‑first or early‑second receiver they covet.

The Bears get a favorable schedule mix and a bolstered defense, so a modest step from Caleb could put them in that top‑six conversation.

Their coach is a star, the GM‑coach alignment is real, and if Caleb just nails the routine stuff a bit more, those stalled drives turn into points; ownership backing the plan matters, and you can feel it.

My closing note: Malik Willis in Miami works because the coaches who saw him up close believe in him, and he’s a dynamic, accurate thrower on the move who can spark games out of nowhere.

He reminds me of early‑career Dak Prescott with more juice—big arm, improved accuracy, and comfort in a Shanahan‑style structure—he even looked great in relief last season.

Packer fans even joked they were paying the wrong quarterback—perfect place to leave it.