Gregg Rosenthal#39 of 87 NFL pundits · Feb 24, 2025
Rosenthal unveiled their top 101 free agents of 2025 for NFL.com, ranking Tee Higgins first, Trey Smith second and Milton Williams third, with Nick Chubb at No. 101. They also expect Higgins to be franchise tagged rather than reach free agency.
Said on air or in an interview · Around the NFL (podcast)Hear the original
What Gregg Rosenthal said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromT. Higgins, who we think is gonna get franchise, Tag will not get the free agency
- Where it was said
- Around the NFL (podcast)
- The episode
- The Top 101 Free Agents of 2025!
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
- SaidFeb 24, 2025
- GradedAug 7–Sep 18, 2026
- 1Tee Higgins to move“T. Higgins, who we think is gonna get franchise, Tag will not get the free agency”
- 2Top Player Lists“Here are the top ten free agents... T. Higgins... Trey Smith... Milton Williams three... Ronnie Stanley four, Zach Bond coming off a career year at number five, Sam Darnold at six, Osa Adigie Zua at number seven, Josh Sweat from the Eagles at eight, Chris Godwin at nine, and Carlton Davis... Nick Chubb at twenty nine is my one on one.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins to move1 | Trade and Signing Calls | Ended up with CIN | 0 | 100 | −200 | |
| “Here are the top ten free agents... T. Higgins... Trey Smith...…”2 | Top Player Lists | — | 83.94 | 50 | +33.94 | |
| 2 calls · 1 hit · 1 miss · all settled | 42 | 75 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive2 checkable claims — 1 top player list and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
All 2 have settled, averaging 42 out of 100, against 75 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
1Trade and Signing CallsTee Higgins
Tee Higgins to move
What happenedEnded up with CIN0Miss · naive 1000this call−100a naive guess=−100worse than naive×2difficulty=−200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- −200
- player:
- Tee Higgins
- season:
- 2025
- claimed:
- he leaves
- was with:
- CIN
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he stays where he is
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- ended up with:
- CIN
- weeks left when called:
- 18
“Here are the top ten free agents... T. Higgins... Trey Smith... Milton Williams three... Ronnie Stanley four, Zach Bond coming off a career year at number five, Sam Darnold at six, Osa Adigie Zua at number seven, Josh Sweat from the Eagles at eight, Chris Godwin at nine, and Carlton Davis... Nick Chubb at twenty nine is my one on one.”
VerdictHit83.94Hit · naive 5083.94this call−50a naive guess=33.94better than naive×1difficulty=+33.94skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- naive:
- a coin-flip ordering scores 50
- skill:
- 33.94
- placed:
- 17
- season:
- 2024
- players:
- 22
- accuracy:
- 83.94
- baseline:
- 50
- by position:
- WR 8: 95.24, DT 2: 100, LB 3: 75, CB 4: 60
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- could not place:
- 0
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 2 settled calls, each counted once
42naive 75
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Pat Fitzmaurice · Sleeper Calls · Tee Higgins · Hit 100
Fitzmaurice ranks Darren Waller around TE40, touts T.J. Higgins as a low-end WR1 value, Kenneth Walker as a top-12 back if healthy, Stefon Diggs in the ninth round, Drake Maye as a QB1 finisher with big rushing upside, Luther Burden as an ADP-beater, and Javonte Williams as Dallas's lead back.Patrick Claybon · Depth Chart Calls · Tee Higgins · Hit 100
Claybon's ten picks in the best-wide-receivers draft (overall picks 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26 and 29), led by Justin Jefferson at No. 2 and Puka Nacua at No. 5, with a notably aggressive Tyreek Hill selection at No. 8. They also framed DeVonta Smith and Tee Higgins as No. 2 receivers on their teams.Evan Tarracciano · Positional Finishes · Tee Higgins · Waiting
In his Week 7 studs and duds column, Tarracciano projected Quinshon Judkins as a locked-in mid-RB2 going forward, Tee Higgins as a low-end WR1 as long as he's healthy with Joe Burrow throwing, and Sam LaPorta as a TE1 despite volatile weekly usage. He also expected Lamar Jackson back under center for Baltimore in Week 8 against Buffalo.
More trade and signing calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Patricia Traina · Trade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Traina expects defensive tackle to be a top need for the Giants in next year's draft, and suggests the Giants could trade J.J. McCarthy next offseason — or keep both them and Jaxson Dart if the return isn't good enough. They also expect Dart to make a full recovery.Michael David Smith · Trade and Signing Calls · Keenan Allen · Hit 100
Smith suggests the Colts are likely to grant Josh Downs' trade request given their contract situation and their recent sell-off, and that they could also try to trade Keenan Allen.