Every roster has a newcomer carrying weighted expectations in 2026.It could be the marquee free-agent signing. Sometimes, it’s a major trade acquisition or the high-profile rookie. Sometimes it’s the under-the-radar addition whose impact won’t be obvious until September. It could even be someone beyond the field of play.Which newcomers are the most intriguing around the league? The Athletic’s NFL writers have thoughts for all 32 teams.Arizona Cardinals: Mike LaFleur, head coachRunning back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 pick of the draft, is an easy answer here. He will open his first season as a strong candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year and he’ll get a lot of attention. But LaFleur is the better option simply because nobody really knows what to expect. He comes from a coaching family. He’s worked with great football minds such as Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. He appears prepared for his first head coaching job — but so did previous Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon. And that did not work out so well. The Cardinals have questions on both sides, including at quarterback. The schedule is difficult. Expectations are low. All LaFleur has to do is keep Arizona competitive and together. Establish belief. It probably won’t be easy. — Doug HallerAtlanta Falcons: Ian Cunningham, general managerThis is the first time in charge for the 41-year-old who worked under Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta in Baltimore, Howie Roseman in Philadelphia and then Ryan Poles in Chicago, and he’s not tiptoeing into the job. Since January, Cunningham has made the call to let linebacker Kaden Elliss leave in a cost-saving move, signed Tua Tagovailoa to compete with Michael Penix Jr. and secured young offensive talents Drake London and Kyle Pitts on multi-year deals. Don’t be surprised if a big Bijan Robinson deal is done before the season starts. If the Falcons can finally break their playoff drought, Cunningham will quickly become a hot name in personnel circles. — Josh KendallBaltimore Ravens: Trey Hendrickson, outside linebackerThe Ravens signed the 31-year-old pass rusher after backing out of the Maxx Crosby deal because of a failed physical. Everything Hendrickson does this season will probably be compared to Crosby’s output in Las Vegas. That creates pressure and so does general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledging that fixing a sluggish pass rush was a priority before signing the former Cincinnati Bengal to a four-year, $112 million deal to do exactly that. After playing just seven games last year, Hendrickson needs to prove he’s healthy, too. — Jeff ZrebiecBuffalo Bills: Jim Leonhard, defensive coordinatorEveryone will learn together how Leonhard runs an NFL defense because he never has done it before. The former Broncos assistant head coach and pass game coordinator last oversaw the entire shebang at the University of Wisconsin from 2017 to 2022. Leonhard will deploy a 3-4 scheme in Buffalo, but nobody knows for sure how the 43-year-old will attack opponents. Rookie head coach Joe Brady has professed his desire for an aggressive defense that frazzles quarterbacks and offensive coordinators before the snap as well as after. Leonhard’s personnel also will be drastically different from what previous coach Sean McDermott worked with; six of the Bills’ 11 defensive starters in the postseason have remained unemployed throughout the offseason. — Tim GrahamCarolina Panthers: Brad Idzik, offensive coordinatorIdzik isn’t new to the Panthers’ staff, but is new to play-calling after Dave Canales turned those duties over to the 34-year-old during the offseason. The move was somewhat surprising, given Canales’ reputation as a QB whisperer when he arrived in Charlotte. The offense doesn’t figure to look radically different under Idzik, a third-generation coach who played receiver at Wake Forest. But expect him to put his own stamp on things. Idzik has been with Canales at two previous stops and would prep Canales before his interviews for OC jobs. Just as importantly, Idzik has built a strong relationship with Bryce Young the past two years. — Joseph PersonChicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman, safetyThrough months of the pre-draft process, the Bears played out scenarios for whom they might land with the 25th pick in Round 1, but mostly felt like it was a long shot that Thieneman would fall to them. When he did, general manager Ryan Poles pounced. What the Bears saw on Thieneman’s college tape came to life during the spring at Halas Hall. Speed. Instincts. Versatility. Aggressiveness. Passion. Thieneman is a long-term building block for the defense and his pairing with another newcomer, Coby Bryant, offers a dangerous edge to the back end of the secondary. — Dan WiedererCincinnati Bengals: Dexter Lawrence, defensive tackleThis one might be too obvious, but Lawrence will be depended upon to be the central focus around which everything else is built. Will the 28-year-old play like the guy who recently dominated the league at an All-Pro level or the player who wasn’t as impactful for the Giants this past year? His attitude, leadership and intensity were noted by nearly all his new teammates over the offseason program. He’s admitted to feeling rejuvenated and gained a chip on his shoulder after all the talk that followed his name during the trade request process. If he delivers, the ceiling on the defensive improvement rises exponentially. — Paul Dehner Jr.Cleveland Browns: Denzel Boston, wide receiverAt the risk of overreacting to spring practices, the Browns needed a big target who could operate on the outside and create separation from cornerbacks. Boston looks the part, and in the spring the second-round rookie displayed reliable hands and efficient route-running ability. Boston didn’t run a 40-yard dash for scouts in the pre-draft process, but the Browns believe he’s fast enough — and strongly considered drafting Boston 15 picks earlier than they did, when they instead took smaller wide receiver KC Concepcion. Neither rookie pass-catcher is a finished product, but the Browns believe they’ve immediately and significantly upgraded their wide receiver room. — Zac JacksonDallas Cowboys: Christian Parker, defensive coordinatorThe Cowboys made several interesting player additions to their defense, including Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, Jalen Thompson, Rashan Gary, Dee Winters and Cobie Durant. But the biggest impact will come from their new defensive coordinator. Parker has never called a defense, so there will likely be some growing pains early. If he can successfully navigate his way through them, his addition could be the reason Dallas gets back to the playoffs. Up to this point, Parker has received nothing but praise from those in the building for the way he’s interacting with the players and teaching his new scheme. It should be interesting to see how his group, which was arguably the NFL’s worst last year, holds its own against one of the NFL’s best offenses throughout training camp. — Jon MachotaDenver Broncos: Jaylen Waddle, wide receiverEven as the Broncos have morphed from AFC West also-ran to Super Bowl contender in three seasons under Sean Payton, their offense has lacked, well, let’s have quarterback Bo Nix explain it:“There’s an element of explosiveness that I think, as an offense, we’ve lacked for a couple years,” Nix said in June.Enter Waddle, the speedy wide receiver acquired by the Broncos during a blockbuster trade in March. Denver has needed a playmaking weapon who can bend the geometry of a defense in ways that create more open space in the middle of the field. Payton raved during the team’s offseason program about Waddle’s start-and-stop ability, which gives Payton a receiver who fits into larger swaths of the offense’s route tree. Will he be enough to help Nix and the Broncos produce a top-five offense this season? — Nick KosmiderDetroit Lions: Drew Petzing, offensive coordinatorThere are some strong options here, especially along the offensive line, but I’ll go with Petzing, who beat out a crowded field of candidates for the coveted position of Lions OC. While Petzing’s offenses with the Cardinals weren’t exactly the Greatest Show on Turf, he was chosen because of his ability to communicate complex principles in a digestible manner. That’s the impression he’s left on the organization so far. Factoring in his experience coaching different positions (QBs, WRs and TEs), his work with play-action, his creativity in the running game and his easygoing personality, it’s easy to see why head coach Dan Campbell went with Petzing. But after John Morton flopped, Campbell needs to nail this hire. – Colton PouncyGreen Bay Packers: Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinatorThe last time Gannon was a defensive coordinator, the team he called plays for (the Philadelphia Eagles) made the Super Bowl. He flamed out as the Arizona Cardinals head coach after three seasons and is back as a defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley left Green Bay for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job. With the likes of Micah Parsons, Xavier McKinney and Edgerrin Cooper at his disposal, can Gannon properly utilize that talent to help his team reach another Super Bowl? — Matt SchneidmanHouston Texans: David Montgomery, running backPerhaps Montgomery has more power to change the Texans’ offensive shortcomings than most realize. Houston ranked 30th in EPA per rush and tied for the second-fewest rushing touchdowns in the NFL (nine) last season. Too often during C.J. Stroud’s tenure, the Texans have played behind the chains and asked their passing game to make up the difference. Houston views Montgomery as a legitimate three-down back. Can the 29-year-old fix those issues on his own? There remains some doubt. But even a modest improvement in the running game could do wonders for the entire offense and a team with high expectations. — Adam ColemanIndianapolis Colts: Marion Hobby, defensive line coachHobby spent four years as the Bengals D-line coach under Lou Anarumo, who was formerly the Cincinnati defensive coordinator and now holds that title in Indianapolis. Hobby will replace Charlie Partridge, who, after two underwhelming years in Indy, returned to the college ranks at Notre Dame. There’s a lot of pressure on Hobby to revitalize the Colts’ pass rush, starting with Laiatu Latu. The 2024 first-round pick had 12.5 sacks combined in his first two seasons. One could argue, however, that Indy failed to give Hobby another starting-caliber edge rusher to work with. The Colts have only added rotational defensive ends this offseason. — James BoydJacksonville Jaguars: Chris Rodriguez Jr., running backCoach Liam Coen loved Rodriguez when the pair were together at Kentucky, so don’t be surprised if the powerful ball carrier carves out an important role. Rodriguez, a sixth-rounder in 2023, had 920 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in three seasons with the Commanders, so no need to make him sound like Walter Payton. But we should be prepared for Rodriguez to be an important part of the offense in 2026. — Jeff HoweKansas City Chiefs: Kenneth Walker III, running backOffensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would’ve been the pick … though calling him a newcomer isn’t technically correct because this is his second coaching stint with Kansas City. Instead, we’ll go with Walker, whom the Chiefs paid up for in free agency while hoping he’ll add an explosive element to their run game. Beyond that, Walker’s work ethic and no-nonsense style have already been an early culture fit alongside Bieniemy. It’s a factor that shouldn’t be overlooked, as internally, the Chiefs believed their work standard and attention to detail slipped a bit during last season’s 6-11 campaign. — Jesse NewellLas Vegas Raiders: Tyler Linderbaum, centerFernando Mendoza might be the obvious pick here, but his debut might not come until late in the season. Linderbaum can and should have a noticeable impact from Week 1. The Raiders’ offensive line was the worst in the league last season and a big reason for their dreadful campaign. They signed Linderbaum to a record deal to anchor the group, but made little other impact moves to improve outside of a coaching change. Whether the center can raise the level of play of his new teammates will have a major impact on Las Vegas’ success this year. — Sam WarrenLos Angeles Chargers: Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinatorDespite entering free agency among the league leaders in cap space, the Chargers did not make a big splash this offseason. The decisive move, in their eyes, was hiring McDaniel to replace Greg Roman as Jim Harbaugh’s offensive play-caller. More than anything, McDaniel is in Los Angeles to get the most out of Justin Herbert in the biggest moments. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs in his career, including first-round clunkers in each of the past two seasons. How McDaniel fares will tell the story of this Chargers season. — Daniel PopperLos Angeles Rams: Myles Garrett, defensive endThis is about as easy a pick as it gets. Whereas adding two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the weakest position on the roster seemed like the biggest addition for the Rams at the time, they found a way to one-up the move by trading for Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and the most unblockable force in the NFL, which will fit especially well into a Rams pass rush that already had Byron Young and Kobie Turner. Expect defensive coordinator Chris Shula to get extra creative in his pressure packages with a 6-foot-4, 272-pound alien like Garrett, who can rush from the outside, from the inside at the three-technique spot, or even line up over the center. — Nate AtkinsMiami Dolphins: Kadyn Proctor, offensive guardEveryone’s new! I could have chosen the GM, the coach or the quarterback, but I wanted to highlight Proctor here, because I think if he is an impact player, Miami’s offensive line has a chance to be sneaky good and give this team a foundation to build on. Proctor will slot in at left guard next to All-Pro center Aaron Brewer and young left tackle Patrick Paul, who thrived in pass protection last season. Now, the right side has questions with second-year guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who underwhelmed in 2025, and right tackle Austin Jackson. However, there’s undoubtedly a lot of talent on that line, and if the new coaching staff can get the most out of the absurdly athletic Proctor and the rest of the group, this Dolphins offense has a chance to be better than people think. — Jim AyelloMinnesota Vikings: Jauan Jennings, wide receiverHead coach Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022, and the best No. 3 receiver he’s had since then? It’s a fascinating question. Perhaps the answer is K.J. Osborn. Receiver Brandon Powell played a solid role in 2023. The Vikings have also had Trent Sherfield and Jalen Nailor. Jennings is an entirely different level of talent. The Vikings will pair him with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. His skill set adds a rugged receiving option who can dictate in certain personnel groupings to defenses. Jennings should help the run game. He adds a fascinating new wrinkle to Minnesota’s offense. — Alec LewisNew England Patriots: A.J. Brown, wide receiverIt’s remarkable how much is the same for the Patriots one year after going to the Super Bowl. But the big change is the obvious one: A.J. Brown. The Patriots gave up a first-round pick to land Brown for a simple reason. If last season was the kind of year Drake Maye could provide with a middling cast of skill position players, imagine what he could do with a No. 1 wide receiver. So Brown arrives in New England with ample pressure and lots of eyeballs following his every move. — Chad GraffNew England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown runs after a catch at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. (Eric Canha / Imagn Images)New Orleans Saints: Travis Etienne Jr., running backSigning Etienne to a four-year deal that can max out at $47 million certainly raised my eyebrows for multiple reasons. First, it’s the first skill position player to receive a hefty contract via free agency coming in from another team in a minute. The former Jaguars standout propelled himself back into a leading rusher role with 1,107 yards on 260 carries last season after watching his touches and yards dip in 2024 (150 carries, 558 yards). This also shows the Saints are seemingly ready to change directions away from Alvin Kamara being the primary tailback. — Larry HolderNew York Giants: Dennard Wilson, defensive coordinatorWhile new head coach John Harbaugh’s arrival will have the biggest impact on the Giants’ fortunes, there’s an understanding of what to expect from his 18 years in Baltimore. The more intriguing addition is defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, a highly regarded defensive mind despite two underwhelming seasons leading a Tennessee Titans defense devoid of talent. Wilson has pieces, particularly at edge rusher, to develop a formidable unit that underachieved under former DC Shane Bowen. The longtime defensive back coach’s ability to generate better play from a secondary full of premium investments will go a long way in determining the Giants’ fate. — Dan DugganNew York Jets: Frank Reich, offensive coordinatorIt has been a long time since the Jets had an offensive coordinator worth celebrating. The last one who even lasted more than two seasons was Brian Schottenheimer (2006-11). Since then, they’ve shuffled through 10 primary play callers. Reich is the next one up. He’s tasked with trying to turn around one of the NFL’s worst offenses, with a quarterback (Geno Smith) who led the NFL in interceptions last season and a head coach (Aaron Glenn) viewed as on the hot seat. Reich hasn’t called plays in the NFL since 2023, and that season with the Carolina Panthers was a disaster — as was the 2022 season as the Indianapolis Colts head coach. But Glenn is banking on Reich getting it done. — Zack RosenblattPhiladelphia Eagles: Sean Mannion, offensive coordinatorMannion will be Nick Sirianni’s sixth play-caller in six seasons, but not every change has been the same. Last year, Kevin Patullo was viewed as the continuity candidate. After the offense’s worst rankings of the Sirianni era, the Eagles did not just change play-callers; they changed schemes. Mannion played for Sean McVay and the Kubiaks, and he coached under Matt LaFleur. His system has roots from that tree. Look for the quarterback to play under center more frequently and for the running game to use wide zone concepts. Mannion will need to adjust to what works for his personnel, but the buy-in from quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and the offensive line during the spring should be encouraging. — Zach BermanPittsburgh Steelers: Patrick Graham, defensive coordinatorMike McCarthy might be the obvious answer here, as the Pittsburgh native comes home to reunite with Aaron Rodgers. However, the more intriguing dynamic might be on the other side of the ball. Graham built a strong reputation in the league because of his ability to maximize Raiders’ defenses that had talent deficiencies. In Pittsburgh, it’s the opposite. The Steelers will employ the NFL’s highest-paid defense for the fifth consecutive season. This group features a number of Pro Bowlers, All-Pros and a few potential future Hall of Famers who haven’t always played up to their collective cap hit. If Graham can help this unit reach another level, it will help support Rodgers and set up McCarthy for a successful first season in Pittsburgh. — Mike DeFaboSan Francisco 49ers: Mike Evans, wide receiverEvans is itching to hit the reset button on his career. The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneer said nothing negative about his former team this offseason, but it’s clear he was looking for a fresh start and to return to form from a 2025 clavicle injury that caused him to finish with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. The 49ers don’t have long-term expectations for Evans, who turns 33 next month. Still, he was the talk of spring practices — from young players and veterans alike — as he took part in most of the OTA sessions and dominated the red-zone portions. The team is confident he can both bounce back in 2026 and set a professional tone for a young receiving group that includes Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and De’Zhaun Stribling. — Matt BarrowsSeattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price, running backThe defending Super Bowl champions are running back most of their championship roster, but the change at running back is significant. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker is now a Kansas City Chief and his backup last season, Zach Charbonnet, is recovering from a significant injury that could keep him out to begin the regular season. Despite his role as the backup to Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, Price was selected in the first round of this year’s draft because of his potential. Sam Darnold proved a lot of doubters wrong last season and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a breakout campaign. But a dependable rushing attack was at the heart of Seattle’s offensive success, and Price will be tasked with taking over a starring role in the operation. — Saad YousufTampa Bay Buccaneers: Zac Robinson, offensive coordinatorThe Bucs are hoping Robinson’s experience makes a difference in their offense, which went into a tailspin last season under Josh Grizzard. Robinson has been a play caller for two years, so he has a feel for what can work and what might not. He also has experience working with Sean McVay and is expected to bring Rams concepts to Tampa, including emphasizing the player over the play. That could bode well for Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Bucky Irving and others. Robinson also worked briefly with Baker Mayfield in 2022, when Robinson was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator of the Rams, and Mayfield spent five games with the team, so he has a feel for his quarterback. — Dan PompeiTennessee Titans: Brian Daboll, offensive coordinatorDaboll looks and sounds like a head coach, and if his stop in Nashville furthers his reputation as an extraordinary grower of quarterbacks, it will be a brief stop and he will have his own team again soon. The Titans would take that trade if it means Cam Ward getting on the path to validating the No. 1 pick the organization used on him in 2025. Based on how rough that rookie season was — in admittedly subpar conditions — this would be another major achievement for Daboll. But he has to figure out how to get the best out of Ward with an offensive line that could be leaky on the interior, and despite questions about the weaponry. Wan’Dale Robinson is an old friend who will help, but is Carnell Tate ready as a rookie to take on a primary role? Is Tony Pollard still an effective 1A? Ultimately, if Ward and Daboll sync up, the Tennessee offense could be watchable for the first time in years. — Joe RexrodeWashington Commanders: Rachaad White, running backThe Commanders’ running backs room is one of the most open positional groups heading into training camp this year. The mix of veterans and young backs offers depth but no clear leader. White’s speed and versatility, however, repeatedly drew praise from Coach Dan Quinn during OTAs and minicamp, and as Washington transitions to David Blough’s offense, it’s plausible it uses a running-by-committee approach, much like Ben Johnson did in Detroit and now in Chicago. Second-year back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt is still developing as a blocker and pass-catcher, but his explosiveness as a runner combined with White’s versatility could create an interesting tandem for Blough. It also doesn’t hurt that White is close to quarterback Jayden Daniels, dating to their two seasons together (2020-21) at Arizona State. — Nicki Jhabvala