NEW YORK — The NFL landscape is about to shift. With the 2026 league year officially kicking off on Wednesday, March 11, at 4 p.m. ET, 12 former Alabama Crimson Tide standouts are prepares to test the open market. The legal tampering window opens this Monday, and front offices are already circling names like Najee Harris and Jonathan Allen as potential missing pieces for a Super Bowl run.
All eyes are on Najee Harris. The former first-round pick took a gamble on himself last year, signing a one-year, $5.2 million “prove-it” deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Fate had other plans. A brutal torn Achilles in Week 3 against the Broncos cut his season short after just 15 carries for 61 yards.
Recent footage of Harris shows him hitting 15 mph on a treadmill, looking fluid and explosive. He turns 28 this month, and while the injury history is a red flag, his streak of four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons prior to 2025 makes him a high-reward target. Teams looking for a bell-cow back with veteran savvy will have his agent’s number on speed dial come Monday noon.
Perhaps the most shocking name on this list is Jonathan Allen. After signing a massive three-year, $60 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings just last March, the veteran defensive tackle was released earlier this week. The move comes as Minnesota grapples with a tight salary cap despite the league-wide jump to $301.2 million.
Allen was a workhorse in 2025, starting all 17 games and racking up 68 tackles and 3.5 sacks. While those sack numbers are his lowest in years, his interior presence remains elite. He isn’t just a space-eater; he is a pocket-collapser. Expect a contender with a weak middle to offer the 31-year-old a multi-year deal within the first 48 hours of the window.
“The rehab was dark, man. People count you out the second you go down. But I’m moving better now than I did in Pittsburgh. Whoever gets me is getting a hungry dog.”
— Najee Harris, Running Back
The “Bama 12” includes four former first-round selections. Evan Neal finds himself in a precarious spot after the New York Giants declined his fifth-year option. His tenure in East Rutherford was a rollercoaster of position changes and inconsistent tape. Now an Unrestricted Free Agent, Neal represents a classic “change of scenery” candidate for an offensive line coach who believes they can fix his footwork.
Meanwhile, Jonah Williams is back on the market after a difficult, injury-riddled stint with the Arizona Cardinals. Joining them in the free-agent pool are defensive stalwarts like Christian Harris (Texans) and Brian Robinson Jr. (49ers), both of whom have played meaningful snaps in high-stakes games.
This isn’t just about Alabama’s pride; it’s about roster construction. With the salary cap record shattered, teams have more liquid cash than ever to overpay for veteran production. The Vikings’ decision to cut Allen suggests a shift toward younger, cheaper interior rushers, likely eyeing the 2026 Draft. For teams like the Cowboys or Lions, picking up a veteran like Allen or a healthy Harris could be the difference between a Wild Card exit and a deep February run.
