January 2, 2025
By Daniel Cohen
As we begin the new year, the UFA offseason is only going to heat up from here with player signing announcements that will soon dominate social media feeds. The following are seven offseason storylines that are worth keeping an eye on as rosters begin to take shape this winter.
Feeling thankful for Ian Toner and his new “Inside the UFA” series this holiday season.
Where does Jonny Malks sign?
In early November, Ian Toner reported Jonny Malks of the DC Breeze is moving to Seattle. The report details three possibilities for Jonny Malks: play for the Cascades, play for Breeze at some point during the season, or not play UFA in 2025. The addition of Malks could make the Cascades offense arguably a top five unit in the league, while the departure from DC would leave a fairly significant hole in their backfield—Malks has been DC’s primary deep thrower and has been a top-three yardage getter for the team every year since 2021. He’s the most notable free agent thrower this offseason (so far, at least), so be sure to keep an eye on Seattle and DC’s roster announcements.
More to come from Minnesota?
Following their title last August, Minnesota made two splashy signings this fall, announcing the additions of former Phoenix star James Pollard and two-time UFA All-Defense member Justin Burnett to the 2025 roster. Ian Toner’s early December offseason update mentioned Wind Chill Head Coach and GM Ben Feldman is “still talking with one other out of town player,” so there’s reason to believe the reigning champs are making a New York-esque run of additions to defend their title. A few other names that received mention in the article: Matt Rehder has yet to re-sign but could come back in 2025, Abe Coffin played for the Wind Chill in 2022 and 2023 but did not play in the UFA last year, and 2022 MVP Ryan Osgar hasn’t been completely ruled out of playing or helping coach the Wind Chill in 2025.
Can the Empire retain their remaining stars?
New York’s star power feels like a storyline to follow every year, but it’s got a different tone this offseason; after several consecutive seasons of adding big-name talent, New York lost Jeff Babbitt, Ben Katz, and Ryan Osgar last year and ended up missing Championship Weekend for the first time since 2017. Where do they go from here? Is this an opportunity for a bounce-back offseason, a re-commitment from their biggest stars, or do the cracks start to get even bigger as the team transitions into a new era? Either way, last year proved the tides are turning in the East Division and it suddenly feels like it’s on New York to keep up with Boston and DC.
Where do the Dallas players end up?
After the Legion suspended operations in late November, Ian Toner reported, “[Many] Dallas veterans still have plans and opportunities to continue their playing careers elsewhere.” 2024 Third Team All-UFA member Alec Wilson Holiday and 2022 All-Star Connor DeLuna are free agents and could easily make immediate impacts wherever they end up. Jake Floyd and Jason Hustad put up massive throwing numbers the last two seasons and could find themselves complementing or leading backfields elsewhere. Austin is the obvious team to watch as far as landing spots go, but don’t be surprised if other teams in the South (or even other divisions) look to the former Dallas guys for more depth and additional playmaking.
Will Vegas succeed in recruiting out of town talent?
A relatively unknown ultimate scene, the Vegas Bighorns undoubtedly the biggest mystery in the league heading into 2025. On the team’s tryout registration page, it mentions: “We are very travel-player friendly going into the 2025 season.” Will they succeed in poaching any nearby talent from the Southwest? Will they fly in players from all over the country? Big questions loom for the league’s newest franchise, and it should be exciting to watch their roster develop throughout the offseason.
How will Indianapolis begin their new era?
The AlleyCats are entering a new era in 2025 following the retirement of several franchise staples including Travis Carpenter, Rick Gross, Nick Hutton, and Levi Jacobs, and exactly how they build their new identity is going to be worth following both in the offseason and as the season gets underway. On his recent Live with Lep appearance, Cameron Brock commented: “One of the things that can happen when you have a lot of changes like this [...] it can create something new that is exciting and that works,” then later added, “Just because we’re losing these guys who have been really good for us doesn’t mean that we can’t actually be better next year.” Plenty of optimism in Indy should make for another exciting year in one of the league’s most chaotic divisions.