What Free Agency Has Meant To NFL Teams Success

LAST 3 YEARS



1. Jacksonville Jaguars

Contract value: $488,413,000 | Signings: 28 | W-L: 11-37
Nearly all of the Jaguars' high-profile signings failed to work out. The team got little return on investment when it came to winning games. Read more.


2. Oakland Raiders
Contract value: $414,186,176 | Signings: 34 | W-L: 22-26
Phase 1 of Oakland's return to relevance was a two-year deconstruction, which included getting rid of "out of whack" contracts. Phase 2 was the reconstruction, which included smart drafting and free-agent signings. Read more.


3. New York Giants
Contract value: $384,517,532 | Signings: 45 | W-L: 23-25
The Giants have seemingly taken a different approach to free agency every year. Overall, they've done pretty well in restocking the roster after several years of barren drafting. Read more.


4. New York Jets
Contract value: $312,886,060 | Signings: 33 | W-L: 19-29
The Jets have relied on free agency because their drafting from 2008 to 2012 was horrendous. They've done a better job in free agency than in the draft, but we're not talking gold-star-worthy. Read more.


5. Chicago Bears
Contract value: $301,681,765 | Signings: 55 | W-L: 14-34
The Bears' record over three years speaks for itself. Chicago has endured more misses than hits in free agency, though the 2016 free-agent class is promising. Read more.


6. Miami Dolphins
Contract value: $282,625,000 | Signings: 32 | W-L: 24-24
The Dolphins had to break the bank for Ndamukong Suh in 2015, to the tune of $114.375 million. He was one of the safest bets in free agency the past decade. Read more.


7. Philadelphia Eagles
Contract value: $276,890,000 | Signings: 28 | W-L: 24-24
Chip Kelly took a big swing and signed DeMarco Murray to a five-year, $40 million contract in 2015, but the running back lasted just one season with the Eagles. Read more.


8. Atlanta Falcons
Contract value: $270, 320,866 | Signings: 40 | W-L: 25-23
The Falcons are coming off a solid free-agent class. Such building blocks helped turn the Falcons into the NFC South champion and put them one step away from the Super Bowl title. Read more.


9. Washington Redskins
Contract value: $259,911,763 | Signings: 31 | W-L: 21-26-1
The Redskins haven't hit on enough free agents the past three seasons, which has contributed to their subpar defense. Overall, spending money has not led to great results. Read more.


10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Contract value: $259,897,536 | Signings: 32 | W-L: 17-31
In Jason Licht's three seasons as GM, the Bucs have had far more success with drafting young players. This is why they've given out fewer multiyear deals to outside free agents. Read more.



30. Pittsburgh Steelers

Contract value: $86,865,000 | Signings: 25 | W-L: 32-16
The Steelers are batting a high enough percentage to justify their free-agency plan, which is to supplement a draft-pick-heavy roster with outside signings. Read more.


31. Green Bay Packers

Contract value: $68,068,125 | Signings: 12 | W-L: 32-16
The biggest surprise when it comes to spending was that the Packers weren't last in the NFL the past three years. Instead, they rank 31st out of 32 teams in total money spent. Read more.


32. Carolina Panthers
Contract value: $54,309,000 | Signings: 24 | W-L: 28-19-1
The Panthers have been one of the least active teams in free agency the past three years, ranking 26th in the NFL in total signings and last in total money spent. Read more.



No teams in the Top 11 with 30 wins. First team is the Broncos. Only Broncos, Chiefs, and Cardinals in Top 23 with 30 wins.


Lifelong Steelers fans know how this goes. We aren't overpaying for anybody. My only complaint over the years is I wish we would go grab an above average corner that could have an impact right away since we obviously had issues developing DBs before last season. Also, wanted a punter that could flip the field before last season. Kicker would be nice too since ours always seem to get injured.

 

Well there are a lot of different reasons that Teams spend money ...We needed to make some moves because we are close but we need some key pcs..But it seems the price has been to high on most of those guys ..I would have liked Marshall for the price he went for other than that the guys have been to high..

 

Good post, thanks.

Only thought about the above average CB is to get one would have required paying a way above salary. With the cap, this would have hurt elsewhere.

 

This is indeed a good post.


Further states what I had posted about how the Patriots and Steelers do business in anothet thread.



Realistically, if New England did not have the salary cap to acquire either Gilmore or Cooks, then Bill Belichick would have had plans for that as well.


As I said, New England had to get both players to shore up weaknessess; quite parallel to what Pittsburgh had to do to at least keep Brown and franchise Bell given their superstar talents.




Both teams are not going to cut off an arm and a leg just to win. Neither team does not go for the short term. How both fo for the long term is entirely different but both have been proven to work since 1990 with near indentical records and the two most successful franchises in that span if I am not mistaken.