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American Football

NFL free agency: Five questionable signings from the first wave of deals

Joe Mewis
NFL free agency: Five questionable signings from the first wave of dealsGetty Images
A look at some of the more eyebrow-raising deals from the start of NFL free agency.

The first wave of free agency is coming to an end, as teams pause to take breath after a frantic ten days of deal-making. 

Big money contracts have been signed, plenty of trades executed and rosters are beginning to take shape ahead of next month's draft.

But as the dust settles on these initial deals, which of them look to be risky, overpaid or in need of further scrutiny? 

Here is a look at five questionable deals so far. 

Chase Young - New Orleans Saints

While the signing of former number two overall draft pick Chase Young addresses a position of need for the Saints, the $13million, one-year deal looks risky for a player with a chequered injury past. 

The Saints started the month $80million over the salary cap, so they need this to work and for him to stay fit. His upcoming neck surgery that could see him miss the start of training camp is another red flag. 

On the field, he did show flashes of his potential following his mid-season trade to the 49ers, although he struggled to make an impact in the postseason. 

Leonard Williams - Seattle Seahawks

Leonard Williams’ career NFL earnings are well into nine figures now and his agent’s hot streak of landing the defensive lineman oversized contracts has continued. 

The Seahawks traded a second-round draft pick to land Williams last season and got a solid, if unspectacular return on their investment. They’ve now doubled down, but handing him a three-year $64.5million contract, with $48.85million guaranteed. 

He remains a good run stopper, but will turn 30 this summer and his numbers last season do not match up to other players on this kind of deal. 

Josh Jacobs - Green Bay Packers

This one is something of a headscratcher after the Packers spent more to bring in Jacobs than it would have cost to re-sign Aaron Jones. 

Jacobs is coming off a poor season, where he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in a disfunctioning Raiders offence. In fact, if you take away Jones’ excellent 2022 season when he rushed for 1,653 yards, his production is much more than you could expect from a decent, cheaper player on a rookie contract. 

The four-year, $48million contract that the Packers have handed him seems to be overcooked. 

Robert Hunt - Carolina Panthers

As if letting Brian Burns go for a pittance wasn’t enough, the Panthers’ splurge on guard Robert Hunt has the look of a team that are reaching. 

It’s not that the former Dolphins lineman isn’t a good player, it’s just that he’s not a five-year, $100million player. It’s easy to understand why Carolina are looking to bolster their line and give Bryce Young a better chance this year, but they look to have overpaid here.  

D’Andre Swift - Chicago Bears

Again, this one is about the money paid. For a three-year, $24.5million contract ($15.3million guaranteed), you’d expect a transcendent running back talent. Swift was a decent running back in a team set-up to run the ball in Philadelphia last year and while he brings value to the receiving game, it’s again hard to believe that there isn’t a cheaper option for the Bears to pursue. 

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