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Eight Worst NFL Free Agency Moves - 2024 Offseason Analysis

M.S. : 3/22/2024 9:16 am
Story by RotoBaller Staff (March 22nd)

Saquon Barkley - RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Three years, $37.75 million with $26 million guaranteed
"This is all about the positional value...is he a $12.5 million per year running back?... How much tread is left on the tires for the former No. 2 overall pick?

Tony Pollard - RB, Tennessee Titans
Three years, $21 million with $10.5 million guaranteed
"...a luxury add for a team that went 6-11 last season."

Calvin Ridley - WR, Tennessee Titans
Four years, $92 million with $50 million guaranteed
"...Titans had to overpay to bring him in as the new No. 1 option... $50 million guaranteed...could really come back to bite the Titans."

Gabe Davis - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Three years, $39 million with $24 million guaranteed
"from a purely impact-focused perspective, the drop-off from (Calvin Ridley to Davis is huge. Davis was just so boom-or-bust in 2023."

Darnell Mooney - WR, Atlanta Falcons
Three years, $39 million with $26 million guaranteed
"...(In 2023) Darnell Mooney...had career lows in receptions (31) and receiving yards (414)..."

Jonathan Greenard - DE, Minnesota Vikings
Four years, $76 million with $38 million guaranteed
"...this was a lot of money...for a guy with one season of elite production through four NFL seasons...one has to wonder if Minnesota could have allocated its resources a little better."

Kevin Byard - S, Chicago Bears
Two years, $15 million with $7.4 million guaranteed
Kevin Byard used to be a really good NFL safety...his pass coverage skills seem to have taken a drop...There were plenty of good options at safety out there on the free-agent market, so the Bears signing Byard as quickly as they did felt like an odd move."

Robert Hunt - OL, Carolina Panthers
Five years, $100 million with $63 million guaranteed
"...is a good guard, but this deal makes him the second-highest-paid guard in the NFL in terms of overall value of deal...Hunt wasn't in the top 20 among interior offensive linemen in pass block win rate. It's just a huge contract for a guy who hasn't proven to be an elite player yet."


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Yeah, the WR market was crazy for mid tier receivers  
ZogZerg : 3/22/2024 9:23 am : link
..
I actually  
Sammo85 : 3/22/2024 9:30 am : link
liked the Mooney signing for the Falcons even if short term money was a little rich for a #3 WR. He's going to get some opportunities from Cousins with Pitts, Robinson, London out there with defenses having to make some choices.
The rb contracts are a joke compared to the true whopper fa deals  
djm : 3/22/2024 9:52 am : link
Even pollard who I don’t love is making chump change compared to what some of the average WRs and average interior lineman got. And even the part time edge rusher.

Barkley was a bargain compared to some of the fa deals we saw. When he’s scoring big TDs in big moments then tell me it’s an overpay.
Schoen has dojne a very good job  
Dave on the UWS : 3/22/2024 10:06 am : link
so far this off season. Seems like he "learned" a few things from last year, and has made some corrections. Smart people learn and get better.
WR vs RB money is insane  
Shecky : 3/22/2024 10:15 am : link
We all know it's a passing league, etc.

But who would take Davis and Mooney over Barkley and Pollard combos?
Yet Barkley and Pollard will cost $6mm a year LESS as a combo than the pair of WR's.

Even more ironic is Barkley is good for 40/50 catches a year, and Pollard is good for 30+ himself.
While Davis si good fo 40 catches and Mooney probably 50-60.

Two very good RBs who catch passes for $6mm less than two erratic WRs.
RE: WR vs RB money is insane  
Sammo85 : 3/22/2024 10:20 am : link
In comment 16442585 Shecky said:
Quote:
We all know it's a passing league, etc.

But who would take Davis and Mooney over Barkley and Pollard combos?
Yet Barkley and Pollard will cost $6mm a year LESS as a combo than the pair of WR's.

Even more ironic is Barkley is good for 40/50 catches a year, and Pollard is good for 30+ himself.
While Davis si good fo 40 catches and Mooney probably 50-60.

Two very good RBs who catch passes for $6mm less than two erratic WRs.



It actually makes total sense based on positional and market dynamics. It also involves factors such as teams that don't need RBs and the offenses they run.

RB catches are not what they used to a useful metric either - lot of defenses give up the underneath dump off/check-down catches to RBs.
And that’s been my argument the entire time  
UConn4523 : 3/22/2024 10:20 am : link
I’ll take Barkley over Mooney or Gabe Davis every day if the week and twice on Sundays. Calvin Ridley could be a dud too, wouldn’t rule that out.
What is Saquon doing on this list of worst moves?  
ThomasG : 3/22/2024 10:24 am : link
.
Good! No new Giants on that list. I hope Barkley does well except  
Ivan15 : 3/22/2024 10:32 am : link
Against the Giants. I wouldn’t be upset if he became a HOF player.
Found  
Toth029 : 3/22/2024 10:35 am : link
The Titans pay to Pollard and Ravens pay to Henry were more financially smart than what Philly had paid to Barkley. Ekeler was a head scratcher too.
You can't root  
knowledgetimmons : 3/22/2024 10:44 am : link
For Barkley's career success at this point, because it ends with Philly making a smart move and them winning more games. Personally, I hope he makes the same non-winning decisions he made for us. His YPC will be on par with his best years, but the pressure of handing the ball off to him will be the same Achilles heel that it was in NY.

He's fools gold, and that's a big reason why NYG have been in the dumpster.

PS. I saw him play in Happy Valley many times, he was an often 'nicked' - one trick pony as he was here.
RE: Found  
UConn4523 : 3/22/2024 10:44 am : link
In comment 16442610 Toth029 said:
Quote:
The Titans pay to Pollard and Ravens pay to Henry were more financially smart than what Philly had paid to Barkley. Ekeler was a head scratcher too.


*it can be.

Not sure why that’s left out. I wouldn’t have paid Barkley that for this Giants team but it makes sense for Philly and they are experts with the cap, but just not now?
RE: RE: WR vs RB money is insane  
Shecky : 3/22/2024 10:53 am : link
In comment 16442594 Sammo85 said:
Quote:
In comment 16442585 Shecky said:

It actually makes total sense based on positional and market dynamics. It also involves factors such as teams that don't need RBs and the offenses they run.

RB catches are not what they used to a useful metric either - lot of defenses give up the underneath dump off/check-down catches to RBs.


I hear ya Sammo. But Your Schoen, building a team. What package do you prefer for the same $27mm

Barkley(12.5), Pollard(7), Slayton(6) AND Hodgins(1)

Vs

Davis(13) and Mooney(13)?

Sure, Mooney could bust out for 80 catches again, but Barkley could just as easily get 1,400 plus 75 catches himself. Both unlikley.
RE: You can't root  
M.S. : 3/22/2024 10:57 am : link
In comment 16442617 knowledgetimmons said:
Quote:
For Barkley's career success at this point, because it ends with Philly making a smart move and them winning more games. Personally, I hope he makes the same non-winning decisions he made for us. His YPC will be on par with his best years, but the pressure of handing the ball off to him will be the same Achilles heel that it was in NY.

He's fools gold, and that's a big reason why NYG have been in the dumpster.

PS. I saw him play in Happy Valley many times, he was an often 'nicked' - one trick pony as he was here.

I think you've made a few interesting points but you totally lost me with your comment that Saquon Barkley is, "...a big reason why NYG have been in the dumpster." The Giants were 3-13 in 2017, a year before he was drafted, not to mention back-to-back 6-10 seasons in 2014 & 2015. The Giants have sucked for so long due to lousy draft choices, overwhelming bad luck on the injury front, terrible Free Agent decisions and lousy coaching. To say Saquon Barkley is the reason for the endless suck just doesn't hold up.
RE: Schoen has dojne a very good job  
MotownGIANTS : 3/22/2024 11:31 am : link
In comment 16442571 Dave on the UWS said:
Quote:
so far this off season. Seems like he "learned" a few things from last year, and has made some corrections. Smart people learn and get better.


Contracts "look" better but the players still need to perform which is the most important piece of it. Joe has done less than average in FA moves since he has been here, while doing good things with draft picks. The Burns move was a nice and good bonus move for his grading. Using a 2nd rder on a young and semi proven player trending upward /w good injury history vs a 2nd on a rookie unknown. The 5th next year is window dressing. We'll see how the OL moves pan out. But he also gets a chance to improve his grading if the OL coach improves the play of Neal, JMS and OG play in general.
I wish Barkley good health.  
smshmth8690 : 3/22/2024 12:10 pm : link
I hope he never gets a ring, or ever gets fitted for a gold jacket in Canton.

I understand fans hoping he does good except for against us, I don't. The only time I want the Eagles do well, is if they are playing a game that would benefit the NY Giants if they win.
RE: And that’s been my argument the entire time  
Doubledeuce22 : 3/22/2024 12:42 pm : link
In comment 16442595 UConn4523 said:
Quote:
I’ll take Barkley over Mooney or Gabe Davis every day if the week and twice on Sundays. Calvin Ridley could be a dud too, wouldn’t rule that out.


Yeah? You'd take 8 games of Barkley over a full season of a good WR? I wouldn't. Not to mention the fact that SB turns 28 next year and you know he's going to fall off a cliff like all RBs do at that age.
I think the WR/TE market is way more ridiculous than RB  
DeVito32 : 3/22/2024 2:29 pm : link
Look at guys like Zay Jones, Lazard, Schulz, Gabe Davis, Mooney etc.. They’re making anywhere from 10-15 mil.

Barkley is a much better and more valuable player than any of them. Barkley makes a much greater impact on the game than any of those guys and analysts/media destroy teams for paying RB’s but you don’t really hear a peep with these receiver contracts.
Wasting a 2nd overall on a RB  
Paulie Walnuts : 3/22/2024 4:16 pm : link
Merely compounded bad OL drafting the suck really started with the drafting of RB David Wilson when it was clear we needed to restock the OL
RE: RE: WR vs RB money is insane  
giantstock : 3/22/2024 7:48 pm : link
In comment 16442594 Sammo85 said:
Quote:
In comment 16442585 Shecky said:


Quote:


We all know it's a passing league, etc.

But who would take Davis and Mooney over Barkley and Pollard combos?
Yet Barkley and Pollard will cost $6mm a year LESS as a combo than the pair of WR's.

Even more ironic is Barkley is good for 40/50 catches a year, and Pollard is good for 30+ himself.
While Davis si good fo 40 catches and Mooney probably 50-60.

Two very good RBs who catch passes for $6mm less than two erratic WRs.




It actually makes total sense based on positional and market dynamics. It also involves factors such as teams that don't need RBs and the offenses they run.

RB catches are not what they used to a useful metric either - lot of defenses give up the underneath dump off/check-down catches to RBs.


Actualy it doesn't make sense to the context of this thread. Barkley led a team to the playoffs and a playoff win. Mooney is none of that. Can never be anythig near that.

Nearly all teams need a running game to be effective in the playoffs with passing unless you are Mahomes.
RE: RE: And that’s been my argument the entire time  
giantstock : 3/22/2024 7:56 pm : link
In comment 16442754 Doubledeuce22 said:
Quote:
In comment 16442595 UConn4523 said:


Quote:


I’ll take Barkley over Mooney or Gabe Davis every day if the week and twice on Sundays. Calvin Ridley could be a dud too, wouldn’t rule that out.



Yeah? You'd take 8 games of Barkley over a full season of a good WR? I wouldn't. Not to mention the fact that SB turns 28 next year and you know he's going to fall off a cliff like all RBs do at that age.


The thread is talking about worst pickups and the comparison between Barkley and Mooney has arisen.

It's clear with your post that you haven't been following the Giants these past 3 years because if you have you wouldn't mention "8 games." He has played 43 games the past 3 years averaging over 14 per year.

Please explain why you've twisted this into "8 games?"
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