The first wave of NFL free agency has come and gone, and our team here at CBSSports.com has been covering all the moves from each and every angle. But while most of the time and attention is and has been devoted to the marquee players signing monster deals and the biggest stars changing teams, there are plenty of players who signed much smaller contracts and will nonetheless make a strong impact on their teams.
In the space below, we're going to highlight some of the biggest bargain signings we've seen in free agency to date. We've limited the pool of players to only those changing teams and who got $15 million or less in guaranteed money. So, without further ado ...
All contract figures via Spotrac unless otherwise noted.
Even in the seemingly unlikely event that Russell Wilson is beaten out for the starting gig by Justin Fields, this is probably the best bargain contract of the offseason. Look at the prices backup quarterbacks are fetching on the open market, while Wilson signed for just $1.2 million. Russ is, of course, no longer the player he once was, but he doesn't have to be anything close to that to be worth this price and more.
The Packers reportedly wanted Aaron Jones to take a pay cut to around $6 million ... so he went and signed with their division rivals for one year and $7 million (fully guaranteed). He ended the 2023 season with a Packers-record five consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing games, including the two playoff contests against the Cowboys and 49ers. He's getting up there in years but still playing at a very high level, and should form a nice tandem with Ty Chandler.
Antonio Gibson is an incredibly talented player who was underutilized for years in Washington. He and Rhamondre Stevenson are both very big backs who excel in the passing game, which makes for a unique backfield combination. The Pats gave Gibson just $11.2 million over three years, with only $5.3 million in guarantees. Still just 25 years old, Gibson is well worth that type of flier for a team likely to be building around a young quarterback.
Maybe I'm a sucker, but I will never give up on the multi-talented Samuel. To me, this is an upgrade on Gabe Davis, at a lower cost (three years, $24 million, $15 million guaranteed) than the deal Davis got from the Jaguars. Samuel is such a versatile player, with an ability to work both on the perimeter and in the slot, as well as in the backfield. He's got deep speed and short-area quickness, and Josh Allen should have a lot of fun with him.
Replacing Marquez Valdes-Scantling with the same type of player, but a version who more consistently gets open -- and who is also able to operate in the slot -- is such a great fit for the Chiefs. Hollywood Brown got a one-year deal with only $6.5 million in guarantees. Of all Kansas City's veteran wideout signings over the past few years, this one is by far their biggest value win.
The Jaguars drafted Luke Fortner a couple years ago, but clearly still felt like they needed an upgrade at center. Enter Mitch Morse, who was a cap casualty in Buffalo but can quite obviously still play. He's on the older side, which is why he came at such a low cost: two years, $10.5 million, $7 million guaranteed. Giving Trevor Lawrence a sturdy veteran in front of him to help with protections and key the run game should prove helpful.
Tyron Smith's one-year deal can be worth as much as $20 million, but only if he plays all 17 games. Considering he hasn't played more than 13 games since 2015, that seems unlikely. Just $6.5 million of his contract is guaranteed, and the rest is in play-time incentives. The Jets will likely need a fill-in tackle for at least a couple games, but for the rest, they have a top-10 (at worst) left tackle protecting Aaron Rodgers. And in John Simpson, they added desperately needed help on the interior for just $12 million over two years, with $6 million guaranteed.
Reuniting Andrew Van Ginkel with the coach (defensive coordinator Brian Flores) who first figured out the best way to utilize his skill set is a very good idea. Doing it for only $20 million over two years with $10 million in guarantees is an even better one. Minnesota essentially turned the Danielle Hunter money into both Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. Hunter is the best player of the trio, but the Vikes needed more than just one rushmen. They got a good one here, and relatively cheap.
The 49ers seem to recognize that replacing what Arik Armstead brought to the table will take more than just one player. His inside-outside versatility and ability to be a force against both the run and the pass necessitates spreading the resources around. So, they brought in Floyd (two years, $20 million, $12 million guaranteed) to rush the passer from the edge and Elliott (two years, $7 million, $3.25 million guaranteed) to put in the pocket and stuff the run on the interior. San Francisco loves having enough depth to rotate guys in and out, and adding two quality pieces helps do that as well.
The Bengals let D.J. Reader walk, instead deciding to pay a bit more for Sheldon Rankins. I think the Lions got the better deal here. Reader is a massive interior run stopper who routinely logs around 60% or so of his team's defensive snaps and just generally causes a ton of problems for opposing run games. Dropping that type of player into the middle of a defense that struggled down the stretch of last season is a great move -- especially considering his two-year, $24 million contract contains only $7.4 million in guarantees.
Speaking of the interior defensive line ... this is some really nice work from the Texans. Their Danielle Hunter signing got most of the attention, but adding this duo in the middle of the defense is going to do wonders for DeMeco Ryans' unit. Autry, who remains a top-flight interior pass rusher, got $20 million over two years with just $10.5 million in guarantees; while Settle, who is more of a run-stopper, signed a two-year, $6 million contract that contains $3.5 million guaranteed.
Eric Kendricks spurned the 49ers to head to Dallas and reunite with his former coach, Mike Zimmer, who is now the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. Dallas had massive issues at linebacker last season and by the end of the year was basically using two safeties at linebacker more often than not. Now, Leighton Vander Esch has retired, and the team was left even thinner at the position. Bringing in Kendricks (one year, $3 million, $2.5 million guaranteed) both fills a massive need and will help in terms of smoothing the transition from Dan Quinn to Zimmer.
Kendall Fuller might be the most underrated cornerback in the NFL. It makes no sense that he could be available for the price at which the Dolphins landed him (two years, $15 million, $10 million guaranteed). Bouncing back from cutting ties with Xavien Howard for financial reasons by getting a steal like this is just about as good as a team can do.
The Rams did a great job with their defensive backfield signings. Reuniting with an old friend in Darious Williams helps solidify what was a very thin cornerback room last season. How they were able to get him to come back for just $7 million guaranteed on his three-year, $22.5 million deal is something that I fail to understand. And then Kamren Curl, who was the box safety on our 2023 Survivor Squad, is just a really fun player who can do more than what has been asked of him to date in his career. (He's already talked about how Sean McVay wants to use him in more interesting ways.)
Remember how Jermaine Kearse washed out of Minnesota and signed a bargain-basement deal with the Cowboys, and then Dan Quinn turned him into a hybrid safety/linebacker who shut down tight ends, filled in the slot and started flying downhill in the run game? This is a souped-up version of that because Chinn has already been a pretty good player in his own right. The Commanders got him for just $3.5 million in guarantees on his one-year, $4.1 million contract.
The Bengals filled out their safety room for a total of $20 million, with just $12 million of it guaranteed. Geno Stone was our No. 6 available safety this offseason, and Bell was only really available because the Panthers decided to go in another direction with Jordan Fuller. (Fuller has familiarity with Panthers DC Ejiro Evero from their time with the Rams, just like Bell is familiar with Lou Anarumo because he was in Cincinnati before signing with Carolina.) Pair these guys with recent draft picks in Daxton Hill and Jordan Battle, and there's really nice depth at the position.
