NFL free agency: Mike Evans, Nakobe Dean among 10 best bargain signings so far
Here are 10 of the best value signings from the middle and bottom of the free-agent market
NFL free agency is days old, and many of the available players already signed to new teams. We know all about the big-ticket signings at this point. We know about the Trey Hendricksons and Jaelan Phillipses and Tyler Linderbaums who got paid at the top of the market, and there is plenty to say about them here at CBSSports.com.
But then there's the next group of guys -- the ones who got paid in the middle or at the bottom of the market. They deserve attention, too, and we're here to give them some by identifying which of those players represented the best bargains for their teams.
Because there have been so many of these signings, we also wanted to set some parameters on what qualifies as a bargain signing.
The first is that we limited the selection to contracts with an average annual value of $15 million per year or less. There are plenty of players who signed contracts that should provide adequate value to their teams despite making $15 million or more, but we had to limit the sample somehow.
We also only considered players who changed teams in free agency. Re-signings are different than signings, and players who re-sign often don't get as much as they would on the open market, because you generally have to overpay to get a player to leave. That's what makes these signings so valuable, because the teams that signed them probably didn't actually overpay.
Finally, we limited it to one value signing per team, just to spread things out.
With all that in mind, here's a list of the 10 best bargains to date, in descending order of average annual value.
WR Mike Evans, 49ers
- 3 years, $42.4 million ($14.1 million AAV)
Evans' contract was reported as one of those deals that could be worth "up to" $60 million, but this is the base value, and it is a steal. He provides the Niners with a high-quality outside threat to complement Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle in the short and intermediate areas and over the middle. We've seen how successful this type of X receiver can be in a Kyle Shanahan-style offense before. Even late in his career, Evans is well worth this deal.
S Coby Bryant, Bears
- 3 years, $40 million ($13.3 million AAV)
Bryant emerged over the last two seasons as a starter in Mike Macdonald's Seattle defense, and he played really well. He's mostly a deep safety (908 snaps, per Pro Football Focus) but he can also line up in the box (177) snaps or the slot (60) on occasion, and his versatility will help shore up the back end of Dennis Allen's defense, which needed a lot of help last year.
LB Nakobe Dean, Raiders
- 3 years, $36 million ($12 million AAV)
Dean is a really, really good player ... when he's healthy. And the only reason he was available for just $12 million per year is because of the health part of the equation. If the Raiders get the type of play out of Dean that he showcased at the height of his powers, though, they will be very happy that they brought him in alongside former college teammate Quay Walker, who got a similar contract.
CB Riq Woolen, Eagles
- 1 year, $12 million ($12 million AAV)
Speaking of former Seahawks defenders, here's a nice deal for a quality cornerback. Like Evans, his contract was reported as being worth "up to" $15 million, but the base value is just $12 million. Playing across from Quinyon Mitchell and alongside Cooper DeJean, Woolen has a chance to earn himself some more money next offseason if he can put together a quality season. He might not ever reach the heights he did during his rookie year, but he can still be good value here.
S Jalen Thompson, Cowboys
- 3 years, $33 million ($11 million AAV)
Hey look, the Cowboys made an actual free-agent signing! Jerry Jones and company don't normally dip into the market with multi-year deals, and they especially don't normally spend double-digit millions per year to do it. But Thompson is a very versatile safety (389 snaps deep, 320 in the box and 249 in the slot last year) who should work well in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker's system.
G Isaac Seumalo, Cardinals
- 3 years, $31.5 million ($10.5 million AAV)
Seumalo was one of just two players to rank in the top 10 at his position in both pass block and run block win rate last season, per ESPN. He's been a quality guard for a long time, and the Cardinals got him at a very affordable price -- especially compared with some of the other free-agent contracts signed by guards.
C Cade Mays, Lions
- 3 years, $25 million ($8.3 million AAV)
He's not as good a player, but Mays got less money over the entirety of his three-year contract than Tyler Linderbaum will get on a per-year basis. That just seems like incredible value for the Lions. He also fits their personality in a big way, because he is -- and this is a technical term -- an absolute ass-kicker on the inside, who should really help the run game in particular.
LB Leo Chenal, Commanders
- 3 years, $24.25 million ($8.1 million AAV)
Chenal has been a quality starter throughout his career and is still just 25 years old. (He doesn't turn 26 until October.) He can defend against both the run and the pass and he can play different spots along the front, and in different roles. Dan Quinn should be able to have some fun with him as a movable chess piece.
RB Kenneth Gainwell, Buccaneers
- 2 years, $14 million ($7 million AAV)
Gainwell is coming off the best season of his career, where he was one of the most important pieces of the Steelers offense. He's at the minimum a very good third-down and pass-catching back, which we have seen throughout his career, but he also showed more as a ball-carrier last year than he had previously. As a complement to Bucky Irving, he makes a lot of sense for Tampa.
DL Khyiris Tonga, Chiefs
- 3 years, $21 million ($7 million AAV)
Tonga is typically the kind of player you don't like to pay. A guy in the middle of his career (he'll turn 30 this offseason) who was available for next to nothing one year before having a career season and then getting paid. But he was so good in his role last year that I think it makes sense -- especially at this price point, which isn't crazy at all. The Chiefs need this type of run-stopper in the middle.
Bonus: RB Keaton Mitchell
- 2 years, $9.25 million ($4.6 million AAV)
This is just so much fun. Mitchell is a big play waiting to happen. Now that he's healthy, pairing him with Mike McDaniel is going to result in a lot of explosiveness whenever he gets the ball.
