We are now firmly in the second half of the NFL season, and there is enough evidence on film and in the win-loss columns to start re-grading the previous free-agency period.
Some teams have greatly benefited from splashy free-agent signings. The Seattle Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league with a free agent at quarterback. The New England Patriots, who play the New York Jets on Thursday night, have surged to the top of the AFC. Quarterback Drake Maye has emerged as a star. They have also gotten significant contributions from several high-priced free agents. The Jets, meanwhile, are trending in the opposite direction. Their big free-agent swing, quarterback Justin Fields, has not produced similar results.
We dove into the top 11 free agents from this past offseason based on the average annual value of their contracts (we were going to do top 10 but the last three spots all tied for the same value). And we graded them based on what they have brought — or not brought — to their new teams relative to the value of their contracts, while also reflecting on how The Athletic graded the signings at the time.
All statistics courtesy of TruMedia unless otherwise noted. All financial figures courtesy of Over the Cap.
Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold
Free agent AAV: $33.5 million
The Seahawks are 7-2. They have won four straight games and emerged as a true Super Bowl contender. Darnold is a big reason why. He is proving this season that his breakout with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 was not a fluke. Darnold is second among quarterbacks in expected points added per dropback — a stat that is partially related to Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing like one of the best receivers in football. The Seahawks have a top 10 offense by EPA per play. Darnold thrived in Kevin O’Connell’s play-action-heavy offense last season. He is thriving in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s play-action-heavy offense this year. The Seahawks are fifth in play-action rate. Darnold is aggressive and accurate down the field. He has been one of the best deep throwers in the league this season. He leads all quarterbacks in EPA per dropback on throws of 15 or more air yards, and he is always hunting those shots. His 9.2 air yards per attempt also lead the league. Darnold looks decisive and confident to all three levels of the field. Darnold ranks 18th among quarterbacks in AAV. He is playing like a top-10 quarterback.
Offseason grade: C
Re-grade: A+
New England Patriots DL Milton Williams
Free agent AAV: $26 million
In coach Mike Vrabel’s first season back in Foxboro, the Patriots paid a premium to add needed talent. There was not a ton of potential surplus value in the deals they signed. But all the additions have elevated the team in some capacity. The Patriots are 8-2 and in first place in the AFC East, and it is hard to argue with the strategy given the results. The Patriots gave Williams a massive contract, making him the second-highest-paid interior defensive lineman. Williams was a rotational piece for the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles last season. He is now a starter for the Patriots. It was always going to be difficult for Williams to fully live up to this contract, but he is nonetheless playing really solid football. He is very disruptive in one-on-one situations. He is second among interior defensive linemen in pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He is a versatile rusher who is effective from various alignments. He plays with great motor and hustle. The Patriots paid a hefty price. They got a good football player. This is the flexibility a team has when their starting quarterback is on a rookie deal like Maye.
Offseason grade: B
Re-grade: B
Los Angeles Rams WR Davante Adams
Free agent AAV: $22 million
Coach Sean McVay has dropped Adams into his offense as the primary outside receiver, and for the price point, the results have been excellent. Adams has played almost 90 percent of his snaps on the outside this season. He has never played a lower percentage of snaps in the slot in his career. But even as he ages, Adams has the skills to get open on the outside. He still has some of the best releases in the game. His hesitation moves off the line of scrimmage are unstoppable. Adams has also been a monster in the red zone. He leads the NFL in red zone touchdowns with eight, already the fourth-most red zone touchdowns in any season of his career. Adams is one of the few high-upside players on fade routes. Adams ranks 22nd among receivers in AAV. This is a bargain for the Rams.
Offseason grade: Not graded (Signed before free agency after being released by New York Jets)
Re-grade: A
Davante Adams has been worth the price for the Rams. (Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
New England Patriots WR Stefon Diggs
Free agent AAV: $21.17 million
Diggs came in just under Adams in AAV. The Patriots should be pretty pleased with the production they have gotten from Diggs, who is 13 months removed from a torn ACL. Diggs is running a lot of possession routes, operating from the slot on 46 percent of his snaps. He has been a go-to security blanket for Maye, particularly in scramble drills, when Diggs can use his instincts to find open grass. Diggs has been very efficient. He is 10th among receivers with at least 10 targets in EPA per route run. At the same time, it is a sizable price tag for a receiver who has only played 56 percent of the offensive snaps this season. Adams has played 74 percent of the offensive snaps. Adams also has the touchdown production. The Patriots had to push some markets higher to add the proven talent they needed. That is a theme with their free-agent period.
Offseason grade: Not graded (Signed late in free agency)
Re-grade: C+
Tennessee Titans LT Dan Moore
Free agent AAV: $20.5 million
The Titans had grand plans for their re-worked offensive line. It obviously has not worked out. They are 1-8. They fired coach Brian Callahan last month. The Titans rank 23rd in pressure rate allowed. Some of that is on rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who will hold the ball in search of chunk plays down the field. Some of that is on an offensive line that has underperformed. The Titans made Moore the 10th-highest-paid left tackle in football. He has not played like the 10th-best left tackle. It all made sense on paper, but the group has not come together. In reality, Moore was not signed to be the 10th-best left tackle in the league. He was signed to give the Titans some functionality at left tackle. He has provided that to a degree. He is a mostly solid pass protector. He has good hands and quick feet. A big issue, however, is that his letdowns tend to be catastrophic. He does not have great recovery skills, and he has allowed seven sacks, second-most among tackles, according to PFF. Moore is also not a difference-maker in the run game.
Offseason grade: D
Re-grade: D
New York Jets QB Justin Fields
Free agent AAV: $20 million
First-year Jets coach Aaron Glenn moved on from Aaron Rodgers and signed Fields to be his starter. The Jets made Fields the 20th-highest-paid quarterback by AAV. He has not lived up to the contract. Fields is 27th in EPA per dropback. He was benched in a Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers in favor of Tyrod Taylor, though he returned to the lineup a week later and has won two straight starts. A lot of the same issues remain for Fields, a 2021 first-round pick. He displays inconsistent accuracy and ball placement to all levels of the field. He is a slow processor and decision-maker, which often leads to windows closing or Fields failing to identify open receivers. Fields is still an effective runner and scrambler, but he is not a long-term answer for the Jets at quarterback. The deal is not a calamity. It was a fine bet considering some of the positive signs Fields showed in his six starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. But the Jets did guarantee $10 million of his 2026 salary. They have a treasure trove of picks after their trade deadline fire sale. They might end up picking No. 1 anyway. They should be drafting a quarterback in April. The Jets can move on from Fields with a post-June 1 designation to spread out the dead money. They could keep him on the roster as a bridge for their rookie.
Offseason grade: B
Re-grade: D
Justin Fields was worth the bet but hasn’t worked out for the Jets. (Evan Bernstein / Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers LG Aaron Banks
Free agent AAV: $19.25 million
The Packers made Banks the fifth-highest-paid left guard in the league. This deal did not make sense at the time. It still does not make sense. Banks has battled numerous injuries this year — ankle, groin, knee, neck. He has been limited to just 57.3 percent of the Packers’ offensive snaps. When he has been on the field, Banks has struggled as a run blocker. He lacks physicality and power off the ball. He gives up too much ground in pass protection, and his shaky anchor has led to collapsing pockets for quarterback Jordan Love.
Offseason grade: C+
Re-grade: F
Arizona Cardinals LB Josh Sweat
Free agent AAV: $19.1 million
Sweat has been one of the best additions of the last free-agent cycle. His deal made him the 17th-highest-paid edge rusher in the league. He has outperformed that contract. The Cardinals were in desperate need of some juice at edge rusher. Zaven Collins led the team in pressures last season with 31. Sweat already has 34 pressures in nine games. He brings length, size, speed, power and bend off the edge. He has good instincts on stunts. He has rushed well from inside alignments. Sweat is 14th in pressure rate among players with at least 200 pass-rush snaps. His eight sacks are tied for fifth — and there is no fakery in that total. Sweat has earned his box score stats. He has also forced three fumbles.
Offseason grade: A
Re-grade: A
New York Giants CB Paulson Adebo
Free agent AAV: $18 million
This past offseason, $18 million per year was the going rate for starting cornerbacks. Adebo, Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward all signed for the same AAV and are tied for the 15th-highest-paid at their position. We will get to the other two players in a minute to round out our top 11. The Giants took a risk signing Adebo, who suffered a season-ending broken femur in Week 7 of last year. Adebo has now missed the past three games with a knee injury. This is always a potential outcome when signing injured players. When Adebo was on the field, the scheme fit was a bit puzzling. This year, Adebo has looked more comfortable in zone looks, when he can play top-down and utilize his ballhawking instincts. He has been less consistent in man coverage, including against the Eagles’ A.J. Brown in Week 6. The Giants have played the third-most man coverage of any defense in the league this season.
Offseason grade: B
Re-grade: C-
New England Patriots CB Carlton Davis
Free agent AAV: $18 million
The Patriots are a top 10 defense by EPA per play. And while Davis has taken a step back in coverage this season as compared to 2024 with the Detroit Lions, his play style and skills have allowed Vrabel to play the way he wants to play schematically. With Davis and 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez at outside cornerback, the Patriots have two long, physical defenders who can play press coverage. They can play man coverage out of these looks and match up with good receiver groups. They can also align in press and disguise their zone looks post-snap. Davis makes a lot of sense in this defense, and the unit is performing.
Offseason grade: B
Re-grade: B-
Indianapolis Colts CB Charvarius Ward
Free agent AAV: $18 million
This is a tough situation to grade. Ward was playing excellent football before he suffered a freak concussion during pregame warmups in Week 6. Ward also missed Week 2 with a separate concussion. Ward has been on IR since Week 7. At the deadline, the Colts traded for outside cornerback Sauce Gardner. Can we really blame Colts general manager Chris Ballard for such a flukey injury? Ward was absolutely living up to the contract before his second concussion. If Ward can return, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will be cooking with gas having Ward and Gardner on the outside and elite nickel Kenny Moore on the inside. A lot to be determined here.
Offseason grade: A
Re-grade: B