The NFL offseason is a never-ending cycle of people calling out teams for good or bad free agent signings.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick getting swept up by The Washington Football Team is a fun story.
Washington will be his 9th NFL team he has joined.
✅ Rams
✅ Bengals
✅ Bills
✅ Titans
✅ Texans
✅ Jets
✅ Bucs
✅ Dolphins
✅ WFTRyan Fitzpatrick got jokes 😂 pic.twitter.com/BaOju2gHva
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 18, 2021
As much fun as it is, was it a good signing?
Shouldn’t Washington be focused on bringing in young talent either through the draft, free agency, or sticking with Taylor Heinicke?
Most would think so but it might pan out for them.
Fitzpatrick, or as I call him, Fitzmagic, brings an energy to a team that few QBs can provide.
His fun, charismatic and goofy personality brings a spark to an offense that can turn a game around.
We have seen it time and time again including last season when he came in for Tua Tagovailoa in week 16 against the Raiders.
They don't call him Fitzmagic for nothin' 😳 @MiamiDolphins
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/O0XrfCTL52
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 27, 2020
My point is we don’t know if a free agent signing is going to work out or not until the season starts.
There is a 50/50 chance that the player will be a bust or be a solid addition that contributes to winning.
Maybe Fitzmagic lights it up with WR Terry McLaurin and RB Antonio Gibson and they win the NFC East again.
I am not sure how that will play out yet, but we can speculate and most likely get our prediction wrong.
We all just have to own up to our bad takes once the season comes!
Here are the 3 worst signings in NFL free agency 2021.
1: Raiders – RB Kenyan Drake
If you are a fantasy football participant, do dynasty leagues, and have RB Josh Jacobs this will be a disappointment.
Kenyan Drake arriving to destroy Josh Jacobs fantasy value. pic.twitter.com/y0m0jDxTJL
— Andy Holloway (@andyholloway) March 18, 2021
The Raiders handed Drake a 2 year, $14.5M deal to be a WR who lines up in the backfield.
That contract places Drake in the top-14 paid RB list.
We all had a feeling a team was going to come out and do this after his most productive season.
He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for all-purpose yards, 10 TDs, and averaged 4.0 Y/A.
There is a difference though when you split carries with Chase Edmonds in Arizona and now Jacobs in Las Vegas.
My main issue with this signing is the Raiders still have massive holes at Safety and Cornerback.
The Raiders’ defense last season was the worst in franchise history but would rather sign a backup RB for $5.5M a season.
Drakes’ production will be nowhere near what it was with Arizona and this contract will be a bad one come week 10.
2: New England Patriots – WR Nelson Agholor
Fortunately for everyone except Patriots fans, we will get to witness this in 2021:
Cam Newton to Nelson Agholor for the win 👀 pic.twitter.com/7yKjSa7Njg
— 🇭🇹March 27🇮🇪 (@jrloading) March 17, 2021
The Patriots dropped a 2 year, $22M deal on Agholor which makes him the 22nd highest-paid WR in the league.
That statement alone should concern any average NFL fan.
Agholor did have his best season by far in 2020 securing a career-high in yards (896), TDs (8), and yards-per-catch (18.7).
That was in an offense that was designed for his success though.
HC Jon Gruden used him in the slot more often than outside, allowing him to use crossers and deep corners to get open.
His hands did improve, but if he is considered the WR1 in New England now, he will have to compete with other teams’ #1 corners.
Also, in the Patriots’ conservative-style offense, his downfield success will dwindle and his production will not match his contract.
3: Houston Texans – All of the Running Backs
When you don’t know who to sign, just sign them all!
That was the Houston Texans mentality when it came to their backfield.
They ended up signing the following:
- David Johnson: 1 year, $6M (max)
- Mark Ingram: 1 year, $3M (max)
- Phillip Lindsay: 1 year, $3.25M
What I am seeing is two older veterans in Johnson and Ingram who will fight for short-yardage situations.
Then, we have Lindsay who I expect to break out as the starter early on if they give him enough carries.
The first 2 seasons of Phillip Lindsay's career were ELITE.
From 2018-2019 players with at least 2k rush yds, 400 rec yds, and 70 rec:
Phillip Lindsay
Ezekiel Elliott
Christian McCaffrey
Saquon Barkley
Joe Mixon
Todd Gurley pic.twitter.com/rGNsnpDB7X— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) March 18, 2021
No one knows what is going to happen with the Texans this season.
The Deshaun Watson situation worsens everyday, and the team is in shambles.
If they decide to be a ground and pound team, Lindsay might be able to set himself up for a nice contract in 2022.
With all of the other holes on the Texans roster though, they put over $12M into their running back group.
They did sign a slew of other players in free agency, 25 to be exact.
The more the merrier is the approach the Texans will take.
Will it pan out?
Only time will tell.
NEXT: Should The Patriots Target QB Mac Jones In The NFL Draft?