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A lot of money is moved around during NFL free agency. Teams sign players for millions upon millions of dollars during the opening days of free agency alone. After all, you often have to overpay for free agents because you are bidding against the entire league. Milton Williams and Sam Darnold, for example, signed deals with new teams that will pay them more than $100 million. These flashy moves are exciting, but it is the sneaky and underappreciated moves that oftentimes result in team success.
Finding unheralded players on the open market, usually for cheap, is key in building a roster. In this article, we are going to look at the sneaky moves that not a lot of people are talking about that could end up paying off in dividends.
1. Leonard Floyd, Atlanta Falcons
Leonard Floyd is good for around 10 sacks every single season, yet he always seems to bounce around from team to team. He is one of the best journeymen in the NFL, though, and he has become one of the best sack specialists as well. The 2016 first-round pick will be playing for his fifth team when he suits up for the Atlanta Falcons next season.
Floyd signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Falcons. He might serve as a rental yet again, but he comes cheap, and he is going to do his job effectively. Quarterback pressure is the most important trait in the NFL on the defensive side of the football, and Floyd does it well.
2. Eric Stokes, Las Vegas Raiders
Eric Stokes was a first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2021. He didn't live up to his draft billing, but he still has the potential to turn things around with a fresh start. The cornerback signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. He costs his new team next to nothing, making this a low-risk, high-reward deal.
A lot of Stokes' struggles were due to injury. During his rookie season, though, the Georgia product defended 14 passes. Stokes seems like a prime candidate to break out next season, and if he doesn't, the Raiders can simply let him go in NFL free agency next year.
3. Zach Wilson, Miami Dolphins
Thus far, Zach Wilson has looked like one of the biggest draft busts of the last 10 years. He was never able to figure things out with the New York Jets after they drafted him second overall in 2021. Wilson spent last season as a backup on the Denver Broncos. While the quarterback never saw the field during the regular season, head coach Sean Payton has had nothing but positive things to say about the BYU product (via Scotty Payne of milehighreport.com).
Wilson impressed during training camp, in the preseason, and during practices. Sometimes, quarterbacks take some time to develop, and that might be the case with Wilson. After all, scouts saw tons of potential in the quarterback when he was drafted. If there is a spot where Wilson might get another chance to prove himself, it is with the Miami Dolphins.
Wilson inked a $6 million deal with the team that is quarterbacked by Tua Tagovailoa. The incumbent is known for injury woes, so Wilson might be thrust into action at some point next season. The backup quarterback position is more important in Miami than it is on arguably any other team in the NFL.
4. Cody Barton, Tennessee Titans
The Broncos had one of the best defensive units in the NFL last season, and that was despite an early, season-ending injury to Alex Singleton. Cody Barton was the off-ball linebacker who filled in for Singleton, and Barton exceeded all expectations. He was effective both against the run and in coverage, and he seemed like a magnet for finding the football.
The Titans liked what they saw on tape, and they locked Barton down for three years. However, they were able to sign him at a reasonable rate, as Barton's contract is only worth $21 million.
5. Larry Ogunjobi, Buffalo Bills
You know exactly what you are going to get out of Larry Ogunjobi. The defensive tackle is one of the most consistent players in the NFL, as evidenced by the fact that he has averaged between 41 to 52 tackles every season since 2018. Ogunjobi won't be a star for the Buffalo Bills team that he signed an $8.3 million deal with, but he will be a solid rotational piece. That is exactly what Buffalo needed, and that makes Ogunjobi one of the sneakiest signings of NFL free agency so far.
