Best/Worst Free Agent Signings
Filed in archive NFL by Kyle Smith on March 03, 2008

began this weekend and the moves came at a rapid pace. While there were some very shrewd moves made by teams, there were also some questionable deals inked. Here's a gander at both sides of the equation.Best Signings
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign center Jeff Faine to six-year, $37.5 million contract. While Faine has had a few injury problems, the former first-round draft pick will only be 27 when the season starts, and was part of a Saints O-Line that allowed just 16 sacks in 2007 - best in the NFL.
- Chicago Bears sign LB Lance Briggs to a six-year, $36 million deal. Everyone thought Briggs would not only be out of Chicago, but get a much larger deal. Matt Mosley of ESPN.com suggests Briggs is free agency's biggest loser, and that may be true. Either way, the Bears retain an elite linebacker, and do it for a reasonable price.
- St. Louis Rams sign kicker Josh Brown to a five-year, $14.2 million contract. The Rams were hit with the news that Jeff Wilkins was retiring and snatched up easily the best kicker on the market. Making the deal even sweeter was that Brown comes from division rival Seattle, where he had beaten the Rams twice with last second field goals in 2006.
Worst Signings
- San Francisco 49ers sign DE Justin Smith to a six-year, $45 million contract. Smith had all of two sacks last season for the Bengals, and his career high 8.5 sacks came in his rookie year in 2001. Over the last three seasons combined, Smith has a total of 15.5 sacks - the same total Kansas City's Jared Allen amassed in 2007.
- Cleveland Browns sign WR Donte Stallworth to a seven-year, $35 million deal. Cleveland will be his fourth team in four seasons, and that has to say something about him, doesn't it? The most catches Stallworth has had in a season is 70, and he's never even totaled 1,000 yards receiving in a year, while going over 800 just once.
- Houston Texans sign CB Jacques Reeves to a five-year, $20 million contract. In four seasons, all with the Dallas Cowboys, Reeves has started just 14 games, with 13 of those coming this season. He also has just one career interception, and was brought in to "compete" for a starting job. But $20 million seems like an awful lot of money to give to someone you aren't sure will start.
(Photo: Flickr)
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