7. Overpaying for mediocrity
We have seen this story repeated over and over again. Teams attempting to catch lightning in a bottle by adding a perceived top-end free agent. They then get blindsided when said free-agent signing does not pan out. We can ask the Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins about this. Each of these teams have failed miserably finding balance between needed upgrades and overspending on free agents.
This is only going to be magnified come March. Nearly half of the NFL will have $40-plus million to spend in free agency with Cleveland and San Francisco likely hitting the $100-plus million range in room. It’s in this that teams must be vigilant in terms of spending.
We previously focused on players that might find themselves overvalued in free agency. That list includes the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul and Trumaine Johnson. Though, there’s certainly going to be some ridiculous contracts thrown out to lesser-known players. What might Jay Cutler receive on the market once he’s released? About a quarter of the NFL has a need for a new starter under center. That promises to maximize Cutler’s market. The same can be said for Colin Kaepernick once he opts out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s all about supply and demand here. There’s going to be a ton of demand at key positions, quarterback and offensive tackle included. That promises to lead to the over-valuation of certain players, some of whom likely won’t make much of an impact with ther new team. That’s one of the primary focuses surrounding NFL free agency heading into March.