NFL free agency is in full bloom with pretty much all of the big-name players off the board. That includes Kirk Cousins heading to the Atlanta Falcons and star running back Saquon Barkley making his way to the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, there were sveral under-the-radar signings over the free agent tampering period and the first day of the new league year.
A potential future Hall of Fame quarterback took a veteran minimum deal to compete for a starting job with an AFC contender. Multiple running backs were signed to team-friendly deals. Here, we look at the 10 most underrated signings of NFL free agency thus far.
Related: Updated NFL QB rankings
Geno Stone, Cincinnati Bengals
Stone, 24, is an absolutely great addition for the Bengals in NFL free agency. The former seventh-round pick out of Iowa recorded seven interceptions in 17 games (11 starts) this past season. He also yielded a mere 63.8 QB rating when targeted. Stone can play both safety spots and figures to be a full-time starter. Nabbing him from the division rival Baltimore Ravens on a mere two-year, $14 million contract was a steal.
Leonard Floyd, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco has not had a double-digit sack guy out on the edge outside of Nick Bosa since Aldon Smith back in 2012. That’s an amazing stat. General manager John Lynch and Co. also looked to rectify that by signing Floyd to a two-year, $20 million contract to open NFL free agency. The 31-year-old former first-round pick recorded 10.5 sacks with the Buffalo Bills a season ago. All said, he’s racked up an outstanding 39.5 sacks to go with 78 QB hits over the past four seasons.
Related: NFL free agency grades for all 32 teams
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Regardless of your opinion regarding Russell Wilson’s two-year run with the Denver Broncos, he gave the Pittsburgh Steelers an absolute steal ahead of NFL free agency officially opening up. Wilson agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.21 million. Sure, he’s being paid a ton by Denver. But giving the Steelers a discount was something else. The 35-year-old Wilson threw 26 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions a season ago. He’ll compete with Kenny Pickett (6 TD, 4 INT in 2023) for the QB1 job in Pittsburgh.
Jordan Poyer, Miami Dolphins
Recently released by the division-rival Buffalo Bills, the 32-year-old Poyer inked a mere one-year, $2 million contract with the cash-strapped Dolphins. Talk about an absolute steal. Before struggling this past season (101.5 QB rating allowed), Poyer was among the best cover safeties in the NFL. Back in 2022 with Buffalo, the safety yielded a mere 60.1 QB rating when targeted en route to earning Pro Bowl honors.
Related: Top NFL free agents of 2024
Darious Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead made it a priority to target cornerback help in NFL free agency. And in reality, he might have gotten the biggest steal on the market. A former member of the Rams from 2018-21, Williams signed a mere three-year, $22.5 million contract. This comes after a 2023 campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars that saw Williams rank second in the NFL with 19 passes defended while yielding a mere 63.9 QB rating when targeted. That’s just great stuff right there.
Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders
We have to give new Commanders general manager Adam Peters credit. He might not have a QB1. That will likely come with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, Peters added a ton of core players to the mix in NFL free agency. Adding a dual-threat in Ekeler on a mere two-year, $8.43 million deal was a boon for the Commanders. It will also help out a young quarterback given that he’s averaging 75 receptions with a 80% catch rate over the past five seasons. That seems good.
Related: NFL free agency tracker
Josh Uche, New England Patriots
Uche, 25, turned down larger offers from other teams in free agency. He ultimately signed a one-year, $3 million contract in order to return to the Patriots. For a still-young edge rusher who racked up 11.5 sacks back in 2022, this is the definition of betting on himself. Sure, Uche only had three sacks a season ago. But he has proven to be productive. A total of $3 million for one year is certainly a steal.
Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
King Henry on the Ravens always seemed to be in the cards. We read the reports ahead of the in-season trade deadline. The idea of teaming this two-time rushing champion up with reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson was too hard for general manager Eric DeCosta to pass up on. The 30-year-old Henry is averaging a whopping 1,659 total yards and 14 touchdowns over the past five seasons. Getting him on a two-year, $16 million contract was a steal.
Related: Most underrated NFL free agents by position
Devin Singletary, New York Giants
The Giants did not want to pony up the necessary cash to retain star running back Saquon Barkley in NFL free agency. Sure, it hurts to lose him to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. But general manager Joe Schoen and Co. added a true value in Singletary on a three-year, $16.5 million contract. Still only 26 years old, Singletary is averaging north of 1,000 total yards at a clip of 4.4 yards per touch in his career. He also has familiarity in Brian Daboll’s offense dating back to their days together with the Buffalo Bills.
Denico Autry, Houston Texans
Danielle Hunter was the big-name signing for Houston in NFL free agency. But it’s impossible to overlook what Autry brings to the table. The underrated veteran recorded 17 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks for the division-rival Tennessee Titans last season. Getting him on a two-year, $20 million contract was absolutely a steal for head coach DeMeco Ryans and Co.
Related: Most overrated NFL free agent by position
