Initial grades for 10 of the biggest deals from NFL free agency
By Andrew Falce
Jaguars sign Christian Kirk in NFL free agency
Deal: 4-year, $72 million
Grade: D-
I was nothing short of shocked when I read the details of this deal. While I personally like Christian Kirk’s ability on the field, in no way was he worth 18 million a season. Add in the incentives that could push this deal to 21 million a season and this is a huge overpay for the Jaguars. There isn’t any other way to look at this deal.
Kirk is a good slot receiver that has done well with the Cardinals. He runs sharp routes and has good athleticism to help him win deep. The issue lies in his consistency, as Kirk was never an elite threat for the Cardinals. He has yet to have a single 1000-yard season, a further inditement of paying a player that much money.
18 million a season alone would have been a tough pill to swallow. Add in the fact that this could end up costing the Jaguars up to $21 million a season and this is a hard signing to grade well. The only reason Kirk isn’t getting an F here is because he does hold some value as a player. That said, this was a massive overpay for the Jaguars and has been one of the worst deals in free agency.
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While NFL free agency is far from over, the first day of news breaking has been exciting, to say the least. While some teams got great deals, others vastly overpaid. While no final verdicts can be had until these players actually play, these are my initial grades to ten of the biggest deals handed out on day one of free agency.