Free agency in the NFL is almost always a crapshoot. Signing proven free agents doesn't always equate to on-field success because guys who hit free agency may have a history of injuries, they may be past their prime, or they may have just left a much better situation than they find in free agency.
For every NFL free agent, the grass is always greener, isn't it?
It's usually a better idea to play it safe in free agency and go after the bargains, but that's not always proven to be the case. Some of the best teams in the NFL were assembled with key free agent acquisitions. Still, it's hard not to scoff at some of the moves that were made over the last handful of months. What are the 10 worst moves in NFL free agency in 2024?
Ranking the 10 worst moves in NFL free agency in 2024
10. Titans signing center Lloyd Cushenberry III
The Tennessee Titans made a big move to go after free agent center Lloyd Cushenberry III, the former LSU star who was a third-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2020. Cushenberry struggled badly in his first three NFL seasons before putting it together in his fourth year.
Is it possible that Cushenberry was a late-bloomer in Denver? It's possible. It's also possible that he regresses to what we have seen from him for the majority of his snaps in the NFL, getting completely overpowered at the point of attack and struggling to anchor. The Titans gave him a four-year deal worth $50 million in total money and $30 million in guarantees. It was good to be an interior lineman in this year's market.
9. Falcons signing WR Darnell Mooney
I don't get this move for a variety of reasons. The first reason is the price tag. Darnell Mooney made off like a bandit in free agency with $26 million in total guarantees on a three-year deal that is worth just shy of $40 million in total money.
He hasn't even reached 500 yards receiving since 2021.
There's undoubtedly talent there with Mooney, but the Falcons are also bringing him into a situation in which he's going to steal targets from Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson. This one was weird.