NFL Free Agency is always a cautionary tale. Players reach free agency every year for a variety of reasons, but every player on the market comes with a "buyer beware" tag, at least to varying degrees. Teams that are the most desperate usually end up spending the most in NFL Free Agency, and how often does that really work out?
Looking back at the 2023 NFL season, a number of big-money free agents obviously didn't work out well for the teams they signed with. Maybe injuries played a factor, maybe the fit wasn't right, or maybe some of these free agents simply felt the grass would be greener away from their previous situation.
Who were the top three biggest NFL Free Agency busts in the 2023 season? Let's take a look at an unfortunate list...
1. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Contract: 3 years, $72.75 million, $45M guaranteed
The Las Vegas Raiders were obviously hoping to lure Tom Brady to Sin City in 2023 as more than just a potential part-owner of the team. I think Josh McDaniels's master plan upon alienating franchise QB Derek Carr at the end of the 2022 season was to bring in Brady in 2023 free agency, but that obviously didn't turn out to be the case.
Brady officially retired, and with the bridge between Carr already burned, the Raiders had to turn to a backup plan. It was a familiar backup plan for former head coach Josh McDaniels, who may have been curious to see what a veteran Jimmy Garoppolo could do in his offense as the primary starter.
The Raiders gave Garoppolo a whopping $45 million in guaranteed money, a very risky move considering Garoppolo's lengthy injury history.
Garopplo ended up being a total bust with the Raiders, posting his lowest QB rating as a pro at 77.7 and throwing seven touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. He effectively played just six games for the Raiders as well, and $45 million for just six games? Yikes.
2. Dre'Mont Jones, DL, Seattle Seahawks
Contract: 3 years, $51.53 million, $30M guaranteed
The Seattle Seahawks set out in the 2023 offseason to upgrade a problem area of their team from the 2022 season -- the defensive line. Based on how well Dre'Mont Jones played as a member of the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks seemed to be making an outstanding deal here in free agency.
Getting Jones for close to $17 million in average annual value seemed like a fair price to pay for someone the Seahawks expected to impact every play on the interior defensive line. They gave him $30 million in guarantees on top of that, so Jones obviously was the prized addition for Seattle in the 2023 offseason.
After the 2023 regular season, some Seahawks fans were wondering if the team would realistically be able to cut ties and get out of the contract with Jones and not cripple the salary cap.
No Dre’Mont Jones
— Dan Viens 🎙 (Seahawks Forever Podcast) (@SeahawksForever) December 10, 2023
$51 million rotational player. https://t.co/bgeKYbVzTv
Frustration with Jones boiled over throughout the course of the season despite him posting a career-best 12 QB hits. The Seahawks were so displeased with the way the defensive line was playing overall that they made a mid-season blockbuster deal for veteran Leonard Williams.
Needless to say, it wasn't a great first year in Seattle for Dre'Mont Jones even if the numbers say otherwise.
3. Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets
Contract: 4 years, $44 million, $22 million guaranteed
The New York Jets were trying to become the East Coast version of the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 offseason. The acquisition of Aaron Rodgers was obviously the centerpiece, but the Jets allowed Rodgers to add just about anyone he wanted among his group of available buddies, and that list included wide receiver Allen Lazard.
Lazard had been a nice secondary option for the Green Bay Packers the last handful of seasons, and certainly developed nicely as a former undrafted free agent.
The Jets paid Lazard $22 million in cash to come join Rodgers in New York, and he did absolutely nothing in 2023.
He caught 23 passes for 311 yards and one touchdown. The Jets desperately needed playmakers on the offensive side to step up, and Lazard just couldn't do it. He had four drops on the year and a catch percentage of just 46.9 percent.
Robert Saleh on the benching of Allen Lazard:
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) November 25, 2023
“He’s gonna be here for the next year-and-a-half.”
Lazard signed a 4-year, $44M deal with $22M guaranteed meaning the #Jets can cut ties with Lazard after next season. Saleh basically just confirmed that Lazard is gone after next… pic.twitter.com/T8SAQWJOVA
Robert Saleh was obviously not pleased with the performance of Lazard in 2023 and you could say that Lazard is effectively on thin ice going into his second year with the team.