The NFL free agency flurry has died down, and now teams are firmly concentrated on the draft next month. Some teams made big improvements this offseason by adding new players, including the Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders and New York Giants, who spent more than $100 million.
The Denver Broncos lost a number of important players, including Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, but the Super Bowl champions should still be playoff bound in 2016. The Cleveland Browns sat back and lost Travis Benjamin and Alex Mack, but the team did bring in Robert Griffin III at the quarterback position, and that should be an improvement over Johnny Manziel.
There were a ton of moves in NFL free agency. Here is a look at some of the best (and one of the worst):
Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
Miller was considered to be the best running back available this offseason, and now he will take over as the starter for the Texans. Houston had a major need at the position with Arian Foster getting released, and now the team has one of the fastest players in the NFL on the roster. The four-year, $26 million deal is not too much for a player that will be 25 when the season starts. Miller did not get much wear and tear while playing in Miami, and now he has the chance to be a true workhorse. Over the last two seasons Miller has combined for nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
Robert Griffin III, Cleveland Browns
While Griffin did not succeed in Washington with the Redskins, he has the chance to turn things around in Cleveland. Griffin has a head coach in Hue Jackson who will be looking to put him in successful situations, and being in Cleveland, expectations are not very high. Griffin is on a two-year "show me" contract after the way things went in Washington, and RG3 could be motivated to prove all the doubters wrong. The two-year, $15 million contract that Griffin signed is not expensive, and it makes this a worthy risk for the Browns. This is a low-risk, high-upside move for the team that could pay off.
Alfred Morris, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys' signing of Morris was one of the best bargains in free agency. The team had a need at the position with Darren McFadden the only true option at running back, and the team weakened a division opponent in taking Morris from the Redskins. The contract at two years, $3.5 million is nothing for the Cowboys, and there is a good chance that Morris will be productive this season. While Morris was coming off his worst year with the Redskins, he should fit in well with McFadden as a one-two punch for quarterback Tony Romo. The contract numbers on this deal make it a very solid move for Dallas.
Olivier Vernon, New York Giants
Vernon was overpaid by the New York Giants, but this is one time that paying a high price could be worth it in the long run. The Giants desperately needed to revamp their pass rush after the way it performed last season, and giving Vernon $85 million was one way to do that. Vernon was worth the risk due to his age and skillset. The defensive lineman is just 25, meaning he will be with the Giants during the prime years of his career. Vernon put up 14 sacks over the past two seasons combined, and the G-Men are hoping that number increases.
Worst Move: Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars
This is more about the situation than anything else. The Jaguars had money to spend, and they need to overpay to bring players to Jacksonville, but Ivory may not have been the player to do that with. While Ivory had a solid season with the Jets last year, the running back is nearing 30 and his five-year contract worth $32.5 million will look worse and worse each season. The team also has Denard Robinson and TJ Yeldon, making the running back position not a main area of need. Ivory could end up having a productive career in Jacksonville, but paying more than $30 million for him likely will make this one of the worst free agent moves of 2016.
