5 worst signings of NFL free agency so far

4. Nate Solder to the Giants

Nate Solder was the top left tackle on the market by a wide margin, so why is he on the list? For starters, he’s a good player, but not an elite one. The New York Giants were desperate to upgrade an offensive line that was awful last year, and is losing its two best players in Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg.

Solder is turning 30 years old in April, making the argument easy that his best years are in the past. Paying someone four years and $62 million should be reserved for a phenomenal player entering his prime, not a veteran going into his third contract. The Giants do upgrade the left side because Ereck Flowers is a glorified road cone, but the price was very steep.

If there’s another reason to get on the case of general manager Dave Gettleman, it’s available cap space. The Giants have just over $18 million, and after Solder is made official, New York will be looking at paying their draft class and not much else. If New York was a player away from competing for a Super Bowl, that would be one thing. However, the Giants are multiple impact players away from being respectable.

New York ended up with a huge upgrade at left tackle, but the price was large for a player with dwindling abilities.