The NFL’s offseason was very front heavy. Between the legal tampering period and the first few official days of the league’s new year, that’s when most of the free agency drama took place. Of course players can still sign with teams, but for now, the chaos has subsided. As we head toward the draft, it’s interesting to look at some of the deals that took place. Ones like Alec Pierce, Jaelan Phillins and Trey Hendrickson, who all signed for over $100 million contracts.
And then there’s the variable of whether it was worth it. Just because you can afford to pay it, doesn’t mean it’s the best option to pay it. Some of these teams are going to realize the financial mistake they made investing in the wrong player; others might realize just how fortunate they were to be patient.
EDGE, Jaelan Phillips, Carolina Panthers
Contract: 4 years, $160 million
The Carolina Panthers needed to upgrade their pass rush badly. I understand why they took a big swing at an EDGE rusher this offseason, but they may have overspent on the wrong guy. Phillips is productive and a good pick up, I just simply think the Panthers overcorrected with the wrong player. He was drafted in 2021 and has yet to record at least one season with at least 10 sacks. On top of that, he had five sacks this past season. This past season was his first full season since 2022.
Phillips is a good addition, I just don’t know if he was worth $40 million a year. That’s the going rate for an elite EDGE rusher, I just don’t know if Phillips was worth it. I could be wrong, but the Panthers might regret this one.
Grade: C
WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Contract: 4 years, $116 million
This might be the worst contract of the entire offseason. Alec Pierce, for as good as he’s been for the Colts, he’s not WR1 in any offense. The Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, seemingly to free up space to pay Daniel Jones. Well it turns out they wanted to believe in Pierce. Again, not a bad option, but not worth $29 million per year. For one, he hasn’t had a season with 50 receptions. He’s gotten better each season, but this feels like it’s too much.
Pierce finished with his first 1,000-plus yard season and has 13 touchdowns over the last two seasons. I just don’t see how Pierce elevates his game to being a true No. 1 receiver, especially with Jones coming off an Achilles injury from last season.
Grade: D
EDGE Trey Hendrickson, Baltimore Ravens
Contract: 4 years, $112 million
This isn’t a bad deal. If we’re being honest, it beats the other option which would have cost them two first round draft picks. They got cold feet and it ultimately worked out with Trey Hendrickson. They may have been forced to pay more than they would have liked, but Hendrickson is one of the best EDGE rushers in the NFL. Though he had a down season, playing in seven games and recording just four sacks, the two previous years he had 17.5 sacks in each season.
Baltimore is staring down the mundane road of championship less football. This is their way of going all in and I have to respect it. There were reports the Ravens wanted both Maxx Crosby and Hendrickson, but settled for Hendrickson. They addressed a major need. I don’t know if it makes them Super Bowl bound, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Grade: B+
EDGE Odafe Oweh, Washington Commanders
Contract: 4 years, $96 million
The Washington Commanders were big spenders in free agency this year. One of those hefty salaries on the books now belongs to Odafe Oweh. This was a big pick up for the Commanders who needed to improve their pass rush badly. A few seasons ago, they traded away the entire defensive line and hadn’t replenished it yet. Oweh is a big move that was costly but worth it. His Annual Average Value (AAV) is $24 million.
Considering Oweh is just 27 years old, that’s not a bad deal. He’ll have to prove he was worth such a massive pay raise, but I don’t think this was too friendly of a deal by the Commanders. Oweh had 7.5 sacks last year in 12 games for the Los Angeles Chargers. He had a career high 10 back in 2024.
Grade: B+
C Tyler Linderbaum, Las Vegas Raiders
Contract: 3 years, $81 million
Las Vegas got a lot of flack for throwing out $27 million a year for a center. Honestly, I respect the move. The Raiders had a lot of cap space to work with and they needed to quickly put this team together and give potential No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza as much of a foundation as possible before he gets there. Yes, that’s steep for a center, but it’s also not a bad move for a team like Vegas.
Linderbaum’s contract is worth nearly $10 million more per year than Creed Humphrey, the next highest paid center. If it works out, nobody’s going to talk about it; if it doesn't, the Raiders’ big gamble didn’t pay off. At least they’re trying to invest in the offensive line, which was one of the worst in the NFL in 2025.
Grade: B
WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Tennessee Titans
Contract: 4 years, $70 million
I don’t think the Tennessee Titans overpaid for Robinson, I just think they chose the wrong receiver to pay that much. The Titans needed an upgrade in their receiver room, but they should have found a better option to pay that money to. Robinson had his first 1,000-yard season this past year, but that was due to Malik Nabers missing most of the season with a torn ACL. Robinson is a great No. 2 option, I don’t think he’s the best option for the Titans. This feels very much like when the Jacksonville Jaguars threw that crazy contract at Christian Kirk.
Just because you need a specific position doesn’t mean you pay top dollar for it. The Titans could have found a better option than giving Robinson all of that money. I could be wrong and he could be the perfect weapon for Cam Ward, but I have a feeling he won’t quite play to his contract.
Grade: C+
WR Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots
Contract: 4 year, $68 million
If you told me Romeo Doubs wouldn’t have the most expensive contract for a receiver before this offseason started, I would have been shocked. The fact that New England was big spenders in terms of upgrading their receiver room isn’t a shock as much as what they were able to get him for. The fact that he’s only averaging $17 million per year is even better for the Patriots. They didn’t want to trade for A.J. Brown so Doubs became the next best option.
He isn’t quite an upgrade from Stefon Diggs, but he’s certainly a better option. Doubs hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season yet, but he’s been a standout receiver on a team that had more receivers than they knew what to do with them. In New England, he’ll be the face of the passing offense. I’d be surprised if the Patriots don’t get their money's worth.
Grade: A
QB Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Contract: 3 years, $67.5 million
The Miami Dolphins were so fed up with Tua Tagovailoa that they were willing to take on a nearly $100 million dead cap hit just to end the Tagovailoa era. Now Malik Willis is in charge of the Dolphins offense and it certainly an upgrade. Taking into account Willis’ familiarity with new coach Jeff Hafley, it was the best choice for a replacement. Considering Willis is a quarterback and one of the best in the free agency market, getting him for $22 million per year isn’t bad.
This isn’t quite the prove it deal some other quarterbacks similar to Willis have gotten in the past, but at $22 million a year, if he proves to be the answer under center the Dolphins have been seeking, he’ll get the pay raise he deserves. For now, Miami should be happy with landing the best free agent quarterback in this year’s cycle.
Grade: A-
EDGE Boye Mafe, Cincinnati Bengals
Contract: 3 years, $60 million
The Cincinnati Bengals have desperately needed to address their defense. This offseason that should be their only goal. That started with adding Boye Mafe. It cost them quite a bit, but in the end it will be worth it as long as they continue to add to this decrepit defense. This is a steep price for a player that hasn’t had double-digit sacks in a season yet. The move was cheaper than bringing back Trey Hendrickson so maybe they’re content with bringing in Mafe for the price they did.
This is the first of many moves the Bengals need to make to save Joe Burrow. If they don’t continue to invest in this defense, adding Mafe would be a waste. But if he’s a piece of a complete overhaul, the Bengals might just have something brewing.
Grade: B-
CB Jaylen Watson, Los Angeles Rams
Contract: 3 years, $51 million
The Los Angeles Rams were focused on replenishing their cornerback room and they did it with former Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs. First they traded for Trent McDuffie and then gave him a lucrative extension while also signing Watson. His $17 million per year doesn’t look as crazy as the $51 million number, but it’s still a lot to invest in one position when you look at McDuffie’s four year, $124 million extension, which will kick in after the 2026 season.
The Rams are probably going to regret one or both of those contracts because that’s almost $50 million per year for two players in the same position. If the Rams have the NFL’s top defense and go on a Super Bowl run then it absolutely would be worth it. But if they come up short of a deep playoff run, then they could look back and realize maybe they overcorrected.