NFL Free Agency Doesn’t Work, Or Does It?

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No one becomes a Super Bowl favorite through NFL Free Agency. Right guys? I mean that doesn’t happen… until it does. Barkley and Cousins headline our delusions.

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

NFL free agency “opened” on Monday. While the league year hadn’t technically begun, the negotiating period opened for teams to sign players to new contracts for 2024 and beyond. That opening came with a flourish. Kirk Cousins, Saquon Barkley, Za’Darius Smith, and Josh Jacobs were just some of the names who agreed to play for new teams in the seasons to come. Does any of it change the NFL pecking order?

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These news items catch our eye because of the change in what we had become used to, but it got us wondering. Do any of these signings from free agency actually mean anything for next season in terms of championship win probability? In other words, has any signing changed a team’s legitimate chance at winning a division, conference, or league title? Does NFL Free Agency actually work?

 

NFL Free Agency Pomp and Circumstance

 

Todd Salem: The Inevitable Regret

Let’s start with Kirk Cousins, since he is the biggest name that was available at the most important position. It wasn’t particularly close after Baker Mayfield re-upped with Tampa Bay. Even Russell Wilson was already scooped up, and he hasn’t been anywhere close to Cousins’ level in three years.

So Cousins is now leading the Atlanta Falcons. This clearly makes the Falcons better. They had a hole at the position, and now they have a solid performer. That’s all Cousins is though; solid. He doesn’t elevate the ceiling of teammates in my opinion. Atlanta is still not a viable contender to win the NFC, right? There are a lot of offensive pieces to like on this squad. But, it just reminds us of Kirk in Minnesota. This isn’t different. And he’s older and coming off a serious injury. Cousins is safer, but I would rather have seen the Falcons roll the dice with trading for Justin Fields’ upside instead. 

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The other huge signings were all big-name running backs. The RB position has been devalued around the league, so it seems rather silly to declare if any new RB signing changed the outcome of a franchise. Obviously, the answer is no in a practical sense. But I am intrigued by a couple guys.

Barkley on the Eagles is fascinating. The Eagles produce quality running backs and a great running game regardless of who is in the backfield. That is the entire point of devaluing the position. But isn’t it possible that Barkley offers something a little more special, a la Christian McCaffrey when he joined San Francisco? 

Phrasing it another way, sure, Philly could be the number one rushing attack in football with just Miles Sanders or D’Andre Swift, but it’s possible Barkley will unleash something more powerful in this offense, even if the stats don’t improve in a technical sense. 

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I do not feel the same way about Josh Jacobs in Green Bay, Tony Pollard in Tennessee, Gus Edwards in Los Angeles, or the aforementioned Swift moving to Chicago. Those are lateral moves at best. I could be talked into Austin Ekeler being a major upgrade for Washington, especially at the reasonable price he signed for. But the Commanders are not yet in a position to compete for titles, so this move doesn’t make a ton of sense in that respect.

Oodles of players still remain unsigned in the early days of the negotiating period. These may not seem like impact players, but each position group plays a role in team success. As always, though, it sure feels like building a team through free agency is not the smartest path to contention.

 

 

Dan Salem: Better is Still a Win

You can’t build a champion through free agency. There have been only two exceptions to this rule and in both cases, the teams were very very close already. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the exceptions. Maybe another hall of fame quarterback will join them, but free agency rarely if ever puts a team over the top. I’ll address the moves in a moment, but first I must enlighten you as to the true success that comes from free agency. It’s the little moves that no one cares about.

When your team is actually strong at its core, the little moves make an enormous difference and oftentimes push teams over the top. I’m not saying it will happen, but the two moves my New York Jets made are perfect. They signed an offensive lineman from Baltimore who started all 19 games for the Ravens last season. New York also signed a stud veteran at backup quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. He brings leadership, experience, and reliability at a position you hope to never need. Those are great free agent moves. Small, but significant.

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As for the moves with name recognition, I’m a fan of the Barkley and Cousins moves, not the others. Will they push each team over the top? Probably not, but they are still good in their own right. It’s been proven fairly easy to draft a solid running back, so I’m not sure why you would pay handsomely for one. Barkley is the exception, because he was very good last season in New York and likely saved the Giants from complete oblivion. He was their entire offense, but now he doesn’t have to be. Barkley on the Eagles is kinda scary. Does it make them the best team in the NFC? Considering they were already second, no, it does not push them ahead of San Francisco.

Cousins pushes Atlanta to the front of the NFC South division race, but does it push them ahead of Tampa Bay? No, it doesn’t. The Falcons defense is still three steps behind what the Buccaneers have, but Cousins does give them consistency and pedigree on offense. It’s a good move for a team that enjoys meandering in the middle of the league.

 

Meet our Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s a published author, as well as an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X and Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a fantasy football and fantasy baseball Staff Writer for RotoBaller. Follow him on X or comment below for his unfiltered opinions.

NFL Free Agency Photo Credits: gpb.org and bigblueview.com via Getty Images

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