Jump to content

Your 3 worst free agent signings of your favorite team of all-time?


Steelersfan43

Recommended Posts

On 3/20/2023 at 7:32 AM, diamondbull424 said:

At first I thought you were thoroughly confused, but I suppose you’re commenting on him signing his record deal and crippling the team to mediocrity?

I don’t disagree, but I think the spirit of the thread is free agents that weren’t home grown.

Your first two certainly came to mind for me as well. I’ll go:

1. Elvis Grbac- Sucked and was hyped to be the guy to finally solve our QB woes.

2. Lee Evans- No durability and then dropped a crucial TD that would’ve put our “destiny team” above the Pats with little time left in the game. Might’ve completed the run a year early.

3. Earl Thomas- Was a prick, talked a big game, embarrassed the squad, cost a penny, and then got used as Henry’s FB come playoff time.

HM: Billy Cundiff- Wide left, only reason he’s not higher is he’s a kicker, he was actually pretty good the year prior, and as a kicker the mistake didn’t cost much monetarily.

Absolutely crazy how fast Thomas went from elite safety to untouchable to all teams.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure if I can come up with three, but Ray Edwards for the Falcons jumps out as one. After a pair of 8 sacks seasons for the Vikings, the Falcons signed him to a pretty big deal (at the time). He ended up having 3.5 sacks over 1.5 seasons before getting cut mid season. Never played another down in the NFL. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few Lions ones that stand out to me:

Az-Zahir Hakim, 2002: Slot receiver from the Greatest Show on Turf Rams who they somehow thought was going to step in as a #1

Chuck Darby, 2008: Lions in the midst of their worst ever period, had nothing at DT whatsoever, Rod Marinelli billed Darby as a "war daddy" like he was going to anchor the defense. Darby was God-awful, 0-16 soon followed

Damon Harrison, 2018/Danny Shelton, 2020 (tie): DTs brought in to fill the massive void left by losing Suh, Nick Fairley, A'Shawn Robinson and passing on Aaron Donald. Harrison tried for about 8 games and gave up, Shelton was just a useless lump from the get.

Edited by Superduperman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Travis Henry, RB- dude was good for 4 games. Signed a 5 year deal that was big at the time. He ended up being Antonio cromartied' for his money and did some hard time in the pokie.

 

Ja'Wuan James: was supposed to solidify our RT spot that was a turnstile for years. Opted out because of the bat flu and had 2 season ending injuries. Softest offensive lineman I've ever seen on a football field. Surprising because he seemed good with Miami.


Daryl Gardner: signed him in 2003 for 7 years 35 million. He played 5 games and then was released for conduct detrimental to the team. 

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/21/2023 at 2:43 PM, Malfatron said:

Some that jump out to me

1. Hardy Nickerson. 0 in the tank

2. Jim Mcmahon. Insane to give him a ring for doing nothing

3. Devin Funchess. Not number 1 WR caliber

 

Jimmy Graham - Couldn't get open, played volleyball with passes.  We cut Jordy Nelson for that guy.

Martellus Bennett - Sucked as bad as Graham, then faked an injury, then said everyone was racist after he was released.  

I think it was Joe Johnson that Sherman payed a bunch of money because he drafted Jamaal Reynolds and he busted.  That was not good. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick list from recent memory,

Cody Parkey - sign a kicker to a multi year deal and he suddenly can't stop hitting the uprights on his first year.  And then costs you a playoff win w/ the double doink, this was epically bad.

Frank Omiyale - was brought in to solve tackle issues, was really bad.

Lamarr Houston - tore his acl celebrating one of his 9 career sacks as a Bear

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/26/2023 at 1:40 AM, ThatJerkDave said:

Jimmy Graham - Couldn't get open, played volleyball with passes.  We cut Jordy Nelson for that guy.

Martellus Bennett - Sucked as bad as Graham, then faked an injury, then said everyone was racist after he was released.  

I think it was Joe Johnson that Sherman payed a bunch of money because he drafted Jamaal Reynolds and he busted.  That was not good. 

Good list - Joe Johnson was the only one I could think of, but I had forgotten how mediocre Graham was and what a crapshow Bennett decided to turn things into. 

 

The upside to GB not often making splashy FA signings is that they don't often have raging FA busts, either. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VIKINGS

1. Fred Smoot - MN media market touted him as our new shutdown CB, partially due to him talking a huge assf game. He didn't even last a season, being benched for a 2nd round rookie. Was the cover man for our most infamous moment: the Loveboat.

2a/b. Donovan McNabb/Josh Freeman - Two QB's with immense talent who, after Favre, we decided were two more stones we wouldn't leave unturned. McNabb was a moderately hyped addition whose tenure was so forgetaable and short that it felt like a fever dream. Freeman was admittedly a midseason pickup, but the one game he played for us was so awful all-around that it's a shame only this play became a meme (many others could have as well):

josh-freeman-the-king-of-the-overthrow

He received #12 in a number swap with our punter (Jeff Locke). After Freeman's stint, that punter should have kicked Josh's fass and ripped the numbers off his sorry assf jersey.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/25/2023 at 8:08 PM, BullsandBroncos said:

Travis Henry, RB- dude was good for 4 games. Signed a 5 year deal that was big at the time. He ended up being Antonio cromartied' for his money and did some hard time in the pokie.

 

Ja'Wuan James: was supposed to solidify our RT spot that was a turnstile for years. Opted out because of the bat flu and had 2 season ending injuries. Softest offensive lineman I've ever seen on a football field. Surprising because he seemed good with Miami.


Daryl Gardner: signed him in 2003 for 7 years 35 million. He played 5 games and then was released for conduct detrimental to the team. 

These might be the worst ones. In particular, Ja'Wuan James might be the worst FA signing I can remember. The dude absolutely sabotaged you guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/21/2023 at 1:04 PM, JaguarCrazy2832 said:

Jerry Porter

Drayton Florence

Aaron Ross

Hugh Douglas

I'm sure there are more that were worse

Aaron Ross was definitely a rough one. Many teams fall victim to the trap of signing a good player from a Super Bowl winning team to a great player contract, so that isn't that embarrassing. What is embarrassing is when he came back to the Giants and called his time in Jacksonville a "nice paid vacation".

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, minutemancl said:

Aaron Ross was definitely a rough one. Many teams fall victim to the trap of signing a good player from a Super Bowl winning team to a great player contract, so that isn't that embarrassing. What is embarrassing is when he came back to the Giants and called his time in Jacksonville a "nice paid vacation".

Yea the vacation comment pissed me off, like I get that you went there because the $ was so good but then you just dogged it? Pitiful 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...