Anyone who has gone shopping for Christmas gifts knows the value of a bargain. So do NFL teams. With how much organizations have to pay their top players, every single successful team has to find a handful of players who exceed expectations and outplay their contracts in a given season.
The most common way to do that is to draft talented prospects and develop them into impactful players while they're on their rookie deals. Brock Purdy is going to win the MVP award, and he's making $870,000 this season. Puka Nacua might be a first-team All-Pro wide receiver, and he's on the books for a base salary of $750,000. As long as the league is scaling rookie deals, cost-controlled young talent is going to underpin every successful franchise.
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Let's focus on the players who aren't just bargains because they're locked into low-cost contracts. It's harder to find veterans on the open market who can contribute for less than what other teams are paying for experienced players at those same positions. Finding those players can be transformative for your team; think about how the Eagles got superstar play out of cornerback James Bradberry last season, or how the Chiefs relied on Jerick McKinnon as a receiving threat down the stretch a year ago.
As I watched the games in Week 16, I kept noticing veteran bargains making plays and impacting games, and that led me to build a roster. Leaving aside players on rookie deals (so no Purdy or Nacua, among many others), undrafted free agents who aren't eligible for unrestricted free agency (which counts out Ivan Pace) and players on tenders (such as Bryce Huff) to strictly focus on players whose contracts were negotiable, I built a team of veteran bargains for the 2023 season. You probably can guess where it starts:
Jump to a position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | O-line
D-line | LB | CB | S | K/P
Quarterback
Joe Flacco, Browns
Contract: One year, $2.5 million
For a Browns team on second- and third-string tackles that can't run the ball and doesn't have the speed to scare opposing defenses, Flacco has been a godsend. Having a quarterback who can read the full field, work deep into his progression and make any throw has been a major upgrade on what Cleveland previously had under center this season. If Flacco was simply a live arm, that would have been an exciting addition.
Instead, while he has thrown too many interceptions, he has otherwise been a revelation. Thirty-eight-year-old quarterbacks who were on the couch for most of the fall aren't supposed to be able to move functionally and extend plays the way Flacco did Sunday. Did you see him boot left and hit Amari Cooper for that 75-yard touchdown against the Texans? On the move over the last month, Flacco is 14-of-23 for 169 yards with two touchdowns. He's 12-of-18 for 193 yards and two scores working outside the pocket.
When Kevin Stefanski coaxed career seasons at the time out of Kirk Cousins (who has had better years since) and Baker Mayfield, his offenses were play-action heavy. And since Flacco took over the offense, guess who has broken down defenses off play-fakes? Flacco is 34-of-50 for 677 yards with six touchdowns and one interception on play-action over the past month. The only quarterback using play-action more often is Gardner Minshew, whose offense is built on a bedrock of run-pass options.
Is Flacco perfect? Of course not. There are at least a couple of passes per game that are almost inexplicable arm-punts, and they often lead to interceptions. When the tradeoff is passes like this one against the Bears, though, you'll take it. Sunday was Flacco's best game with the organization, and it looks like he might be getting better as he grows more comfortable with this offense and vice versa. It seems impossible the Jets waited to bench Zach Wilson until the day Flacco signed with the Browns. Next week, the longtime Ravens starter will have his chance to show the Jets they made the wrong choice.
Running back
Raheem Mostert, Dolphins
Contract: Two years, $5.6 million
While Tyreek Hill understandably has received plenty of attention for a historically efficient season, Mostert has grown into an essential player for the Miami offense. After Mike McDaniel wasn't willing to give the oft-injured back 20 carries in a game last season, Mostert has had three 20-plus-carry games over the past six weeks. In Sunday's win over the Cowboys, a game in which Mostert left before returning, it was telling that Miami gave him a series of carries immediately after he came back for the second half.
As exciting as De'Von Achane has been when healthy, Mostert has been an essential player to unlocking the rushing attack. Last season, Dolphins backs ranked last in the league in rush yards over expectation per carry (RYOE), according to NFL Next Gen Stats, suggesting they were set up with opportunities to succeed, only to come up short. This season, with Mostert shouldering the heaviest load, the Dolphins rank No. 1 in the same metric. After they mustered a single run of only 30 yards or more all season a year ago, he has three by himself this season.
And the touchdowns! The Dolphins have jumped from 10th in red zone touchdown rate to third, and Mostert's league-leading 18 rushing touchdowns have been a big reason. He has a league-high 20 attempts inside the 5-yard line, but he has converted those 20 attempts into 12 scores, for a 60% touchdown rate. The average back is converting about 36% of their carries inside the 5. He also caught two touchdown passes in that area, including the opener on Sunday.
Devin Singletary, Texans
Contract: One year, $2.8 million
Singletary was supposed to be the change-of-pace back behind Dameon Pierce in Houston, but after the second-year back failed to impress the new staff during a slow start to the season, Singletary has taken the job for himself. Since Week 10, the former Bills back has carried the ball 114 times for 546 yards and three scores, averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry. Singletary never was given the opportunity to get featured back work in Buffalo, but he has three games with 20-plus carries and 100-plus rushing yards over that stretch, including 170 yards from scrimmage in the Week 15 win over the Titans.
Singletary set up that overtime victory with a 41-yard catch, but outside of a couple of big plays as a receiver, the Texans have taken to using him as a pure runner as opposed to his former role as a receiving back. (Singletary had a 27-yard screen called back for a hold during Sunday's loss to the Browns.) He has been up to the task, posting a positive RYOE and a roughly average first down over expectation mark. It has gone under the radar as C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell have rightfully earned plaudits, but Singletary has been a valuable piece in the wildly entertaining Houston offense.
Wide receiver
Amari Cooper, Browns
Contract: Five years, $100 million
OK, $20 million a year isn't anybody's idea of a bargain, but the way the Browns acquired Cooper has to be considered a heist. Remember, the Cowboys were about to release Cooper before the 2022 free agent window began, only for the Browns to cut the line and acquire Cooper by sending a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-rounders to Dallas. The Cowboys used those picks on Matt Waletzko and Devin Harper; Waletzko has played just three games, and Harper is with the Bengals.
Cooper, meanwhile, continues to make Dallas look foolish. Sunday's incredible 265-yard effort bumped Cooper up to eighth in the league in receiving yards (2,410) since the start of 2022, and that's while playing with five different quarterbacks. He has averaged 2.4 yards per route run over that stretch, which is right behind Davante Adams and Chris Olave and ahead of Cooper Kupp and Deebo Samuel.
Like Flacco, Cooper isn't perfect. He has dropped 14 passes over the past two seasons, more than any other player. He doesn't have breakaway speed, and he's not going to torch the opposing team's top cornerback. As a big wideout who can play any spot in the lineup, win with his route running and catch 50-50 balls, though, he's still a very useful wide receiver. The Browns certainly are happy the Cowboys were willing to let him leave for a Day 3 pick.
Kalif Raymond, Lions
Contract: Two years, $5 million (he starts a two-year, $10.5 million extension next year)
As the Lions have added more talent under Dan Campbell, Raymond has dropped down the depth chart and moved from being a starting wide receiver into a third or fourth option who primarily serves as the punt returner. He hasn't been quite as impressive on special teams as he was a year ago, when he ended up as the second-team All-Pro return man, but the 29-year-old is having a notably efficient season when Detroit uses him in the passing game.
Raymond is averaging 2.1 yards per route run across approximately 14 routes per game, which ranks 31st among wideouts. That's solid work, but ESPN's Receiver Tracking Metrics like him even more. Raymond has an 80 open score this season, which is tied with DeAndre Hopkins for 10th among all receivers. The guys ahead of him are all superstars. I doubt Raymond would have Hopkins-esque performance if he was moved into the lead role again, but having a very good returner who can also get open as a backup wideout for $2.5 million is really useful for any team.
Tight end
Jonnu Smith, Falcons
Contract: Two years, $10 million
Smith is making $3.5 million this year as part of a restructured contract after being traded to the Falcons for the 245th pick in April's draft. The Patriots signed Smith to a massive deal in 2021 after Bill Belichick had previously talked him up as the best yards-after-catch tight end in football, then barely used him in the passing attack, with Smith running about 10 routes per game. He had just 539 receiving yards over two seasons before being dumped on the Falcons.
While his success often has come at the expense of Kyle Pitts, Smith has been a useful cog in an oft-frustrating Falcons offense. He has caught 47 passes for 553 yards, topping his two-season total with the Pats before even finishing the 2023 campaign. The veteran is averaging nearly 9.0 yards per target and 1.9 yards per route run, with the latter figure ranking seventh among tight ends. Plus, he can block! I wouldn't want to build the entire offense around him, but as a big-play target off of leak and play-action concepts, Smith has been a valuable contributor.
Offensive tackle
George Fant, Texans
Contract: One year, $3 million
In 2021, Fant was surprisingly effective for the Jets while filling in for the injured Mekhi Becton. He wasn't as good in 2022 and didn't have a preexisting relationship with Aaron Rodgers, so the Jets let him leave in free agency. Fant was on the market until late July, when he signed a one-year deal with the Texans and was expected to back up past first-round picks Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard.
Instead, Fant started the season filling in for an injured Howard at right tackle and never looked back. He was so effective that Houston instead chose to move Howard to left guard upon Howard's return before the deposed tackle suffered another injury. Before missing most of the past two weeks with a hip injury, Fant had been a key blocker for C.J. Stroud and rated as above average by ESPN's pass block win rate metric. As for the Jets, well, he's another player from the 2022 roster who would have been useful to keep around for 2023.
Kendall Lamm, Dolphins
Contract: One year, $1.3 million
When the Dolphins signed Terron Armstead, they knew the former Saints left tackle was likely to miss time with injuries. Having a plan to survive when Armstead inevitably went down was going to be essential. When Armstead got hurt last season, however, the Dolphins' offense disintegrated. If I had known Armstead would be ruled out for the opener against the Chargers and miss six of the first eight games this season, I would have worried about Tua Tagovailoa's ability to stay healthy.
Instead, the Dolphins thrived without Armstead, and Lamm was one of the biggest reasons for it. Put on an island to protect Tagovailoa, Lamm has ranked average or better by both pass block and run block win rate while making a little over the veteran minimum. Over the past three weeks, he has started at left tackle, come in on the fly for an injured Austin Jackson at right tackle and then started again at right tackle during Sunday's win over the Cowboys.
Remember: The right tackle is Tagovailoa's blind side, making Lamm's ability to switch sides and maintain his level of play even more essential. Facing arguably the league's most devastating pass rush, Tagovailoa was sacked once on 38 dropbacks. The Dolphins don't do that without Lamm.
Guard
Greg Van Roten, Raiders
Contract: One year, $1.6 million
Here's the last in a series of former Jets on the offensive side of the ball. The Jets cut Van Roten in May 2022, and he was a backup with the Bills last season. Signed to a one-year deal by the Raiders in the offseason, he projected as depth behind Dylan Parham and Alex Bars. When the Raiders decided to cut Bars at the end of camp, Van Roten, 33, surprisingly entered the lineup as a Week 1 starter.
He held the job and didn't let go; he played virtually every snap before getting some rest in garbage time during Vegas's 63-21 win over the Chargers last week. ESPN's blocking data has loved this work; the veteran ranks in the top 20 among guards in both pass block and run block win rate. At the very least, he has been a solid starting guard for a team that doesn't have many cost-controlled options on either side of the ball. It hasn't been a great season for the Raiders, but they have another bargain we'll get to on the opposite side of the field a little later.
Dalton Risner, Vikings
Contract: One year, $3 million
Some of these guys were free agents late into the offseason, but Risner is one of the few who was a free agent as the season began. He eventually signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in September before learning the playbook and moving into the starting lineup in Week 7 against the 49ers.
Since then, his 96.5% pass block win rate ranks third among guards, trailing only Joe Thuney and Joel Bitonio, who are two of the highest-paid players at the position. Risner can still get overpowered at times, but he's a capable pass blocker and a much-needed source of stability for Minnesota in a season in which it has had to cycle through options at quarterback and running back. I don't think he'll have to wait until September to sign a contract next year.
Center
Graham Glasgow, Lions
Contract: One year, $2.8 million
I'm cheating a bit, since Glasgow has spent most of his time at guard this season and is best known as a guard from his first stint with Detroit. After injuries and coaching changes helped tank a big-money deal with the Broncos, though, he has come back and been another essential player for a team that has battled injuries up front.
Glasgow, 31, was signed to compete with Halapoulivaati Vaitai at guard, but after playing just 19 snaps over the first two weeks of the season, injuries and superior play have led Glasgow to play every snap since. He has filled in at both guard spots and played 180 snaps at center while replacing the injured Frank Ragnow. With Vaitai on injured reserve, Glasgow should keep the right guard job for the remainder of the season. Detroit's identity is built around controlling the line of scrimmage on offense, and during a season in which their star tackles have been disappointing and the interior of the line has battled injuries, Glasgow has picked up the pieces and helped keep the line afloat.
Defensive line
Jadeveon Clowney, Ravens
Contract: One year, $2.5 million
There are a half dozen Ravens veterans who could appear on the defensive side of this column. Clowney is the most obvious pick. After a two-sack season and a messy divorce with the Browns a year ago, the 2014 No. 1 pick sat in the free agent market until August, when he signed a one-year deal with Baltimore. A Ravens team that was set to start Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo as its primary pass-rushers needed a veteran to add to the mix.
Clowney has been the team's best edge rusher. He has 7.5 sacks and 17 knockdowns before getting to Monday night's game against the 49ers, while his 36 initial pressures are tied for 20th in the league. He has done that while playing a rotational role; the only players who have more pressures on fewer pass-rushing opportunities than Clowney are Texans rookie Will Anderson Jr. and Nik Bonitto of the Broncos. There is not a team in football that wouldn't benefit from having Clowney in its pass-rush rotation for $2.5 million.
Leonard Floyd, Bills
Contract: One year, $7 million
A cap casualty with the Rams, Floyd's 29 sacks over three seasons in Los Angeles were explained in part by the presence of Aaron Donald, who makes life easier for every edge rusher around him. Floyd lasted in the market until June before signing a one-year deal with the Bills, who needed help with Von Miller limited to start the season.
Miller has yet to play 50% of the snaps in a game this season and doesn't have a sack, so Floyd has been essential as the third player in Buffalo's edge-rushing rotation alongside Greg Rousseau and AJ Epenesa. While his most notable moment might have been getting stuck on the field as the 12th man on defense and giving the Broncos a second chance at what would become a game-winning field goal in November, he has racked up 10.5 sacks and 19 knockdowns while playing just over half of the defensive snaps. He earned a $1 million incentive when he picked up his 10th sack of the season in the blowout victory of the Cowboys in Week 15.
Denico Autry, Titans
Contract: Three years, $21.5 million
In the final year of his deal, Autry, 33, is taking home a little more than $7 million between his base salary and per-game roster bonuses. And while most defensive tackles are winding down as they hit their mid-30s, Autry somehow appears to be hitting new heights. He has a career-high 11.5 sacks to go with 12 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback knockdowns. He's also a contributor to what has been the league's best run defense over the past two seasons, keeping up for Tennessee even while star teammate Jeffery Simmons has been sidelined by a season-ending knee injury.
What Autry has done over his three seasons in Tennessee is not normal. He now has 28.5 sacks between his age-31, age-32 and age-33 seasons. That's tied for 13th alongside stars such as Cameron Jordan and John Randle since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. The difference is that those guys were dominant pass-rushers in their 20s. Autry had a couple of solid seasons on the interior with the Colts, but he had 30.5 sacks over seven seasons from age 24 to 30 and might top that mark over the ensuing three seasons. NFL players typically don't get better after they turn 30, but he appears to be the exception. He has been underrated for years now.
Kyle Van Noy, Ravens
Contract: One year, $1.4 million
When Van Noy didn't start the season on an NFL roster, it was fair to wonder whether the 32-year-old linebacker's career was over. He had changed teams each of the three prior offseasons, with his role and snap count diminishing each time. With two Super Bowl victories and more than $40 million in career earnings, he had nothing left to prove.
Then the Ravens called. Van Noy was on the couch on Sept. 22. By Oct. 22, he was wrecking shop against the Lions with a two-sack, two-TFL game. Moving almost entirely toward the pass-rushing end of the equation as an edge rusher after playing in a hybrid role as an off-ball linebacker with the Patriots, he has six sacks and seven knockdowns in 11 games. He's generating a pressure once every 9.8 pass-rush opportunities; that's in line with what Nick Bosa has done in a bigger sample with the 49ers this season.
Van Noy obviously benefits from playing in a scheme that maximizes his strengths under coordinator Mike Macdonald, but again: The Ravens have built a dominant pass rush with excellent zone pressure concepts, Justin Madubuike and guys anybody could have had in July when camps opened.
Linebackers
Andrew Van Ginkel, Dolphins
Contract: One year, $2.7 million
Playing alternately as an edge rusher and an off-ball linebacker, all Van Ginkel seems to do is make plays for the Dolphins. He had solid underlying pass-rush metrics in 2021, when he racked up four sacks and 20 knockdowns, but the Dolphins continued to add players to take his role there. Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb all consigned Van Ginkel to more work as a linebacker.
The Dolphins were moving him back off the ball earlier this season, only for Phillips' season-ending Achilles injury to push him back into a pass-rushing role. He immediately responded with a pick-six and two knockdowns in the win over the Commanders, then added four pressures, 1.5 sacks and 10 tackles in Sunday's win over the Cowboys. Van Ginkel ranks 22nd in pass rush win rate and is a critical player as Miami tries to win with its defense down the stretch.
Quincy Williams, Jets
Contract: Three years, $18 million
You know you're good when you start a contract extension and still end up on the bargain list. Waived by Urban Meyer at the end of training camp in 2021, Williams landed with the Jets, perhaps in part because his brother is star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. After one week as an inactive, he was in the starting lineup by Week 2 and hasn't really looked back since. He was a pleasant surprise in 2021, a standout in 2022 and has been All-Pro-caliber this season.
New York's excellent pass rush naturally helps its coverage units, but Williams' speed and range in coverage gives the team authority over the middle of the field. His second interception of the season came in Sunday's win against the Commanders on a play in which he was tasked to handle wide receiver Curtis Samuel in coverage. He was in position to make a play even before Samuel slipped, but by the time the ball arrived, he had already jumped over the fallen Samuel and was closing on the ball. In a league in which top off-ball linebackers push $20 million per season, Williams getting $6 million per season is absurd.
Robert Spillane, Raiders
Contract: Two years, $7 million
Yet another veteran linebacker imported to try to solve a problem that has flummoxed the Raiders seemingly for generations, Spillane has turned into a fun playmaker. The former Steelers backup wasn't able to consistently push for regular playing time with Pittsburgh, so my initial expectations were that Spillane would see some combination of special teams duty and rotation linebacker work for his new team.
Instead, even before interim coach Antonio Pierce took over the team, Spillane, 28, had emerged as a difference-maker. Spillane had two picks in the October victory over the Packers, then added a third in the win over the Jets. Spillane forced his first fumble of the season in the blowout victory over the Chargers, and he has begun to look imposing as a blitzer, with 2.5 sacks over his last six games. Suddenly, Spillane looks like a much-needed building block for the Raiders on defense.
Cornerback
Ahkello Witherspoon, Rams
Contract: One year, $1.1 million
The Rams went 1-for-1 in free agent signings this offseason! I'm mostly joking, but during a spring in which they almost entirely sat out veteran free agency, Witherspoon was the one veteran they did add to the defense, as he signed a one-year deal for the minimum in late-June. After Witherspoon flamed out in Seattle without ever playing a snap and became a cap casualty in Pittsburgh, moving to an L.A. team restarting on defense gave him his best chance of starting in 2023.
The Rams have surprised in part because Witherspoon has thrived. Pro Football Reference's data suggests Witherspoon has allowed a 66.4 passer rating in coverage, which would rank 14th among all cornerbacks. Next Gen Stats have Witherspoon generating minus-15.7 expected points added (EPA) for opposing offenses in coverage, good for 10th among corners. Landing that for just over a million bucks, especially given the issues the Rams have had elsewhere in the secondary, is a success story for coordinator Raheem Morris and general manager Les Snead.
Arthur Maulet, Ravens
Contract: One year, $1.1 million
It's our third and final Ravens defender. Maulet, 30, is a journeyman who contributes on special teams and got most of his playing time seeing snaps at corner and safety for some very bad Jets defenses in 2019 and 2020. He spent two seasons with the Steelers before joining the Ravens in late July amid an injury crunch at cornerback. Marlon Humphrey, Trayvon Mullen, Rock Ya-Sin and Jalyn Armour-Davis were all supposed to play ahead of Maulet. The Ravens were even comfortable enough to plan on moving third-year corner Brandon Stephens to safety.
Well, all of those guys got hurt. Stephens has played corner all season. Maulet has played 41% of the defensive snaps, but what he has done on those plays has been stunning. He has allowed a 65.3 passer rating in coverage, narrowly topping Witherspoon's mark. Maulet has two sacks and an interception on a Hail Mary. His pressure of Justin Herbert at midfield forced a fourth-down intentional grounding in the midseason win over the Chargers. He's also still on special teams. Just about every week, he does something in a Baltimore game that helps the team win (though a knee injury will keep him out of Monday's game).
Safety
DeShon Elliott, Dolphins
Contract: One year, $1.8 million
From a current Ravens player to a former one! Elliott spent 2022 with the Lions, but when he signed with the Dolphins in March, the 26-year-old was expected to serve as the backup behind the homegrown tandem of Brandon Jones and Jevon Holland. Elliott beat out Jones, his former college teammate, for the starting strong safety job in camp and was the Week 1 starter.
After spending most of 2022 in the box for a struggling Lions defense, Elliott was shifted back into space by coordinator Vic Fangio while running mostly split-safety looks in Miami. He hasn't necessarily been great in coverage -- he was the closest defender at the time of the catch when CeeDee Lamb took a crosser 49 yards to the house Sunday -- but he has been a sure tackler and made one of the biggest plays of the season in the first half. With Tony Pollard about to score, Elliott managed to bring down the Dallas running back with one arm on the goal line, keeping the Cowboys out of the end zone. On the next play, fullback Hunter Luepke fumbled a handoff from Dak Prescott, with the Dolphins recovering. Elliott saved seven points for the Dolphins in what would eventually be a 22-20 victory. That alone might have been worth $1.8 million.
Tashaun Gipson, 49ers
Contract: One year, $2.9 million
A ball hawk with the Browns in his younger days, Gipson, 33, joined the 49ers in August 2022 before re-signing with them this past offseason. Asked to play the center-field role while Talanoa Hufanga roamed all around the field, Gipson is doing something that most players in their mid-30s simply don't have the range to do at that age, let alone while succeeding on one of the league's best defenses.
Despite losing Hufanga to a torn ACL in midseason, the 49ers have allowed only 14 completions traveling 20 yards or more in the air, tying them for the fifth fewest of any team. Just four of those completions have come between the numbers, which is the sixth fewest. And while Gipson has only one of the interceptions, San Francisco's five interceptions on those passes is tops in football. Asked to keep the door on the barn, he has held his own for the league's best team.
Kicker
Brandon Aubrey, Cowboys
Contract: Three years, $2.7 million
This one was easy. Aubrey hasn't missed a field goal try, as the former soccer player has started his NFL career 33-for-33 on field goal attempts. He has missed three extra points, but the Cowboys have to be thrilled about what they've gotten from their new kicker. Through Week 14, they ranked No. 1 in points generated on field goals and extra points, with Aubrey adding 10 points over what an average kicker would have done to Dallas' totals.
Punter
Thomas Morstead, Jets
Contract: One year, $1.3 million
Returning to the Jets after spending 2022 with the Dolphins, Morstead ranks ninth in the league in punting EPA by the measures at Puntalytics. In a season in which the Jets have offered precious little on offense, he has needed to be a force while punting to try and make up for the field position the offense has ceded by going backward.