NFL free agency can be a great way for teams to patch holes, fill in rosters or even add an occasional star. It's also a place to make mistakes and sink money into players who won't help for years to come.
The trick is knowing which players are which. Just like with the NFL draft, there's no perfect formula to calculate how each player's future will play out. But there are some indicators, which NFL teams are trying to identify as they plunge into the new league year and the madness of free agency. The negotiation period for free agents starts Monday, and signings can be made official Wednesday.
Ben Solak took the optimistic view on the 2025 class Thursday, picking out potential steals, so I'm playing the role of pessimist, identifying five players who I believe are overrated heading into free agency. It's not to say they can't work out, but acquiring teams should be careful about overpaying them this March. Let's start with a player who's getting all the buzz right now.
coverage:
Grading biggest deals | Best available free agents
Offense free agent tiers | Defense free agent tiers
14 underrated free agents