NFL Free Agency 2021: Ranking the top 5 signings so far

It’s not often that the winners of NFL Free Agency in March are the winners come January and February, but tell that to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFL Free Agency is a critical tool for teams to use to build up their roster, fill gaping holes, and hopefully bring in players who can push them over the top. Many teams don’t use free agency well, and they are simply willing to throw big contracts at players who may or may not fit their system in culture in hopes of selling tickets.

Although there is an inherent risk in every free agent acquisition, some moves are better than others on paper.

For example, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ three-year contract agreements with Roy Robertson-Harris and Jamal Agnew at a combined nearly $38 million in total money seems a bit over the top.

Other moves just look and feel better on paper given team fit, scheme fit, price, and more.

Let’s take a look at the top five moves that have been made so far in the 2021 NFL Free Agency signing period.

1. New England Patriots signing TEs Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry

A number of people have wondered if Jonnu Smith’s four-year contract worth $50 million was worth it for the Patriots based on what he had shown in Tennessee. The term “one-year wonder” has even been thrown around on Twitter.

Although we will not know whether this is a good deal for the Patriots for at least a couple of years, we know that what they are paying for is certainly not a one-year wonder.

Jonnu Smith did have his biggest and best NFL season yet in 2020 with eight touchdowns among his 41 total receptions, but there’s no coincidence that his productivity really spiked as the Titans got some stability at quarterback in the form of Ryan Tannehill.

This guy is a tremendous athlete and mismatch at the positon.

He’s also not going to be operating alone.

I thought the Patriots would go after multiple offensive weapons in the 2021 NFL Free Agency signing period, but I didn’t see them going after multiple big-money tight ends.

After signing Jonnu Smith, the Pats turned around and got Hunter Henry away from the Tennessee Titans. When healthy, Henry has simply been one of the best tight ends in the NFL over the last five years.

While Jonnu Smith has had to maximize targets, Henry has proven to be a guy who can eat up targets and really be a consistent threat to all levels of the field.

In his four (mostly) healthy seasons, Henry averaged about five touchdowns and nearly 12 yards per catch.

Getting both of these guys in combination with some of the other weapons the Patriots added like Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne? This could be a deadly combination.