NFL Free Agent Signings 2011: 5 Players Who Will Regret Re-Signing

The 2011 NFL free agency season has been full of action. Tons of players have found new homes, but a handful have elected to stick with their current teams—and a number of players got some monster deals for their loyalty.

DeAngelo Williams and Charles Johnson both got monster contracts from the Panthers, and they should both be very happy. Williams may be at the end of his prime and is getting a contract valued at five years, $43 million with $21 guaranteed. Johnson got a $76 million deal with $32 million guaranteed ($30 of that folded into his signing bonus). This is insane and incredible for a guy who has had one great year for the team.

Tyson Clabo also signed a big deal in the NFC South with his incumbent team. He signed back on with the Falcons for $25 million over five years. $11.2 is guaranteed, and this is most likely more money than he would have gotten anywhere else. Clabo is in a good situation with a team he will definitely start for and has a high chance with whom to win.

There are certain players who re-signed with their team who will probably regret it. These guys either took less money than they could have had in another situation or for a number of other various reasons will find themselves disappointed that they signed on with their old team.

Let's take a brief glance at five players who will find themselves wishing they went to a different team this offseason. 

5. James Jones

James Jones should have signed with the New York Jets or Minnesota Vikings before those teams locked up new receivers.

The Jets went with Plaxico Burress, and the Vikings signed Michael Jenkins. This in turn hurt Jones' value, and he opted to re-sign with the Packers for three years, but he could have gotten more money if he signed earlier.

If Jones chose to join the Vikings or Jets, he most likely would have been paid more. By opting to join the Packers after those teams filled their wide receiving hole, he hurt his bargaining position.

The Packers realized Jones was running out of landing spots and were able to lock him up for a reduced price.

Jones is in a good situation with Green Bay, and they do have a legit chance to repeat as Super Bowl contenders. He just may become unhappy with his contract in the coming years and regret not signing earlier for more money.

4. Joseph Addai

The Colts re-signed Joseph Addai after freeing up some money they weren’t sure would be available after inking Peyton Manning’s new deal.

Manning opted to take $90 million over five years instead of $100 million. This allowed them to sign Addai to a three-year, $14 million contract.

Addai has a lot of potential, as witnessed by his production in his first two years. He started having competition in the backfield and dealing with injury in 2008, and has seen his production fall way off.

The Colts are a team that just want to win and do not play favorites. They have four capable running backs on the roster and will chop the carries up any way they see fit. Addai fits the system well, but he also has the ability to be a leading rusher on a good team.

Addai is going to regret not choosing a new team in free agency when he finds himself under constant pressure to perform with a number of capable running backs breathing down his necks for snaps. He also plays behind Peyton Manning, who threw the ball 679 times, leaving very little rushing plays for their stable of running backs.

Addai could have gone to a team where he would be the lead rusher or even split carries off the bench and still get more snaps than he would in Indy.

He is going to regret re-signing with the Colts if he ends up becoming the second or third rusher on the team and finds himself sitting for most of the game. 

3. Michael Huff

Huff is another 2006 draft pick who hasn’t lived up to his potential after he was selected seventh overall by the Oakland Raiders.

The safety out of the University of Texas has had a rocky start to his career. He was a standout in college who projected to be a real solid pro after winning the Jim Thorpe Award and becoming an AP first-team All-American.

Things just never really panned out for Huff until last year when he was decent enough to garner a second-team All-Pro selection, along with seven other safeties.

Huff would have been much better off changing locations and getting a fresh start to his career. He has struggled, even last year, to make good decisions in the secondary at times.

Having a new coaching staff and location would have probably made a world of difference for Huff. He could have really blossomed into one of the better safeties in the league, but will wallow in mediocrity in Oakland.

2. Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart made a move to get himself closer to starting again in the National Football League. He signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Houston Texans, the team he was the third-string QB for last season.

Leinart could have gone to Seattle and reunited with his college coach, Pete Carroll. Leinart would have been in real position to start for the team and try to live up to his 10th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Instead of taking a stab at redemption, Leinart took the easy road out as the clear backup and nothing else. Matt Schaub is the man in Houston and will be the team’s starter for the foreseeable future. Leinart is going to do nothing but practice and hold a clipboard these next two years.

It is a mistake Leinart is going to regret one day. He could have been a real player in the NFL, but instead is opting to take an undeserved payday to solidify himself on a "Biggest NFL Draft Busts" slideshow one day.

1. Santana Moss

Santana Moss had a career year last season. The 32-year-old wide receiver snatched 93 balls, put up his fourth 1,000-yard campaign in 11 seasons and found pay-dirt six times.

Moss did not hesitate to snap up a new deal with Washington, signing very early in the free-agency period for $15 million over three years, with $5 million guaranteed.

Moss would have been much better off finding a new team. The wide receiving corps in Washington is ridiculously deep, and the quarterback situation is awfully poor.

He will have to compete with Anthony Armstrong, Donte' Stallworth, Malcolm Kelly and rookies Leonard Hankerson, Niles Paul and Aldrick Robinson for balls thrown by either Rex Grossman, John Beck or Kellen Clemens.

As you can see, this is not an ideal situation. Moss is heading toward the twilight of his career and has only been to the playoffs five times in his career. He has never advanced passed the conference finals and would probably like to contend for a ring before he retires.

The ‘Skins are simply not going to be competitive during the three years Santana’s new deal encompasses. They traded their best QB, Donovan McNabb, and have a bunch of castoffs left to try to lead the team. They also traded their best defensive player, Albert Haynesworth, who never got along with the ridiculously stubborn coaching staff.

Moss will be the most regretful player of the 2011 NFL free agency class. He could have gotten a similar contract from a much better team and had a chance to win a ring.