Where Saquon Barkley's Free-Agent Signing Ranks in NFL's Best Moves of Last 5 Years
Free agency is one of the most important factors in constructing an NFL roster. While some teams prefer to build through the draft and others like to trade to acquire star players, identifying and signing key free agents can completely change a club's fortunes.
While not all free-agent signings live up to the hype—there have been countless examples of players earning blockbuster paydays before fizzling out of the league shortly after—some have been even better than expected.
These signings have transformed organizations within a year, turning a basement-dweller into a playoff team or even a fringe contender into a Super Bowl winner thanks to their immense contributions.
Saquon Barkley is the latest in an impressive line of free-agent signings who have had a massively positive impact on their new squad. The Philadelphia Eagles installed the running back as the centerpiece of their scheme shortly after stealing him away from the rival New York Giants and have since evolved into one of the league's best offenses.
The 27-year-old showed off his full range of skills in Week 12, piling up nearly 300 yards from scrimmage and scoring a pair of touchdowns in a prime-time thrashing of the Los Angeles Rams. That performance, which firmly elevated him into the MVP discussion, warrants a look at where he fits among the best free-agent signings of the past half-decade.
Based on factors such as production—both personal and as an offensive or defensive unit—and impact on their new team's success, here's a ranked look at the top free-agent signings since the start of the 2020 offseason.
Honorable Mentions
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Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals (2021)
The Cincinnati Bengals made a big bet on Trey Hendrickson during the spring of 2021. After recording just 6.5 sacks over the first three years of his career, the edge-rusher broke out in a big way by tallying 13.5 sacks for the New Orleans Saints in 2020.
Cincy's decision to dole out a four-year, $60 million contract based on that single impressive campaign was a shrewd one. He has gone on to amass 51 sacks and 10 forced fumbles over 59 games in a Bengals uniform, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first three campaigns with the club.
Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons (2023)
The Atlanta Falcons capitalized on the Cincinnati Bengals' inability to reach a long-term extension with Jessie Bates III.
After playing out the 2022 season—his fifth in the NFL—on the franchise tag, he finally claimed the first big bag of his career when Atlanta dished out a four-year, $64 million deal to the safety.
The Falcons were rewarded with a transformative effort from the 27-year-old. He earned his first-ever Pro Bowl nod after totaling 132 tackles, six picks and three forced fumbles while helping Atlanta vault up from No. 27 to No. 11 in total defense.
Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers (2024)
The Green Bay Packers made one of the best moves of the 2024 free-agent signing period when they plucked Xavier McKinney from the New York Giants.
While the 25-year-old had generally played well during his first four seasons, health and consistency were issues that ultimately led to Big Blue allowing the safety to take his talents to Titletown on a four-year, $67 million contract.
McKinney has been a revelation for the Packers this season. His 54 tackles, nine pass defenses, sack and fumble recovery are solid, but his seven interceptions in just 11 games are what truly separate him from the pack.
The ballhawk set an NFL record by recording a pick in six straight games and is currently tied for the league lead in that category, an especially painful stat for Giants fans who just watched their team tie a longstanding record for most consecutive contests without an interception.
No. 5: Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams (2021)
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Odell Beckham Jr. was once considered one of the league's elite receivers, but his star faded before his arrival in Los Angeles three years ago.
The LSU product had been to three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons and secured one of the greatest catches in NFL history with the New York Giants before his career took a turn for the worse in 2019 when he was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
After languishing in Cleveland for a season-and-a-half, OBJ forced his way out and elected to sign with the Rams on an incentive-laden contract—a deal that amounted to $4.5 million—following his release. While they started 2021 hot, they were starting to slump around the midpoint of the campaign.
Beckham's arrival helped get the offense back on track at an opportune time. The wideout quickly established a rapport with quarterback Matt Stafford and finished the regular season with 305 yards and five touchdowns—matching the scoring mark during his entire Cleveland tenure—on 27 catches across eight games.
OBJ raised his game even further in the playoffs. The receiver started all four contests on the way to lifting the Lombardi Trophy, finishing the championship run with 21 receptions for 288 yards and two scores, including the opening touchdown of Super Bowl LVI.
Beckham could have done even more damage in that narrow victory over the Cincinnati Bengals had he not exited in the first half with an injury that was later revealed to be a torn ACL.
That knee issue marked the end of his time with the Rams and kept him out of football until the 2023 season, but Beckham will always be remembered fondly in Los Angeles for his massive impact on the team's lone title of the 21st century.
No. 4: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2023)
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared to be on their way to irrelevance following Tom Brady's second and, at least thus far, final retirement. They had little in the way of a succession plan after the greatest player of all time departed for good following a trying 2022 season.
Although it initially seemed that either Blaine Gabbert—Brady's primary backup during his three seasons in Tampa—or third-stringer Kyle Trask would take the reins, the Bucs elected to roll the dice on Baker Mayfield in 2023.
Mayfield's career took a winding path leading up to that point. After being selected No. 1 overall in 2018, the signal-caller had an up-and-down tenure with the Cleveland Browns that included leading the organization to its first playoff victory in 26 years but ended acrimoniously after he attempted to play through a shoulder injury in 2021.
The 2018 No. 1 pick was then traded to a hapless Carolina Panthers squad, starting just five games before being benched. After his release later in the 2022 campaign, he was scooped up by a desperate Los Angeles Rams team that had lost Matt Stafford to injury.
Mayfield showed his chops by pulling out a win in a prime-time contest a mere three days after signing with the Rams. His promising performances in L.A. led the Bucs to offer a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million that offseason.
The match turned out to be a perfect one. Mayfield easily won the training camp competition for the QB1 gig and went on to have the best campaign of his career in 2023. He earned his first-ever Pro Bowl nod after racking up 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while leading Tampa to a 9-8 record and NFC South title.
The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner even orchestrated an upset of the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs and gave the Detroit Lions everything he had in a narrow divisional-round loss the following week.
The storybook season led to him signing a three-year, $100 million contract to remain with the Buccaneers, a team he has kept in playoff contention this season despite a myriad of injuries to his receiving corps.
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No. 3: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles (2024)
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The Philadelphia Eagles were reeling from the sting of their 2023 collapse when they lured Saquon Barkley away from the New York Giants.
The running back has proved to be the piece this offense was missing last year and could eventually be the catalyst for the team's first Super Bowl title since its incredible 2017 run.
While few doubted Barkley's abilities, it wasn't a total shock that Big Blue allowed him to walk six seasons after selecting him No. 4 overall in the 2018 draft.
The 27-year-old started his career red-hot, earning Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors after eclipsing 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scoring 15 touchdowns in his professional debut. He took a slight step back in Year 2 but was still performing like one of the NFL's top weapons at his position. Things took a turn for the worse in 2020, though, as a torn ACL limited him to just two games that year and greatly hindered his abilities upon his return during a dismal 2021 season.
Barkley finally bounced back with his second Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, helping guide the G-Men to their first playoff victory since the 2011 season. Despite his strong efforts that year—he tallied 1,650 yards from scrimmage and 10 scores on 352 touches—New York's brass opted to franchise-tag him while allocating a huge chunk of cap space to an ill-fated four-year, $160 million extension for quarterback Daniel Jones.
While Barkley wasn't happy about the decision, he eventually signed a one-year deal to remain with the Giants for 2023. New York suffered through a miserable season that saw Jones play abysmally before going down with an ACL tear, but the back still managed to finish with a respectable 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns on 288 touches.
The Penn State product finally got his chance to escape the Big Apple this past spring as an unrestricted free agent. During HBO's Hard Knocks finale, Giants general manager Joe Schoen infamously told the running back to go test the market rather than offering him a much-deserved extension.
The Eagles capitalized on his availability by offering a three-year, $37.75 million contract, one he happily accepted and has led to a resurgence as one of the NFL's premier players at his position.
That move turned out to be not only the steal of the offseason but also one of the best free-agent signings in recent NFL history. Barkley has been downright dominant during his first 11 games in Eagles green, collecting a whopping 1,392 yards and 10 touchdowns on 223 totes and adding another 257 yards and two scores on 27 catches.
With Philly running away with the NFC East at 9-2—behind only the Detroit Lions in the conference—and Barkley leading the league by a wide margin in rushing yards, there's now even a realistic chance the running back ends up being crowned league MVP.
No. 2 Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs (2021)
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The Kansas City Chiefs have a chance to make history this year by becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three consecutive championships.
They almost certainly would not be in this position had they not managed to sign Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million deal in the spring of 2021.
While the Chiefs had most of the pieces in place to become the league's next great dynasty, they were lacking a solid offensive line to protect franchise centerpiece Patrick Mahomes.
The young quarterback had one of the best starts to a career imaginable—he had earned MVP honors and won a Super Bowl in addition to making three Pro Bowls during his first three seasons as Kansas City's full-time starter—but he had just been humbled on the biggest stage.
The Chiefs failed to raise the Lombardi Trophy after Mahomes was terrorized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ferocious front. Tom Brady, the man whose many records Mahomes will be chasing throughout his career, ended up breezing to his seventh title while his younger counterpart threw two interceptions and was sacked three times.
Kansas City's brass made it a priority to keep the signal-caller upright in wake of this defeat. The team went on a spending spree to upgrade the protection a few months later and Thuney—a guard who cut his teeth protecting Brady and winning two Super Bowls over the first four years of his career with the New England Patriots—would be the crown jewel of their new-look offensive line.
The 32-year-old has become a rock in Kansas City's offensive trenches. He's started 60 games for the club over the last four seasons, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods and even first-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
According to Pro Football Focus, he has allowed just four sacks since his tenure with the Chiefs began.
It's no surprise that Kansas City has won a pair of championships since his arrival—bringing Thuney's personal total to four—and is a great bet to become the first team to pull off a three-peat while he remains a lynchpin of the offensive line.
No. 1: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020)
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled off perhaps the biggest coup in free-agency history when they landed Tom Brady in 2020.
He was already widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time prior to his arrival in Tampa. He had a clear-cut first-ballot Hall of Fame career with the New England Patriots, highlighted by six Super Bowl victories across nearly two decades as a starter.
While Brady's time in New England ended on a relative low note—the team exited the playoffs prior to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2010—he was still far and away the most important free agent available on the open market in years. .
With a myriad of teams hoping to land him, the Bucs offered a unique opportunity for the signal-caller to close out his career with another championship. The team had assembled most of the puzzle pieces for a title run—including an arsenal of pass-catchers, a stout defense and a quality offensive line—under head coach Bruce Arians but were lacking a quarterback to run the show.
Brady proved to be the missing piece.
Although his Tampa tenure got off to a bit of a rocky start, a fortunately timed Week 12 bye helped flip the script. Brady and Arians hopped on a call that the coach described as a "melding of the minds" and hashed out the issues that were plaguing the team.
The meeting was pivotal, as the adjustments helped the Bucs put their 7-5 start in the rearview and the team would not lose another game that season.
Brady finished the campaign with one of the better statistical performances of his career. He went 11-5 as the starter, completing 401 of his 610 passing attempts for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. In the playoffs, he went 4-0 while connecting on 81-of-138 throws for 1,061 yards and 10 touchdowns with three picks.
Although Tampa wasn't able to replicate the successes of that Super Bowl-winning season during the two following years Brady continued playing, the signing was still one of the most influential and impactful free-agent moves in league history.
Not only did the Bucs win the organization's second Super Bowl, but Brady left a lasting impact on its culture. That cultural shift helped the club become a surprise contender last year and continues to give Tampa a fighting chance this season.
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