2012 NFL Free Agents: Peyton Hillis and Stars Who Would Flop with New Teams

Compared to most years, this NFL free agent crop looks to be deeper than usual. As always, though, there will be a couple of overpaid duds. There is always a risk when signing another team's leftovers, which inevitably leads to a few teams getting burned.

Here are three players whom teams should avoid this offseason.

Peyton Hillis

Hillis would like you to believe his terrible season was due to the “Madden Curse,” but the more likely scenario is that his 2010 breakout season was a fluke. He averaged a meager 3.6 yards per carry in the 10 games he was healthy enough to play last season, lacking the power he needs to be effective.

Giving him anything more than a one-year deal would be a massive mistake. He only has one good season to fall back on, which isn't enough to warrant anything more. That's especially true since running backs are basically a dime a dozen both in the draft and on the free agent market.

Bust potential: 8/10

Cedric Benson

Even though Benson deserves some credit for being a workhorse for so many years, he's just not worth a starting spot based solely on his performance. He has only averaged more than four yards per carry, which is the basic threshold for acceptability at the position, once over the past five years.

Moving on would be the best choice for the Bengals and no other team should expect him to be their main ball carrier. Taking a chance on a middle-round running back in the draft would be a better investment than any type of extended deal for Benson.

Bust potential: 7/10

Brandon Lloyd

Lloyd took full advantage of the Broncos' pass-happy offense under Josh McDaniels in 2010, catching 77 passes for nearly 1,500 yards and 11 touchdowns. While those numbers will surely cause teams to have interest, they shouldn't expect similar production from Lloyd.

He's a nice complementary receiver who wouldn't be a bad option if other targets fall through, but he shouldn't be viewed as a No. 1 guy. That's something the St. Louis Rams found out this season. Unfortunately for some wideout-needy team, they'll figure that out a little too late.

Bust potential: 6/10