2012 Free Agency: The 10 Smartest Free Agent Signings in History

The reputation of free agency as a team-building tool has taken a hit in recent years. With the most successful teams building through the draft, teams that spend wildly in free agency appear foolish and wasteful.

Still, free agency can be the fastest route towards improvement and one shrewd move can be the difference between a mediocre team and an elite one.

Many great players have hit free agency, and many free agents have gone on to do great things for new teams. Here are the 10 best.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees is, bar none, the best free agent signing in NFL history. He deserves to be the first in any list chronicling great signings.

Some of Brees' modest accomplishments: Super Bowl MVP, most passing yards in a single season, the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season more than once and four straight seasons with more than 30 touchdowns.

Brees has become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and all this has come with his second team.

Give the Saints credit for taking a risk on a potentially injured, vertically-challenged quarterback, because it has paid off handsomely.

Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner could actually be on this list twice: first as a free-agent signing by the Rams in 1999, and then by the Cardinals in 2005.

Warner began his career with little hope, but an injury to Trent Green propelled him to stardom. Warner won the Super Bowl in his first year as a starter and led one of the greatest offenses of all time.

After several successful seasons in St. Louis, Warner began to struggle and was eventually released. A significant amount of time went by before Warner would find success again, but he eventually did regain prominence in Arizona.

After constantly competing for a starting job, Warner finally earned it for keeps in 2008, and he immediately made the Cardinals look very wise.

With Warner firmly entrenched as the starter, the Cardinals would go to the playoffs in consecutive years, even gaining the franchise's only Super Bowl birth.

For turning around not one, but two moribund teams, Kurt Warner has definitely earned his place in NFL history as a top free-agent signing.

Reggie White

One of the best pass rushers in NFL history, White excelled for the Philadelphia Eagles, but it was his transition to Green Bay that lands White on this list.

With White terrorizing quarterbacks, the Packers had a dominant defense in the 90s. White helped lead the team to two Super Bowl appearances, winning one of them.

White provided more than just talent, though, as his leadership was key for both the defense and the team as a whole. With his strong character and explosive talent, White epitomized the right way to play the game.

Even as his career was in his twilight White was still a force for the Packers, as he won the defensive player of the year award in 1998.

The honors continue to pour in for White, who was ranked as the seventh-greatest player in NFL history by the NFL Network.

When the seventh-greatest player in NFL history changes teams, he will certainly find his way onto a list of the best free-agent signings in history.

Johnny Unitas

Perhaps the greatest quarterback to ever play found his success not on his first, but his second team. After being cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Unitas led the Colts to a phenomenal run throughout the 50s and 60s.

Everyone knows Unitas was elite. Ten Pro Bowl selections, six all-pro selections and three MVP awards make that abundantly clear. It's his meaning to the city of Baltimore, though, that makes Unitas one of the great sports figures in history.

Unitas belongs on every list of NFL all-time greats, and thankfully, because of his change in teams, he can be included on this one as well.

James Harrison

James Harrison is among the most polarizing players in the NFL, but no one can deny the impact he has had on the Steelers' defense.

Harrison brings a nastiness and attitude that is matched by few players, and his dominant pass rushing elevates the play of his teammates.

The play that Harrison is best known for may just have won the Steelers a championship. With 18 seconds left in the first half, Harrison intercepted a Kurt Warner pass and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown and perhaps the biggest momentum shift in NFL history.

For being one of the best players on one of the best defenses in the NFL, and more importantly for being so instrumental in the Steelers' championship run, James Harrison earns a place on this list.

Deion Sanders

Sanders is another player who could make this list twice, for both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers.

Known as much for his bravado as his play, Sanders was an unmistakable talent who shut down any receiver he faced. He dominated a decade in the NFL, and his signing made both the Cowboys and the 49ers significantly better.

For dominating a decade on three different teams, Sanders should be known as perhaps the best journeymen in NFL history.

Warren Moon

Yet another quarterback allowed to hit free agency, Moon actually came from the CFL, but when he finally got a chance, he made the most of it.

Moon is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history, with dynamic passing numbers. Moon helped make the Oilers relevant in the 80s and he has also played a large role in dealing with race in the NFL.

Sadly, Moon never made it to the big game, but his contributions were still enormous. He deservedly earns a place on the list of greatest free-agent signings in NFL history.

Otto Graham

One of the elite quarterbacks of the early NFL, Graham started his career with the Lions until serving with in the military. The Cleveland Browns gained his rights when Graham came back—the rest is history.

Graham led the Browns to 10-straight championship games, an unheard of record that will never be touched.

His stats, while tame by today's standards, are unbelievable when placed into the context of the time. In an area with significantly less efficient passing, Graham still managed to have a higher career passer rating than all-time great John Elway.

Graham is the brightest star in Cleveland sports history and his acquisition is one of the best in NFL history.

Dick Lebeau

One of the greatest former players to coach is also one of the greatest free agent signings in NFL history.

Lebeau began his career in Cleveland, but he became famous for his 62 career interceptions with the Detroit Lions.

Lebeau was part of perhaps the best secondary in NFL history alongside Dick "Night Train" Lane, Yale Lary and Lem Barney—all Hall of Famers.

The Browns made a costly mistake in cutting Lebeau, and the Lions reaped the benefits, making Lebeau one of the best free agents in NFL history.

Curtis Martin

It seems appropriate to close this list with Curtis Martin, who was just inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Martin was a very solid back for the New England Patriots early in his career, but he really took off for the New York Jets.

One of the most prolific backs in NFL history, Martin played elite football into his 30s, saving his best for his last full season. In 2004, the last season he would start all 16 games, Martin ran for 1,697 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry—both career highs. 

His durability and heart were unmatched, and Martin helped keep the Jets competitive in his time there. As one of the best running backs in the game and a true class act, the newest Hall of Famer deservedly rounds out this list.