2012 NFL Free Agents: Busts Who Will Continue to Struggle

Compared to last year, NFL free agency is going to be a little different in 2012.

As opposed to July, free agency is going to start up in March. As opposed to being a collection of madness packed into a span of a couple of weeks, this year's free agency window will afford teams the chance to bide their time and make sound decisions.

This should make it much easier to avoid making stupid decisions, like that of signing a bust off the free agent scrap heap. There are some bust players, a la DeSean Jackson, who have high-reward potential. Others are busts who will continue to be busts.

Let's take a look at four in particular.

Kyle Orton, QB (Kansas City Chiefs)

Kyle Orton had a season to forget in 2011. Seemingly everyone in and around the Denver area wanted him gone before the start of the season, and he only lasted five games as the Broncos' starter before he was supplanted by Tim Tebow. Then Orton was released.

Now, we think that Orton played well once he was acquired by the Chiefs, but he really didn't. He played mistake-free football in his first start against the Green Bay Packers, but was pretty lousy in his next two starts against the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos.

The Kansas City Star reported last week that Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel wants a quarterback competition at camp this year, but that doesn't mean Orton will be back with the Chiefs. He could test the open market.

If he does, there will be interest in Orton's services, especially if Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Alex Smith all re-sign with their respective teams. Orton will be looking for a starting job, and my guess is that he'll get one.

But at this point, we have all the evidence in the world that suggests Orton is really nothing more than a mediocre quarterback. He'll get a job, but we're not talking about a guy who will turn into a Pro Bowler, thus proving all the doubters wrong.

We're talking about Kyle Orton. He is who he is.

Vince Young, QB (Philadelphia Eagles)

Vince Young's career got off to a great start, but it's been a disappointment ever since. 

Young did have a shot at reviving it in 2011. He was signed to be Michael Vick's backup in Philadelphia, meaning he was one hard shot away from starting duty. 

Sure enough, VY got a couple chances to start. He could have shown the world he still has "it," but he instead showed the world he has nothing at all. In his three starts, VY threw eight interceptions. He looked dazed and confused the majority of the time he was on the field.

A team would have to be crazy to sign VY to be its starter in 2012. He's made it clear that he only deserves to be a backup, and he's not even a great option for that capacity. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer noted in December that Young "likely" won't be back in 2012. If so, he'll be forced to scour the market looking for an opportunity to be a No. 2 quarterback.

It wouldn't be at all surprising if he has to settle for a No. 3 job.

Braylon Edwards, WR (San Francisco 49ers)

As you may or may not recall, Braylon Edwards was the subject of a lot of hype last offseason. He was coming off a solid season with the New York Jets and everyone knew him as a big-name player, yet the market for his services was slow to develop.

Edwards ended up having to settle for a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Before long, he was injured. Not long after that, he was cut.

It was a disastrous season for Edwards, as he was looking to have a great season so he could cash in this offseason. That's just not going to happen. It's one thing that Edwards is now an injury risk. It doesn't help that he basically didn't do anything when he was able to play.

Edwards' 2011 season was a bust, but you can now look back at the rest of his body of work and see that Edwards' career has been a bust. He had one great season in 2007 and a handful of decent seasons, but the last thing Edwards has been is consistent.

He'll get a job, but probably not one to his liking.

Peyton Hillis, RB (Cleveland Browns)

The curse was strong in this one.

We all saw it coming, and sure enough, the Madden cover curse got to Peyton Hillis in a big way. A year after rushing for 1,177 yards, Hillis struggled through injuries and off-field distractions and managed just 587 yards rushing in 10 games.

Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer reported in January that the Browns are interested in bringing Hillis back for 2012. That's not necessarily a huge surprise, as Hillis' worth plummeted throughout the course of the season. He has very little ground to stand on as far as contract demands go.

The truth is that Hillis just isn't a great running back. Even his great season in 2010 was marred by fumble problems, and he proved in 2011 that he needs a really high volume of carries to generate yardage. More carries means more injury risk, and we found out in 2011 that Hillis is hardly indestructible.

Hillis will get a starting job, whether in Cleveland or somewhere else. However, his career peaked in 2010.