NFL Free Agency: 8 Historic Signings That Changed the Landscape of the NFL

The modern era of free agency has brought about more failures than success stories, so when teams do score big, it is worth taking time to talk about it.

Often, teams will score big with an undrafted free agent, but there is nothing like taking another team's best player and adding them to your own roster in search of glory.

The Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills both hope that they will add their names to the successful side of that ledger, but only time will tell. Can Peyton Manning or Mario Williams find the kind of success with another team that players like Deion Sanders and Reggie White did?

In the meantime, here are some great successes—and one huge mistake—that have helped write the NFL's rich history and shape the NFL that we know and love today.

Reggie White

Would Brett Favre have been able to captivate the NFL, and the country, like he did when he left the Packers without having first won a Super Bowl? Perhaps, but his resume definitely played a role.

Without the services of the first great free agent of the modern era, Reggie White, Favre might not have become the legend that he is.

The "Minister of Defense" moved from Philadelphia to Green Bay and finally added the defensive presence that Mike Holmgren and the Packers needed to win it all.

That set the Packers off on a prolonged period of good play, which has now become great play with Green Bay's current roster.

Gary Zimmerman

Leaving a great career behind in Minnesota, Zimmerman came to Denver to help protect an old quarterback who was still in search of his first Super Bowl victory.

Zimmerman helped solidify an already talented offensive line and laid the groundwork for the Broncos offensive line to be one of the most revered squads in the NFL for many years to come.

Mike Shanahan used his offensive line to continually pound out 1,000-yard rushers and establish Denver as a power franchise in the NFL.

Also, Zimmerman and John Elway achieved their goal of a Super Bowl victory together. That victory helped formulate Elway's pitch to this year's top free-agent quarterback, Peyton Manning, as Elway knows what it takes to win after age 35.

Maybe the Broncos need to be looking for the next Gary Zimmerman to win it all again.

Deion Sanders (San Francisco 49ers)

"Prime Time" wasn't going to cement his legacy as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. So when the chance came to leave, Sanders made the move to the Bay Area and his legend grew.

The first leg of Deion's free-agent tour landed him with the ready-to-win San Francisco 49ers, who just needed a player like Sanders to push them over the edge and beat the Dallas Cowboys.

Sanders delivered and the Niners were able to hoist their first (and only) non-Montana Super Bowl trophy.

Deion Sanders (Dallas Cowboys)

The sweet taste of victory didn't last long in San Francisco, as Sanders was on the move the very next offseason—this time to the Niners' playoff rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

It was a gamble for Dallas to make Sanders the highest-paid defensive player in the league. He didn't make his debut until the middle of the season, which raised many questions.

The Cowboys answered those questions by winning the Super Bowl. Even though the signing only resulted in one championship during his time in Dallas, his early forays into free agency were smashing successes for himself and the teams.

Rich Gannon, Rod Woodson, Bill Romanowski and Jerry Rice

The Oakland Raiders were ready to win immediately at the turn of the century and they scored big with some aging veterans who still had a lot left in the tank. Woodson and Rice were clearly headed for the Hall of Fame, and Gannon showed MVP talent at quarterback.

All of these pieces came together and made a run to the Super Bowl, only to fall short in a Shakespearean tale that pitted them against their former leader in Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden.

Even though this free-agent frenzy didn't end with a Super Bowl win, it had a huge impact on the NFL. The aging players fell off the roster quickly and the Raiders have still not been able to collect themselves and become the force that they once were.

That's the risk with loading up for one good run.

Drew Brees

Has one player been so instrumental in the rebirth of a franchise, and perhaps a city as well?

It's a shame to see what is currently transpiring in New Orleans, but the Saints have been legitimate contenders since acquiring the magic that came along with free-agent quarterback Drew Brees.

Until Brees arrived, the "Ain'ts" were the laughingstock of the NFL and a trip to the bayou was a sure victory for every NFL team.

Now, with a Super Bowl in its trophy case and an elite quarterback at the helm of its offense, the city of New Orleans feels like the road to a championship can run through Louisiana every year.

Shannon Sharpe

Even the stingiest defense needs a little bit of offense to win a championship. In the case of the Ravens, free-agent tight end Shannon Sharpe provided that offensive boost.

Sharpe's timely touchdowns in the playoffs were much more a function of his ability than the crisp passing of Trent Dilfer.

Without those scores, the vaunted Ravens defense and their leader, Ray Lewis, would not have the championship hardware that their organization can forever boast.

Scott Mitchell

Mitchell became one of the first cautionary tales about signing former backups who only shine briefly before being handed a big check for their services.

Mitchell left the Miami Dolphins to bring glory back to the Detroit Lions. Instead, he simply hastened the decline of the Lions franchise.

To this day, teams are wary of making deals reminiscent of the "Mitchell Deal" and the Seattle Seahawks are hoping that former backup Matt Flynn blazes a very different trail in his NFL career.