NFL Free Agency: Who Gave out the Best and Worst Contracts in 2012?

Following an insane free agency scramble, the Denver Broncos handed out the best contract when they signed one of the greatest free agents of all time, Peyton Manning.

Though the NFL's foundation is a game, it really is one of the most cutthroat businesses out there, and free agents can make or break a team. Some teams acquired great talent for just the right price, while others overpaid for an over-hyped prospect.

These are the teams that gave out the best contracts in free agency, along with the teams that gave out the worst.

The Good

Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos topped all free agency headlines when they snatched Peyton Manning off the market and signed him to a five-year, $96 million deal.

Picking up a player like Manning automatically makes the Broncos an instant Super Bowl contender, if not the favorite. That's a reward that's worth the risk of Manning not ever fully recovering from his neck injury.

Even if they paid $96 million, the Broncos are inheriting one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and that might as well be deemed priceless.

Jeff Saturday and the Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers got a steal when they signed Manning's old teammate, Jeff Saturday.

On a two-year deal worth $7.75 million, the Packers replaced their All-Pro center in Scott Wells with another All-Pro-caliber center in Saturday, and it was for a relatively cheap price I might add.

As many years as Saturday and Manning have been together, Saturday knows what it's like to take care of a franchise quarterback, and the Packers placed Aaron Rodgers in great hands.

Mario Manningham and the San Francisco 49ers

It became apparent in the playoffs that the San Francisco 49ers' real main threats offensively were Frank Gore and Vernon Davis, and the 49ers have done everything they can to change that next season.

After acquiring Randy Moss, San Francisco decided to target the guy who made the play of the game in Super Bowl 46 for the New York Giants in Mario Manningham.

Considering the huge contracts that receivers have been able to acquire nowadays, Manningham's two-year, $7.375 million deal was a win for the 49ers.

Broderick Bunkley and the New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints desperately needed to acquire a player who could provide pressure upfront defensively, and that's just what they got in Broderick Bunkley.

Following the worst start to an offseason in NFL history, the Saints regrouped and signed Bunkley to a five-year, $25 million contract.

Heck, any upgrade from Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin is considered a good one.

Reggie Wayne and the Indianapolis Colts

Did the Indianapolis Colts really get Reggie Wayne for three years and $17.5 million?

I disagreed with a lot of the Colts' cuts during the offseason, but I have to commend them for this feat. Though Wayne is getting older, he's still a fantastic wide receiver who produced 960 yards receiving without Manning at quarterback.

With a young quarterback's arrival just around the corner, the Colts solidified a future Hall of Fame receiver, and they did it without having to cough up a lot of dough.

Mario Williams and the Buffalo Bills

Manning is certainly the biggest offseason move in 2012, but Mario Williams is a close second.

Williams is a game-changer, and the best defensive end in the league is worth paying $100 million to these days.  Williams will get $100 million from the Bills over the next six years, but Buffalo will get a quarterback wrecking ball in return.

Evan Mathis and the Philadelphia Eagles

After the Baltimore Ravens had wined and dined Evan Mathis, the Philadelphia Eagles somehow pulled off a five-year, $25.5 million deal.

For a little more than $5 million a year, the Eagles are returning one of the better guards in the league, and that's obviously important because they want to keep Mike Vick untouched as much as possible.

Mathis has had his battles with injuries in the past, and with only $7 million guaranteed, the Eagles were able to work their magic and get the deal they wanted.

The Bad

Robert Meachem and the San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are trying to surround Philip Rivers with more offensive weapons, but I'm not so sure Robert Meachem is worth what they're paying him.

For $25.9 million and four years, the Chargers are throwing a lot of money at a guy who's virtually a deep threat only-type player.

Within the right system, Meachem can be effective with play-action passes, but it's hard to convince me that the Chargers will get their money's worth on a guy who has never produced 1,000 yards receiving in a single season.

Ahmad Brooks and the San Francisco 49ers

Last year, the San Francisco 49ers had the best defense in the NFL with big names such as Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Justin Smith anchoring the unit, so why give the big contract to Ahmad Brooks?

The 49ers gave Brooks a six-year deal worth $44.5 million, and for a guy who only had 50 tackles and one forced fumble in 2011, that seems a bit much, especially when you consider salary caps these days.

So, the guy who had 50 tackles received a six-year deal—not Willis, who had 97 tackles and four forced fumbles; not Smith, who had 7.5 sacks; and not Bowman, who had 143 tackles.

The deal's a head-scratcher to say the least.

Robert Mathis and the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts made it apparent that they were cleaning house and rebuilding next season, but they kept their 31-year-old defensive end?

Not only did they keep Robert Mathis but they also gave him a big payday. The Colts re-signed Mathis to a four-year deal worth $36 million.

Mathis did turn in 9.5 sacks last season, but his best years are behind him, and as he continues to age, his production will decline.

Laurent Robinson and the Jacksonville Jaguars

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Jacksonville Jaguars went out on a limb here.

The Jaguars are in need of bringing some quality receivers into town, but signing Laurent Robinson to a five-year, $32.5 is bold as brass, to put it nicely.

Robinson finally had a breakout season with 858 yards receiving, but I'd like to see a guy produce on a more consistent basis before I hand out a contract like that.

Eric Wright and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eric Wright can be a great cornerback at times, but I shutter to think he's consistent enough to get paid  top 10 cornerback money.

The Bucs signed Wright to a five-year, $37.5 million deal, and they certainly overpaid for him. Wright is very athletic and has had 13 interceptions in five NFL seasons, but his inconsistency is the big elephant in the room.

John Carlson and the Minnesota Vikings

I can't help but think the Minnesota Vikings wasted $25 million on John Carlson.

Carlson only had 31 receptions for 318 yards and one touchdown last season, and with a young player like Kyle Rudolph already at the Vikings' disposal, it's hard to make sense of this deal.

As a rookie, Rudolph caught 26 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Considering Rudolph's youth and athletic ability, it looks to me as if the Vikings just paid $25 million for Carlson to be a backup.

The Ugly

Tim Tebow and the New York Jets

Look, I love Tim Tebow just as much as the next guy, but this move by the New York Jets made absolutely no sense.

They're giving a backup $2.572 million, and that's not to mention what he would cost the team should Mark Sanchez have a bad game and fans start calling for Tebow to save the day.

It's Tebowmania in New York for crying out loud, so does the stage get any bigger for than that for a cultural icon?

The Jets are losing their identity more and more every season, and should things get bad this season, the fans may force Rex Ryan's hand in starting Tebow over Sanchez. Having Tebow as a Wildcat quarterback does not justify having that worst-case scenario hanging above New York's head.