NFL Free Agent Signings 2015: Analyzing Reported Offseason Moves

NFL free agents are wasting little time securing employment for 2015 and beyond. Although players cannot officially sign with new teams until Tuesday, several marquee names have already made their decision.

So much for building suspense. Two of the offseason's top prizes are already claimed, with one of the big names unexpectedly taking a hometown discount.

Before the transaction period sets the intensity meter to 10, let's take a look at a few of the early reported signings. 

Mark Ingram to New Orleans Saints

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The New Orleans Saints must find creative ways to limbo their superfluous contracts below the salary cap. According to Spotrac, they're nearly $20 million above the adjusted cap, but that didn't stop them from retaining Mark Ingram.

ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news on Saturday night:

Ingram confirmed the reunion on Twitter:

After an underwhelming start to his career, the 2011 first-round pick shattered career highs with 226 carries, 964 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season. Pro Football Focus gave the 25-year-old a strong evaluation for his work on the ground.

Before New Orleans extended Ingram, ESPN.com's Mike Triplett reported the team's plans to release Pierre Thomas, shedding $1.735 million in the process. Cutting ties with the 30-year-old helped justify retaining Ingram, who won't bankrupt the team with a modest $4 million per year, according to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora:

Also not helping his cause, the big back averaged 3.7 yards per carry over his final seven games, losing steam following three consecutive 100-yard outings. It's a risky signing considering his uneven track record and the position's general unpredictability over time, yet those hazards factored into the modest price.

Randall Cobb to Green Bay Packers

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He could have taken more money to become a lesser team's big man on campus, but Randall Cobb instead decided to stick in the perfect place for continued success.

Schefter announced Cobb will remain with the Green Bay Packers:

Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson, who previously said the Oakland Raiders were prepared to woo the wide receiver, stated Cobb left money on the table to stay with the NFC North champions:

Despite early hesitancy to give Cobb more money than Jordy Nelson, due to inflation and age—Nelson was 28 when he signed, Cobb is 24—factored into two different circumstances. Also, they are entirely different wide receivers who work better together.

While Nelson gives Aaron Rodgers a downfield mercenary, Cobb confounds defenses in the slot. Although often used as an argument not to give him a huge payday, the 5'10" wideout is the best at what he does, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The four-year arrangement works well for both sides. Cobb can net another payday at age 28, and the Packers can let him receive it elsewhere after enjoying his peak years of production. 

He would have become a huge regression candidate in Oakland, but instead he's poised to produce more monster numbers with Aaron Rodgers.

Ndamukong Suh to Miami Dolphins

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There's no hometown discount to be found here. As reported by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Ndamukong Suh will ditch the Detroit Lions for the Miami Dolphins in a monumental deal that will cause spit-takes across the nation.

According to Mortensen, Detroit didn't dip far below Miami's six-year agreement, offering the star defensive tackle $102 million, $58 million guaranteed, over as many years. OK, so $12 million is actually a crazy amount of money. 

That makes him the NFL's highest-paid defender, surpassing the record-setting $100 million extension J.J. Watt signed last September. ESPN Stats & Info helped process how Suh generated such an enormous contract.

Eager to snap a six-season playoff drought, the Dolphins acted swiftly to repair their No. 24 rushing defense. With Suh clogging the middle, the Lions relinquished a league-low 3.2 yards per rush. 

Yet this is a monumental amount to pay any one player. Such a sum is typically reserved for franchise quarterbacks, not a 28-year-old defensive tackle who thinks anyone is stupid enough to believe he only stomped on Rodgers (twice) because his feet were numb.

Character issues obviously didn't deter the Dolphins from investing in Suh as their franchise savior. If the anchor of last year's premier rushing defense holds up on the field, Miami fans won't mind his excessive aggression.