Winners and Losers of NFL Free Agency so Far

It's been nearly four weeks since the start of the 2015 NFL free-agency period. In that time, the league has seen its fair share of winners and losers.

The first week was a flurry of signings and trades. The league's top free agent Ndamukong Suh landed a six-year, $114 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, while the New Orleans Saints traded Jimmy Graham off to the Seattle Seahawks.

But now that the market has slowed down, here's a brief breakdown of some of the biggest winners and losers of free agency so far.

All contract information courtesy of Rotoworld and all statistics courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.

Winners: Green Bay Packers

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers have been relatively silent in free agency. However, the silence shouldn't be mistaken for loss.

The team re-signed two of its own free agents: Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga.

Cobb had 91 receptions for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns in the 2014 regular season. Between him and Jordy Nelson, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had one of the best receiver combinations in the league.

The team was smart not to let Cobb go. His contract deal? $40 million for four years.

Then there's Bulaga, who was projected as the top offensive tackle in free agency by Rotoworld. He re-signed with a five-year, $33.75 million deal.

As Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke noted, both players "likely could have landed more cash elsewhere."

Yet the two find themselves back in Green Bay.

Lucky for the Packers.

Losers: Oakland Raiders

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Oakland Raiders didn't fare as well as they would have liked to in free agency—and it wasn't for lack of trying.

The team reportedly targeted Ndamukong Suh, per NFL.com, and other top free agents such as DeMarco Murray and Randall Cobb. According to the same report, the Raiders had $57 million in cap space entering free agency—enough to be competitive. Yet, the team didn't land any of those respective top targets.

Suh ended up in Miami, Murray in Philadelphia and Cobb stayed in Green Bay.

However, the offseason wasn't a complete bust. The team signed former Kansas City center Rodney Hudson to a five-year, $44.5 million deal. It also picked up former Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith with a two-year, $7 million contract.

Yahoo Sports' Rand Getlin also reported former 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree will visit next week:

"

Crossing the bay? WR Michael Crabtree will visit the #Raiders next week, a source said.

— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) April 3, 2015"

Winners: Indianapolis Colts

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Indianapolis Colts have beefed up their offense—as if they needed it.

The team signed Andre Johnson to a three-year, $21 million deal, adding him to an offense which led the league in passing during the 2014 regular season. 

The Colts also signed 32-year-old running back Frank Gore. The veteran back's age wasn't a problem for Chuck Pagano. According to CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco, the coach considers Gore an every-down back:

"

He can play all three downs. He’s a great protector in pass-pro. He catches the ball out of the backfield. We all know what he can do as a runner on early downs. He loves football. He brings great passion. He brings great leadership and energy to our team and to our locker room. And he bolsters a position where we had a need.

"

Gore will undoubtedly help the team's rushing offense, which finished 22nd in the 2014 regular season. His deal? $12 million for three years.

Losers: San Francisco 49ers

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

After 10 seasons, the San Francisco 49ers did not re-sign Frank Gore.

Instead, they signed Reggie Bush to a one-year, $2.25 million deal. But with the running back position as thin as it was before, it's hard to believe the team will find a primary workhorse as reliable as Gore was by the fall—even with the draft.

Add in Patrick Willis' retirement and Jim Harbaugh's departure, and the Niners are looking depleted across the board.

It’ll be a tough task for new head coach Jim Tomsula to rebuild moving forward.

Winners: Running Backs

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Among free agents to land massive deals this offseason? Running backs.

The league's 2014 regular season rushing leader DeMarco Murray landed a five-year, $40 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. C.J. Spiller signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, joining Mark Ingram who re-signed for a four-year, $16 million deal. And 10-year veteran Frank Gore found his first home away from San Francisco with a three-year, $12 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

So much for running backs being undervalued in today's league.

Loser: Justin Forsett

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

While some running backs managed to sign big deals, others continue to be undervalued. By others, I mean Justin Forsett.

The 29-year-old back had a standout season with the Baltimore Ravens last year, finishing seventh in the league in rushing with 1,266 yards on 235 carries (a 5.4 average per carry) and eight touchdowns.

The Ravens re-signed him to a three-year, $9 million contract.

Comparatively, Forsett's deal was a steal for Baltimore. According to Sportrac, Forsett's deal is 20th among running backs in value.

Winners: Cornerbacks

Elsa/Getty Images

Cornerbacks hit huge paydays in free agency.

The highest paid? Darrelle Revis.

Revis signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the New York Jets. The team poured even more money into its secondary with the signings of Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine to four-year deals for $32 million and $25 million respectively. According to Sportrac, 22.19 percent of the Jets' 2015 cap is being spent on their 11 cornerbacks—six percent more than the next team. 

More than $360 million has been spent on cornerbacks in free agency so far this season, per Sportrac.

Losers: Teams That Spent Too Much

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Speaking of cornerbacks and big paydays, Byron Maxwell landed a beefy contract with the Philadelphia Eagles—a six-year, $63 million deal.

Of the team's free-agent signings—including DeMarco Murray—Maxwell has the biggest contract so far. He also has the most guaranteed money with $25 million.

But was he worth it?

Chip Kelly obviously thought so.

CSNPhilly.com's Geoff Mosher reported the coach said the team "felt corner was a priority position for [them]."

But Maxwell only tied for 24th in passes defended for the 2014 regular season, per ESPN.com.

ProFootballFocus listed him third among available cornerbacks in this offseason's free agency behind Brandon Flowers and Kareem Jackson. Flowers re-signed with San Diego to a four-year, $36.4 million contract, while Jackson re-signed with Houston to a four-year, $34 million deal.

Splurges this big cannot truly be qualified as worth it until the season rolls around, but $63 million should be enough to raise some critical questions.

Winners: Jeremy Maclin

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

The 26-year-old wide receiver was returning from reconstructive knee surgery when he negotiated a five-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles down to a one-year deal in 2014.

As ESPN.com reporter Phil Sheridan said, the deal gave Maclin the chance to "increase his market value in Chip Kelly's offense." In other words, it was a prove-it year for a bigger contract.

And it worked.

Maclin was Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver last season, with 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. His career-high performance landed him a better long-term deal this offseason—a five-year, $55 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs with $22.5 million guaranteed.

Granted, the deal was not with the Eagles. But according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane, it wasn't because the team didn't want him back, but rather because it could not match Kansas City's price. Moreover, Maclin said "it wasn't really about money." Rather, it was likely to be reunited with head coach Andy Reid, who initially drafted him in 2009.

Regardless, Maclin set an example for the potential value in one-year contracts.

Losers: Free Agents Still Unsigned

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal reported, there are some prominent veterans still searching for a home in free agency. These big names include Wes Welker, Michael Vick, Michael Crabtree and Greg Jennings.

The issue late in free agency becomes desperation. These players, no matter the size of their names, won't end up with the flashy deals some of their fellow players did earlier in the period.