2018 NFL Free Agency: Who Lost the Most Talent?

Most of the money in NFL free agency is spent. At one point, teams had over $110 million in cap space. Currently, only two teams have over $50 million in cap space to spend this season.

With that context, we can now safely make assumptions about which teams have lost the most talent this offseason. Excluding teams involved in the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes, only five teams lost talent equal to at least $100 million in contract value this offseason, according to Spotrac. We are not including the value of contracts that were traded away since the beginning of the league year. 

We'll break down those five teams, excluding the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins. The Vikings and Redskins both addressed their quarterback situation this offseason, with the signing of Cousins and the trade of Alex Smith, respectively, despite technically losing quarterbacks who made tens of millions of dollars on the open market.

No. 5: Seattle Seahawks

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Combined Outgoing Contract Value: $111.8 million

The Seattle Seahawks have made sweeping changes to the construction of their team this offseason. On top of trading away Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles, they have drastically changed their offensive passing game.

Wide receiver Paul Richardson, who finished the 2017 season second on the team in receiving yards, left for the Washington Redskins on a five-year, $40 million contract. Tight end Jimmy Graham, who was second on the team in receptions and targets and first on the team in receiving touchdowns, signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Green Bay Packers.

The team's top returning players in receiving yards are Doug Baldwin (991 yards), Tyler Lockett (555 yards) and J.D. McKissic (226 yards). McKissic is a running back who started just one game for the Seahawks in 2017. To replace Richardson and Graham, Seattle added former Arizona Cardinals receiver Jaron Brown, who recorded a career-high of 477 receiving yards last year, and former Carolina Panthers tight end Ed Dickson, who posted 437 receiving yards in 2017.

On top of the losses in the offensive passing game, the team also released defensive backs Richard Sherman, who signed a three-year, $27.2 million deal with the rival San Francisco 49ers, and DeShawn Shead, who signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Detroit Lions. The trade for defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, whom the team gave up Jermaine Kearse a second-round pick for in September, was a win for the New York Jets. After just one year in Seattle, Richardson signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

No. 4: New York Giants

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Combined Outgoing Contract Value: $116.6 million

While the New York Giants have lost $116.6 million worth of talent on the open market, a majority of that money came from the interior offensive line. Weston Richburg, now a San Francisco 49er, signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal. Justin Pugh, now an Arizona Cardinal, signed a five-year, $45 million deal.

The Giants responded by signing New England Patriots offensive tackle Nate Solder to a four-year, $62 million deal, which makes him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the sport on an average salary basis. While there has been some swapping of offensive line talent, the Solder signing may not help their diminished interior offensive line. Solder will be a plug-and-play left tackle, which New York needs after swinging and missing on Ereck Flowers, the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft.

It's also worth noting that the team lost linebacker Devon Kennard and cornerback Ross Cockrell on the free market. Kennard, now on a $17.3 million deal with the Detroit Lions, started 35 games for the Giants over his rookie contract. Cockrell, now on a $6.8 million deal with the Carolina Panthers, started nine games in his lone season in New York.

No. 3: Los Angeles Rams

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Combined Outgoing Contract Value: $131.7 million

Former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson signed a blockbuster contract worth $72.5 million with the New York Jets after being franchise-tagged in back-to-back seasons by the Rams. Los Angeles has since addressed the cornerback position by trading for 32-year-old Aqib Talib and 25-year-old Marcus Peters and signing 30-year-old Sam Shields, who missed the entire 2017 season. All three of those cornerbacks are former Pro Bowlers.

Johnson wasn't the team's only major loss, though. Receiver Sammy Watkins, whom the Rams traded a second-round pick and E.J. Gaines for in August, signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, the very team they traded with for Peters. Watkins led Los Angeles with eight receiving touchdowns in his only year with the Rams.

Tight end Derek Carrier, who recorded just 71 receiving yards in 2017, signed a three-year, $5.5 million deal with the Oakland Raiders this offseason. Safety Cody Davis, a former undrafted player who started two games and played in 65 games with Los Angeles, signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the end, the Rams' talent level may be closer to treading water, outside of wide receiver, than regressing. Still, teams spent plenty of money on Los Angeles' players this offseason.

No. 2: Carolina Panthers

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Combined Outgoing Contract Value: $151.1 million

The Carolina Panthers lost two key contributors, guard Andrew Norwell and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, this offseason. Of the team's outgoing talent, which is worth north of $151 million, $116.5 million comes from those two players.

Norwell signed a five-year, $66.5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, making him the highest-paid guard in terms of average. 2017 second-round pick Taylor Moton will likely move into Carolina's starting lineup. A starting five of the Kalil brothers (Matt and Ryan), Moton, Daryl Williams and Trai Turner is more than serviceable.

The Panthers, at least on paper, still have a contingency plan for the loss of Lotulelei, who went to the Buffalo Bills for five years, $50 million. Kawann Short will be a starter, and Vernon Butler, the team's 2016 first-round pick, will have to replace Lotulelei, Carolina's 2013 first-round pick.

The other significant losses were aging veterans. Safety Kurt Coleman (29), who signed a three-year, $16.35 million deal with the Saints, 30-year-old tight end Ed Dickson, who signed a three-year, $10.7 million deal with the Seahawks, and 31-year-old running back Jonathan Stewart, who signed a two-year, $6.9 million deal with the Giants, all left the team this offseason.   

No. 1: New England Patriots

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Combined Outgoing Contract Value: $161.4 million

The New England Patriots lost the most free-agent talent in terms of dollars.

Five significant free agents—offensive tackle Nate Solder, cornerback Malcolm Butler, running back Dion Lewis, receiver Danny Amendola and cornerback Johnson Bademosi—accounted for that money.

Solder, who started 95 games for the Patriots since they drafted him in the first round in 2011, signed a four-year, $62 million contract with the New York Giants. That made him the sport's highest-paid offensive lineman on an average-salary basis, which is surprising for someone who hasn't made a Pro Bowl.

Butler, who didn't play a defensive snap for New England in Super Bowl LII, signed a five-year, $61.3 million contract with the Tennessee Titans, whose general manager, Jon Robinson, was with the Patriots from 2002 to 2013. Bademosi, another cornerback, signed a two-year, $6.3 million deal with the Houston Texans, who may have had the NFL's worst secondary in 2017.

Lewis, like Butler, signed with the Titans on a four-year, $19.8 million deal. Among veterans, only six other running backs are on more valuable contracts. Lewis recorded 896 rushing yards, 214 receiving yards and returned kicks for the Patriots last season. His loss likely led the team to trade for receiver-returner Cordarrelle Patterson from Oakland.

Amendola, at 32 years old, posted 659 receiving yards in 2017. He has since signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins.