The Biggest Losers of the 2018 NFL Free-Agency Period

Free agency in the NFL isn't over yet, but a pecking order has formed after the first two weeks. There have been winners and losers of the furious spending period that starts every new league year. 

Of course, no one can know how these gambles will pay off in 2018 and beyond. Often times, a team can make a few under-the-radar moves and become a big winner (see: the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017). Usually, however, the losers are fairly obvious.

Here are the big losers of free agency so far. 

Arizona Cardinals

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Here's an easy recipe for becoming a loser in free agency: 

Step 1: Release one of your best players, who is a young star and a fan favorite, to save cap room, fixing a problem that never should have existed in the first place. (Tyrann Mathieu)

Step 2: Sign an always-injured quarterback who missed 14 games in 2017 to a deal worth $20 million per year. (Sam Bradford)

Step 3: Sign a backup quarterback who bombed as a starter after signing a big deal last season. (Mike Glennon)

Step 4: Lose two receivers (John Brown, Jaron Brown), a No. 2 cornerback (Tramon Williams) and a top special teams player (Justin Bethel) without finding legitimate replacements. 

Step 5: Watch two other teams (Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers) in your division make big, franchise-changing moves, likely relegating you to football purgatory for at least the 2018 season. 

The Cardinals finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs in 2017. They hardly look like a .500 team after the first wave of free agency. On the bright side, they did improve their interior offensive line by adding Justin Pugh and Andre Smith.

Seattle Seahawks

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The Seahawks are a team in transition. Quarterback Russell Wilson, head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider provide stability at the top, but no team can lose as much talent as the Seahawks did in the last month and not be considered a loser. 

Gone are Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Jimmy Graham, Sheldon Richardson, Paul Richardson, Luke Willson, DeShawn Shead and Jeremy Lane (currently a free agent). Both Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril have neck injuries that could keep them out for the 2018 season and beyond. 

Carroll and Schneider have added some ancillary pieces to help patch the holes, but the Seahawks have a far less talented roster today than they did to end 2017, and that team missed the postseason. 

Don't count Seattle out in 2018, but it's clear this is a team working toward a new era. 

Safeties

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The market was pretty much silent for safeties during the first week, and only once Tyrann Mathieu (an All-Pro just two seasons ago) signed a one-year deal in Houston did the action finally get moving. But even now, almost two weeks in, the market at the position is stunningly quiet. 

Morgan Burnett signed a three-year deal worth only $14.35 million with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston and Tyvon Branch all remain unsigned. 

Safety is an increasingly more important position in today's NFL. More teams ask safeties to not only cover the deep half of the field but also drop into the box to play linebacker and move outside to cover the slot. They're asked to do this while still handling more traditional responsibilities such as tackling in space, fitting against the run and covering tight ends and running backs. 

It's a high-stress position, but teams haven't been willing to pay safeties in free agency.

Miami Dolphins

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The Dolphins continue to look like a franchise lacking direction. Seemingly every March, the team is attempting to maneuver its way out of bad decisions made in previous years. 

It's no different this year. 

The Dolphins released Ndamukong Suh, signed Josh Sitton, traded for pricey veteran Robert Quinn, traded away slot receiver Jarvis Landry, signed slot receivers Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola and acquired quarterback Brock Osweiler. No part of that sentence screams, "We have a plan!" In fact, it implies the opposite. 

Bad teams compound bad decisions with more bad decisions. It's a vicious cycle the Dolphins can't seem to swim out of right now. 

AJ McCarron

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It's hard to imagine a worse conclusion to AJ McCarron's first bite at free agency.

While Bills GM Brandon Beane has said he does not view McCarron as a "bridge" quarterback, McCarron is getting paid backup-level money ($10 million over two years). On the surface, it appears Buffalo is actively moving up the draft board in an attempt to secure its future starter at quarterback.  

He is also about to captain a run-first offense with precious few weapons in the passing game, so it could be difficult for him to raise his value significantly during his time in Buffalo. McCarron should play for the Bills, but it wouldn't be surprising if this move locks him as a backup for the rest of his career. 

Indianapolis Colts

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There's nothing wrong with being fiscally responsible in free agency. In fact, it's the way to go this time of year. Good teams pick their spots and avoid cap-crippling mistakes. 

But Indianapolis Colts fans have to be wondering why the team sat on a gold mine of cap space to start free agency. 

The Colts have holes around quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed the entire 2017 season. A talent infusion would have been helpful, especially as the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans all made big additions. 

General manager Chris Ballard added tight end Eric Ebron, receiver Ryan Grant and defensive end Denico Autry, but he also lost receiver Donte Moncrief, cornerback Rashaan Melvin, running back Frank Gore, linebacker Barkevious Mingo and linebacker Jon Bostic, while also releasing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. 

The Colts were in a position to add a few top-end talents to a diluted roster, but Ballard passed. His roster is arguably less talented after two weeks of free agency. However, he did help his draft capital by trading back from the third overall pick, which helps even out the Colts' inactivity in free agency.

QB Teddy Bridgewater

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Teddy Bridgewater went into free agency hoping to find a place he could play after two lost seasons. He found a new home, with a precarious quarterback situation, but it wouldn't be surprising if Bridgewater opens the 2018 season as the New York Jets' No. 3 quarterback. 

Veteran Josh McCown is back after a strong year (18 touchdown passes, 94.5 passer rating) in 2017, and the Jets just made an aggressive move to acquire the third pick in the draft, which will almost certainly be spent on a quarterback. 

Bridgewater would have to beat out McCown and the rookie to get a chance to play in 2018. That'll be a tall task for a player with two passing attempts since 2015.

Bridgewater probably isn't even guaranteed a roster spot in 2018. His one-year contract included only $500,000 in guaranteed money.

Broncos GM John Elway

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It's getting harder to defend the last few years of John Elway's plan at quarterback. He used a first-round pick on Paxton Lynch, brought back Brock Osweiler for a couple of starts, signed Case Keenum, and then traded away former starter Trevor Siemian. He failed to land Kirk Cousins and is now stuck in neutral at the game's most important position. 

In fact, Elway now has to seriously entertain taking a quarterback with the fifth overall pick. 

The Broncos went 14-18 the last two seasons, with a last-place finish last year, largely because of massive failures at quarterback. Keenum had a nice season in Minnesota in 2017, but can he catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row? He needs to, or Elway and the Broncos are going to be in trouble again in 2018.