Ranking the NFL's Best Bang-for-the-Buck Free-Agent Signings

NFL free agency had its obvious big moments. Tom Brady went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cam Newton is on the open market. Massive money went to the market's top names. 

But in the background, savvy front offices got to work on value signings. 

While he's been one of the most oft-used examples lately, think of Shaquil Barrett signing a paltry one-year deal with Tampa Bay last offseason before erupting for an NFL-high 19.5 sacks. You can't find more of a bang-for-the-buck outcome than that. 

The best of these value free-agent signings feature players with the potential to explode like Barrett. They have an alluring combination of past and future production while slotting nicely in monetary value compared to the rest of the market. 

S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Dallas Cowboys

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While stereotyped as a team that only makes big splashes, the Dallas Cowboys ducked under the global radar and got a steal with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

Swapping out the struggling Jeff Heath with Clinton-Dix is a big win regardless, but it sure doesn't hurt that the Dallas front office did so at one year and $4 million. 

Clinton-Dix clearly wants a prove-it deal in a good locale before trying to earn more money on the market next year. And that could certainly happen. He's only 27 years old and coming off a season in which he graded at a 74.2 at Pro Football Focus, finding some stability in his career after splitting 2018 between the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins.

A first-round pick in 2014, Clinton-Dix settled down with the Chicago Bears last year and allowed only 26 catches on 44 targets while posting 78 tackles, missing just nine over 99 percent of the snaps. 

If the Cowboys get this sort of production at such a cost, it will go down as one of the offseason's biggest steals. 

DB Mackensie Alexander, Cincinnati Bengals

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The Cincinnati Bengals earned plenty of attention for big splashes like nose tackle D.J. Reader and cornerback Trae Waynes, but Mackensie Alexander might end up being the best signing. 

Alexander arrives in Cincinnati at the cost of just one year and $4 million, and he slides right in as the starting slot corner. The Bengals were comfortable swapping him in for Darqueze Dennard, who is again a free agent after he and the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to reach an agreement on a deal that was previously reported at three years and $13.5 million, per ESPN's Michael DiRocco. 

A second-round pick in 2016, Alexander only allowed 38 completions on 58 targets last year and didn't miss a tackle while grading well at Pro Football Focus: "Alexander wasn't that bad in his rotational slot role with Minnesota the last couple of years—among 41 slot corners, Alexander ranked 19th in two-year coverage grade and produced the fourth-highest forced incompletion rate."

Landing a 26-year-old corner who gets to play in front of a stout pass rush at this sort of minimal cost is quietly a massive bargain for a Bengals team making uncharacteristic splashes on the market. 

TE Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers

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The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger landed a tight end who caught 13 scores just two seasons ago at a cheap cost. 

Eric Ebron, still only 26 years old and a 2014 top-10 pick, got two years and $12 million from the Steelers. Compare that to, say, Austin Hooper's four-year, $42 million deal with the Cleveland Browns for context. 

Ebron's numbers and struggles with the Indianapolis Colts last year were a little bit exaggerated. Regressing from 13 scores to three isn't great, but neither is missing five games with an ankle injury or seeing Andrew Luck swapped out for Jacoby Brissett while regressing from 110 targets to only 52 (dropping just five). 

The upshot with Ebron is that he gets to play with Big Ben, who loves to spam the ball at his tight ends. This isn't suggesting he'll go for double-digit touchdowns, but he projects as a reliable chain-mover to whom an elite veteran quarterback will often turn.

At this cost, it's a remarkable value given the fit. 

WR Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints

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Emmanuel Sanders entered free agency as one of the biggest names on the market. He ended up getting two years and $16 million. 

Leave it to the New Orleans Saints to go all-in around the last hoorah of quarterback Drew Brees.

It's hard to say whether Sanders had a muted market because of his age (33) or if he took less in an effort to go win a title. Either way, it's a steal considering Randall Cobb got the highest wideout contract at three years and $27 million after catching just 55 passes with three scores for the Dallas Cowboys. 

Sanders, 33 or not, put up 869 yards, five scores and 41 first downs while averaging 13.2 yards per catch for two different teams last season, never mind that he helped reshape the complexion of the San Francisco 49ers upon arrival. 

An average annual salary of $8 million over two years is great value for a Saints team that got 1,725 yards and nine scores from Michael Thomas last year but had no other wideout who could hit the 500-yard mark. While defenses focus on Thomas, Sanders is going to feast. 

RB Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos

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For just two years and $16 million, the Denver Broncos offense got a 26-year-old running back in Melvin Gordon III who has averaged four yards per carry with 36 touchdowns and has caught 224 of his 298 targets over his five seasons in the NFL. 

That's in addition to Phillip Lindsay, who has put up consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. The running game is clearly a big emphasis moving forward as the front office beefs up around potential long-term franchise passer Drew Lock. 

While fantasy football owners won't love the fit, the Broncos now have an array of short-range weapons of the three-down variety to place around the quarterback. And Denver got its latest option at a cheap cost as the running back market reset itself.

Teams that invested north of $13 million in annual average salary on David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell are still regretting those decisions. Gordon, however, is in the sweet spot where it will be impossible to complain about the value thanks to the production. 

RB Todd Gurley, Atlanta Falcons

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Elsewhere in the running back realm, the Atlanta Falcons got Todd Gurley for just one year and $6 million. 

Talk about a steal if he can stay on the field, never mind the homecoming storyline for the former Georgia Bulldogs star. Gurley, owner of a career 4.3 yards-per-carry average with 58 touchdowns, three 1,000-yard seasons and 218 catches on 301 targets, is still just 25 years old with best-in-the-NFL upside.

Granted, he has to stay healthy. But it isn't Atlanta's fault the Los Angeles Rams inked him to a ridiculous contract (four years, $57.5 million) before knee issues popped up. Now the Falcons trade out Devonta Freeman and his 3.6 yards per attempt on 184 carries last year on the cheap. 

If Gurley ends up struggling for some reason, the investment here still wouldn't be so bad. But throwing him into an offense with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley is downright nasty at almost any price, let alone one at which most NFL teams' front-office personnel wouldn't blink. 

Salary-cap and contract information via Spotrac.