2022 NFL Free Agents Whose Values Tanked Last Season

Now that the Los Angeles Rams have been crowned Super Bowl champions, the NFL offseason is officially here. It should be relatively quiet until mid-March, when the new league year begins and free agency will kick off with a flurry of transactions.

While teams will dole out hundreds of millions of dollars, some players won't be cashing in as much as they could have.

At least a handful of impending free agents significantly hurt their value this past season, either because of poor play on the field or head-scratching decisions off of it.

With that in mind, here's a look at five players who might have to settle for far less than they could have earned with a strong 2021 campaign.

WR Allen Robinson II

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson II came into 2021 fresh off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. However, he went on to have his most disappointing year as a pro.

Robinson caught only 38 of his 66 targets for 410 yards and one touchdown despite suiting up for 12 games. Other than the 2017 campaign, during which he played only one game before suffering a season-ending ACL tear, it was his worst statistical season by far.

Robinson struggled to establish chemistry with rookie quarterback Justin Fields. The Ohio State product flashed a much stronger rapport with second-year wideout Darnell Mooney.

The Bears franchise-tagged Robinson last offseason, so he played out last season on a one-year, $17.9 million contract. Seeing as another franchise tag would cost them nearly $21.6 million, the Bears figure to let him walk in free agency.

Even if Robinson doesn't re-sign in Chicago, he should still have a robust market. He racked up 200 receptions for 2,397 yards and 13 touchdowns between the 2019 and 2029 seasons despite having to catch passes primarily from Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles.

Pro Football Focus projects Robinson to sign a deal worth around $16 million annually, which would still make him one of the NFL's highest-paid wideouts. But a strong 2021 campaign could have helped him sign a deal toward the very top of his position.

TE Evan Engram

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Although Evan Engram has started 51 games at tight end for the New York Giants over the last half-decade, he has yet to live up to the hype that made him a first-round pick in 2017.

The 27-year-old took a step back in 2021, regressing in receptions (46), targets (73) and receiving yardage (408) from his Pro Bowl campaign in 2020. Engram's most productive season came as a rookie, when he secured 64 receptions for 722 yards and six touchdowns on 115 targets.

While quarterback Daniel Jones shoulders some of the blame for Engram's ineffectiveness over the past few seasons, Engram has had plenty of opportunities to shine in the Big Apple.

The Giants haven't had a reliable running game for the last few years due to a banged-up offensive line and star running back Saquon Barkley's absences, and their receiving corps was gutted by injuries in 2021. Despite being relatively healthy and playing in 15 games this past season, Engram still couldn't carve out a reliable role in the G-Men's flailing offense.

While teams were reportedly interested in acquiring Engram ahead of the November trade deadline, the Giants stood pat. They now have a tough decision to make on his future.

PFF estimates Engram will command upward of $10 million per year on his next deal, a testament to his elite athleticism and potential as a pass-catcher. Had he been able to add a highly productive 2021 season to his resume, he'd be in line to earn even more in free agency.

WR Antonio Brown

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Antonio Brown made headlines in Week 17 when he stripped off his jersey and pads and ran off the field in the middle of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' eventual victory over the New York Jets. That decision resulted in Brown's release from the Bucs and will likely cost him millions on his next contract, if he even ends up getting offered one this offseason.

However, that wasn't the first time he got into trouble last season. In early December, the 33-year-old got suspended for three games for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccination status.

Messy exit aside, Brown did prove valuable to the Bucs when healthy. During his 15 regular-season games with the Bucs in 2020 and 2021, he caught 87 passes on 124 targets for 1,028 yards and eight scores despite sharing the field with Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski. 

However, he suffered an ankle injury against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, which perhaps contributed to his departure from the Bucs. He said Bucs head coach Bruce Arians pressured him to play through the injury.

Even if he's healthy and able to produce, Brown could be running out of chances in the NFL. If he does get another shot in 2022, it will likely be an incentive-laden deal with minimal guaranteed money, a far cry from what his on-field production would otherwise warrant.

CB Eli Apple

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Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple is having a tough week. 

According to PFF Fantasy Football, Apple allowed four completions, 41 yards and two scores in Super Bowl LVI, including the game-winning touchdown by Cooper Kupp in the waning moments. He became the butt of countless jokes and memes following that brutal performance.

Apple finished the regular season allowing 47 completions on 78 targets for 602 yards and three touchdowns when targeted. He played 93 percent of Cincinnati's defensive snaps and showed he can still be a serviceable starting corner or a top backup.

Prior to Super Bowl LVI, PFF projected Apple would earn a one-year, $4.25 million deal this offseason, a significant raise over his $1.2 million contract this season. Unfortunately, his outing against the Rams proved that teams won't necessarily want to rely on him to cover the opposition's best wideouts in key moments.

He's also made enemies with his outspoken social media presence, which could make some clubs nervous about signing him.

Had Apple made less noise off the field and played better in the Super Bowl, he might have scored a multiyear, big-money deal. Instead, the 2016 first-round pick may have to settle for another one-year, prove-it deal this offseason.

WR William Fuller V

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The Miami Dolphins were hoping to add a burner when they signed William Fuller V to a one-year, $10.6 million contract this past offseason. Unfortunately for Miami, he played only two games this year, finishing with four receptions on eight targets for 26 yards.

The Dolphins took a risk on the oft-injured Fuller, who missed five games in each of the past four seasons prior to this one. The Notre Dame product was coming off a career-best year with the Houston Texas in which he racked up 53 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns, but he couldn't replicate that success in Miami.

Fuller missed the first game of the season to finish out a PED suspension, but he later suffered a broken finger and had personal issues sideline him as well.

After his lost 2021 campaign, teams may be more reluctant to give Fuller an eight-figure annual salary. However, he still figures to find some team desperate enough to roll the dice on his upside.