NFL Free Agency: 12 Signings That Set Franchises Back Years

As the owner of an NFL team, there is nothing better than a prized free-agent signing that can instantly vault a losing team into a contender.

There's nothing worse than the opposite situation, both for the fans, the owner and most importantly, the team.

The following slides highlight 12 different examples of free-agent signings that set teams back a number of years. 

Ahman Green, Running Back, Houston Texans

Green established himself as one of the NFL's top running backs during his tenure in Green Bay. He earned four straight Pro Bowl selections and topped out at 1,883 rushing yards in 2003.

He signed a four-year, $23 million contract with the Houston Texans before the 2007 season. In two seasons with the Texans, he rushed for a combined 554 yards and scored just five touchdowns.

He was released by the team following the 2008 season. Had the Texans had a solid running game in 2007 and 2008, they might have been able to compete in the AFC South. 

Albert Haynesworth, Defensive Tackle, Washington Redskins

Haynesworth was one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the league during his time with the Tennessee Titans. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a monstrous seven-year, $100 million deal with the Washington Redskins before the 2009 season. 

In two seasons in Washington, he played just 20 games, recorded a pathetic 43 tackles and collected 6.5 sacks. His lasting image in Washington might be him crawling on the ground while Eagles quarterback Michael Vick ran around and fired a touchdown pass to Jason Avant on Monday Night Football.

Haynesworth was everything the Redskins didn't need to remain competitive in the dominant NFC East.  

Adam Archuleta, Safety, Washington Redskins

Archuleta was a very good safety during his five seasons in St. Louis. He never made a Pro Bowl or was named All-Pro and I'm surprised that he was able to net a seven-year, $35 million contract.

In his one season in Washington, he was benched after half of the season and was later used just on special teams. His disastrous outing in Washington resulted in him being traded to the Chicago Bears after the season.

The Redskins won 10 games and allowed just 293 points in 2005. In 2006 with Archuleta, they won just five games and allowed 376 points. They haven't won 10 games since they signed Archuleta.  

Javon Walker, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders

Walker had a great season with the 2004 Green Bay Packers and a very good season with the 2006 Denver Broncos. He caught just 26 passes for 287 yards and zero touchdowns in 2007 and was rewarded with a six-year, $55 million contract from the Oakland Raiders.

I have no idea why. The 30-year-old wide receiver caught 15 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown in his first season with Oakland and caught zero passes in 2009.

He and JaMarcus Russell were supposed to be Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne. Instead they were, well, JaMarcus Russell and Javon Walker.

The Raiders scored 283 points in 2007, then 263 with Walker in 2008 and a pathetic 197 in 2009. 

Larry Brown, Cornerback, Oakland Raiders

Larry Brown intercepted two passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX and was rewarded with a five-year, $12.5 million contract by the Oakland Raiders.

With the Oakland Raiders, he played in 16 games in three seasons. He started just one of those games. He collected just 26 tackles and intercepted only one pass.

The Raiders allowed an average of 356 points during Brown's three seasons in Oakland. And there were absolutely no Super Bowl heroics. 

Jeff Garcia, Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Jeff Garcia was a fantastic quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections and topping 30 touchdown passes twice.

He signed a four-year, $25 million deal with the Cleveland Browns before the 2004 season. During his one year in Cleveland, he won three of 10 starts, tossed 10 touchdowns against nine interceptions and posted a 76.7 passer rating.

The Browns were 5-11 in 2003 without Garcia. They went 4-12 in 2004 with Garcia. 

Brett Favre, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. The 2009 season was a total success, as he tossed 33 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. He retired after the season but was talked into unretiring by a few teammates.

Big mistake.

In 2010, Favre tossed 11 touchdowns against 19 interceptions. He also missed a few games with injuries, ending his streak of 297 consecutive games played.

The Vikings currently have no clue who their quarterback will be for the 2011 season. 

Hugh Douglas, Defensive End, Jacksonville Jaguars

Douglas earned three straight Pro Bowl selections with the Eagles from 2000 to 2002. He turned that success into a lucrative five-year, $27.11 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wrong move. He collected just 3.5 sacks in his lone season in Jacksonville and returned to Philadelphia for a final season.

The Jaguars improved from 5-11 to 9-7 after Douglas left. 

Neil O'Donnell, Quarterback, New York Jets

O'Donnell led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Super Bowl after the 1995 season, where he threw a number of costly interceptions to lose the game.

It didn't matter for the New York Jets, who signed the 30-year-old quarterback to a five-year, $25 million deal.

In 1996, O'Donnell suffered a separated shoulder and lost all six of his starts. As a team, the Jets finished 1-15. O'Donnell was benched a few times by head coach Bill Parcells and was cut after 1997.

The Jets made the AFC championship game the year after O'Donnell left. 

Mike Vanderjagt, Kicker, Dallas Cowboys

It's pathetic when a kicker can literally mess up a franchise. That's what Vanderjagt did to the Cowboys though. 

He signed a three-year, $4.5 million contract before the 2006 season but kicked just 13 of 18 field goals before the Cowboys released him. The final straw was a 22-yard miss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cowboys' season ended, ironically, on a 19-yard field-goal attempt against Seattle in the postseason. The play, of course, is remembered for quarterback Tony Romo fumbling the snap. 

Jevon Kearse, Defensive End, Philadelphia Eagles

"The Freak" signed the largest contract by a defensive lineman in NFL history before the 2004 season (eight years and $65 million). 

He actually helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl in his first season but collected just 22 sacks in four years in Philly. The Eagles allowed 386 points in 2005 and 328 in 2006.

Kearse should have been able to get those numbers down to 350 and 300, which would have helped the Eagles contend in both seasons. 

David Boston, Wide Receiver, San Diego Chargers

David Boston had a brilliant (fluke) season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2001, leading the league with 1,598 receiving yards on 98 receptions.

He struggled in 2002 but still managed to sign a ridiculous seven-year, $47 million contract with the San Diego Chargers before the 2003 season.

In 2003, he had a decent season, catching 70 passes for 880 yards and seven touchdowns. That was it. He never played again in San Diego and caught just four more passes in his NFL career.