NFL Free Agents 2011: 10 Free-Agent Signings Destined To Disappoint Their Clubs

With a bumper crop of free agents looking for a big payday in this summer's free agency free-for-all, there are plenty of candidates destined to disappoint their clubs. Sometimes they're players joining new clubs, other times they're players returning to their previous clubs, but in every case, they just don't live up to the hype.  

But who will disappoint the most? Which free agents are destined to leave fanbases wanting more? 

We're breaking down the 10 likeliest suspects, the guys who hit free agency and scored new deals with their old club, or are bound for parts unknown. The only things they have in common are their free-agent status at some point this summer, and the likelihood that they'll disappoint this fall. 

10. Antonio Cromartie, CB

It's not that Cromartie, an unrestricted free agent who has re-signed with the Jets, is a bad player; he's quite skilled. It's just that he's not quite as good as many people think he is. 

Cromartie is beaten on double moves, and he does have a tendency to bow to more physical receivers (Randy Moss notwithstanding). He relies heavily on instinct to make plays, which means when he misses, he misses badly. He's still an inconsistent tackler, and while he is improving in that area, he remains one of the most heavily penalized players in the sport. 

He's not going to be terrible by any stretch, but he will disappoint. 

9. Plaxico Burress, WR

One of the most intriguing free agents on the market, Burress signed a one-year deal with the Jets on Sunday in his triumphant return to football. 

But the man who tried to shoot his career in the foot by shooting himself in the leg is also destined to disappoint fans. No one's sure what the 33-year-old wideout is bringing to the table after being in prison for 18 months, nor are they sure he's going to deliver anything at all. 

He's hitting an age when wideouts tend to slow down in terms of production, and if there's rust there (and how can there not be after not setting foot on a field for almost two years?), Burress won't deliver on the hype. 

8. Gerald Sensabaugh, S

Gerald Sensabaugh is a strong safety, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys. The 28-year-old came over to Dallas from Jacksonville, and would still be a promising safety if things like pass coverage weren't a part of the job description. 

Sensabaugh is routinely smoked on man-to-man coverage and occasionally struggles in zone, as well. He's a solid athlete and a decent tackler, but don't expect to see much of anything out of him until you see him futilely chasing an opposing wideout down the field after getting burned. He won't cost a ton, but there's a good reason why. 

7. Ronnie Brown, RB

In theory, Ronnie Brown is a good, low-cost free-agent running back option for a team in need of a rusher. He's a versatile runner with a varied skill set, capable of filling a variety of roles. 

Unfortunately, football isn't played in theory, and Brown's performance last season was one of the least inspiring in recent memory. He struggled to make any kind of dent on the field, failing to make an impact in the two-back system the Dolphins ran. 

He looked like he was struggling to make consistent gains on the ground, and while he's a solid pass-catcher, Brown is likely doomed to disappoint his next employer. 

6. Jason Babin, DE

Babin is a classic case of a solid player cashing in big time on a career year he's not likely to repeat. The 31-year-old defensive end just signed a five-year, $28 million deal with the Eagles, after posting a career high in sacks (12.5) last season. Previously, he'd never posted more than five in a season. 

Does that sound like an anomaly to anyone else? I'm not saying Babin's going to be a complete bust with the Eagles, but I wouldn't expect the kind of performance he delivered last season again, unless he completely abandons the run defense to get to the quarterback. 

5. Braylon Edwards, WR

Braylon Edwards has virtually every physical skill you could want from a wideout in the NFL: size, speed, solid route-running, agility and good athletic ability. 

There's just one thing missing, and unfortunately for him, it's kind of important: hands. Edwards has the least consistent hands of any big-name wideout in the NFL. You'll see him bobble or drop all kinds of passes next season, just as he has for quite some time now. 

He'll get paid like a top wideout, but as long as his hands stay shaky, he's doomed to disappoint fans. 

4. Joseph Addai, RB

Colts fans thought they were free at last. They thought they were done with Addai's 15-carry, 60-yard games, done with the constant bumps and bruises and sprains, done with him for good.

Instead, the Colts re-signed Addai, bringing the 28-year-old back into the fold once again, and dooming the run game to another year of underwhelming performance. 

3. Cedric Benson, RB

Benson is a very similar back to Addai: big on promise when he came into the league, low on real production since getting here. His ineptitude is hidden behind the veneer of getting a boatload of carries over the last two seasons, but his paltry yards-per-carry average and inability to break big runs are much better indicators of just how disappointing he's likely to be next season. 

Although, given the fact that Bruce Gradkowski is the Bengals quarterback, at least Bengals fans know Benson will earn his new deal in the number of carries he gets, because there's no way Marvin Lewis throws the ball more than absolutely necessary. 

2. Matt Hasselbeck, QB

I get that the Titans were desperate for a quarterback. Jake Locker is nowhere near fully baked, and let's not mention the fact that Rusty Smith is even an option; they pretty much had to go get the aging former Seahawk. 

But that doesn't change the fact that given his stats from the last three seasons, Hasselbeck might actually be a zombie at this stage of the game. He's been mediocre on his best days and lacks the arm strength to get the job done on his worst, and with the wideout corps in Tennessee, things are going to be pretty bad for Hasselbeck next season.

1. DeAngelo Williams, RB

Just when you thought the running back situation in Carolina was going to sort itself out, the Panthers went and dropped a ridiculous contract on a back who failed to break the 700-yard plateau last season, much less the 1,000-yard mark. 

Williams is still fairly young at age 26, but the only reason he got a five-year, $43 million contract with $21 million guaranteed is because Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is trying to get his team over the salary floor in the stupidest way imaginable: giving obscene contracts to guys who don't deserve them (for proof, look at the massively idiotic deal he handed kicker Olindo Mare).

Given his history, I just don't see Williams living up to that kind of deal, and he figures to disappoint Panthers fans all season long when he struggles to get yards on the ground.