Over the years, the NFL has learned (sometimes the hard way) that free agency is not always the answer.
The better teams realize the way to win is to build through the draft and maybe add a free agent here or there to fill a hole on the roster.
Sure the best free agent signing of all time, Reggie White to the Green Bay Packers in 1992, set the bar rather high. That doesn’t happen every year. White, of course joined the Packers, teamed with quarterback Brett Favre and led the Packers out of the dark ages to their first Super Bowl in 30 years.
More times than not, however, high-priced free agents have been more bust than boom and the teams that signed them paid for it for years to come.
This year may be a little different. Here are five free agents from this offseason, who after seven weeks, look like bona fide acquisitions that could do what White did for the Packers 30 years ago.
RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee to Baltimore
“King’’ Henry was thought to be at the twilight of his great career (That’s what the Eagles thought about White, too.). The Ravens took a chance and after seven games he’s rushed for a league-leading 873 yards, a 6.5 yards per carry average and has scored eight touchdowns. The Ravens are one of the best teams in the league and Henry is one of the reasons.
RB Saquon Barkley, New York to Philadelphia
If you watched “Hard Knocks’’ you know how it went down with Barkley leaving the Giants and heading down to Jersey Turnpike to their NFC East rivals. General manager Joe Schoen could lose his job over this one. Barkley has rushed for 658 yards, averages 5.6 yards per carry and has scored five touchdowns. He also destroyed his old team last week in the Eagles 28-3 rout of the Giants.
He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts, but he will not be resting on his laurels.
“Body feels great, ready to go,” Barkley told Dave Spadaro at a corporate event this week. “In this league, you don’t hold onto games. I’m extremely critical of myself and I analyze myself as hard as anyone, and when it’s over and you review the game, you have to move on. We’ve got Cincinnati next and that’s going to be a physical game against a very good defense. We’re already preparing for them.”
The Eagles are fighting for the NFC East title, without Barkley it wouldn’t be much of a fight.
S Xavier McKinney, New York to Green Bay
The Packers badly needed help in their secondary, especially at safety and hit the lottery with the signing of McKinney. Through seven games he has five interceptions (the last two weeks the offense has ignored throwing his way), has broken up six passes, recovered a fumble and recorded a sack. The Packers defense is greatly improved, especially the back end, and X is one of the main reasons. This was not a good offseason for the Giants.
QB Sam Darnold, San Francisco to Minnesota
Who would have thought? Probably not even the Vikings, who spent their first-round draft pick on QB J.J. McCarthy only to see him lost for the year with a knee injury. Darnold, a bust with the Jets and Panthers, has been a revelation for the 6-1 Vikings. He has 12 touchdown passes and a QB rating of 104.0 in seven games.
LB Bobby Wagner, Seattle to Washington
New Washington head coach Dan Quinn needed a leader on defense who also knew his system. Enter Wagner. The long-time Seahawk, who celebrated his 34th birthday, has been just what Quinn wanted and needed. He leads the team in tackles with 62, has two sacks, a forced fumble and nine tackles for a loss. Oh, and Washington is in first place in the NFC East.
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