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The best NFL free-agency values, worst overpays of 2018

Out of all the money spent in free agency thus far, which deals look like the best bargains -- and which made folks from around the league scratch their heads? ESPN Illustration

NFL free agency reached peak frenzy before the signing period officially opened as teams embraced the confusingly named "legal tampering" period.

Despite all the excitement, most rosters are a little worse off now than they were before. That's because many depth players remain unsigned, while many of the signings featured desperate teams overpaying to fill needs.

With assists from general managers and others around the league, I've put together a ranking of the 10 best value signings and the 10 worst overpays.


Worst overpays

1. Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs

Deal: Three years, $48 million

The good news is that Watkins is young, talented and joining a team coached by Andy Reid, who excels at maximizing personnel. The bad news is that Watkins simply has not been very productive, a leading reason he is on his third team in eight months.

The Chiefs are paying Watkins as though he's a sure bet. They were not the only team willing to spend big for him. Dallas was also interested, as was Chicago. It seems like a case of teams valuing a player based more on their draft reports than what the player has done since college.