Top 5 Under-The-Radar Signings Of Free Agency

When the NFL’s free agency rush begins in mid-March, fans can immediately pinpoint how the transition of the league’s biggest stars from one franchise to another will impact their favorite team.

For the first time since the end of the Matt Ryan era, the Atlanta Falcons should field a competent passing attack because Kirk Cousins joined their cast. The Las Vegas Raiders’ already impressive defensive line should be even more stout — and could potentially be the league’s best unit — through the addition of Christian Wilkins as an anchor in the middle.

While those names garner the most attention, the moves that often dictate who wins divisions, conferences, and the Super Bowl commonly fly below the radar. Whether it’s an outside addition or re-acquisition of someone a team allowed to reach the open market, those “value” signings provide the most bang for a team’s buck.

This time last year, hardly anyone outside the Kansas City Chiefs’ most loyal fans knew about Nick Allegretti (the majority of people probably still don’t know of him). When the organization brought him back on a one-year deal three days after free agency began, they hardly envisioned him handling the bulk of snaps at left guard in the postseason.

But when Joe Thuney went down with a pec injury, Allegretti finished the AFC Divisional Round in his stead, then played every offensive snap of the AFC Championship and Super Bowl 58. Had Kansas City not retained his services, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t be pursuing an unprecedented third straight title in 2024.

Allegretti did better for himself this offseason, agreeing to a three-year, $16 million contract with the Washington Commanders on day two of the legal tampering period. Two of the players on our upcoming list are making more annually than Allegretti. You’ll probably recognize one of them, but believe he is someone else. With that said, we begin with the reigning champions.

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DE Michael Danna – Kansas City Chiefs

Contract: 3 Years, $24,000,000

When you think of Chiefs defenders, Danna — if he makes it at all — probably falls pretty far down on your list. Chris Jones, Trent McDuffie, and Nick Bolton are likely the first to come to mind; special teams maven Justin Reid is another solid candidate. But after starting just seven games across his first three seasons, Danna started every game except Week 18 (rest) for Kansas City in 2023, including all four playoff contests.

His numbers, as you can see, were solid. He ranked fourth on the team in sacks, ninth in tackles, and tied for third in tackles for loss. He finished behind only Jones and George Karlaftis in QB hits. At the same time, he wasn’t exceptional and hasn’t been an analytical darling.

Last year, he ranked 78th among 112 qualified edge defenders in Pro Football Focus’ run defense grades and 82nd out of 104 qualifiers as a pass rusher. Yet, a month into free agency, the Chiefs coughed up some coin and made him their seventh-highest paid player.

So… why the tall price? That’s the cost of insurance. Had fellow edge rusher Charles Omenihu not torn his ACL in the AFC Championship game, Danna likely would have found himself sporting new colors. Kansas City wouldn’t have waited a month to bring him back if Omenihu’s early-season prognosis was positive, or if he was someone they considered to be integral to their operation.

However, the aforementioned injury may have opened up an avenue for Danna to stick around for multiple years. Omenihu’s contract, which also holds an $8 million average annual value (AAV), expires in 2024. If he fails to recapture his form, the Chiefs can let him walk and keep Danna around through 2025. If he does, Kansas City can cut Danna after the season and absorb just a $4.3 million dead cap hit by designating him a post-June 1st move.

On the surface, this appears to be an overpay. But in their unusual position of pining for three straight Super Bowls, Kansas City secured a defender they know will be a solid contributor for their short-term push on a contract that is by no means burdensome.

Danna’s presence also gave them the flexibility to address non-edge rushing needs in the draft because they know there won’t be a major void at the position regardless of Omenihu’s recovery timeline.

Barring his own injury, Danna will produce at a level similar to that of 2023 this season. And that’s all the Chiefs need. It’s not a carbon copy of the Allegretti situation, but shares some parallels and could be the move that enables them to make the history they’re striving for in 2024.

CB Kendall Fuller – Miami Dolphins

Contract: 2 Years, $15,000,000

Not to be confused with a former First-Team All-Pro, Kendall Fuller has carved out a very respectable life in the league and appeared in four more games than his brother, Kyle, did in his eight-year career.

Fuller was traded to the Chiefs from Washington in 2018 alongside a third-round pick in exchange for Alex Smith — clearing the way for Patrick Mahomes to begin his dominance in K.C. — but returned to the nation’s capital once his rookie deal expired in 2020. Now, he has taken his talents to South Beach.

In back-to-back seasons, the Miami Dolphins have flopped like a fish out of water once the calendar flips to December. A massive wave of defensive injuries contributed to their downfall in 2023, but they also failed to get the level of play they anticipated from four-time Pro Bowl attendee Xavien Howard. Name value aside, Fuller shapes up to be a much more efficient partner for Jalen Ramsey in Miami’s new scheme.

Fuller is part of an entirely reshaped Dolphins’ defensive unit, and will be asked to handle a large role all season long. Beyond him and Ramsey, Miami boasts just one other corner that was drafted (Siran Neal – 2018 5th Round). Projected slot man Kader Kohou is the lone cornerback not named Ramsey or Fuller who didn’t primarily play special teams a season ago.

Until they add another body to the room, anyone else who is asked to cover opposing receivers will be at a severe disadvantage, meaning they need Fuller to be on the field pretty much every snap. This is why Miami sought him out.

Fuller may not have the cache of his running mate or be recognized as one of the league’s better corners on a wide scale, but he’s as reliable as they come at his position.

Having someone of his caliber on the opposite side of Ramsey will prevent opponents from scheming around the three-time All-Pro and increase both their chances of creating game-changing plays each week. If the conversation surrounding him were greater, he’d be a pure “value” signing rather than an “under the radar” one.

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LB Sione Takitaki – New England Patriots

Contract: 2 Years, $6,645,000

Following five years as a part-time starter for the Cleveland Browns, Sione Takitaki left Northeast Ohio and landed in Foxborough. When discussing the Browns’ pending free agents in February, he’s someone GIVEMESPORT mentioned would be “[scooped] up for more than Cleveland can afford” if he reached the open market. To some degree, that is what transpired.

Alignment aside, because the Browns paid $4 million for Jordan Hicks to become an everyday starter — which Walker Jr. was when healthy — they could not retain Takitaki as their primary reserve. Devin Bush, following what amounted to a redshirt year in the Pacific Northwest behind Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks, got just $1.5 million on a one-year pact.

A change in mindset at the position also contributed to Takitaki’s departure. Browns general manager Andrew Berry made a concerted effort to sacrifice a little in his middle-of-the-field pass defense to, hopefully, drastically improve a run defense that finished 28th in Explosive Rush Rate (12.11%) last year. He and Walker are okay against the run; Hicks is good.

Those factors forced him to find a new club, but one team’s loss is another’s gain, and Takitaki should see a good chunk of snaps in New England.

The Patriots had no reliable depth behind Jahlani Tavai and Ja’Whaun Bentley in 2023, which forced Bentley to play 11% more of the team’s defensive snaps (91%) than he did the year prior (80%) and made him much more ineffective on a snap-to-snap basis. He went from being PFF’s eighth-highest graded inside linebacker in 2022 to 44th at the position (65.8) a season ago.

With Tavai serving as a savant against the run and pass — he earned the seventh-best run defense grade and eighth-best coverage grade among inside linebackers last year — Jerod Mayo can now deploy Bentley and Takitaki in a platoon. The former can handle the majority of rushing downs, where he “excels”, and the latter can take the field in passing situations.

New England’s defense hasn’t been the culprit for the losing spree that has occurred in Foxborough, but that doesn’t mean the unit was bereft of issues. Takitaki should allow Bentley to perform closer to 2022 levels and the Pats’ defense to be even sharper as a whole next season.

CB Arthur Maulet; Baltimore Ravens

Contract: 2 Years, $4,000,000

Maulet, on a one-year deal worth roughly $1.1 million, was among the many cheap additions the Baltimore Ravens made last offseason who drastically exceeded expectations for defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in 2023.

General manager Eric DeCosta couldn’t keep everyone from his star-studded unit, but did manage to bring Maulet back a little more than one week into free agency.

Per PFF grading, Maulet was the 45th-best cornerback in football last season. He posted career-best marks in passer rating allowed (65.8), yards per target (6.3) and completion percentage allowed (55.1%), and didn’t allow a single touchdown reception.

That alone made him a tremendous asset at his cost last year and makes him such again this go round. But, as a cherry on top, he also dominated as a pass rusher and compiled an 80.2 grade.

Some might say “Why does Maulet’s success in that limited capacity matter? He’s a corner!”

Well, it’s because he was really, really good at it!

Last season, Maulet blitzed just 10 times during the regular season, but recorded two sacks, one QB knockdown and three pressures. 60% of the time, he was forcing the opposing quarterback off his spot and essentially ending a play before it began. Unsurprisingly, the Ravens went to the well a bit more often in the playoffs and thrived when doing so.

Having someone who can succeed in so many ways on a defense loaded with talent gives new defensive coordinator Zach Orr an immense amount of flexibility when game planning each week.

If you can send an offense into alert mode with Maulet on one look, then they’re not focusing on Roquan Smith, or Kyle Hamilton, or Justin Madubuike for one fewer play than they should be. The mere threat of him screaming around the edge unabated and tanking a drive makes Baltimore’s defense better, and should help them maintain a high level of play despite their many personnel losses.

G Sua Opeta – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Contract: 1 Year, $1,375,000

An undrafted player from Weber State — NBA superstar Damian Lillard’s alma mater — in 2019, Opeta was released and re-signed by the Philadelphia Eagles a whopping 15 times during his five years with the NFC East club.

He started five games at right guard in place of Cam Jurgens and one at left guard for Landon Dickerson in 2023 before earning his wings and migrating south to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on day three of free agency.

General manager Jason Licht’s ability to keep each of his biggest free agents was impressive, but left Tampa sitting at the same level on which they ended the 2023 campaign: devoid of a ground attack and pass defense.

Center Robert Hainsey and right guard Cody Mauch were reliable in that they played every offensive snap, but neither could block much of anything in the run game. Fellow free agent signee Ben Bredeson, who got more than double what Opeta received from the Bucs ($3 million), also didn’t succeed in that aspect.

Is Opeta a far and away higher-quality option than his new teammates? According to PFF, no. But he does represent a better alternative at a cheaper price. He also boasts years of experience and knowledge from the Eagles’ offensive line factory that his trench brothers don’t possess. And there may be a taller ceiling to his game than PFF believes.

Last season, Opeta posted a top-three finish in ESPN’s Run Block Win Rate metric (76%). That mark was lower than only Dickerson ($21 million AAV, highest of any guard) and the Detroit Lions’ Graham Glasgow (approx. $6.7 million AAV). Offensive line play is notoriously hard to judge; who’s to say Opeta isn’t actually among the better run-blocking guards in football, or at least a tier above where PFF places him?

Tampa Bay needed to improve on the interior offensive line. Opeta and first-round pick Graham Barton, whom NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein labeled the “safest offensive lineman in the entire draft” moments after the Bucs selected him, should enable the Buccaneers to run the ball more effectively in 2024 and take some of the offense’s weight off of the passing attack.

Any improvement in that respect could fuel a return to the Divisional Round and spark a deeper run if things break in their favor.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

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