NFL free agency is littered with bad contracts. The kind of contracts that any reasonable person knows is a bad idea immediately.
Yet the signings happen every year because general managers need to keep their jobs, and an abundance of cap space is too juicy to ignore.
But every once in a while, a great signing takes place. One that makes the team better both short and long term.
Below, we ranked the top 10 signings from the 2024 free-agent class.
10. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
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If there’s any player who seemed a perfect match for his new team, it’s Henry and the Ravens. However, he’s only 10th on the list because of positional value and age.
Henry, 30, is still one of the best backs in the league, giving him the leverage to secure a two-year, $20 million deal. After being limited to eight games with a foot injury in 2021, Henry has led the league in carries both seasons since, rushing for 25 touchdowns and 2,705 yards.
9. Xavier McKinney, S, Green Bay Packers
McKinney was the best safety on the market, and the Packers made sure to upgrade one of their weakest positions on the depth chart with a four-year deal worth $68 million.
McKinney played his first four years with the New York Giants, racking up nine interceptions and 27 passes defensed. With Green Bay, McKinney will play behind corners Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, making the Packers one of the deeper secondaries in the league.
8. Andrew Van Ginkel, LB, Minnesota Vikings
Van Ginkel is an underrated signing, going to the Vikings for two years and $20 million. He joins edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and linebacker Blake Cashman as the trio remaking the front seven for coordinator Brian Flores.
Flores and Van Ginkel worked together in Miami, helping the linebacker become one of the more well-rounded players at his position in the league. Last season, Van Ginkel totaled 69 tackles, 19 quarterback hits, six sacks and an interception.
7. Frankie Luvu, LB, Washington Commanders
After being a part-time linebacker for three seasons with the New York Jets, Luvu starred for the Carolina Panthers since signing there in 2021. The Commanders made him a key target of their busy offseason and signed him to a three-year, $36 million contract.
Luvu, 27, notched more than 100 tackles each of the past two years while amassing 12.5 sacks. Washington’s front seven should be fantastic with Da’Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen inside, and Dorance Armstrong coming off the edge.
6. Christian Wilkins, DT, Las Vegas Raiders
Wilkins became the best-available defensive tackle once Chris Jones re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he cashed in big with the Silver and Black on a four-year, $110 million deal with $84.75 million guaranteed.
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Paired with Maxx Crosby, Wilkins should give the Raiders a terrific combination up front. With the Miami Dolphins in 2023, Wilkins registered nine sacks on 23 quarterback hits. Expect those numbers to rise with Crosby by his side.
5. Kendall Fuller, CB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins lost plenty in free agency, but they gained a terrific corner in Fuller after he departed from Washington. And the value was excellent, with the veteran signing a two-year deal worth $16 million.
Fuller, 29, comes over as a starter who can play a multitude of roles including slot corner, boundary corner and safety. In Miami, he’ll join a talented group alongside Jalen Ramsey to help the Dolphins aim for a third straight playoff berth.
4. Marquise Brown, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Brown might prove to be the best value at receiver in free agency. The Chiefs landed Brown on a one-year, $7 million pact worth up to $11 million with incentives.
Brown, 26, has played five years with the Ravens and Arizona Cardinals, going over the 1,000-yard threshold in 2021 with Baltimore. Now catching passes from Patrick Mahomes, Brown’s a decent bet to find a new level of success in Kansas City’s offense.
3. Bryce Huff, Edge, Philadelphia Eagles
Huff broke out in his fourth season with the Jets. After being a rotational defender who played on special teams, Huff became a pass-rushing force in 2023 with 10 sacks despite playing just 42% of snaps.
With the Eagles, Huff joins a front including defensive tackle Jalen Carter and fellow edge rusher Josh Sweat, who reworked his deal to remain with Philadelphia. As usual, the Eagles should have one of the best pass-rushing units in football.
2. Mitch Morse, C, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Morse is a crafty veteran who overcame durability issues early in his career to become one of the league stalwarts at center.
After being released from the Buffalo Bills due to a looming cap crunch, Morse reunited with coach Doug Pederson after the two spent time together with the Chiefs in 2015. Jacksonville had a major need to revamp the offensive line’s interior, and Morse is a perfect fit on a two-year deal.
1. Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Cousins’s signing is controversial for some, as he’s 35 years old coming off a torn Achilles tendon. And while that’s understandable, the Falcons signed the player who will easily have the biggest impact on his new team.
Cousins only has one playoff win, but he’s been an underrated quarterback for years. In six seasons with the Vikings, Cousins threw for at least 4,200 yards in four of them. He also tossed 171 touchdowns against 55 interceptions in that span.
If Cousins is healthy, he’s the best signing in the free-agency period, even at $180 million over four years.
