Buyer’s Note: Which NFL Free Agent Should Teams Avoid in 2023? | | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

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With the Wild Card Weekend looming, only eight NFL teams have something left to play. The league’s remaining 24 teams are fully focused in the offseason, with plenty of chances for these excluded clubs to improve and fix holes via free agency.

While there are plenty of talented players to become available on the open market, there are some players that teams want to think twice about signing long-term contracts.

Clubs signing big deals, whether because veterans seem past their prime or because young players are ready to be overpaid based on limited jobs and other factors of concern. The club is at high risk of burning out if it decides to Any of the following free agents:

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Jadeveon Clowney has been flying around the league since his rookie contract expired after the 2018 campaign. He is poised to join his fourth team in the past five years after his two-year stint with the Cleveland Browns seemed to come to a rough end.

Clowney was left out of the season finale after returning home from practice and venting his frustrations with Cleveland’s defensive strategy.

The 29-year-old has shown his ability to pass rushes sporadically, but had just two sacks last season. This is the lowest total of any campaign in which he has appeared in at least his 12 games, down significantly from his nine in 2021.

It’s been rare to see him apply pressure this year. He was under pressure just 12 times and had just two quarterback knockdowns after generating 32 pressures and 10 knockdowns in the preseason.

Injuries began to take its toll on the nine-year veteran. He hasn’t played a full season since 2017 and has missed 16 contests in the past three years. Clowney said that in 2022 he only recorded 493 defensive snaps, which was his third fewest in his career.

Despite these limitations, the NFL continues to focus on edge lashing. His ability to serve the division when Clowney is healthy and act as a solid run stopper will likely persuade the club to sign at least his $10 million worth of deal in his 2023 campaign. .

The decision could pay off if the overall top pick of 2014 manages to stay on the field, but it’s not wise to make long-term bets on an aging edge rusher. It would be a decent pickup, but giving him a multi-year deal could haunt the club.

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Last offseason, the Miami Dolphins got their heads around franchise tag Mike Gesicki, but it didn’t go well. The tight end continued his career-high 73-catch, 780-yard campaign by tallying just 362 yards on 32 receptions in 2022.

Now that it’s almost certain Miami will allow Gesicki to join free agency, teams should be cautious about signing tight ends on athletic but limited long-term deals.

The 6-foot-6, 247-pounder has shown his ability to make big plays, especially in the red area, as evidenced by his 18 touchdown catches over the past four years. , he is far from being a perfect player. To be a true asset, he needs a different set of skills.

Gesicki has been more of an oversized slot receiver than a true tight end since entering the league in the second round in 2018.

Miami has failed to maximize Gesicki’s abilities in 2022 with an offense stacked with pass-catching talent. This misfit was reflected in his professional footballing his Focus grade, which plummeted to 59.9. It was the lowest score since 50.2 points when he was a rookie.

Any club that signs with Gesicki should be aware of what they can and cannot do with Penn State products. He would be much better suited to an organization that deploys him as a consistent route runner rather than asking him to stay inline as a blocker, but the 27-year-old could again be overpaid for this contribution.

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Josh Jacobs made the most of the Las Vegas Raiders’ decision not to take the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Playing to earn a new contract in 2022, this running back has 340 totes for his league-leading 1,653 yards and his 12 touchdowns (his fifth in football). I spent a career year accomplishing a lot of times.

The 24-year-old will be a hot commodity on the open market as the reigning rushing champion, but teams may not get the value they expect from him over the life of his next contract.

Second-time signings for running backs have historically been risky. Many players such as Ezekiel Elliott, Le’Veon Bell, and Todd Gurley slumped significantly after winning large sums of money.

Running backs rarely manage to maintain an elite level of play while playing a major role year after year. Back injuries for these workhorses are common, evidenced by the likes of his two rushing champions at the end. Both Jonathan Taylor (2021) and Derrick Henry (2020) missed out on extensive season action after winning the crown.

Jacobs has been in heavy use since joining the league in 24th overall in 2019.

2022 was the first year he saw more than 63% of Vegas’ offensive snaps, but he has scored at least 262 touches in all four seasons, including a whopping 393 this year. He made 821 offensive plays (75%) on the field this season, well above his previous career-high of 625.

Jacobs has proven he’s in the upper echelon of running backs, but it remains to be seen how long he can maintain that position. Any team betting that Jacobs will continue to be in the top flight for years to come is taking a big risk.

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Teams desperate for a quarterback this offseason may end up having an altercation with Baker Mayfield.

It’s understandable why a club that failed to secure a valuable rookie prospect would consider kicking tires for the overall top pick for 2018. Mayfield capped off his five-game stint with the Los Angeles Rams. He shows even more impressive considering he was pushed into the starting lineup just days after being signed off the scrap pile.

At times, Mayfield seemed to have a 63.6% pass completion percentage of 850 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, but after multiple chances in his five years in the NFL, it’s been a long time coming. I don’t think he’ll be anything more than an average passer.

Before rejoining the Rams, Mayfield landed the starting job with the Carolina Panthers to begin the 2022 campaign. The 27-year-old was only 1-5 in six starts, but he only made 57.8% of his 1,313-yard throws, his six interceptions to six interceptions. After scoring a touchdown, he was released in early December.

Mayfield had his best season in 2020 as he led the Cleveland Browns to an 11-5 record. The team made it to the playoffs, but the quarterback’s completion percentage fell short of his 63% and in the air he gained only 3,563 yards.

Given his accuracy issues, turnover tendencies, and career record of just 31-38, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Mayfield plays more than a temporary option. Given the rising contract value that his decent show in LA likely commanded, Mayfield’s costs are no match for his production.

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Daron Payne will be a hot target for teams looking to strengthen the inside of their defensive line this offseason. The Washington Commanders had a lot of interest in him by the Nov. 1 trade deadline, but the franchise ultimately decided not to trade his tackle to the defensive player he played in the final year of his rookie contract. Selected.

Holding Pain could be an option for the Commander, but it would be costly and probably a bad decision.

Payne has been a quality run-stopper since joining the league in 13th overall in 2018. He has amassed around 300 tackles in that period, including 40 in a loss. There’s no doubt the 25-year-old will continue to contribute at a high level in the division, but his blossoming pass-rushing skills leave teams with big-money contracts in free agency wanting to see more. There is.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 320-pound player has just completed a career year in terms of trailing quarterbacks. He created at least his 25 pressures in his second straight season and recorded a team-high 11.5 sacks. This is his 6.5 more than his previous set of high marks. as a newcomer.

These numbers are definitely strong, as only two internal D linemen had more sacks in 2022.

It took him 908 defensive snaps to reach those high numbers. AL.com’s Mark Inabinett said the other interior D lineman has a higher percentage of his snaps defensively on the team than Payne (87%), and only Christian Wilkins has played more snaps at this position this year.

And there were many plays where Alabama products disappeared.

That discrepancy is reflected in Payne’s PFF grade, which was just 58.4 in 2022. below averageand Payne has never scored higher than 68.2 (considered “average”) in any of his five seasons.

Given that his next deal is likely at least worth what Commanders teammate Jonathan Allen signed before the 2021 campaign (a four-year deal worth $72 million). , it can cost a lot to secure a defensive tackle that flaunts greatness but never delivers it. all together.