- Did Green Bay overpay on the offensive line?: The Green Bay Packers gave a nearly $20 million average annual value (AAV) deal to former San Francisco 49ers G Aaron Banks, but that may have further muddied their interior offensive line picture.
- Bynum over Holland?: Did the Indianapolis Colts make the right decision signing the Minnesota Vikings’ Camryn Bynum over the Miami Dolphins’ Jevon Holland, who could've been had at nearly the exact same price?
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
Every offseason, there are free agency signings that create perfect pairings with their new teams. There are others, however, that leave us questioning whether a franchise could have found either a more effective or less expensive alternative. Let’s break down a handful of those acquisitions.
Green Bay Packers: G Aaron Banks (Signed for four years, $77 million)
Alternative: C Ryan Kelly (Signed with the Minnesota Vikings for two years, $18 million)
Aaron Banks receiving the second-largest contract for an interior offensive lineman in this free-agency cycle was a bit of a surprise. While he is a serviceable zone run blocker, he isn’t elite and has struggled pass protecting throughout his career. His true pass-blocking grade sat below 55.0 in all three of his seasons as a starter in San Francisco.
Green Bay entered free agency with questions on the offensive line, primarily due to questions about Jordan Morgan’s health and starting center Josh Myers‘ departure. Banks’ arrival likely means that star left guard Elgton Jenkins moves inside to center, where he has played less than 400 snaps in his career. If that is the case, it could be argued that the Packers offensive line exits this free agency period with more pass protection questions than it entered with.
One alternative could have been someone like ex-Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly, who recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings for less than a quarter of the total money that Banks could receive in Green Bay. Kelly is older than Banks, but he is a significantly better pass protector, as he earned a top-eight pass-blocking grade among centers across the past three seasons.
Kelly’s addition would’ve allowed Jenkins to stay at his customary left guard spot while the team could’ve allocated the extra resources to improving its defense.
Dallas Cowboys: Signed LB Jack Sanborn, traded for LB Kenneth Murray Jr.
Alternative: LB Elandon Roberts (Signed with the Las Vegas Raiders for one year, $3 million) or LB Devin Bush (re-signed with the Cleveland Browns for one year, $3.25 million)
Dallas has taken an extremely conservative approach to free agency in recent years. That may have been a deciding factor in not seeking out higher-priced linebackers like Dre Greenlaw or Robert Spillane. With Eric Kendricks a free agent and DeMarvion Overshown recovering from a serious injury, though, the Cowboys need answers at the position to aid their run defense.
The Cowboys linebackers ranked 27th in run-defense grade this past season even with Kendricks and Overshown in the fold. So far, they’ve made a trade for former Tennesse Titan Kenneth Murray Jr., who has struggled to defend the run throughout his career. His 35.0 run-defense grade this past season was the lowest amongst all linebackers who played at least 300 snaps. They also signed Jack Sanborn, who is familiar with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, but projects as more of a rotational player.
A sturdy veteran like Elandon Roberts, who placed third among qualified linebackers with a 91.0 run-defense grade in 2024, could’ve filled that early down void for less than half the price of Murray’s current salary cap hit. If they wanted a younger player who somewhat broke out this past season, they could’ve opted for Cleveland’s Devin Bush, whose 86.4 run-defense grade placed him ninth among qualified linebackers.
The Cowboys made a slew of moves across their front seven, but the same questions remain about their porous run defense as they move closer to the draft.
Arizona Cardinals: DI Dalvin Tomlinson (Signed for two years, $29 million)
Alternative: DI Poona Ford (Signed with Los Angeles Rams for three years, $30 million)
Arizona was obviously in the market for a run-stopping three-technique player who could add a veteran presence to its defensive line. After their interior defenders ranked 25th in the NFL in run-defense grade this past season, the Cardinals opted to give ex-Cleveland Brown Dalvin Tomlinson a nearly $15 million AAV to fill that role.
The problem is Tomlinson isn’t quite the player he used to be in the run game, earning a 65.0 or lower run-defense grade in each of the past three seasons. His pass-rush metrics had been on a coinciding uptick, but even that efficiency took a dip in 2024. For roughly 30% less cost in average annual value (AAV), they could’ve had a player coming off a better season to fill the same role.
Poona Ford earned the fifth-highest overall grade, 85.3, and third-highest run-defense grade, 80.3, among qualified defensive tackles in 2024. His ability to control gaps for the Chargers defense played an invaluable role in its success. He also posted at least a 70.0 pass-rush grade for the third time in four seasons. Ford signed with the Rams for $10 million per season, far less than Tomlinson despite the fact that he is two years younger and coming off a better season.
Indianapolis Colts: S Camryn Bynum (Signed for four years, $60 million)
Alternative: S Jevon Holland: Signed with New York Giants for three years, $45.3 million)
Indianapolis handing Camryn Bynum a contract near the top of this year’s safety market poses some risk. Perhaps he’s a player that new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo specifically targeted, but Bynum is coming off a season in which he earned a 61.6 overall grade. That’s carried mostly by his solid work in run defense, though his grade in that department slipped to a career-low in 2024.
The issue with this signing is that the Colts already have a safety who is more effective in the run game in Nick Cross. They came into free agency seeking to replace Julian Blackmon, who placed inside the top 20 safeties in coverage grade this past season. The Colts are now projecting to start two safeties who earned under a 65.0 coverage grade last season.
Jevon Holland, who is tied for the fifth-highest coverage grade among qualified safeties since 2024, could’ve been had at a nearly identical price. He is ironically tied for that spot with Jessie Bates III, who Anarumo is familiar with from his days in Cincinnati. If the Colts were aiming to improve their coverage unit, there could be questions asked about whether they have actually done so in choosing Bynum over Holland.
Tennessee Titans: OT Dan Moore Jr. (Signed for four years, $82 million)
Alternative: OT Jaylon Moore (Signed with Kansas City for two years, $30 million) or OT Morgan Moses (Signed with the New England Patriots for three years, $24 million)
Dan Moore Jr. entering the upper echelon of left tackle salary at $20.5 million per year was a bit surprising and mildly complicates the Titans’ offensive line outlook. Moore is coming off his best season, earning a 67.2 overall grade. However, he still allowed 12 sacks on the year and his true pass-blocking grade sat at just 59.1.
That final number is nearly identical to Tennessee’s 60.1 team pass-blocking grade that was the eighth-worst in the NFL in 2024. Moore’s arrival also compromises the continuity of their offensive line as JC Latham is now expected to flip back over to right tackle, where he played in college. Perhaps Latham will find more comfort on that side, but it’s certainly a gamble.
Cheaper alternatives than Moore could’ve been had in Jaylon Moore or Morgan Moses, both of whom were acquired for significantly less capital than Dan Moore Jr. A smaller contract handed to either of those players would’ve given the Titans flexibility to improve other positions like wide receiver or edge defender in free agency. They also would have likely been more open to drafting an offensive lineman, possibly as high as the second round.
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