This is the time of year where it’s great to be an NFL free agent. Why? Because every spring NFL owners (okay, namely Daniel Snyder) foolishly go overboard spending for their teams. Then the season rolls around and inevitably the player either doesn’t fit their system, has aged overnight, or the red flags, that caused them to be available in the first place, sour the relationship. Here are the five worst:
1. Albert Haynesworth, Washington Redskins; 7 years, $100 million ($41 million guaranteed) in 2009. The posterboy for free agent signings gone bad, Haynesworth lasted just two unproductive years in Washington, reportedly unhappy about the team switching defenses from a 4−3 to a 3−4. The former two-time All-Pro with Tennessee didn’t even make the starting lineup his second season with the Redskins and was traded after the season to New England. He then split the 2011 season with the Patriots and Buccaneers and has been out of the NFL ever since.
2. Javon Walker, Oakland Raiders; 6 years, $55 million ($16 million guaranteed) in 2008. While Haynesworth didn’t work out in Washington’s system, he was at least pretty successful in his previous stop. But Walker had just one Pro Bowl season (and plenty of injury-riddled seasons) before the Al Davis-led Raiders signed the 29-year old. Unfortunately he had little left in the tank, catching a total of 15 passes for 196 yards in his two seasons with the Silver and Black.
