A Double-Edged Sword

Football Digest, Nov, 2000 by Vito Stellino

The enigmatic Bryce Paup falls into both categories as we examine the best and the worst free-agent signings

TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE upside and the downside of free agency, all you need to do is look at the career of Bryce Paup. As Paup's plight illustrates, a player generally needs to be in the right environment to excel--and there's no way to definitively know whether the situation is workable until he starts suiting up for his new employer, which is mighty risky considering all the dollars that have been spent by then.

In 1995, following a Pro Bowl season with the Green Bay Packers, Paup signed with the Buffalo Bills for what was then considered big free-agent money, $7.6 million over three years. The deal worked out perfectly for both parties: Playing in a system where he could fully utilize his pass-rushing skills, the linebacker was the league's defensive MVP in 1995 and made the Pro Bowl in all three of his years in Buffalo.

When he became a free agent again after the 1997 season, he was understandably a hot commodity. Once more, Paup struck gold, this time with the Jacksonville Jaguars for $21.75 million over five years. But neither Paup nor the Jaguars lived happily ever after. In short, his two seasons in Jacksonville were a nightmare.

When Paup came to Jacksonville, coach Tom Coughlin said, "Bryce Paup is the kind of guy who can get you 12 to 14 sacks a year." Instead, Paup had a total of 7.5 sacks in his two yearn on the Jaguars, prompting the team to dump him in the offseason. No longer a high-priced player, Paup simply is trying to rebuild his career with the Minnesota Vikings.

"I hated it," Paup says of his experience in Jacksonville. "I'd drive over a big bridge crossing a river every day, and I would just dread it. I wanted to turn around, but I had to go to work."

Paup says the Jaguars played him out of position, as a strongside linebacker, which didn't allow him to be an effective pass-rusher. "It was humiliating," Paup says. "I was out on [wideout Jermaine] Lewis from the Ravens, and he took a streak pattern. I was supposed to carry him 20 yards deep. Hello? I had to check my pride at the door every day."

Coughlin has no comment on the situation, and you can hardly blame him. The Jaguars, after all, spent a ton of money on a player who didn't fit into their system. Oooops!

Jacksonville isn't the only team to make free-agent gaffes, though. Since the inception of unrestrained free agency in 1993, there have been more bad deals than good ones, especially when it comes to the really expensive signings. Here's a look, then, at the best and the worst acquisitions of the flee-agent era:

THE BEST

REGGIE WHITE, DEFENSIVE END GREEN BAY PACKERS

This was the most important signing in the history of free agency. Obviously, White was a big reason why the Packers went to two Super Bowls in the 1990s and won one, but the impact of this deal went deeper than that. There had been predictions that free agency would ruin the Packers, who have a storied history but play in the league's smallest market, one that is predominantly white. But when White agreed to come to Green Bay for $17 million, it sent a clear signal that the Packers would indeed be able to compete for the premier free agents, even the black ones.

DEION SANDERS, CORNERBACK SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Signed to a modest one-year contract in 1994, Sanders was the final piece of San Francisco's Super Bowl-winning puzzle. In addition to capturing defensive player of the year honors, Sanders gave the stodgy 49ers some flair and swagger.

The next year, Deion hit the free-agent road again, joining the Cowboys and receiving an astounding $13 million signing bonus. Although Dallas won a Super Bowl with Deion in 1995, it is debatable whether the team got a good return on its investment. Sanders was a force whenever he was on the field, but injuries limited his playing time.

LEON SEARCY, OFFENSIVE TACKLE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Searcy left the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996 and inked a five-year, $17 million deal with Jacksonville, teaming with Tony Boselli to give the Jaguars one of the best offensive tackle tandems in the league for four seasons. The dynamic duo was broken up this past summer, however, when Searcy suffered a season-ending injury.

CURTIS MARTIN, RUNNING BACK NEW YORK JETS

The Jets paid dearly to land this running back in 1998: They handed him a six-year, $36 million contract and had to give his old team, the New England Patriots, first- and third-round picks since he was a restricted free agent. Martin has been worth it, though. He helped the Jets reach the AFC title game in his first year, and in 1999 he was the league's second-leading rusher. The Patriots, meanwhile, haven't been the same without him.

VINNY TESTAVERDE, QUARTERBACK NEW YORK JETS

After breaking the bank to sign Martin in 1998, the Jets acquired Testaverde that same year for the bargain price of $1.15 million. All the quarterback did was have the best season of his career, throwing 29 passes as New York won the AFC East rifle. Although Testaverde missed all of 1999 after blowing out his Achilles' tendon, he still is one of the Jets' most valuable properties.