NFL teams are looking for production at the right price when they venture into free agency for opportunities to upgrade their roster. Some succeed spectacularly. Others flop famously.
My five best free-agent additions for 2015 include a starting quarterback earning $1.1 million per season and a $1.4 million-a-year safety with seven interceptions. My five worst include a player released from his team after pocketing $11,945 per defensive snap.
There were many other candidates worth considering, but the 10 listed below stood out for a range of reasons, including the lessons associated with their signings.
Five best free-agent additions
1. Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills
Contractual value: The Bills found a young, instantly productive veteran starting quarterback with upside for a deal worth $1.1 million per season. That is hard to do.
Production: Taylor has 20 touchdown passes with five interceptions in 12 games. He ranks seventh in Total QBR (67.4) and fifth in passer rating (101.8). Taylor is not a volume passer, but he fits well in the Bills' offensive scheme. He's 10th in Pro Football Focus (PFF) grading at the position. Durability is a concern.
Lasting lesson: Matching a quarterback's skills to an offensive scheme increases the likelihood for success. Signing a player from a successful program might also help (Taylor spent his first three seasons with Baltimore). Rumored organizational changes could affect where Taylor fits into the Bills' future plans. At worst, he's under contract for another season at a reasonable rate.