The goal of free agency is to improve the roster, but that doesn’t always come with acquiring talent at the peak of their careers.
The mindset “what have you done for me lately” dominates NFL culture, and for good reason. But in a hard cap world, maximizing value is critical in building the best roster possible. You can target the top guys that require the most lucrative contracts or earliest draft picks, or you can bet on value with the plan of getting the most out of players who can be brought in with minimal resources.
When the latter path works out, they are the acquisitions that boost a general manager’s track record the most.