This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/guest_from_Europe on 2025-08-30 12:01:05+00:00.
Recently several expensive EDGE position players changed their teams. Giants traded for Burns, Packers for Parsons, Texans signed Hunter, Vikings Greenard, Cardinals J. Sweat…So, let’s have a look how similarly paid players did for their new teams in the past.
From this list of pass rushers sorted by contract size (in team cap%) at the time of signing overthecap.com/contract-history/edge-rusher i looked at all the players that were paid at least 7% of team cap (like Greenard, van Ginkel, Josh Sweat now). The following table contains data of their individual performance for the new team, how that contract ended and what kind of success did the team have with that player (listed in descending order of contract size by cap% at signing):
| player, age, team | individual performance, awards on the new team | team record before signing | best season with the new player | contract fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Williams, 27, Bills | 1x AP-1, 1xAP-2, 2x PB, 10.75 sacks/season | 6-10, last in division | 9-7, no playoffs | released |
| Mack, 27, Bears | 1x AP-1, 1xAP-2, 3x PB, 9 sacks/season | 5-11, last in division | 12-4, only winning season, lost in wild card | traded away |
| Clark, 26, Chiefs | 3xPB, only 6 sacks/season | 12-4, lost conference game | 14-2, 2 Super Bowl wins, 1 loss | released |
| Vernon, 26, Giants | 1x AP-2, 1x PB, 7.3 sacks/season | 6-10, third in division | 11-5, only winning season, lost in wild card | traded away |
| Montez Sweat, 27, Bears | 1xPB, 9 sacks/season, TBD | 3-14, last | 7-10, last in division | |
| Peppers, 30, Bears | 1x AP-1, 1xAP-2, 3x PB, 9.5 sacks/season | 7-9, third in division | 11-5, lost conference game, 2/4 winning seasons | released |
| Chubb, 26, Dolphins | 1xPB, 9.5 sacks/season, TBD | 9-8, third in division | 11-6, lost wild card | |
| Jared Allen, 26, Vikings | 3x AP-1, 4x PB, 14.2 sacks/season | 8-8, no playoffs | 12-4, lost conference game, 3/6 winning seasons | expired |
| Chandler Jones, 26, Cardinals | 2x AP-1, 3x PB, 12 sacks/season | 13-3, lost conference game | 11-6, only winning season, lost in wild card | expired |
| Von Miller, 33, Bills | 5.7 sacks/season | 11-6, lost divisional | 13-4, lost conference game, 3/3 playoffs | released |
| Hunter, 30, Texans | PB, 12 sacks in 1 season, TBD | 10-7, first in division, lost divisional | 10-7, lost divisional | |
| Flowers, 26, Lions | 3.5 sacks/season | 6-10, last in division | 5-11, last in division | released |
| Hendrickson, 27, Bengals | 1x AP-1, 4x PB, 14.2 sacks/season | 4-11-1, last in division | 12-4, lost conference game, also 10-7 with SB loss | |
| Reggie White, 32, Packers | 1x DPOY, 2x AP-1, 4x AP-2, 6x PB, 11.5 sacks/season | 9-7, no playoffs, second in division | 13-3, 1 Super Bowl win, 1 Super Bowl loss, 6/6 playoffs | released |
| Barrett, 27, Bucs | 1x AP-2, 2x PB, 9 sacks/season | 5-11, last in division | won Super Bowl, missed playoffs only once | expired |
| Pierre-Paul, 29, Bucs | 1x PB, 8.25 sacks/season | 5-11, last in division | won Super Bowl, missed playoffs 2/4 seasons | expired |
| Dupree, 28, Titans | 3.5 sacks/season | 11-5, first in division, lost wild card | 12-5, lost divisional | released |
| Dee Ford, 28, 49ers | only 9.5 sacks in 18 games in 3 seasons | 4-12, third in division | 13-3, lost Super Bowl | released |
| Z. Smith, 27, Packers | 1x AP-2, 2x PB, 13 sacks/season | 6-9-1, third in division | 13-3, lost conference game twice | injured, released |
| L. Floyd, 28, Rams | 9.7 sacks/season | 9-7, third in division | 12-5, won Super Bowl | released |
| Carl Lawson, 27, Jets | 7 sacks in 2 seasons | 4-13, last | 7-10, no playoffs | expired |
| Wimbley, 27, Raiders | 8 sacks/season | 5-11, third in division | 8-8, no playoffs | released |
| Chandler Jones, 32, Raiders | 4.5 sacks in 1 season | 10-7, lost wild card | 5-11, bad season | released |
| Clowney, 26, Seahawks | 3 sacks in 1 season | 10-6, lost wild card | 11-5, second in division, lost divisional | expired |
| Reggie White, 39, Panthers | 5.5 sacks in 1 season | 8-8, second in division | 7-9, third in division | released |
| Fowler, 26, Falcons | 7.5 sacks in 2 seasons | 7-9, second in division | 7-10, third in division | released |
| Judon, 29, Patriots | 2x PB, 32 sacks in 38 games, injured | 7-9, third in division | 10-7, lost wild card | traded away |
| Ware, 32, Broncos | 2x PB, 7.2 sacks/season | 13-3, lost Super Bowl | 12-4, won Super Bowl | expired |
| Abraham, 28, Falcons | 1x AP-1, 1x AP-2, 1x PB, 9.8 sacks/season | 8-8, third in division | 13-3, lost conference game, 4/7 playoff seasons | released |
| Mack, 31, Chargers | 3x PB, 10.3 sacks/season, TBD | 9-8, third in division | 11-6, lost wild card | |
| Reddick, 28, Eagles | 1x AP-2, 2x PB, 13.5 sacks/season | 9-8, lost wild card | 14-3, lost Super Bowl | traded away |
| Quinn, 30, Bears | 1x AP-2, 1x PB, weird 2 seasons (18.5 sacks & 2 sacks) | 8-8, third in division | 8-8, lost wild card | traded away |
| Ngakoue, 26, Raiders/Colts | 10 sacks/season, traded among teams | 8-8, second in division | 10-7, lost wild card | traded away |
| total | 12 AP-1 seasons, 13 AP-2, 48x PB seasons | 7 Super Bowls won, 5 lost (some repeated like Frank Clark) | ||
| average per player | 8.6 sacks/season | |||
| Paup, 27, Bills | 1x DPOY, 1x AP-1, 3x PB, 11 sacks/season | 7-9, fourth in division | 10-6, lost divisional |
There are 33 players on this list. They averaged less than 1 All-Pro season (first or second team), and almost 1.5 Pro Bowl seasons. Majority of contracts were cut or traded away.
On an individual level the following played great: White for Packers, Allen for Vikings, Chandler Jones for Cardinals, Hendrickson for Bengals, Peppers for Bears, Z. Smith for Packers, Reddick for Eagles, Judon for Patriots, Mack for Bears & Chargers. 10/33 Maybe Mario Williams or Hunter or M. Sweat, we’ll see. There were also 9 players with less than 6 sacks per season, e.g. Von Miller for Bills. Really mixed results.
How many of these players “moved the needle” and really improved their team record consistently for several years? Again White for Packers, Allen for Vikings. Probably/maybe Peppers for Bears, Hendrickson for Bengals, Judon for Patriots. Example: Barrett had his best season in 2019 for Bucs and team record improved to only 7-9. Next season he played worse, but team offense was much better and they went 11-5, Super Bowl win. For most of the others team was dependent on offense or general roster strength/weakness.
What would be considered to be successful future for Burns or Parsons or someone else depends on team perspective/aspirations.
Of course, paying someone 7% or 14% of team cap to have the same on-field production isn’t nearly the same for roster management.
Edit: added the age when player signed, played his first season for the new team. Most of them were 26 years old, like Burns in 2024, Parsons in 2025.
Also added B. Paup for Bills in 1995. It wasn’t in the database, someone requested it.
Bears appear many times, they certainly love pass rushers.
Trivia: there was no set salary cap in 1993 when R. White signed. If we take the planned number of $32M salary cap, then he signed for 13.3% of it. Parsons in 2025 for 16.7%.