Free agency can be a difficult period for NFL teams to navigate. They have to fill needs—or at least supplement their rosters—without creating a dire salary-cap situation.
One part of a successful plan comes down to planning, as drafting well and re-signing key players reduce the need for free-agent moves. One part, though, relies a little bit on luck and timing. A team is much more likely to get a quality player and a better deal when positions of need have deep and talented free-agent pools.
When they do not, teams often end up giving high-end money to middle-tier players, and that rarely works out.