Washington Redskins: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

There’s a big jump in value from No. 13 to No. 12 on this list. That’s no slight to Andre Carter and his tenure with the Redskins. Rather, it’s a testament to the kind of value Shawn Springs provided late in his career, as the team’s premier cover man.

The main part of Springs’ career took place with the Seattle Seahawks, where the No. 3 overall pick logged his only Pro Bowl berth back in 1998.

With the Seahawks, Springs had a good thing going; he was the team’s starting cornerback for seven years. Over that time, he amassed 20 interceptions and 55 official pass deflections (pass deflections were not an official statistic until 1999).

Of course, all good things must come to an end. So Springs was allowed to enter free agency in 2004. At 29 years old, coming off a one-interception season, the suitors weren’t particularly plentiful. So the Redskins managed to scoop Springs up for an affordable price.

Springs would go on to show that he had much more left in the tank than many realized, providing stellar play for the Redskins. In his first season in Washington, Springs had five interceptions, deflected 12 passes, forced a fumble and logged six sacks, becoming the first and only player ever to lead his team in both interceptions and sacks in one season.

After turning 30 years old, Springs declined a bit, providing the play of an able starter until he once again became a free agent in 2009 at the age of 34. But at his peak with the Redskins, Springs was a game changing player. Josh Norman hasn’t made anyone forget who wore No. 24 before him.