In N.F.L. Free Agency, Shopping Fast Doesn't Necessarily Mean Shopping Well The first week of N.F.L. free agency is often described as a feeding frenzy, but that metaphor does not really fit. Schools of mackerel do not swim away from tiger sharks with $42.5 million contracts. "Shopping spree" is more appropriate. Teams jostled one another for door-buster values the moment the free-agency superstore opened last Tuesday. Some teams loaded their carts indiscriminately and threw budgetary restraint to the wind. A few were too caught up in the splurge to notice that they were overpaying for damaged merchandise or buying duplicates. The Washington Redskins are the N.F.L."s most notorious impulse buyers, so it was no surprise when they burst out of the gate wielding credit cards like ninja weapons. Just hours after the official start of free agency, Washington signed wide receiver Pierre Garcon, one of the smaller cogs in Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts machine, to a five-year contract with a reported $20.5 million guaranteed. As they approached the register, the Redskins saw receiver Josh Morgan on a rack full of chewing gum and tabloids, and tossed him in the cart for two seasons for a reported guarantee of $7.5 million. With those acquisitions, they went from having the worst receiving corps in the N.F.C. East by a wide margin to having the worst receiving corps in the N.F.C. East by a somewhat narrower margin. Robert Griffin III, the quarterback Washington plans to draft in April, will have the pleasure of throwing to the greatest group of targets ever assembled in a few hours. Wide receivers dominated the early headlines of free agency, though not all of them changed teams. The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms with DeSean Jackson on Wednesday, publishing a photo of the smiling Jackson signing the contract. He looked as if he were embarking on a social studies essay on the three branches of government. The Colts retained Reggie Wayne, who may be the only one left in the organization who knows the passcode for the Lucas Oil Stadium security system. Calvin Johnson received an eight-year extension to remain in Detroit, including $60 million guaranteed. As every N.F.L. fan knows, major contracts are loaded with bogus incentives and voidable years. Those who deflate contract reports for fun and profit estimate that the Johnson deal is really a five-year, $78.25 contract. One of these days, a reported $100 million contract will turn out to be $8.50 per hour and all the baked potatoes left in the warmer at the end of the shift. The Johnson negotiations nearly stalled when his agent learned that eight years with the Lions no longer count as 16 years in purgatory. The Chicago Bears traded two draft picks to the Miami Dolphins for the troubled, inconsistent wide receiver Brandon Marshall just hours before reports surfaced that Marshall had been accused of assaulting a woman at a nightclub brawl. General Manager Phil Emery contended that he knew about the incident when he made the trade, sounding just as convincing as the teacher who supposedly spelled Abraham Lincoln wrong on the final exam on purpose. "I did that to make sure you were paying attention." Because Randy Moss was out of football for a year, he did not have to wait for the free-agency period to sign a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Moss has not run a route since the 2010 season and has not run a route other than a fly pattern since 2007. He wore out his welcome with the Minnesota Vikings for (among other things) berating the catering staff at a team social function. Moss's food snobbery will not cause any trouble in San Francisco as long as he throws the word "locavore" into his tirades. Some teams paid a premium to persuade players to make quick decisions, even though both sides might have been better served by taking their time. The Vikings spent as much as $25 million for tight end John Carlson, who caught just 31 passes for the Seahawks in 2010 before missing last season with a shoulder injury. Carlson was in Kansas City, preparing for a meeting with the Chiefs, when Vikings officials called him with an offer so good that he canceled his plans and flew to Minnesota. Carlson arrived at Vikings headquarters and signed a five-year deal that guarantees him $9 million. A strategically placed matte painting outside a window made Carlson think the Vikings had a new stadium. As anyone who has bought a timeshare knows, the line between contract negotiation and hostage situation is thin. The Bills kept Mario Williams in Buffalo for three days while they applied the hard sell. They even gave Williams a guided tour in either a misguided effort to convince him of the region's charms or a devious attempt to shatter his resolve. No matter their intentions, the strategy worked, though a $50 million guarantee was probably more persuasive than the scenic drive down Route 384. Receiver Laurent Robinson endured a marathon meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday before agreeing to a deal that guarantees him $14 million. "My head was spinning all day," Robinson told The Florida Times-Union, describing symptoms that merge jubilation with Stockholm syndrome. Little nervous. Happy at the same time. Lot of anxiety. Couldn't sleep. Robinson announced his signing with Jacksonville on Twitter, provoking a predictable response from a follower: "They still have a team there?" Twitter is quickly becoming the platform of choice for free-agent announcements, particularly for players too obscure to make headlines with artificially inflated contracts. Just came to terms with the Colts. Pretty stoked!" offensive lineman Mike McGlynn (@Greezy_66) posted. Indianapolis fans are still trying to come to terms with the Colts, so McGlynn is ahead of schedule. Twitter announcements must be taken with a grain of salt, however. On Wednesday afternoon, Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) wrote that Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton had just signed with the Eagles. A flurry of reaction from Eagles fans turned to disappointment when McCoy amended his status a few hours later: "Nope I was wrong he still is available." Lofton was still on the market at press time. McCoy's future as an "unnamed source" hinges on his willingness to change his Twitter handle to something like @Greezy_67. By Friday, the free-spending hysteria mellowed. Calvin Johnson was out of the headlines, career backups like Haruki Nakamura were in, and NFL Network pre-empted programming to track John Elway's van by helicopter as he traveled to a meeting with Peyton Manning in North Carolina. Shrewd shoppers suddenly found themselves in a buyer's market. Besides Manning, dozens of experienced starters were still on the market. Most of them will sign in the next two weeks for amounts far lower than what teams spent to persuade Carlson-caliber players to change their flight plans. But patience has a downside. The Dolphins watched as the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans lapped them in the Manning chase, then learned that the consolation-prize quarterback Matt Flynn planned an extended visit with the Seahawks. Meanwhile, the former Dolphins starter Chad Henne signed with the Jaguars. The quarterback situation in Miami became incrementally more dire when the Arizona Cardinals conceded a loss in the Manning sweepstakes and paid the disappointing incumbent Kevin Kolb a $7 million roster bonus. Last July, Kolb signed with Arizona in the early hours of the postlockout shopping spree; payments can be deferred, but buyer's remorse cannot.