Top five worst free agency signings in Saints history

Free agency hasn't officially begun, but the New Orleans Saints already kicked things off with high hopes. Let's hope they don't come crashing down like these.

The New Orleans Saints have always been a team that's active in the free agency market, especially at the game's most important position. While Saints fans are hoping the recent splash acquisition of Derek Carr goes more in the direction of Drew Brees as opposed to Heath Shuler, we still don't know what we don't know despite the optimism.

The NFL offseason is about to really ramp up, and excitement is running high. Before we take a walk down the bright side of memory lane, we're going to walk down the dark. It is always darkest before the dawn after all.

With that said, here are the top five worst free agency signing in the history of the Saints since the inception of modern free agency in 1993.

Saints number five worst free agency signing: Wally Williams - Guard (1999)

In 1999, the Saints infamously sold the farm, like, literally, to draft running back Ricky Williams. They also went out and signed guard Wally Williams to a five-year deal worth $18.5 million including a $7 million signing bonus, which made him the highest paid guard in footbal. He was added to an offensive line that included Jerry Fontenot, and three first rounders in Kyle Turley, Chris Naeole, and Hall of Famer Willie Roaf. Williams was meant to be the final piece in then-head coach Mike Ditka's quest to run the entire NFL into the ground.

Suffice to say, it didn't quite work out that way, for a multitude of reasons.

Williams would miss 10 games in his first year with a neck injury, bounce back with a strong 2000, but by 2002, he would lose his starting spot and be cut shortly after for violating the league's drug policy. There was also a horror story of a domestic abuse cover-up involving Williams that is too horrible and intricate to get into here. Suffice to say, this is a perfect place to start.