We're now two full weeks into the 2018 free agency period, and while much of the attention this offseason has surrounded the massive deals (Hi, Kirk Cousins!) and league-rattling trades (hello, Jets!), there are a lot of cheaper deals that could have just as big an impact on the coming season. In a change from years past, a lot of the more affordable signings out there are of so-called "name" players. 

It's usually the underratedly-productive guys that get signed to sneaky-good contracts early in the offseason period, but this year, those guys are getting paid -- and paid big. $18 million for Tahir Whitehead! $22.5 million for Avery Williamson! $24 million for Albert Wilson! $40 million for Paul Richardson! $45 million for Anthony Hitchens! $62 million for Nate Solder! Instead, many of the best value signings during the early part of this year's free agency period have been of name-brand players. 

Below, we'll run through a list of 10 of the most recognizable names that teams landed for lower prices than might have been expected. 

Mike Pouncey, Los Angeles Chargers 

Pouncey was cut by the Dolphins before signing with the Chargers on a two-year, $15 million deal that contains $10 million in guarantees. Pouncey rounds out what should now be an excellent offensive line featuring Russell Okung, Dan Feeney, Pouncey, Forrest Lamp, and Joe Barksdale from left to right. Because he was cut before landing in L.A., his $7.5 million salary doesn't even factor into the compensatory pick calculations for the 2019 draft. Given that he was released for reasons relating more to finances and culture change than performance, this is a really nice signing for the Chargers. 

Josh Sitton, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have been throwing money around like nobody's business this offseason, and a lot of it has been ill-spent. Not here. Sitton is still a quality offensive lineman (he's coming off another terrific season in Chicago) and to get him on a two-year, $15 million deal featuring just $8 million in guaranteed money is a really nice haul. He will immediately slide into the middle of the offensive line and do great work both road-grating for the Kenyan Drake-Frank Gore combination and protecting Ryan Tannehill or whoever the Dolphins decide to draft as his potential future replacement. 

AJ McCarron, Buffalo Bills 

Remember when the Browns wanted to trade second and third-round picks for McCarron, but didn't file the paperwork in time, and then were going to hand him a ginormous contract in free agency? Well, the Bills got him on a two-year, $10 million deal with only $7.9 million in guarantees. Considering Mike Glennon got nearly that much after being an outright disaster in Chicago last year, this seems like a pretty affordable deal for the Bills' probable bridge starter. Other teams paid far more for bridge QB options ($20M for Sam Bradford, $10M for one year of Josh McCown) or backups with no shot at the starting job (Chase Daniel). McCarron probably isn't the answer, but the Bills didn't pay much for the right to find out. 

Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans 

Lewis was arguably the best running back in the league over the second half of last season, rushing for 625 yards (5.1 per attempt) and four touchdowns while catching 22 passes for an additional 156 yards and three scores over the final eight games of the year. He has always been one of the toughest backs in the league to take down, annually checking in at or near the top of Pro Football Focus' broken tackle charts as well as their Elusive Rating metric. He's going to a team that should be very familiar with him, given the presence of former Patriots personnel man John Robinson as GM, and he was signed away from New England on a four-year deal worth just $19.8 million, of which only $8.25 million is guaranteed. Considering how much more money, say, Jerick McKinnon got, that's a steal. 

LeGarrette Blount, Detroit Lions

Another former Patriots running back signing with a team now run by a former Patriots front office member (Bob Quinn is the Lions' GM) on a very affordable deal. Blount wasn't with New England last season, but Quinn and new coach Matt Patricia are surely familiar with him from his time there. Blount led the NFL in touchdowns two seasons ago and though he played a smaller role with Philadelphia last season, he bounced back on a per-carry basis running behind Philly's strong offensive line. He should prove a nice complement to Theo Riddick in the Detroit backfield, who over the last couple years has shown himself far more suited to a pure passing-down back role. For just one year and $2 million, Blount is a steal. 

Sheldon Richardson, Minnesota Vikings 

Speaking of incredibly productive players on cheap, one-year deals. Richardson wasn't as dominant last season as he was early in his career with the Jets, but something tells me he will be just fine while playing on the same defensive line as Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, and Danielle Hunter, among others. Richardson should be able to rotate in and wreak havoc along the defensive front on the inside and out, and the Vikings only had to give him $8 million for one year to secure his services. Considering his "down year" in Seattle saw him finish seventh among defensive tackles in quarterback pressures despite being just 14th in pass-rushing snaps, per Pro Football Focus, that's quite a signing. 

Muhammad Wilkerson, Green Bay Packers

Richardson's former line-mate in New York has seen his game fall of more sharply over the last couple years and has also dealt with some off-field behavioral issues (mostly lateness, which doesn't seem like the biggest deal in the world; but when it happens so often that the team has to suspend you multiple times, it's probably a problem), but this deal allows him to reunite with former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who now holds the same position in Green Bay. Wilkerson signed on with the Packers for just $5 million in 2018, only $1.5 million of which is guaranteed. That's about as low-risk as it gets for a player with a ceiling as high as Wilkerson's. If Pettine can tap back into his talent, we could look back on this as one of the most important signings of the offseason. 

Nigel Bradham, Philadelphia Eagles 

Bradham is an incredibly important player for one of the NFL's best defenses (he's probably their best coverage linebacker), and the Eagles got him back for a million dollars a year less than the Chiefs paid to pry Anthony Hitchens away from the Cowboys. Hitchens is a nice player, but Bradham is simply better. When you add in the fact that only $14 million of his $40 million total salary is guaranteed, it's hard not to feel the Eagles got themselves a steal of a re-signing here. 

Tyrann Mathieu, Houston Texans

Mathieu's release from Arizona worked out pretty well for Houston. Honey Badger reportedly turned down longer-term deals for more money elsewhere to sign with the Texans for just one year and $7 million. He may no longer be the all-field destructive force he was early in his career, but Mathieu is still a high-level contributor that can play up high as a safety, in the slot as a corner, or come off the edge as a blitzer. That's the kind of versatile piece that every defense needs, and with the Texans' defensive front already one of the strongest in the NFL (assuming J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus come back healthy), adding this kind of talent on the back end is the kind of move that can help propel them back toward the playoff race. 

Richard Sherman, San Francisco 49ers

The three-year number for Sherman's deal in San Francisco is a bit misleading, as the 49ers can essentially get out of this $27.15 million contract after paying out just $8.175 million in the first year. Sherman is coming off a torn Achilles, but the ceiling here is "best cornerback in the NFL" and the 49ers were basically working with Monopoly money this offseason so a roll of the dice to see if Sherman can come back strong from the injury seems well worth it. If it doesn't work out, they can just cut bait next year and not have it affect their long-term books all that much.