In a piece on Grantland.com, Bill Barnwell picks the 10 best deals of free agency, and he puts the New England Patriots' two-year, $11 million pact with defensive end/outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard on the list.

"Sheard was an underrated player for the Browns, a pass-rusher who got lost during Cleveland’s endless organizational reshuffles," Barnwell writes. "Despite producing 15.5 sacks across his first two seasons, he fell out of favor after the Browns signed Paul Kruger and drafted Barkevious Mingo during the 2013 offseason. Sheard wasn’t as effective as an outside linebacker when Cleveland moved to a 3-4, and with Mingo moving into the starting lineup last season, Sheard’s role was marginalized. ...

"... The Patriots had to move on after losing Darrelle Revis. There’s no other cornerback in free agency with Revis’s skills, and even if there were, the defensive back market is grossly overpriced this offseason. Instead, the Patriots will try to replace Revis by upgrading their defense elsewhere. Belichick saw a 25-year-old player with a history of success rushing the passer and added him on a reasonable deal. ...

"... No, they won’t be as good as they were with Revis. With additions like Sheard, though, they can be good enough on defense to keep winning."

The Patriots are the only AFC East team on Barnwell's best deals list, which pairs up with his 10 worst deals piece from last week.