It’s not surprising that most veteran acquisitions under achieve with their new teams.  After all, there’s a reason a player was available on the market to begin with. As you’re about to read, even the biggest offseason pickups don’t pay off, usually because they come at such a lofty price. Here are 5 who fit the bill.

DT Albert Haynesworth

Background: Age 28 (in June), signed with Washington as an UFA from Tennessee

Cost: $41 million guaranteed

The Hope: Haynesworth stays hungry and level-headed enough to continue being the most dominant one-gap defensive tackle in the game.

The Reality: The very fact that we have to mention Haynesworth staying hungry tells you that he probably won’t. Haynesworth has always been quick and powerful. But, somehow, he wasn’t able to corral his titillating skills until his contract year in ’07. (And again in ’08, when he played under the Titans’ franchise tag.) Effort always seems to be the asterisk with inside defensive linemen. Last year’s big-money defensive tackles, Shaun Rogers and Kris Jenkins, both performed well for their new teams. But this is Washington, a city where money gets wasted because of heavyweights who under-deliver.

Projected Return on Investment: 40%

QB Jay Cutler

Background: Age 25, traded with a 5^th round pick to Chicago from Denver

Cost: 1^st round picks in ’09, ’10, 3^rd round pick in ’09, QB Kyle Orton

The Hope: The cannon-armed Cutler becomes the Super Bowl-quality franchise quarterback that has long been missing in Chicago.

The Reality: Cutler’s career thus far has an unsettling resemblance to the first few chapters of the Jeff George Story. Yes, the fourth-year pro has an amazing array of quarterbacking tools. And, obviously, it’s senseless to dismiss the promising young passer this soon. But what’s alarming is that, after Cutler was traded, there was a palpable silence from the 52 other players on the Bronco roster. No one who has spent time around Cutler will argue that he’s anything but cocky. The question is, How much cockiness is okay?

Also of concern is just how easy it was for Cutler to divorce a Broncos organization that offered him a bright quarterback-minded head coach, two future Pro Bowl offensive tackles and two bourgeoning wide receivers. A quarterback can’t ask for much more than that. Still, it wasn’t enough to soothe Cutler’s ego wounds. At least he now has a chance to prove that he is the man. Given Chicago’s O-line and wideouts, any success the Bears have offensively will derive strictly from the new star quarterback. At the cost of two first-round picks and change, it’d better.

Projected Return on Investment: 80%

WR Terrell Owens

Background: Age 35, signed with Buffalo after being released by Dallas

Cost: $6.5 million for one year

The Hope: Owens the player makes more noise than Owens the person.

The Reality: That’s never happened – not even in the years when Owens the player was perhaps the best wide receiver in football. A lot of critics will argue that those days are gone, citing the modest decline of the wideout’s numbers the past three years. But that’s misleading. T.O. was still amongst the five most prolific all-around receivers in the game while in Dallas. And, thanks to his intense training regimen, his skills have not dulled much, if at all. Owens offers exactly what the anemic Bills offense needs.

Now, here comes the caveat question: How much will T.O. damage the locker room? When footballs stay grounded because Buffalo’s pathetic O-line keeps letting defenders plant Trent Edwards, how bad will the tantrums be? Something to consider is the size of Owens’s spotlight. As a Niner, he was the biggest football star in California. As an Eagle, he was the most controversial athlete in a large, feisty market. As a Cowboy, he was the main attraction on America’s Team. As a Bill, Owens will be the most recognizable player on one of the NFL’s most unrecognized teams. How will he respond when he sees just how little the world really cares about Buffalo?

Projected Return on Investment: 85%

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Background: Age 32 (at season opener), signed with Seattle as an UFA from Cincinnati

Cost: $15 million guaranteed

The Hope: Houshmandzadeh, who has caught at least 90 passes the last three years, can continue to be one of the league’s most effective possession receivers.

The Reality: Getting open isn’t hard when opposing defenses are dialing in on the receiver opposite you. Such was the luxury Houshmandzadeh enjoyed while playing across from Chad Ocho Cinco in Cincinnati. As a Seahawk, Houshmandzadeh will be operating in a more-confined West Coast system that poses prototypical complimentary receivers Nate Burleson and Deion Branch. That’s solid talent all around, but now Houshmandzadeh is option No. 1. He is capable of conquering the challenge. He’s an excellent route runner who understands the game and almost never drops balls. And, with the speed of Burleson, and especially Branch, Houshmandzadeh will be asked to do most of his work underneath, where he thrives. Worth mentioning is that Seattle got the receiver at a fair price.

Projected Return on Investment: 90%

C Jason Brown

Background: Age 26, signed with St. Louis as an UFA from Baltimore.

Cost: $20 million guaranteed

The Hope: Brown can fill the hole that has destroyed St. Louis’s offensive line the last three years.

The Reality: At 320 pounds, Brown can fill just about any hole. Literally. He’s now the highest paid center in the game, a title that’s a tad more flattering than the fifth-year pro deserves. But anyone who has followed the Rams closely in recent years knows that spending a few extra bucks to take care of the center position is an insurance policy worth enacting. Brown is a good run-blocker who can create running lanes with power and astute angles, and he doesn’t often get beat in pass protection. His consistency is what’s most appealing. Plus, coaches admire his intelligence and leadership.

Projected Return on Investment: 90%