Now that all 32 NFL rosters are practically set, it’s a good time to look back on each team’s most questionable roster move — or lack thereof — that could come back to bite them throughout the regular season.
Without further ado, let’s dive into every NFL team’s biggest mistake of the 2023 NFL offseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Releasing DeAndre Hopkins
This is just typical Arizona Cardinals fashion. Instead of keeping a five-time Pro Bowl wideout…or instead of trading him for what would’ve been a nice return…let’s just cut him and take on a giant $22.6 million cap hit anyway.
They could have kept Hopkins and a) made things easier for this offense or b) built up his value THEN dealt him for a good return at the deadline. Or, you know, just release him and get nothing in return.
Atlanta Falcons: Signing David Onyemata
The Falcons handed the ex-New Orleans Saints’ standout a three-year deal worth $35 million. That’s a LOT of money for a rotational defensive lineman who hasn’t topped 6.5 sacks in a single season.
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Plus, you know, a lot of Onyemata’s sack totals can be attributed to playing alongside future Hall of Famer Cameron Jordan. The Falcons needed d-line help, but why not sign someone better and cheaper like Frank Clark, Marcus Davenport or Yannick Ngakoue?
Baltimore Ravens: Releasing Calais Campbell
Campbell was a productive pass-rusher for the Ravens during his three seasons, even tallying 5.5 sacks last season in a limited role. If Baltimore had found a serviceable replacement for Campbell, we would have understood the decision to cut him.
But nope. Campbell and 2022 sacks leader Justin Houston are both gone. How exactly is this pass rush supposed to improve without Campbell? Anyone? Hello?
Buffalo Bills: Drafting Dalton Kincaid
Buffalo needed a No. 2 receiver, another offensive lineman, a new starting linebacker and more defensive line help. So using their first-round pick on tight end Dalton Kincaid was…something…when they already have a Pro Bowler there in Dawson Knox.
The Bills are in win-now mode, so why draft a player who probably won’t make an immediate impact?
Carolina Panthers: Giving Hayden Hurst $21.75 million
This was also something. The Panthers spent a lot of money on offense in free agency, but giving veteran tight end Hayden Hurst a three-year deal worth $21.75 million was truly a head-scratcher.
This is a player who has surpassed 500 yards receiving once in five NFL seasons. He has just 14 career TD receptions in 70 games.
Chicago Bears: Failing To Add Pass Rushing Depth
The Bears spent big money on linebackers Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards and edge rusher DeMarcus Walker in the early stages of free agency. However, they waited until August to finally add a traditional pass rusher specialist in Yannick Ngakoue.
Edmunds and Edwards are sideline-to-sideline coverage linebackers. Walker is a versatile defensive linemen, and Ngakoue can play linebacker or defensive end. What Chicago needed as a pure, full-time pass rushing specialist to help their D, and the front office failed to achieve that goal.
Cincinnati Bengals: Not Extending Joe Burrow
The Bengals should have asked Burrow to fill out a blank check and then be on their merry way.
But ownership has waited around way too long, all while watching Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert sign extensions worth well over a quarter of a billion dollars apiece. So now instead of maybe getting Burrow on a team-friendly deal, the Bengals better be ready to pay him well more than what those three QBs signed for.
Cleveland Browns: Trading For Elijah Moore
The Browns acquired the disgruntled New York Jets’ wideout and the No. 74 selection in exchange for the No. 42 pick.
Interesting call to trade down 32 spots in a receiver-heavy draft for a guy who has 80 catches for 984 yards and six touchdowns through two seasons.
What if the Browns just signed Deshaun Watson’s old buddy in DeAndre Hopkins instead of giving up a valuable draft pick? That would have been a much better move for a team in win-now mode!
Dallas Cowboys: Drafting Mazi Smith
With Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler Jr, Leighton Vander Esch and Dorance Armstrong Jr. rounding out a loaded front seven, the Cowboys didn’t need extra d-line help.
Yet curiously, Jerry Jones reached for Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the No. 26 spot. Dallas could have used another offensive lineman, receiver or tight end in this spot.
Denver Broncos: Giving Mike McGlinchey $87.5 Million
The Broncos allowed a league-high 63 sacks last season, so we get that they were desperate to fix up the o-line here. But giving ex-49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey $87.5 million over five years is quite the eyebrow-raising of a move.
McGlinchey is a beast in the run-blocking game, but his pass protection skills are leaky at best. Per Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed 13 total sacks over the last three years. Not sure how that sort of production helps Russell Wilson in pass-blocking?
Detroit Lions: Drafting Jahmyr Gibbs
The Lions handed former 1K rusher David Montgomery a fair three-year deal worth $18 million. Despite needs at other positions, they went way off the board and used the No. 12 selection on Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Sorry, but when do you need two good RBs again? Have the Lions not paid attention? The NFL has been a pass-happy league for how long now?
Green Bay Packers: Trading Aaron Rodgers
Sorry, but it still doesn’t make sense to trade away a four-time MVP and future Hall of Famer with plenty of good football left in him. Not to mention that the Pack didn’t exactly get the type of return that Seattle got from Denver for Russell Wilson…
Jordan Love better be the real deal, or this could easily go down as the worst QB trade in franchise history.
Houston Texans: Trading Brandin Cooks
Rather than keep a consistent 1,000-yard receiver to help out rookie QB CJ Stroud, the Texans traded the deep threat specialist to Dallas for the low price of 2023 fifth and 2024 sixth-round picks.
Cook is signed for two more years and could have fetched a better return for Houston ahead of this year’s deadline, or in the 2024 offseason. Trading a consistently productive veteran for pennies was certainly mind-boggling.
Indianapolis Colts: Selling Low On Stephon Gilmore
PFF graded Gilmore as the fifth-best cornerback for 2022…which leads us to believe that maybe they shouldn’t have traded him to Dallas for the low price of a fifth-round pick?
We get it. Gilmore is 33 and entering his contract year. But why not showcase his Pro Bowl-level play for a few weeks and trade him for a greater return ahead of the deadline? A fifth-rounder for an elite corner still in his prime is just a poor example of negotiating.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Drafting Brenton Strange
The Jaguars managed to extend Evan Engram, who put up the fourth-most receiving yards among tight ends last season with 766. Throw in Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne Jr., and you see that Trevor Lawrence has more than enough weaponry around him.
So it was interesting to see the Jaguars use the No. 61 selection on Penn State tight end Brenton Strange, who never topped 362 receiving yards in college.
Kansas City Chiefs: Letting JuJu Smith-Schuster Walk
JuJu made the most of his “prove-it” deal with the Chiefs, hauling in 78 receptions for 933 yards – the most among KC wideouts — that culminated in a Super Bowl 57 championship. Smith-Schuster then landed a shiny 3-year deal with the Patriots worth $33 million.
That’s a reasonable deal for a proven WR1, and the Chiefs didn’t do anything to replace the production of the slick slot receiver.
Las Vegas Raiders: Signing Jimmy Garoppolo
We sorta understood the Raiders’ decision to move on from Derek Carr. But replacing him with an inferior QB and the oft-injured Jimmy Garoppolo on a three-year deal worth $67.5 million? Now that doesn’t make sense.
After releasing Carr, the Raiders should have simply tanked and tried to win the Caleb Williams sweepstakes for next year. Garoppolo, if healthy, will keep them in the mushy middle.
Why are the Raiders so content with mediocrity every year these days?
Los Angeles Chargers: Failing To Upgrade The Run D
The Bolts had the seventh-best pass defense in 2022…and the No. 28 rushing defense.
GM Tom Telesco addressed the run defense by…wait a minute, he didn’t. They’re pretty much churning out the same defensive line as last year. Good to have Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack there…but the same interior d-line that couldn’t stop a nosebleed last year?
Los Angeles Rams: Trading Jalen Ramsey
It’s hard to comprehend the Rams’ offseason moves. They didn’t tear-it-all-down and rebuild, but they gave away all-pro corner Jalen Ramsey to Miami in exchange for tight end Hunter Long and a third-round pick.
How does this trade help them win now when they still have Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald again?
Miami Dolphins: Ignoring The TE Position
The Dolphins let standout tight end Mike Gesicki walk to free agency, and the rival Patriots picked him up on a one-year pact. Their other tight end, Hunter Long, was traded to LA in the previously mentioned Jalen Ramsey move.
So Miami’s lead tight end on the depth chart is veteran Durham Smythe, who has 809 yards in five NFL seasons. Their second tight end is journeyman Tyler Kroft, who has exceeded 200 yards in a season once.
How are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle going to get support in the passing game again?
Minnesota Vikings: Releasing Dalvin Cook
We don’t care about saving a little extra cap space. How does a team coming off 13 wins improve without Cook, who has the third-most rushing yards since 2019 with 5,024?
Four straight 1,000-yard seasons, and Minny somehow decided they’re better off without Cook. If someone has a logical explanation for the decision to release him, please let us know.
New England Patriots: Letting Jakobi Meyers Walk
JuJu Smith-Schuster was a good signing for the Pats, but he’s also injury-prone and has to prove he can produce without Patrick Mahomes.
A wise person once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So instead of paying JuJu, hy didn’t the Patriots just extend their top wideout in Jakobi Meyers, who joined Vegas on a three-year deal worth $33 million? The Pats would’ve been better off just giving the money they handed Smith-Schuster to Meyers.
New Orleans Saints: Drafting Isaiah Foskey
The Saints used their first-round pick on defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, adding him to a front seven led by Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Payton Turner and Pete Werner.
So the Saints didn’t need another pass-rusher, but they used the No. 40 pick on Notre Dame edge rusher Isaiah Foskey.
He’s a real-solid player with 22 sacks over his final two seasons of college football, but a team in win-now mode like New Orleans could have used another offensive lineman or defensive back. They don’t need Foskey when they have more than enough pass-rushing firepower.
New York Giants: Giving Bobby Okereke $40 Million
In a surprise move, the G-Men handed the ex-Colts linebacker a four-year pact worth $40 million. It’s a LOT of money for a merely average starter who doesn’t get sacks and happens to be a giant liability in coverage. $40 million could have bought the Giants two or three more far impactful players. Okereke’s numbers and advanced stats do not justify this contract whatsoever.
New York Jets: Drafting Will McDonald IV
Willy-Mac was a small reach for the Jets at No. 15 overall. Our main issue with this draft pick is the position itself. The Jets have enough depth on the defensive line and should have instead drafted an offensive lineman to help Aaron Rodgers.
Relying on the oft-injured Mekhi Becton and a 38-year-old Duane Brown to start at the tackle positions is sure taking a calculated risk.
Philadelphia Eagles: Letting CJ Gardner-Johnson Walk
We’re admittedly nitpicking here, because the Eagles – surprise surprise – once again crushed the offseason.
Gardner-Johnson was a gem of a pickup by Howie Roseman in a trade with New Orleans last year. It was surprising to see Philly let him go, considering he only got a one-year deal worth $6.5 million guaranteed with the Lions. The Eagles really couldn’t match or top that?
Pittsburgh Steelers: Extending Larry Ogunjobi
Since 2018, Ogunjobi’s highest PFF grade in a single season is 61.7, which he garnered with the Steelers last year. The veteran defensive tackle had just 1.5 sacks last year, well short of the career-high seven he posted for Cincy in 2021.
So giving Ogunjobi a three-year extension worth $28.75 million was definitely a head-scratcher. Trust us, Pittsburgh could have found an equal or superior defensive tackle for a much lower price than that.
San Francisco 49ers: Drafting Cameron Latu
Nitpicking again here, because the 49ers had an excellent offseason. That said, they already have a top-three NFL tight end in George Kittle and more than enough offensive weaponry…so why use the No. 101 pick on Alabama TE Cameron Latu?
This guy only had 787 receiving yards in college. We’re sure San Fran could’ve found a more impactful player with that pick.
Seattle Seahawks: Neglecting The Guard Position
The Seahawks released veteran guard Gabe Jackson and curiously decided not to search for an upgrade. They had arguably the best offseason of all 32 teams, but asking career backup Phil Haynes to fill Jackson’s spot is definitely a strange move here…
Other than that, no complaints about their offseason!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trading Shaq Mason
The Bucs acquired the stalwart guard in a trade with New England for pennies last year. Mason held up his end of the bargain and allowed just one sack on 1,200 offensive snaps while committing just two penalties, per PFF.
This offseason, Tampa traded Mason and a seventh-rounder to Houston for a sixth-round pick. How does this make the Bucs a better team in the short term again?
Tennessee Titans: Not Trading Derrick Henry
The Titans are refusing to accept that their Super Bowl window is closed. So instead of trading superstar Derrick Henry in his contract year, while his value is high.
They’ll either lose him for nothing or get little value in return for him at the deadline. Or they’ll make the mistake of extending him as he nears his 30th birthday. Feels like a lose-lose either way.
Washington Commanders: Declining Chase Young’s Fifth-Year Option
Like the Titans with Henry, the Commanders have set themself up for an unideal scenario. By declining the fifth-year option on Young’s deal, they now risk losing him for nothing in 2024 free agency. Or they’ll have to trade a player once viewed as a long-term franchise cornerstone piece.
Or else, they’ll have to pay him up when they could have picked up the option and had him under a bargain salary for 2024.
What do you think was the biggest mistake of the 2023 NFL offseason?