Key Takeaways
- Lance and Watson trades are disastrous acquisitions in NFL history due to poor performance.
- Troublesome departures of Brown and Bell from Steelers impact future team success.
- Big contracts or high draft picks don't guarantee player success, leading to potential busts.
Every offseason, there are several terrible moves that are made between the months of February and August. Between free agency, the NFL Draft , and the trade market, there are several opportunities where NFL teams can make franchise-altering decisions that can hurt the team in the interim, and in the future.
Whenever high financial or draft capital is involved in a move, there is always tons of risk, even if it doesn't seem to be the case at the moment. Player performance can change at any point, which could make a good decision at the moment, seem like a terrible mistake once the pads are on.
It's a good time to realize that every owner and general manager makes mistakes, even the best ones. However, there are definitely trends where bad teams make multiple bad decisions. When that happens, it's easy to understand why some teams have struggled to find success for so long.
These NFL offseason moves will be remembered forever for how bad they were, and how they affected the team:
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1 The Raiders Trade For Antonio Brown (2019)
Brown never played a game for the Raiders due to a feud with the team.
From the moment the Oakland Raiders traded for Antonio Brown , it was clear he never wanted to play for them.
The Raiders traded a 2019 3rd-round pick and a 5th-round pick to acquire the star wide receiver, but unfortunately, he was cut before he had a chance to play a game for them.
From missing practices to the whole helmet saga to talking bad about the organization on social media, the whole situation was a complete nightmare for the Raiders and Brown.
Neither party benefited from this situation, as Brown's career went downhill from there, while the Raiders were too late to address the wide receiver position heading into the 2019 season.
They didn't have a single wide receiver finish with more than 700 receiving yards, which prompted the team to select Henry Ruggs III in the 2020 NFL Draft .
That in turn also ended in disaster, as Ruggs' career is now over, after being sentenced to serve three to 10 years in prison for a felony DUI resulting in death.
2 The Jets Sign Le'Veon Bell (2019)
Bell's contract contributed to the disruption in the running back free agent market.
Le'Veon Bell held out the entire 2018 season to receive a contract extension, and in 2019, the New York Jets agreed to a four-year deal, worth $52.5 million. Back in 2019, he was making $13.1 million per year, which would make him the fourth-highest paid running back today. The contracts of Bell, Todd Gurley , and Ezekiel Elliott really hurt the running back market, as teams began to fear the decline of aging running backs.
Bell only played in 17 games, before the Jets released him early into the 2020 season. During his time with the Jets, he had his least efficient 17 games of his career.
| Le'Veon Bell's Statistics With Jets | |
|---|---|
| Rushing Yards | 863 |
| Yards Per Attempt | 3.3 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 3 |
| Receptions | 69 |
| Receiving Yards | 500 |
| Receiving Touchdowns | 1 |
Bell still looked good as a pass catcher, but in the ground game, he was disastrous. Not all the blame can be placed on Bell as the Jets offensive line struggled,
3 The Lions Draft Jeff Okudah (2020)
Okudah appeared to be one of the safest picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, but turned out to be a bust.
Imagine if the Detroit Lions selected someone else other than Jeff Okudah with the third pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Maybe that player could've made the difference in them making the Super Bowl last year.
There's still some potential for Okudah, but the Lions gave up on him last offseason when they traded him to the Atlanta Falcons . This draft bust isn't really talked about enough, but the Lions could have a Super Bowl under their belt if they selected someone like Justin Herbert .
Over their last seven drafts, this was clearly the Lions' worst first round draft pick.
4 Byron Jones Signs With The Dolphins (2020)
Jones was a lock-down cornerback in Dallas, but retired after two seasons with the Dolphins.
In 2020, the Miami Dolphins agreed to a five-year deal worth $82.5 million with Byron Jones. Miami tried to pair Xavien Howard with another elite cornerback, but Jones struggled from the moment he got to Miami.
| Byron Jones Advanced Statistics Since 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Targets | 80 | 64 | 73 | 90 |
| Completions Allowed | 42 | 34 | 44 | 54 |
| Completion Percentage Allowed | 52.5% | 53.1% | 60.3% | 60.0% |
| Receiving Yards Allowed | 586 | 395 | 775 | 729 |
| Receiving Touchdowns Allowed | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Missed Tackle Percentage | 5.6% | 2.1% | 19.6% | 3.3% |
The transition from Dallas to Miami clearly wasn't easy for Jones, who played some of the worst football of his career with the Dolphins. He went from becoming one of the hardest cornerbacks to throw against, to becoming a cornerback that quarterbacks were willing to pick on.
Since 2020, the Dolphins have been chasing an addition to the cornerback room, which eventually led them to trading for Jalen Ramsey . Jones retired last season, as he claimed to struggle to move after all the injuries he suffered over the course of his NFL career.
5 Kenny Golladay Signs With The Giants (2021)
Golladay's contract will forever be laughed at by NFL fans due to his lack of production.
Kenny Golladay's four-year contract worth $72 million will forever be held against the New York Giants . After two 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the Lions, Golladay posted career-lows in his 26 games with the team.
GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: Through 26 games, Golladay only caught one touchdown pass with the Giants, in the final game with the team.
Golladay struggled to create separation while he was on the Lions, but he benefited from having one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL in Matthew Stafford . It was a bad fit in New York, as Daniel Jones isn't willing to take as many risks, nor is he as accurate as Stafford.
It's no surprise why the Giants tried to trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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6 The 49ers Trade Up For Trey Lance (2021)
The Niners traded three first round picks for a quarterback who only started four games for them.
Not only is Trey Lance one of the worst offseason moves in the last five years, but he might be one of the worst draft picks in NFL history. Since Brock Purdy has shocked the league after he debuted in 2023, everyone has turned a blind eye to one of the worst trades in NFL history.
| What The 49ers Traded For Lance | |
|---|---|
| Pick | Player |
| 2021 1st-Round Pick (12th Overall) | Micah Parsons, EDGE |
| 2022 1st-Round Pick (29th Overall) | Cole Strange, OG |
| 2022 3rd-Round Pick (101st Overall) | Channing Tindall, LB |
| 2023 1st-Round Pick (29th Overall) | Bryan Bresee, DT |
Obviously, there's no guarantee the San Francisco 49ers would've selected these players, but they turned down three starters and a special team ace for a quarterback who would only start in four games.
Without the Lance trade, there might not be any Purdy, but the 49ers could've used these picks to patch up some of the holes they have on the offensive and defensive line.
7 The Jets Draft Zach Wilson 2nd Overall (2021)
Wilson's disappointing career in New York forced the Jets to look for another franchise quarterback.
Everything that led to the 49ers drafting Lance became a nightmare, but that doesn't excuse the New York Jets from selecting Zach Wilson .
In his three years as the Jets' starting quarterback, he never once threw for more than 10 passing touchdowns in a single season.
Wilson has showcased good arm strength, but everything else about his game has become a problem. Maybe the only positive that came from drafting him was that the Jets went out and traded for Aaron Rodgers . Unfortunately, the selection of Wilson added to the now 13-year playoff drought, which is the longest in the NFL currently.
8 The Browns Trade For Deshaun Watson (2022)
Cleveland traded a king's ransom for Watson, who has yet to live up to expectations.
The days when Deshaun Watson was a top-five quarterback feel like an eternity ago. The Cleveland Browns traded three first round picks and three additional mid-round picks to acquire Watson, followed by giving him the first ever fully guaranteed contract in NFL history. Since then, Watson has started 12 games in two years with 14 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions.
At this point, it seems unlikely that Watson will resurrect his career.
Not only has Watson looked like a completely different player, but he hasn't been able to remain healthy. Unless something drastically changes, there's a legitimate argument to be had that the Watson trade is the worst in NFL history.
9 The Steelers Draft Kenny Pickett (2022)
Within two years of drafting him, the Steelers had enough of Pickett, and traded him.
The 2022 draft class was a terrible spot to select a quarterback, but it didn't stop the Pittsburgh Steelers from drafting a homegrown guy. Kenny Pickett was a fine college quarterback, but never once did it appear that he was light years ahead of the other quarterbacks in the same draft class, who were selected in the third round and later.
Somehow, the Steelers were able to make the playoffs in one of the two years with Pickett as the starting quarterback. But the poor quarterback play has left the organization in no man's land, as they have been too good for a chance to draft an elite quarterback, but not good enough to win a playoff game due to poor quarterback play.
10 The Raiders Sign Jimmy Garoppolo (2023)
Las Vegas fell into the trap of paying Garoppolo, until he was benched by mid-season.
There was a reason the 49ers were actively looking to replace Jimmy Garoppolo , but that didn't stop them from agreeing to a three-year deal worth $72.75 million. Garoppolo was a turnover machine, with nine interceptions through six starts. It was clear that without the help of Kyle Shanahan , he would struggle tremendously.
This contract has put the Las Vegas Raiders in a weird spot, where they weren't bad enough to draft a quarterback this year, but they weren't good enough to put up a fight in the AFC West. The glimmer of hope that was given to the organization by signing Garoppolo only set the organization back further, who will need to find their next franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
All stats are courtesy of Pro Football Reference and Spotrac.
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