The NFL offseason is hit-or-miss when it comes to teams upgrading their rosters. While every team tries to knock every personnel move out of the park — from signing the right free agents to drafting the most helpful rookies — there are bound to be mistakes.
NFL teams hope their questionable moves are overshadowed by their great acquisitions. For some, however, one awful decision can be a microcosm of an overall bad offseason.
Here’s looking at where every team went rock bottom so far in the new league year.
MORE: Every NFL team’s best offseason move
Every team’s worst move of the 2024 NFL offseason
Arizona Cardinals: Signing RT Jonah Williams
Williams was a shaky right tackle in Cincinnati and wasn’t the most stable veteran bookend to pair with still-developing first-rounder Paris Johnson Jr. Luckily, a healthy Kyler Murray buying time to throw to Marvin Harrison Jr. can make up for some of Arizona’s pass protection issues.
Atlanta Falcons: Drafting Michael Penix Jr.
The Falcons were smart to upgrade QB with Kirk Cousins, knowing they could win the NFC South right away under Raheem Morris and make noise in the playoffs. Then they decided to make a future stash move behind Cousins by taking Penix. Not only was Penix a reach that early, but he also came at the cost of not drafting an immediate impact rookie (pass rusher or otherwise) for Morris’ defense.
MORE: Projecting when each rookie QB will start
Baltimore Ravens: Re-signing WR Rashod Bateman
Bateman hasn’t been able to stay healthy and effective, much like former Ravens first-round disappointment Breshad Perriman. They didn’t spend much to bring him back, but they should have moved on to better help Zay Flowers and Lamar Jackson after re-signing Nelson Agholor.
Buffalo Bills: Signing WR Curtis Samuel
The Bills traded Stefon Diggs and didn’t re-sign Gabe Davis. Between Khalil Shakir and tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, they had plenty of options for the short-to-intermediate passing in the seam and slot. Samuel was valuable to the limited Commanders, but he will be forced to be a new Isaiah McKenzie for the big-armed Josh Allen. Samuel was cheap, but the Bills could have used more of a perimeter veteran to support rookie Keon Coleman.
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Carolina Panthers: Signing G Damien Lewis
The Panthers spent a ton to upgrade their interior offensive line. Robert Hunt, a former Dolphin, was signed for five years, $100 million. That was more of a worthy splurge for a top blocker, but giving the former Seahawk Lewis $53 million over four years was a reach for mediocrity.
Chicago Bears: Signing TE Gerald Everett
This was the Bears’ “forgotten” offensive skill move of the offseason for Caleb Williams, as Everett adds to the haul with Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and D’Andre Swift. Everett only got two years, $12 million, but that money would have been better spent on defensive tackle depth given Everett will only have a limited blocking and receiving role.
Biggest offseason upgrades: Offenses | Defenses | Coaching staffs
Cincinnati Bengals: Franchise-tagging Tee Higgins
This can be considered both ways. First, the Bengals perhaps should have already locked him into a long-term deal with a much more expensive Ja’Marr Chase extension looming at wide receiver. Second, the Bengals also could have let Higgins walk in free agency and drafted a promising replacement (like they did with slot man Tyler Boyd). Staying in limbo with Higgins made little sense.
Cleveland Browns: Trading for WR Jerry Jeudy
The Browns didn’t need to take a flier on another wide receiver with some slot capacity given Elijah Moore and David Bell are still on the roster with No. 1 Amari Cooper. Cedric Tillman and rookie Jamari Thrash are more intriguing acquisitions as youngsters. Jeudy couldn’t stay healthy in Denver, ultimately becoming “just another guy.”
Dallas Cowboys: Signing RB Ezekiel Elliott
The Cowboys were salary-cap strapped despite Jerry Jones declaring their “all-in” offseason spending status. They passed on spending too much to re-sign Tony Pollard, but then decided to not tap into a strong free-agent running back class or show much draft interest in the position. Instead, they brought back Elliott after his decent one-year stint in New England. Now, they get an even older, slower version of a once fine workhorse.
Denver Broncos: Signing CB Levi Wallace
They gave Wallace only two years at $8 million, but they ended up with one of the league’s shakiest starters who will be exploited plenty opposite the non-traded Patrick Surtain II.
Detroit Lions: Signing EDGE Marcus Davenport
The Lions made the right call trying to get some complementary end support for Aidan Hutchinson, so from that perspective, this move was fine. It’s just that Davenport had plenty of chances to show well with the Saints as a 2018 first-round pick and could never put it all together as a defender.
Green Bay Packers: Re-signing RB AJ Dillon
The Packers moved on from Aaron Jones to clear the backfield for former Raiders workhorse and 2022 rushing champ Josh Jacobs. They also used a draft pick on USC’s MarShawn Lloyd, maybe the most physically gifted back in the 2024 class. In between, however, they brought back Dillon, now a limited power back with some mild upside in other aspects of his game.
Houston Texans: Signing DT Foley Fatukasi
The Texans have made plenty of superb defensive moves with DeMeco Ryan’s front seven in mind. Going for this run stopper-turned-disappointment with the division-rival Jaguars wasn’t one of them.
Indianapolis Colts: Signing DT Raekwon Davis
Yes, defensive tackle can be a tough position to get right, as the position tends to be the middle reliever of the NFL hot stove. Davis doesn’t do much to move the needle as a starter coming over from the Dolphins.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Signing WR Gabe Davis
The Jaguars passed on retaining Calvin Ridley, but they replaced the free agent very well in the end with first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr. But their eagerness to get the inconsistent former Bill was weird, especially at the cost of three years, $39 million. Davis looks like the Jaguars’ fourth-best target, at best.
Kansas City Chiefs: Re-signing RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The whole Chiefs career of CEH has been weird. They splurged on him as a first-rounder after his big receiving-spiked season at LSU, then chose not to deploy him that way in an Andy Reid offense that has a history of throwing to backs (see Brian Westbrook and Jamaal Charles). Kansas City re-signed him for only $1.7 million and one more year, but the real head-scratcher is why it needs to keep justifying taking him No. 32 overall four years ago.
Las Vegas Raiders: Signing QB Gardner Minshew
The Raiders were the only ones who thought they were set at quarterback for the 2024 season under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy by adding Minshew as a bridge option to compete with second-year fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell. Minshew wasn’t all that great as a Colts long-term fill-in for Anthony Richardson last season after coming over after his lone year in Philadelphia. He’s a fun, smart guy and a quick studier, so he can fare OK in any offense, but he should be a No. 2 behind an established starter — not just better than a below-average young passer.
Los Angeles Chargers: Signing LB Denzel Perryman
The Chargers brought back their 2015 second-rounder at 31 after stints in Las Vegas and Houston. They drafted Junior Colson for a strong Michigan reunion with Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter to fill the other linebacker spot well, but Perryman was a minor misstep in an otherwise transformational offseason.
Los Angeles Rams: Signing CB Tre’Davious White
At 29, White is a shell of the former rising shutdown corner in Buffalo because of several injury challenges. Getting Darious Williams back was smart, but White isn’t a reliable starter outside.
Miami Dolphins: Signing LB Jordyn Brooks
The Dolphins spent $26.25 million over three years to get Brooks, the former Seahawks first-rounder. While Seattle upgraded with Tyrel Dodson, Brooks has faded to more of an all-around liability now.
Minnesota Vikings: Signing G Dalton Risner
The Vikings also had a strong offseason with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, but this was their weakest move. At least they got a starter to fill the one below-average spot on their offensive line.
New England Patriots: Signing LT Chukwuma Okorafor
The Patriots kept Mike Onwenu at right tackle but passed on re-signing Trent Brown, who landed with the Bengals. Now they’re looking at starting the shaky former Steeler Okorafor or rookie Caedan Wallace to protect rookie QB Drake Maye’s blind side.
New Orleans Saints: Signing WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
The Saints made limited moves and did pretty well to address the offensive and defensive lines, but spending $5.75 million over two years for Wilson when they were rather deep already at wide receiver with good young options was a dud.
New York Giants: Signing QB Drew Lock
It’s less the price tag of adding the former Bronco and Seahawk at $5 million for one season and more the principle of being wishy-washy about their feelings on Daniel Jones’ starting status. Is Lock a contingency or a fallback plan minus any real movement on trying to replace Jones with another franchise passer? It’s still difficult to know.
New York Jets: Signing G John Simpson
The Jets, like the Vikings, did plenty of solid offseason work in Year 2 of Aaron Rodgers, including on the offensive line. Going for Simpson as a potential starter on the left side was a little whiff.
Philadelphia Eagles: Trading for QB Kenny Pickett
Although there was a mix of picks involved, there’s no way the Eagles should have given up a third-rounder as part of acquiring Pickett from the Steelers after that team just wanted to dump the fizzled first-rounder.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Trading for CB Donte Jackson
The Steelers have been working hard to fix corner with different combinations over multiple years. They at least have rising star Joey Porter Jr. now, but giving up wide receiver Diontae Johnson for Jackson wasn’t the same value in return.
San Francisco 49ers: Drafting WR Ricky Pearsall
This was a head-scratcher on many fronts. Pearsall has some great receiving qualities, but there were many better overall talents to take late in the first round. That’s before getting into the fact the team picked him despite not trading either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel, then signed Jauan Jennings to a two-year, $15.39 million deal later in the offseason. The 49ers could have used an impact defensive rookie instead.
Seattle Seahawks: Trading for QB Sam Howell
Exit Lock, enter Howell. The Seahawks gave up a third-rounder and fifth-rounder to get Howell, a fourth-rounder, and a sixth-rounder. Consider Howell was a fourth-round pick himself in 2022 and hasn’t performed much better than that. They created the same “is he a backup or a challenger” confusion behind 2023 re-signee Geno Smith that Lock has caused with 2023 re-signee Jones.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Signing EDGE Randy Gregory
The Buccaneers are rebuilding their pass-rush and linebacking corps around venerable Lavonte David, so they took a flier on Gregory for depth. They are bound to get little return from him at one year, $3 million.
Tennessee Titans: Drafting DT T’Vondre Sweat
The Titans put a lot of faith in Sweat, taking him No. 39 overall despite his off-field concerns and flashing but inconsistent play. Short term, it might be asking too much to rely on him as their best option to start at nose tackle in a new defense.
Washington Commanders: Signing S Jeremy Chinn
The Commanders made three solid front-seven moves for Dan Quinn in adding end Dorance Armstrong and linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. But bringing Chinn along with Luvu from the Panthers was a rather questionable way to replace top playmaker Kamren Curl (Rams).