Five NFL offseason moves that already look regrettable in 2023
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When NFL teams botch an offseason move, it doesn't always take long for them to own up to the mistake and move on.
Last week alone, two teams orchestrated trades to part with marquee acquisitions from the 2022 offseason: The Chicago Bears, who cast off Chase Claypool after getting just 10 games from a wide receiver for whom they traded the No. 32 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and the Denver Broncos, who sent pass rusher Randy Gregory packing in a trade to the San Francisco 49ers just 19 months after inking him to a five-year, $70 million contract.
That got us thinking about what recent moves are already showing troublesome signs.
With that in mind, we asked USA TODAY Sports' NFL writers and columnists: What has proven to be the most regrettable move or decision from this past offseason?
Their answers:
Two bad Ezekiel Elliott decisions
Ezekiel Elliott pretty much sums it up … times two. Seven of his 12 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 came from 1 yard out and all of them occurred in the red zone. But he was not re-signed in the offseason for a team allegedly committed to running the ball – and one now succeeding on 37% of its red-zone opportunities. Zeke did take a very team-friendly, one-year, $3 million deal to go to the New England Patriots, a club that really needed to add juice to its offense – and we’d argue a heavily used 28-year-old running back doesn’t really qualify. Foresight was 20/20 on this one – Dallas should’ve kept Elliott, and the Pats should have found a dynamic weapon for their dead-in-the-water offense. – Nate Davis
The Patriots' passivity
Not trying to lure Tom Brady back to the New England Patriots. I'm kidding about another TB12 unretirement. I think. Not kidding, though, when considering how Bill Belichick didn't do more to improve New England's quarterback position. If not TB12, B.B. could have made a run at Baker Mayfield, who is faring rather well (3-1) so far as Brady's replacement with the Bucs. Then there were two others -- Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett -- who might have been enticed back to Foxborough. Instead, Belichick rolled with Mac Jones as QB1, to disastrous, last-place results (1-4) and the league's 26th-ranked offense. Jones' 74.2 passer rating is third-worst in the NFL. And it looks even worse when Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones are the only QBs ranked lower for efficiency. Belichick's decision to bring back Bill O'Brien to run the offense seemed like a shrewd move, especially when compared to the offensive Matt Patricia-Joe Judge experiment. Yet O'Brien really needs to prove that he's a miracle worker. When the young quarterback regresses with no viable alternatives in sight, you get what the Patriots are living with: a hot mess. – Jarrett Bell
The Sean Payton problem
The Denver Broncos trading for Sean Payton and not allowing him to start from scratch immediately. Instead, the organization stays mired in one of the most brutal stretches in franchise history. From the get-go, it was clear Russell Wilson and Payton were not going to be simpatico off the field. Perhaps they could work it out on the field? Thus far, that has not been the case, either. And Payton made it much worse by criticizing former coach Nathaniel Hackett, who lasted less than one season. Denver gave its first-round pick in the 2023 draft (and a 2024 second-rounder) to the New Orleans Saints for Payton’s services. Hiring Payton, and making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, is a long-term play. But the Wilson-Payton pairing was ill-conceived and set the franchise back another year. – Chris Bumbaca
Giants go all in on Daniel Jones
The Giants pledged their allegiance to Daniel Jones when they signed him to a four-year extension worth $160 million ($82 million guaranteed) in March. Jones has responded with just two touchdowns and six interceptions to begin the season. Jones’ 176 passing yards per game average is the worst mark among NFC East starting quarterbacks. While Jones’ 71.7 passer rating ranks dead last among NFL starting quarterbacks. Jones is hardly the sole problem in New York. The Giants have a patchwork offensive line and a below average receiving corps. But the Giants gave Jones franchise quarterback-type money. Franchise quarterbacks are supposed to elevate their team. Jones hasn’t been able to do so.
Maybe the Giants are beginning to figure out what many of us already believed; Jones isn’t a franchise quarterback. The Giants should have prioritized running back Saquon Barkley, who re-signed on one-year in July, over Jones. Barkley might be oft injured, but New York’s offense runs through him when he’s on the field. – Tyler Dragon
Chiefs' high-priced problem
In a relatively restrained offseason, Jawaan Taylor landing a four-year, $80 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs stood out as one of the few truly controversial moves. Sure, that's essentially the going rate for top offensive tackles these days. But Taylor, 25, hasn't established himself in that class yet, meaning this was a substantial bet on his growth potential. In the early going, that wager has gone bust. Through five weeks, Taylor had a solid lead as the NFL's most penalized player with nine accepted flags. Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have come to the right tackle's defense, saying he was being unfairly targeted by officials. But beyond the penalties, Taylor hasn't been nearly good enough as a protector for Mahomes. In the cutthroat AFC, the margin for error is slim, especially with the young receiving corps yet to find its way. Things are still salvageable, but a significant leap will be required for Taylor's deal not to go down as one of the franchise's bigger missteps in recent history. – Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Worst NFL offseason moves 2023: Regrets for Patriots, Chiefs?
