Every NFL offseason is a wild ride of bold trades, splashy signings, and draft-day declarations that this is finally the year. Front offices hype up their decisions, fans buy the jerseys, and analysts gush over “A+ grades” before a single down is played.
But some of those “brilliant” offseason moves age like milk. What seemed like a masterstroke in the spring often becomes a punchline by the fall, leaving teams scrambling to clean up the mess. Here are 20 NFL offseason moves that initially seemed like genius but ultimately turned out to be anything but.
20. The Jets Trade for Brett Favre
At first, it was a blockbuster movie that brought a legend to Broadway. But after a hot start, things fizzled quickly and ended with a whimper, much like a retirement.
19. The Browns Trade for Odell Beckham Jr.
Pairing OBJ with Jarvis Landry looked like a dream. Unfortunately, it turned into more drama than dominance.
18. Washington Signs Albert Haynesworth
A massive contract for a massive defensive tackle seemed like a no-brainer. Then he showed up out of shape, clashed with coaches, and cashed checks anyway.
17. The Broncos Sign Joe Flacco
They said he was “in his prime.” What they meant was he was past it.
16. The Dolphins Sign Ndamukong Suh
Miami broke the bank for Suh, thinking he’d transform the defense. Instead, they overpaid for a modest impact and moved on quickly.
15. The Raiders Trade for Antonio Brown
It was supposed to be the splash move of the offseason. Instead, it was one bizarre headline after another that ended before the season even began.
14. The Bears Trade Up for Mitchell Trubisky
They fell in love with a quarterback and leapt ahead of teams that weren’t even taking one. The regret set in fast once Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson took off.
13. The Eagles Sign DeMarco Murray
Fresh off leading the league in rushing, Murray was Philly’s shiny new toy. However, the fit was awkward from the start and never felt right.
12. The Jets Sign Le’Veon Bell
He sat out a season to reset his value, then got a big payday from New York. Unfortunately, the only thing that got reset was the Jets’ cap space.
11. The Jaguars Sign Nick Foles
Super Bowl MVP magic in Jacksonville? Not quite—injuries and inconsistency derailed everything quickly.
10. The Cardinals Hire Steve Wilks and Draft Josh Rosen
They tried to reboot everything at once. One year later, both were gone, and Arizona had hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
9. The Colts Sign Andre Johnson and Frank Gore
It looked like Indy was building a superteam around Andrew Luck. Instead, the aging stars didn’t move the needle, and the team flopped.
8. The Packers Sign Jimmy Graham
Green Bay thought they were getting red-zone dominance. What they got was a tight end who looked nothing like his old self.
7. The Texans Trade DeAndre Hopkins
Bill O’Brien thought he was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. Turns out he was flipping the board.
6. The Browns Trade for Deshaun Watson
Cleveland went all-in with a record-breaking contract. The controversy and lack of on-field results made it hard to justify.
5. The Patriots Sign Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry
Loading up on tight ends seemed like a Belichick masterclass. However, neither lived up to the hype, and the offense remained stuck.
4. The Panthers Trade for Sam Darnold
They believed a change of scenery would unlock him. It didn’t.
3. The Broncos Trade for Russell Wilson
Denver thought they were a quarterback away. Instead, they had a disastrous season and a contract that was one of the worst in the history of the league.
Read More: Top 20 Draft Day Trades That Changed NFL History
2. The Saints Go All-In After Brees
They kept pushing chips in, as if the Super Bowl window was still wide open. But without Drew Brees, the house of cards quickly collapsed.
Read More: The 15 NFL Teams That Turned Their Offseason Into a Masterclass
1. Washington Trades Up for RG3
It was bold, aggressive moves that initially looked brilliant. But one knee injury later, it became one of the most painful what-ifs in franchise history.
Read More: The 18 Most Questionable Trades in Sports History
