NFL 2023-24 Off-Season

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Russell Wilson has been released by the Broncos

Everyone but the Broncos thought from the beginning that that was a bad deal.

[Birdman]

Got to be one of the NFL trade ever…Watson getting there also

[Goldstar88]

Got to be one of the NFL trade ever…Watson getting there also

Deshaun Watson trade has been awful, too. I mean, Russ wasn’t even that bad last year.

[Celtics2021]

Got to be one of the NFL trade ever…Watson getting there also

Deshaun Watson trade has been awful, too. I mean, Russ wasn’t even that bad last year.

Russ was awful last year.  He couldn’t throw the ball more than about 5 yards downfield and took all kinds of terrible sacks.  His numbers looked okayish, but if you’re a Broncos fan like me and actually tortured yourself to watch him with some regularity, you’d know that he did not look like an NFL quarterback.

[Moranis]

Got to be one of the NFL trade ever…Watson getting there also

The trade wasn't as bad as the contract extension. I get why they'd take the shot on the trade, but giving him 5 years 245 million post-trade was just really bad.

[Donoghus]

FWIW, the Wilson to DEN deal ranked as #1 in worst QB trade deals in NFL history by the Athletic.  I had forgotten about some of these deals. 

https://theathletic.com/5315900/2024/03/05/russell-wilson-worst-nfl-quarterback-trades/

10. Carson Palmer to Raiders for a first- and second-round pick (2011)
When the Bengals decided to end the Palmer era and turn to Andy Dalton, Palmer’s former Bengals assistant-turned-Raiders head coach Hue Jackson and his team were buyers. Palmer had two forgettable years in Oakland, however. He played in just nine games in 2011, going 4-5, and then went 4-11 as a starter in 2012. Palmer did resurrect his career with four solid seasons in five years with Arizona, including a 13-3 Pro Bowl campaign in 2015, but there were no vintage performances for the Raiders.

9. Brad Johnson to Washington for a first, second and third (1999)
After swinging-and-missing on Heath Shuler and enduring a brief Gus Frerotte/Trent Green carousel, Washington thought it found its man in Johnson, Warren Moon’s backup in Minnesota. Johnson did have a Pro Bowl first season in Washington, but Dan Snyder played fantasy football the next offseason and wanted Jeff George to be the guy. Johnson was out after just two years and went to Tampa Bay, where he helped win a Super Bowl. Minnesota used that first-round pick to draft Culpepper, who before suffering a devastating knee injury was an MVP candidate. Washington still hasn’t found a franchise quarterback.

8. Carson Wentz to Colts for a conditional second, third (2021)
Philadelphia’s prized quarterback was an MVP candidate in 2017 until he blew out his knee late that season, and Wentz never got his groove back after watching Nick Foles lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. His erratic play upon his return didn’t scare off the Colts, though. They thought a reunion with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, then Indianapolis’ head coach, would help Wentz return to form. But modest production during a mediocre 9-8 campaign in 2021 caused owner Jim Irsay to sour on Wentz after one season. The Colts did talk Washington into giving up two third-rounders and a swapped second-rounder for Wentz in 2022. But they sure could have used the picks that netted the Eagles DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown and Jalen Carter.


7. Drew Bledsoe to Bills for a first (2002)
Tom Brady’s meteoric rise made Bledsoe, the No. 1 pick in 1993, expendable in the 2001 offseason. In a display of hubris, Bill Belichick traded Bledsoe within the division, and the Bills eventually found out why. Bledsoe went 8-8, 6-10 and 9-7 as their starter while throwing 55 touchdowns and 43 interceptions, with no playoff appearances.

6. Rob Johnson to Bills for a first and fourth (1998)
The Bills’ decision to trade for Bledsoe was an attempt to atone for a previous transgression — the decision to send a first- and fourth-round pick to Jacksonville for Johnson, a 1995 fourth-round pick who went 1-0 as a starter for the Jaguars while appearing in just eight games. Johnson was named the starting quarterback for Buffalo after signing a five-year, $25 million contract, but he went just 9-17 in four seasons.

5. Brett Favre to Packers for a first (1992)
Unlike the previous deals cited here, in which teams gambled foolishly and paid dearly for bad trades, this is an example of a team not understanding the talent it had in hand. The Falcons drafted Favre in the 1991 second round, much to the dismay of then-head coach Jerry Glanville. Favre’s first NFL pass went for a pick six and he attempted only three other passes the rest of his rookie season. The Falcons then shipped the future Hall of Famer to Green Bay for the 17th pick of the 1992 draft, and the rest is history.



4. Rick Mirer to Bears for a first (1997)
The second pick of the 1993 draft, Mirer sorely disappointed in Seattle, going 20-31 while throwing 41 touchdowns and 56 interceptions in four seasons. For some reason, Chicago thought the former Notre Dame star was worthy of a first-round pick in 1997. But Mirer went 0-3 as a starter after throwing zero touchdowns and six interceptions. The Bears granted his request for a release the following offseason.

3. Chris Chandler to Buccaneers for a first (1990)
The Buccaneers made the regrettable decision to essentially give Steve Young to the 49ers in 1987 and drafted his replacement, Vinny Testaverde, first overall. But after just two seasons, the Bucs sent the second pick to Indianapolis for Chandler, who had gone 10-6 in two seasons with the Colts. Chandler wound up going 0-6 in two seasons with the Buccaneers.

2. Jeff George to Falcons for two firsts and a third (1994)
Drafted No. 1 by Indianapolis in 1990, George boasted a big arm but posted a 14-35 record while throwing 41 touchdowns and 46 interceptions in four seasons. Convinced a bad Colts roster was to blame, the Falcons shipped a boatload of picks to Indianapolis in 1994, two years after trading Favre. George did help Atlanta end a four-year playoff drought in 1995. But he clashed with head coach June Jones and went 16-19 with 50 touchdowns and 32 interceptions before signing with Oakland following the 1996 season.

1. Russell Wilson to Denver for two firsts, two seconds, a fifth and three players (including QB Drew Lock) (2022)
Believing they had a Super Bowl-caliber roster that lacked just a quarterback, the Broncos mortgaged the future with draft picks, players and obscene cap space to get Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection with a Lombardi Trophy to his name. Then-head coach Nathaniel Hackett — Aaron Rodgers’ former offensive coordinator in Green Bay — was supposed to help Wilson extend his career.

But Wilson’s best days clearly are behind him. In 2022, he completed a career-worst 60.5 percent of his passes and threw just 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as the Broncos went 5-12. Hackett was fired after 15 games. Sean Payton landed the Broncos head coaching job in February 2023, and brashly pinned the blame for Wilson and the Broncos’ struggles on the departed Hackett. But midway through the season, Payton had soured on Wilson and he and the Broncos threatened to bench the quarterback if he didn’t agree to rework his contract. Wilson refused and remained the starter until the final two weeks of the season.

Where will Russell Wilson land next? A look at which NFL teams might be interested

He did post a better record in 2023 (7-8) and completion percentage (66.4), but it wasn’t until Payton switched to a run-heavy attack to reduce Wilson’s workload that Denver’s offense started to improve. Wilson finished the season with a career-low 3,070 passing yards to go with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Now he’s looking for another fresh start, and the Broncos will try to rebuild without premium draft picks and limited cap space.

[Moranis]

The Bryce Young trade looks bad right now as well, but Young obviously has some time to turn it around, but right now giving up DJ Moore, and draft picks that became Jalen Carter, Brenton Strange, Caleb Williams, and a 2025 2nd for Bryce Young is bad.  Of course had they taken CJ Stroud maybe it wouldn't look as bad.

Watson has only played 12 games  for the Browns so that looks real bad still, especially with how good Baker Mayfield looked last year.  But if Watson is healthy this year and looks reasonably close to his Houston ability that may ultimately work out for them.

[Birdman]

Denver eating 85 million of cap space on Wilson, geez

[Birdman]

Bryce Young playing for Carolina hasn’t help him any & change coaches every year it seems like

[Phantom255x]

I've seen many argue the Pats should sign Wilson to a reasonable deal, take MHJ at #3 and then use 2nd round on OT (or trade down #3 for multiple assets to take other WRs/OT). Then use the cap space to supplement the roster and maybe add 1-2 elite guys since they have over 100M in cap space. Of course, this is only IF they really aren't as high on whoever is available between Maye or Daniels. I'll be honest... I wouldn't hate that per say. Again, I'd prefer Maye/Daniels but if for whatever reason they don't want them, you can do a lot worse than Wilson. And in theory you can still add a 2nd tier QB (Penix/Nix/McCarthy/Rattler) and develop them for 1-2 years.

[Goldstar88]

Thought the legal tampering period had not begun… 

[kraidstar]

I've seen many argue the Pats should sign Wilson to a reasonable deal, take MHJ at #3 and then use 2nd round on OT (or trade down #3 for multiple assets to take other WRs/OT). Then use the cap space to supplement the roster and maybe add 1-2 elite guys since they have over 100M in cap space. Of course, this is only IF they really aren't as high on whoever is available between Maye or Daniels. I'll be honest... I wouldn't hate that per say. Again, I'd prefer Maye/Daniels but if for whatever reason they don't want them, you can do a lot worse than Wilson. And in theory you can still add a 2nd tier QB (Penix/Nix/McCarthy/Rattler) and develop them for 1-2 years.

Wilson is done.

And honestly we're not winning a championship with some cast-off QB unless we have a generational-talent level club. Which we don't have.

A lot of highly delusional Pats fans think differently because, inexplicably, they still don't recognize that our trash offenses in 2001, 2018 etc don't sniff a SB without TB's influence.

[Moranis]

The Pats are so far away that Wilson doesn't make sense.  For a team like the Steelers, I could see Wilson making some sense, bit not the Pats.

[Birdman]

Wilson is done, Seattle knew this and fleece Denver

[Neurotic Guy]

I've seen many argue the Pats should sign Wilson to a reasonable deal, take MHJ at #3 and then use 2nd round on OT (or trade down #3 for multiple assets to take other WRs/OT). Then use the cap space to supplement the roster and maybe add 1-2 elite guys since they have over 100M in cap space. Of course, this is only IF they really aren't as high on whoever is available between Maye or Daniels. I'll be honest... I wouldn't hate that per say. Again, I'd prefer Maye/Daniels but if for whatever reason they don't want them, you can do a lot worse than Wilson. And in theory you can still add a 2nd tier QB (Penix/Nix/McCarthy/Rattler) and develop them for 1-2 years.

Wilson is done.

And honestly we're not winning a championship with some cast-off QB unless we have a generational-talent level club. Which we don't have.

A lot of highly delusional Pats fans think differently because, inexplicably, they still don't recognize that our trash offenses in 2001, 2018 etc don't sniff a SB without TB's influence.

Impatience is probably the most common characteristic of a Boston sports fan. We live to create a scenario that will plausibly produce a winner even in the absence of all reason.  There’s nothing wrong with that as a fan.  As far as front office goes, I hope their mentality is gradually putting the right pieces in place over 2-3 years.