5 NFL Teams Who Have Had Terrible Offseasons

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The NFL offseason is presumed to be a positive time for all, but this offseason has been nothing but a nightmare for a handful of teams. 

The offseason is supposed to be a time when teams become rejuvenated, restock via free agency, plan for the future with the draft and ultimately gain momentum heading into next season. 

But sometimes things don't go as planned, and teams that have to quickly regroup in order to avoid further embarrassment. 

There's more doubt than ever that these franchises' 2012 seasons are in serious jeopardy for a variety of reasons. Not to say that these teams will have losing season, but things certainly haven't gotten off to a great start. 

The Extra Point: The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins Have Recovered

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The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins may be enemies on the gridiron, but they're comrades in their crusade against the NFL because both teams got slapped with hefty salary cap violations.

Although these penalties could have thwarted their offseason plans, both teams have come out of the conflict unscathed. 

The Cowboys were successful in free agency by signing players the likes of Brandon Carr, and the Redskins accomplished pulling off a trade with the St. Louis Rams that procured the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Both teams have undoubtedly turned around what started off as a sour offseason. 

The Cleveland Browns Just Can't Win No Matter How Hard They "Try"

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It's evident that the Cleveland Browns franchise is in dire straights.

Yes, the team has two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, but that doesn't mean that they're headed for glory. 

At 4-12 in 2011, the team was just good enough to miss out on a chance to draft Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck. Worse off, the team couldn't coax the St. Louis into coughing up the No. 2 pick so they could land their much-needed franchise quarterback. 

Now the Browns are sitting at No. 4 with not a clue on who to draft. As for the No. 22 pick—that's just a consolation prize for their first mistake.

This isn't news to Browns fans—they will just have to wait for next year. 

Trouble Has Once Again Reared Its Ugly Head for the Detroit Lions

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Just when Detroit Lions fans started to feel like winners, reality strikes. 

After a winning 2011 season and retaining their primary players this offseason, the Lions were set to make a splash in the upcoming draft. The team was afforded the comfort of the No. 23 overall pick and were set to select a variety of positions. For once, everything was looking good in Honolulu Blue. 

Now, thanks to two boneheads, Detroit once again looks bad and smells funny. 

Last year's first- and second-round picks Nick Fairley and Mikel Leshoure made news on back-to-back days after being arrested for possession of marijuana.

Ugh.

Just when the team and the city were making positive news together, a couple of players who've barely touched an NFL field messed everything up.

Now the Lions must tinker their draft plans thinking about potential replacements for these two numbskulls. 

In order to clear the air, the Lions organization must hand out swift and appropriate punishment as quickly as possible.

Miami May Forever Be Searching for Dan Marino's Replacement

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The Miami Dolphins are downright pitiful at the moment. 

With the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Dolphins need to make a splash, but may end up looking like a fish out of water.

The Dolphins missed out on every free agent under the sun this season as things are looking grim for the franchise.

Fans want GM Jeff Ireland out. He traded away their best offensive threat in wide receiver Brandon Marshall, and the team still needa a franchise quarterback.

There's not much to be hopeful for when it comes to the Dolphins and winning anytime soon. 

The New York Jets Are Upside Down at the Moment

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The New York Jets locker room is officially a three-ring circus—again. 

There was turmoil at the end of the 2011 season, then the team traded for quarterback Tim Tebow. 

Things are so juicy in Jets camp that HBO's Hard Knocks may return to shed light on all things Jets again. Americans have come to love soap opera drama, and with the Jets in disarray NFL fans won't be able to get enough.

Expect the unexpected when it comes to the Jets the rest of this offseason.  

The New Orleans Saints Have Received the Modern-Day Death Penalty

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Wow!

The New Orleans Saints have been knocked down by a flurry of punches this offseason.

First, they upset their franchise quarterback Drew Brees by giving him the franchise tag.

Next, they lost Carl Nicks, one of the best left guards in the NFL, to free agency.

Finally, they lose their GM, coach and assistant coach for a period of time, along with draft picks and money due to bounty-gate.

Yes, the Saints will still be good without all of these factors, but they won't be nearly as potent. Head coach Sean Payton had his team in sync, and there's not much time for a new coach to fit in with this team. 

It's not to say what the Saints' staff orchestrated was right by any means, but football is a "last man standing" type of sport. 

It'll be interesting to see if the Saints can get up from this haymaker. 

 

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