Offseason NFL Acquisitions That Look Like Busts at the Quarter Mark

Now that we're a month into the 2015 NFL season, it at least feels like we have a decent grasp on what is real and what isn't throughout the league.

These conclusions are subject to change, of course. I'm sure you'll remember when so many thought the New England Patriots were essentially done one month into the 2014 season.

However, one thing we can determine with at least some degree of accuracy is which players haven't performed well through the first quarter of the season.

We're going to focus on higher-profile players who found their way to new teams during the offseason and who haven't quite lived up to expectations on the playing field. For this list, we'll only be looking at veteran players—no rookies here.

These are your busts for the first quarter of the 2015 NFL season.

Andre Johnson, WR, Indianapolis Colts

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When the Indianapolis Colts signed receiver Andre Johnson to a free-agent contract during the offseason, it became one of the league's biggest moves. 

This was largely because Johnson is considered the greatest player to ever take the field for the Houston Texans, and he would now be playing for a division rival. 

Of course, it's hard to ignore the fact that the Colts gave Johnson a staggering $21 million for three years of service. 

Unfortunately for the Colts, Johnson isn't providing $7 million worth of production in 2015. He is currently the lowest-rated receiver on the Colts roster, per Pro Football Focus. He has just seven receptions for 51 yards, despite being targeted 20 times through four weeks.

Part of the issue might be that Johnson has typically been an outside receiver but has been spending a lot of time in the slot in Indianapolis. 

According to Pro Football Focus, he has run 79 of 138 routes out of the slot this season. That's 57.2 percent of his receiving routes. Last season, he ran just 18.2 percent of his routes from the slot.

If Johnson gets more comfortable with his role, then he can probably turn things around. However, he is on pace for just 28 receptions and 204 yards. That's bust material. 

Brandon Browner, CB, New Orleans Saints

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Cornerback Brandon Browner has been on the roster of each of the past two Super Bowl champions. This is probably the biggest reason why the New Orleans Saints were willing to give the 31-year-old veteran a three-year, $15 million deal with more than half of it guaranteed.

Well, the lesson here might be that being on a championship-caliber roster can make a player look a lot better than he would otherwise.

Browner has been one of the biggest disappointments of the early 2015 season. He has started all four games and has 13 solo tackles, but he has been a liability in pass coverage.

According to Pro Football Focus, he has been targeted 19 times this season and has given up 11 receptions for 285 yards. Opposing quarterbacks also have a cumulative passer rating of 102.4 when targeting Browner.

Overall, he is rated as the worst cornerback in the entire NFL.

The Saints aren't exactly paying Browner like a truly elite cornerback, but the team certainly expected more than this. 

Brian Hoyer, QB, Houston Texans

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The Houston Texans brought in journeyman Brian Hoyer during the offseason to help bring a little stability to the quarterback position. 

There was an offseason competition between Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, of course, but ultimately head coach Bill O'Brien chose to roll with Hoyer for the season opener. 

"We all need to give Brian Hoyer a chance," O'Brien said before the start of the season, per Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. "I believe in him. I believe in his ability to run our offense efficiently."

Giving Hoyer a chance is the one thing O'Brien really didn't do—until he did.

Yeah, it's been weird.

O'Brien pulled Hoyer before the first game of the season was even over and named Mallett the starter after Week 1. Then, the coach yanked Mallett halfway through last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, though it looks like he will remain the starter for now.

The Texans only gave Hoyer $10.5 million over two years, which isn't much in quarterback dollars. However, the fact remains that he has essentially been relegated to the role of relief pitcher four weeks into the season, and he definitely hasn't brought stability along with him. 

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins

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To be completely fair, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh hasn't exactly been a disaster in the first month of the 2015 season. In fact, he is rated tops among all Dolphins defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus.

However, he has produced just nine tackles and has picked up two penalties through four games. The bigger issue here is that Suh hasn't been enough to transform the Dolphins defensive line into an elite unit.

"Miami made him the highest-paid defensive player under the pretense he’d transform a front four that disappeared down the stretch in 2014," Mike Renner of the Washington Post recently wrote. "That hasn’t happened. Fans are unhappy with Suh’s performance, but he can only play the hand he’s dealt."

It's easy to blame coaching, game-planning or the talent around Suh. To some degree, it's probably warranted. However, the Dolphins gave Suh a massive six-year, $114.375 million free-agent contract to be the man who transforms the defense.

In this regard, the move has been a failure.

If interim head coach Dan Campbell can find a way to get the defense playing better, this is a narrative that can definitely change.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

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Of the big-money-contract guys to land with new teams this offseason, running back DeMarco Murray was probably the most destined to disappoint.

He led the NFL in rushing in 2014 with 1,845 yards, which is why the Philadelphia Eagles were willing to give him a five-year, $40 million free-agent contract. Repeating as the rushing leader never seemed likely, though, and from a statistical standpoint, Murray probably had nowhere to go but down.

However, there is a big difference between disappointment and bust. Fewer yards would be fine if Murray was helping the Eagles win. He isn't, and he isn't doing much to prove he can.

Murray is coming off of his best game of the year—an eight-carry, 36-yard performance. 

He has missed one game due to injury and has produced just 47 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. That's an average of just 1.6 yards per carry, and it puts him on pace for a 188-yard, four-touchdown season.

What might be even more concerning than Murray's production is the fact that he doesn't look anything like the runner he was last year. He rarely appears to hit holes—or even recognize them—with any sense of urgency. 

The Eagles could probably trot out Trent Richardson and have a more decisive runner.

Clearly, Murray has to change if he wants to avoid being a total bust.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Cleveland Browns

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Dwayne Bowe might be the biggest bust on this entire list—not because he has performed poorly but because he has barely performed at all. 

The longtime Kansas City Chiefs veteran came to Cleveland on a two-year, $12.5 million deal with $9 million guaranteed. To say the Browns haven't been getting their money's worth is like saying Garfield doesn't like Mondays.

Bowe has only appeared in two games and has yet to log a reception. In fact, he has only logged 12 snaps this year, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bowe has been dealing with a hamstring issue, but he has been a healthy scratch on at least one occasion. This seems to suggest he hasn't shown quite enough to get on the field, or that the Browns simply don't want him there.

Either way, Cleveland is going to be paying Bowe at least $9 million to not contribute if he doesn't find a way to turn things around.

Yeah, that's a bust.

Bruce Carter, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Linebacker Bruce Carter had a wonderful season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. He racked up 67 tackles, one sack, five interceptions and a defensive touchdown, despite playing in just 13 games with eight starts.

Carter's campaign was enough to earn him a four-year, $17 million deal from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason. 

Unfortunately for Tampa, Carter's play hasn't been quite what it was a year ago. 

Carter is the top-rated outside linebacker on Tampa's roster, according to Pro Football Focus. That's nice and all—some players on this list are among the worst at their positions—but he certainly hasn't been an impact player.

Carter has appeared in all four games but has only logged 53 snaps. He has just three tackles and a pass deflection to show for it. 

The Buccaneers paid Carter to be a starter, or at least a standout rotational player, and he hasn't been either to this point in the season. 

Jared Odrick, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Veteran defensive lineman Jared Odrick started 15 games for the Miami Dolphins and had a good, but not great (24 tackles, one sack), season. Somehow, he parlayed that into a five-year, $42.5 million contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

How much was guaranteed? $22.5 million.

Perhaps the former first-round pick will eventually justify this kind of contract, but right now, he hasn't. 

Though he has started all four games for the Jaguars, Odrick has produced just eight tackles and one sack. Pro Football Focus rates him as the third-worst 4-3 defensive end in the entire NFL.

One of the two ends rated lower than Odrick is teammate Chris Clemons.

It's difficult to place a ton of the blame on Odrick, of course. He was primarily used as a defensive tackle with the Dolphins last year and has been dealing with a position switch. It also isn't his fault the Jaguars chose to grant him such a ridiculous deal.

However, it's clear Odrick hasn't lived up to his contract through the first month of the season.

Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks

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The Seattle Seahawks gave up a first-round pick and Pro Bowl center Max Unger to acquire tight end Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints during the offseason. 

Not only has Graham been a disappointment, but it also appears the move has actually made Seattle a worse team.

Graham has 18 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. This is good for a tight end, of course, especially in Seattle's run-oriented offense. However, his presence hasn't made the Seahawks a more explosive team on offense—which was presumably the idea behind the trade. 

An even bigger concern is that Graham actually appears lost in Seattle's offense at times. Combine this with the fact that he has shown no interest in even attempting to run-block, and Graham really appears to be a poor fit in Seattle.  

With Graham on the roster instead of Unger, the Seahawks have been forced to rely on center Drew Nowak, who actually began his NFL career as a defensive lineman. He is rated just 22nd in the NFL among all centers by Pro Football Focus.

The offensive line as a whole has been a disaster for the Seahawks this year. Quarterback Russell Wilson has already been sacked 18 times, and the team is rated 29th in pass protection by Pro Football Focus.

Had Seattle used its first-round pick on a lineman and kept Unger instead of grabbing Graham, perhaps the line would be a strength.