7 Roster Moves That NFL Teams Will Regret from the 2023 Offseason
Between NFL free agency and post-draft decisions, several teams made roster moves that general managers and head coaches will regret in hindsight.
Across the league, front offices make mistakes every year. While we can justify some of those poor choices with logical thought—others don't make much sense.
This year, one team overpaid for a fading star who's recently battled serious knee injuries. Another club swapped a Pro Bowl-caliber tackle for an average replacement at a high price. A couple of squads could've done a lot better with first-round draft picks. Two NFC West teams in rebuild mode shortened or prematurely terminated the contract of key starters on defense.
Let's take a look at seven roster moves that seem questionable at the moment but may go down as huge blunders by the end of the 2023 season.
Arizona Cardinals: Declining LB Isaiah Simmons 5th-Year Option
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The Arizona Cardinals hired general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon to replace Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury, respectively. Arizona's new regime doesn't have an allegiance to players from the former administration. However, Ossenfort and Co. should've picked up Isaiah Simmons' fifth-year option, which would've cost $12.7 million in 2024.
Though Simmons hasn't quite fulfilled expectations for a top-eight draft pick, he's done enough to garner support from the Cardinals' new coaching staff.
As a starter, Simmons has finished with 99-plus tackles in each of the previous two terms and saw his missed tackle rate drop from 9.5 to 4.8 percent between 2021 and 2022.
Moreover, Simmons has made highlight reel defensive plays while lined up in multiple positions, recording 14 pass breakups, three interceptions, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks over the last two years. With a defined role, he could become a Pro Bowl playmaker.
In 2022, the Cardinals fielded the 31st-ranked scoring defense. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, two-time All-Pro safety Budda Baker wants a market-setting contract or a move elsewhere.
Gannon, who's a former defensive coordinator, should've understood the need to keep a unique budding talent like Simmons under team control beyond the 2023 term.
Baltimore Ravens: Signing WR Odell Beckham Jr. to a 1-year, $15 Million Deal
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In April, ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that Odell Beckham Jr. wanted a $15 million deal, but he expected the wide receiver's contract to fall in the $10-12 million range, which is more than reasonable for a 30-year-old coming off a second ACL tear within three years.
Cimini made his comments in connection with swirling rumors (h/t ESPN's Dan Graziano) around the New York Jets' interest in Beckham.
Ironically, CBS Sports' Josina Anderson reported that Beckham planned to meet with Jets' brass one day before he inked a deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
Four years ago, the Ravens would've earned praise for this move with those dollar figures, but aside from a second-half 2021 season run with the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl title, Beckham hasn't performed at a high level. In part because of knee injuries, he hasn't recorded more than 44 receptions in a single season since 2019.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, quarterback Lamar Jackson recruited Beckham while in contract negotiations with the Ravens. Perhaps Baltimore made an aggressive offer with knowledge of those backchannel discussions.
Nevertheless, Beckham isn't likely to play at a level that justifies a $15 million fully guaranteed contract at this stage in his career.
Dallas Cowboys: Passing on TE Michael Mayer for DT Mazi Smith
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The Dallas Cowboys allowed tight end Dalton Schultz to test the free-agent market, and he signed with the Houston Texans.
Despite a head-scratching end to his tenure in Dallas, Schultz had been one of quarterback Dak Prescott's top targets. In 2021, he tied Amari Cooper for a team-leading eight touchdown receptions and ranked second among Cowboys pass-catchers in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdown grabs last season.
Clearly, the Cowboys needed to fill a void at tight end. While they did so with their second-round draft pick, taking Michigan's Luke Schoonmaker, they could've selected a better option in Michael Mayer, who had a more productive collegiate career in a pass-catching role.
At Notre Dame, Mayer caught 180 passes for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns. He could've carved out an immediate role in the Cowboys' aerial attack, especially in the red zone.
Instead, Dallas selected Mazi Smith, who's a limited playmaker with run-stuffing ability.
Yes, Dallas needed to shore up the interior of its defense, which ranked 22nd against the run last season, but the club should've addressed that need on Day 2 and went with a top-tier tight end in the first round to replace Schultz.
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Detroit Lions: Drafting RB Jahmyr Gibbs Over a Cornerback
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The Detroit Lions committed one of the unspoken modern-day draft sins and selected a committee-type running back early in the first round. In free agency, they signed David Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract and then selected Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in April's draft.
At Alabama, Gibbs didn't record more than 151 carries in a single campaign. So, it makes sense that the Lions will pair him with Montgomery after trading D'Andre Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Detroit has assembled a solid backfield, it missed out on a cornerback who could've addressed a bigger need.
In March, the Lions signed cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, but the latter has struggled to stay on the field, missing 22 games since the 2020 campaign. With only one full season on Moseley's resume, Detroit should've used its top pick on Christian Gonzalez or another cornerback of choice.
Despite their late-season improvements on defense, the Lions still gave up the third-most passing yards in 2022. They'll need Sutton and Moseley to stay healthy, or else, opposing quarterbacks may attack their secondary on the boundary, away from slot-safety defenders C.J. Gardner-Johnson and rookie second-rounder Brian Branch.
Kansas City Chiefs: Signing OT Jawaan Taylor to a 4-year, $80 Million Deal
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The Kansas City Chiefs made one of the biggest splashes in free agency for an average offensive tackle on the market, signing Jawaan Taylor on a deal that rewards him with the second-highest amount of guaranteed money ($60 million) among veterans who hit the open market.
Taylor had a solid but not spectacular 2022 season, allowing five sacks and committing seven penalties in 1,095 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
For comparison, the Chiefs let Orlando Brown Jr. hit the market after he allowed four sacks and committed six penalties while on the field for 1,133 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Brown signed a four-year, $64 million contract ($31.1 million guaranteed) with the Cincinnati Bengals following his fourth Pro Bowl year.
Taylor played four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he doesn't have a standout or Pro Bowl campaign on his resume. While the Chiefs added a solid offensive tackle, they overpaid for him when you consider his body of work.
Los Angeles Rams: Cutting OLB Leonard Floyd
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We cannot fault the Los Angeles Rams for getting a modest return (a 2023 third-round pick and backup tight end Hunter Long) in the Jalen Ramsey trade. According to the MMQB's Albert Breer, the star cornerback would've only accepted a move to the Miami Dolphins, which likely put Los Angeles in a bind.
However, the Rams deserve criticism for their decision to cut Leonard Floyd.
After four mediocre years with the Chicago Bears, Floyd hit his stride as a pass-rusher with the Rams, registering at least nine sacks, 30 pressures and seven tackles for loss in each of the previous three terms.
Without a doubt, Floyd benefitted from playing behind three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, but he certainly took advantage of his opportunities off the edge.
Based on the Rams' offseason moves, cutting linebacker Bobby Wagner (32 years old) and trading Ramsey (28 years old) as well as Allen Robinson II (29 years old), they've embraced the youth on the roster. Floyd, who turns 31 years old in September, doesn't fit into that agenda.
However, the Rams made a mistake in releasing their second-best pass-rusher after the defense ranked 28th in pressure rate for the 2022 season. Los Angeles needs rookie third-rounder Byron Young to make an immediate impact as Floyd's replacement on the edge.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trading G Shaq Mason
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Offensively, the Tampa Buccaneers must regroup following Tom Brady's retirement. Whoever wins the quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask will play behind an offensive line with question marks.
To comply with the salary cap guidelines before the new league year, the Buccaneers had to make notable roster cuts. In March, they released offensive tackle Donovan Smith, who struggled through the 2022 term, allowing six sacks and committing 12 penalties while active for 908 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. A week later, the club traded Shaq Mason and a seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
While we can justify Smith's release with his high number of penalties and mediocre pass protection, Tampa Bay should've restructured wideout Mike Evans' contract or edge-rusher Shaquil Barrett's deal to avoid parting ways with Mason, who's a quality starting guard. Per Over the Cap, the front office could've saved about $10 million by reworking one of those deals.
Keep in mind that Mason signed a three-year, $36 million extension with the Texans, (h/t Spotrac), which suggests that Houston believes he can play at a high level.
In April's draft, Tampa Bay selected Cody Mauch in the second round. He'll have a chance to lock down the right guard spot, but the rookie would have to make a tough transition from a tackle at North Dakota State to the interior of the Bucs' front line. Don't be surprised if Mayfield or Trask constantly face pressure from the interior gaps and ball-carriers struggle to find inside run lanes.
Player contracts are provided by Over the Cap unless otherwise noted.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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