Predicting the Biggest Flops of the 2020 NFL Season

All 32 NFL teams have hope for the season during summer training camps. 

But the reality remains—player flops are an inevitability, including newly signed free agents and draftees.

Think back a season ago, when quarterback Nick Foles seemingly held the keys to a revival for the Jacksonville Jaguars. One year later, the Jaguars are one of the NFL's biggest rebuilding projects. 

The biggest projected flops for 2020 have a ton of hype surrounding them, but their past production and current circumstances suggest they'll face-plant rather than live up to expectations. Rookies have been excluded from consideration given their unusual offseason amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let's get to it.      

Le'Veon Bell, RB, New York Jets

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Le'Veon Bell, who landed with the New York Jets after holding out in 2018 amid a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was a...flop last year. 

After signing a four-year, $52.5 million contract with Gang Green, he managed just 789 rushing yards, averaged a career-low 3.2 yards per carry and recorded 66 receptions over 15 games. 

But it's easy to see why there's still Bell hype. He's only 28 years old, recorded 1,200-yard seasons in 2016 and '17 and has been on a social media campaign to show off the great shape he's in ahead of the season. 

And yet, Bell could easily flop again because he isn't playing in a potent offense. The unit ranked dead last in 2019. And the Jets added a security blanket in reliable veteran Frank Gore. 

ESPN's Cameron Wolfe noted that head coach Adam Gase loves Gore and suggested the carries split between Gore and Bell could be close. Bell also appeared to be unhappy about his usage during a practice, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.       

Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos

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Many believe that second-year quarterback Drew Lock and the Denver Broncos could be headed for a breakout campaign, especially with additions like running back Melvin Gordon III and first-round wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. 

And some Gordon hype is understandable. He missed the first four weeks amid a contract holdout with the Los Angeles Chargers last season, but he is a productive back who has scored at least eight rushing touchdowns and caught at least 40 passes in each of his last four seasons. 

But there's no guarantee Gordon's new AFC West team will use him enough to justify his two-year, $16 million deal in free agency. After all, the offense boasts Phillip Lindsay, who has recorded consecutive 1,000-yard seasons along with 16 touchdowns and a 4.9 yards-per-carry average. The third-year running back has also caught 70 passes for 437 yards and a score. 

Head coach Vic Fangio said he expects to use a committee approach, according to Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens, and given Lindsay's head start in the offense, fresher legs and arguably more versatile talent, he could quickly make Gordon one of the year's bigger flops.          

Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns

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Austin Hooper's deal with the Cleveland Browns looks a little suspect. 

It's clear the team wanted a safety net for Baker Mayfield. But the Browns gave him $42 million over four years, and he's recorded just 2,244 yards and 16 touchdowns over four seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Hooper only recorded 786 yards despite the second-most targets (97) on his team last year.

Cleveland may be banking on the tight end to become more productive in its offense.

And while the Browns appear to have promise going into 2020, that was also true prior to a disappointing 6-10 campaign in 2019.     

In Cleveland, besides lacking the consistency of Atlanta's Matt Ryan-led offense, Hooper will have to share targets with Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and David Njoku, which could mean a regression, not a leap.  

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Disclaimer: Rob Gronkowski is arguably the best tight end of all time. 

But Gronk's big, hyped return to the NFL after a year away comes with serious question marks. He's 31 and has a lengthy injury history, for starters. 

And he's going to be fighting with weapons like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for targets from Tom Brady in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. Gronk switched teams for the first time in his career (and during an odd offseason, to say the least), but it's even scarier that Brady did the same prior to his age-43 campaign. 

Keep in mind Gronk hasn't put up monster numbers in recent years either. In 2018, he saw 72 targets but mustered just 682 yards and three touchdowns, with his lowest yards-per-catch average (14.5) since 2014. While the hype around Gronk is huge, the tight end could have a muted role in Tampa Bay's offense.      

Chris Harris Jr., DB, Los Angeles Chargers

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Chris Harris Jr. was one of the most notable defensive signings in free agency given the need for quality secondary players in today's pass-heavy NFL. 

The Los Angeles Chargers poached the cornerback from the AFC West rival Broncos for $17 million over two years.

But the nine-year veteran is 31 years old, and he didn't have a standout 2019 season. He allowed 49 catches on 73 targets and four touchdowns, and Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 69.9. The year prior, he allowed 46 catches on 71 targets with four scores in coverage. 

Harris could find himself struggling to elevate a secondary that ranked fifth in 2019 and has already lost star safety Derwin James to a knee injury.               

Joe Schobert, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Free agency resulted in some massive contracts for linebackers who are capable of holding up in coverage. 

Joe Schobert's five-year, $53.8 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars is likely the best example. 

The four-year veteran has the athleticism to cover the passing game, but his last season in Cleveland wasn't a banner one: He allowed a 69.1 percent completion rate on 55 targets, allowing three scores. Tack on the fact that he missed 10.7 percent of his tackles, and the 59.1 grade from Pro Football Focus makes sense. 

Now Schobert is on a team that is one of the biggest rebuilding projects in the NFL. While the hype surrounding the 26-year-old has been big, his production likely won't be as the Jaguars struggle.       

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen helped author a memorable run to the playoffs last season. 

Despite a 58.8 percent completion rate, Allen managed 3,089 yards with 20 scores and recorded 510 more yards and nine scores as a rusher. 

The arrow seems to pointing up for Allen as he heads into Year 3, which is traditionally a breakout year for passers. It doesn't hurt that the Bills made a big splash by acquiring wideout Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. 

But Allen's completion rate—which hasn't cracked 60 percent since his days as a starter at Wyoming—partially explains his 64.2 grade from PFF. The 24-year-old signal-caller indicated he hopes to run less in 2020, per Joe Buscaglia and Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, but that could make his game more predictable for opposing defenses.

While early scrimmages against backups produced flashy headlines for Allen, Buscaglia and Fairburn noted the quarterback looked "scattershot." Allen could have an up-and-down year as opposed to a massive leap.   

Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts

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Philip Rivers would've been the biggest name to switch teams in a normal year.

Yet there's still been plenty of Rivers hype as the Indianapolis Colts hope the veteran can provide more than Jacoby Brissett from a season ago. 

But the big-money arrival (one year, $25 million) comes with a few "buts" attached to him. Rivers is 38 and changing teams for the first time in his career after his first notable regression as a player.

Last year with the Los Angeles Chargers, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 4,615 yards but threw  23 touchdowns compared to 20 interceptions, and the team went from 12 wins to five. Accordingly, his PFF grade went from 90.8 to 74.3. 

Along with those red flags, one could argue Rivers had a better, proven supporting cast in Los Angeles, making him one of the year's biggest flop candidates.