20 Personnel Decisions of the 2011 NFL Season Already Proven to Be Mistakes

With the 2011 NFL playoffs in sight, the end of the football season is also on the horizon. Every NFL season has its fair share of bad decisions but the lockout preceding this one may have accelerated some of the thinking behind those moves, creating catastrophic consequences.

Being a general manager or making the big personnel decisions for an NFL franchise is a hapless task. It's impossible to get every decision right, but what is most important is not getting it too wrong.

Here are 20 decisions from this season that have already proven to be disasters for their respective franchises.

Unretiring Kerry Collins

The biggest storyline of the 2011 NFL regular season is undoubtedly the demise of the Indianapolis Colts without Peyton Manning.

While the Colts obviously have unearthed some major issues across their roster and coaching staff, their reliance on Peyton Manning was the biggest issue.

Everybody knew that Manning was a vital member of the Colts roster, but very few people predicted the actual depth of the cliff that the franchise fell off this season.

Even though Curtis Painter was, by any evaluation, a less than average quarterback, the fact that the team hesitated and brought in Collins late undoubtedly hurt his confidence and cost him vital practice time.

Painter eventually found his way to the bench and one thinks the team may have been better off with Dan Orlovsky playing from the opening day.

Although if you were to go down that route, then signing a better veteran in the off-season or drafting a rookie signal caller would be the best idea.

The Formation of the Philadelphia Eagles' Defense

The Philadelphia Eagles' defense was badly designed from the top to the bottom this year.

Last season, Juan Castillo was the offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, this year, after 20 years of trying, Castillo moved to his favored side of the ball and became the team's defensive coordinator.

Castillo had plenty of talent at his disposal but the unit lacked the requisite complementary pieces.

Nnamdi Asomugha was the biggest addition in the off-season, but Asomugha spent most of the season in the wrong scheme by playing zone coverage.

Asomugha also struggled at times in man coverage, which wasn't a major shock considering his age and how little he had been tested in recent years.

The addition of Asomugha followed the trade for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. That gave the team three starting-caliber cornerbacks, but none of the trio could effectively play as the nickel defender.

Instead of improving the secondary by bringing in another starting safety, as Nate Allen was coming off injury and Kurt Coleman is nothing but a solid starter, the Eagles stocked up on cornerbacks without thinking of the bigger picture.

Thinking of the bigger picture was another major issue in the front seven as the team drafted and signed linebackers too small to fit the defensive identity that comes with the implementation of a Jim Washburn defensive line.

Adding Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins as pass-rushing defensive linemen were good decisions. However the front seven as a whole lacked the hard-hitting linebackers that could take on blockers who came through the gaps in the wide 9 front four.

With guys like JaMar Chaney and Casey Matthews seeing the field at linebacker, the Eagles needed to bring in bulkier defensive linemen in a different scheme.

The wide 9 may have made Jason Babin a sack master, but sacks are nothing when you allow running backs to run for over 100 yards on a consistent basis.

Retooling the New York Jets' Wide Receiver Corps

The New York Jets revamped their offense this year at the wide receiver position by bringing in Plaxico Burress and Derek Mason to begin the season.

The team had no hope of bringing back all three of Brad Smith, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes; however, they did make a mistake in letting Jerricho Cotchery go as well as not re-signing Edwards.

Cotchery was fully healthy after off-season surgery but asked to be released because the team signed Derrick Mason, who they then released after poor performances. Plaxico Burress limited the Jets' offense because the team lacked the speed of Edwards outside.

The biggest issue with this is the fact that Edwards eventually signed with the San Francisco 49ers for an affordable price. He may not have done much for the 49ers but that was largely due to injuries and being in the wrong offense.

Having Edwards and Cotchery alongside Holmes, as opposed to Burress and Jeremy Kerley or Derrick Mason, would have seen the Jets' passing attack aid Mark Sanchez a lot more this year.

The Re-Tooling and Dismantling of the New England Patriots Defense

Undoubtedly, the Albert Haynesworth experiment was an overwhelming failure. Haynesworth did nothing in New England before landing in Tampa Bay. Bill Belichick was relying on Haynesworth to form a dominant pairing with Vince Wilfork to outsmart the league and transition to a 4-3 defense.

Ultimately, that didn't work out and the Patriots' front seven was undergoing transition throughout the whole season. Injuries to key players such as Jerod Mayo, Haynesworth and Brandon Spikes didn't help, but there is no question that the group was a little overcome by the amount of information it had to digest between different schemes and play calls.

The negligence the team's secondary was exposed to was almost criminal by a coach who is supposedly a defensive guru.

The lack of talent on the back end ultimately saw Julian Edelman doing his best Troy Brown impersonation on defense. The cumulative effect of releasing James Sanders, Brandon Meriweather and Leigh Bodden, as well as the ignorance not to draft more defenders than just Ras-I Dowling, ultimately destroyed the Patriots' defense.

While Andre Carter and Mark Anderson were adequate additions, the Patriots' defense as a whole is much worse off than it was this time last year...which is saying something.

Michael Vick's $100 Million Contract

Michael Vick signed a huge deal with the Eagles this year after the team traded Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals. At 31 years of age, it was always going to be a risk for the team to invest so heavily in the former Atlanta Falcons' signal caller.

That risk looks less likely to play out in Philadelphia's favor come season's close.

Vick once again couldn't stay healthy, which is no surprise considering the state of the team's offensive line attempting to protect him.

However Vick's on-field performances when healthy weren't overly impressive, either. He didn't have the same quality decision making as last year, entering double digits for turnovers.

Vick was given an MVP-level contract but he won't be receiving any MVP votes this year; his playing style and age make me wonder if he will ever be at that level again. This year certainly did nothing but create more doubt in both my mind and the collective mind of Eagles' fans.

Firing Jack Del Rio but Re-Signing GM Gene Smith

While Jack Del Rio wasn't a great NFL head coach, it wasn't surprising at all that reports emerged claiming that he had lost his optimism in Jacksonville. The Jaguars roster was set up to fail this year by Gene Smith's personnel decisions.

Del Rio knew entering this season that he was fighting for his job this year and needed to notch victories. Yet the team traded up for a draft pick who didn't improve the team instantly. The drafting of Blaine Gabbert, and subsequent release of David Garrard, essentially told Del Rio he was fired before he received his final check.

It was blatantly obvious that the Jaguars needed more weapons on offense rather than bringing in a project at quarterback. The team didn't re-sign its best receiver from the previous year, Mike Thomas isn't capable of beating opposing teams' first-choice cover corners on a consistent basis, which forced the team to rely totally on Maurice Jones-Drew on offense.

On defense they, or rather Smith, spent a huge amount of money on what was blatantly one of the most overrated free agents on the market in Paul Pozluzny.

He racked up the tackles in Buffalo, but he did so more often than not without beating blockers or making plays. He cleaned up after the opposition had already racked up yardage, more often than not.

The Jaguars basically entered this season more confused than anyone. They didn't know if they were transitioning for the future or trying to compete immediately. If they were looking to compete, they never should have drafted Gabbert, but if they were aiming to build for the future, Del Rio should have been fired before the season.

Firing Del Rio isn't a major issue, but re-signing Smith is just baffling considering the roster he has assembled.

Chargers Letting Darren Sproles Leave

While the Chargers running backs weren't a problem this year by any means, as Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert were reliable runners. Philip Rivers did really miss Sproles as an outlet this year in the passing game.

Sproles is one of Drew Brees' biggest weapons in New Orleans after signing there earlier in the season. That doesn't surprise anyone, considering he led the Chargers in receptions last year from the running back position.

Even with Vincent Jackson returning, and Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates still there, the Chargers missed Sproles' ability to work the underneath of defenses' coverage while Patrick Crayton wasn't as big a matchup problem for defenses to handle.

Denver Broncos' Indecision

At the beginning of training camp, Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton were battling it out for the starting job in Denver. At one point, Tebow became the team's fourth-string quarterback before eventually being the backup at the start of the season.

Eventually, in Week 7, the Broncos named Tim Tebow the starter after Kyle Orton's early-season struggles. John Fox's failure to decide on one quarterback fully, whether it be Orton or Tebow, ultimately cost the Broncos' half of their season.

Had Tebow been the starter from day one, the team could have gotten a better deal for Brandon Lloyd in a trade, gotten some value for Eddie Royal and Kyle Orton, but most importantly refined the offense around Tebow with weapons that better suit him.

Not to mention that he would never have divided the roster in the first place as he initially did. Even if he had chosen Orton and traded Tebow, at least then the team would have a definite direction for the season without waiting until the very last minute before sorting out their decisions.

The Minnesota Vikings Trading for Donovan McNabb

Donovan McNabb didn't work in Minnesota. His inability to play the short passing game and stay alive behind a suspect offensive line ultimately led to him being benched in favor of Christian Ponder.

Ponder has been impressive on the field for Minnesota considering that he is a rookie. His play more than makes you wonder why he wasn't named the starter from day one.

Ponder was considered to be the most pro-ready rookie quarterback coming out in the draft, and he has shown that with good pocket presence and awareness.

McNabb needed to be in an offense that threw the deep ball opposed to those short and intermediate routes that he was asked to throw in Minnesota. Passes that he more often than not one-hopped to receivers.

The Vikings should be in full rebuilding mode with a solid base on offense to build around in Ponder, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Kyle Rudolph. With some offensive line help and a better secondary, this team isn't far away from competing for a playoff spot.

Trading away assets for Donovan McNabb to try and compete this year wasn't a good idea.

The Indianapolis Colts Not Trading Their Assets

Reggie Wayne is 33 years of age and due a contract. The fact is that Wayne was wasted on the Colts' roster this year and likely won't receive the deal that he is looking for next year from the franchise.

Wayne would have had a lot of interest on the market for a team hoping to compete this season. A team such as the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers or Detroit Lions would likely have been more than willing to give up a second-round pick or more for Wayne early in the season.

Wayne isn't the only impending free agent the Colts would have been better off letting leave this year. Robert Mathis is another veteran who will likely be asking for too much to re-sign with the team.

Mathis is a vicious defensive end when motivated. Any 4-3 team would be delighted to have him on their roster. Teams like the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders would all have been interested in a player who fits their need for both veteran leadership and pass rushers.

A second- or third-round pick would be a lot more valuable to the Colts right now opposed to letting Mathis leave in the offseason or overpaying him due to the lack of talent to replace him.

Ryan Fitzpatrick's Contract

The Buffalo Bills signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a six-year, $59 million contract during the season after some impressive early displays.

Why? Why rush to lock down, and seemingly overpay, a player based on production for a few weeks against relatively weak opposition? The Bills gave Fitzpatrick his deal before they entered the meat of their schedule and he was somewhat exposed.

Fitzpatrick is a solid quarterback, but whether he's worth a $59 million investment remains to be seen after an up-and-down, injury-riddled season for the Buffalo Bills as a whole.

Matt Forte Playing for the Chicago Bears

Matt Forte's value to the Chicago Bears was never going to be higher than it was this season. Forte was more important to his offense than any other skill position player in the whole league. He entered the season disgruntled over his measly pay and finished the season with a knee injury.

Knee injuries are devastating for running backs and it could cost him his big payday.

Forte will probably sign elsewhere as the Bears are possibly moving on from Mike Martz' system, which means his leverage takes another hit.

The Bears fans watching Marion Barber on the field in his place know his value, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith would have seen it too had he held out for the start of the season.

On a similar note...

The Tennessee Titans Paying Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson has been average at best this year for the Tennessee Titans. In fact, calling him average is probably an overstatement.

The Titans gave Johnson a huge deal entering the season after he held out in training camp. The franchise shouldn't have given him $30 million guaranteed regardless of his abilities because running backs are common commodities. His performances this season only worsen the scenario for the team.

With a strong passing attack and another back in Javon Ringer more than able to fill in, the Titans really had no need to overpay Johnson so heavily.

The Arizona Cardinals Trading for Kevin Kolb

The Arizona Cardinals were hoping for a franchise quarterback when they sent a second-round pick and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Philadelphia Eagles for Kevin Kolb. The problem with Kolb is that the team doesn't really suffer when he is not on the field.

John Skelton has proven that he can run the Cardinals offense as well as Kolb during his stints under center this year. Skelton may not be a superstar or franchise quarterback, but he has done just about as much this season as Kolb has to make Cardinals fans believe in him.

The Carolina Panthers Re-Signing Thomas Davis

Re-signing Thomas Davis wasn't a major issue; re-signing him for the money that the Panthers invested in him was. The Panthers gave Davis a five-year deal despite coming off a second Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear in his knee.

Davis proceeded to tear his ACL this year for the third time. Re-signing a player after such serious knee injuries was always a risk, the fact that he couldn't even last half of the season makes this a bad investment by the Panthers.

Undoubtedly ,Davis is a talented player; in fact when fully healthy, the Panthers have one of the best trios at linebacker in the league with Jon Beason and James Anderson also involved. The problem is Davis is unlikely to be healthy.

No Team Taking a Chance on Jared Gaither in Free Agency

Jared Gaither was a stud at left tackle when he was on the field for the Baltimore Ravens. Gaither only lost his place because of injuries and the emergence of Michael Oher, even though Oher proved to be an inadequate replacement on the blind side.

Considering that he eventually signed as a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs this off-season, it was a major shock that no team was willing to take a chance on an elite talent at a vital position.

Gaither obviously wasn't going to cost big money and would have been a good investment for teams such as the Buffalo Bills or Minnesota Vikings.

Ultimately, he was rashly cut by Todd Haley after one false start, which is no surprise considering that Haley was sacked soon after for bad coaching decisions. The San Diego Chargers were the benefactors as Gaither found a new place to call his home as a starting left tackle.

The St. Louis Rams Not Re-Signing Laurent Robinson

The St. Louis Rams lacked a big-bodied receiver who could go deep and consistently catch the ball this year. The St. Louis Rams did not re-sign Laurent Robinson after last season.

Laurent Robinson was a breakout performer for the Dallas Cowboys at receiver this year. In Dallas, he has greater awareness and a better comfort level as he catches passes from Tony Romo.

What appears to be the biggest difference from Dallas to St. Louis is partly maturity but it is also the way in which Robinson is being used.

Robinson is benefiting from running a different route tree than he did in St. Louis, specializing more in deep routes and crossing the field, using his speed and size to gain position. The Cowboys don't ask Robinson to run any complex routes that he maybe got lost in with the Rams last season.

Ironically, he would have been a great fit in Josh McDaniels' offense this year.

The New Orleans Saints Not Re-Signing Drew Brees

Drew Brees is coming to the end of his contract and discussions have dragged out throughout the season. As the season has gone on, any leverage that the Saints had in the discussions dwindled the more Drew Brees got on the field.

Brees is the only player in the NFL with a realistic shot at taking the MVP trophy off of Aaron Rodgers hands. Statistically he has been dominant as he has led the New Orleans Saints to the top of the NFC South.

The Saints were already going to have to pay Brees an awful lot of money; there is no question that he will get the most out of this contract after his record breaking season this year.

The only hope the Saints have of saving any money is if Brees offers his team a hometown discount.

Jerry Angelo's Management of the Chicago Bears' Offense

A pair of moves feature here from the Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo that will ultimately cost the team their chances at a run in the playoffs.

After Jay Cutler's injury, the Bears stuck with Caleb Hanie when it was obvious that he gave them very little chance of winning football games. It's always difficult to evaluate backup quarterbacks, but Hanie's abilities on the field were fairly obvious.

With Donovan McNabb available, or even Sage Rosenfels, who replaced McNabb in Minnesota, the Bears had obvious options that would have bettered their chances at making the playoffs. From there, anything could have happened.

The Bears also missed severely during the offseason hoping to improve their receiving corp with a much needed No. 1 option. The team didn't seriously miss Greg Olsen, who didn't feature much in Mike Martz' system anyway, but they did need a go-to receiver on the outside.

Williams did very little during the season to excite Bears' fans or convince them that he was a better addition than, say, Braylon Edwards, Malcolm Floyd, Sidney Rice or even Jacoby Jones.

Draft Missteps

Philadelphia Eagles selection of Danny Watkins:

There are a lot of draft picks that may look poor right now, but those selections cannot be judged after just the one season because they are potential players that may feature down the line.

Danny Watkins isn't afforded that excuse as he entered the NFL draft at 26 years of age and was brought in to start instantly for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Watkins really struggled in preseason as he was overpowered by opposing tackles and confused by different defensive looks. That continued into the season as he moved in and out of the lineup.

Considering that Gabe Carimi was still on the board, and looked impressive during his short time on the field for the Bears, the Eagles made a bad decision taking the guard over the tackle.

New Orleans Saints trading back into the first round for Mark Ingram:

The New Orleans Saints offense is fantastic, and Mark Ingram has been a useful piece for Sean Payton's side, however, Ingram isn't really worth the first-round investment.

There is no doubting that he is a good football player, but he doesn't bring that much extra to the team over the trio of Chris Ivory, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas.

The Saints are very lucky that their roster is loaded with talent, which makes this move not as damaging. Nonetheless, it was a poor decision when players like Jabaal Sheard, Muhammad Wilkerson and Cam Heyward were all still available in positions of need. The better option may have been not trading back into the first round in the first place though.

Detroit Lions selection of Titus Young:

You can nitpick with any draft picks if you really want to. To an extent the Titus Young selection for the Lions isn't a bad choice because the player will eventually assume the Nate Burleson role in the offense. However, the Oakland Raiders selection of Stefen Wisniewski just after makes the Young pick seem wasteful.

Wisniewski has been a dominant and versatile guard for the Raiders, also spending time at center when Samson Satele was injured, which is exactly what the Lions have needed this year.

The Lions inability to run the ball this year has been a combination of poor running back play and a poor offensive line. Improvement in the trenches will be the Lions' No. 1 offensive focus for next season.

It is way too early to examine most draft picks from the 2011 draft, but these three stick out so far as ones that appear to be mistakes.

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