The NFL offseason is quickly winding down with training camps on the horizon.
Every offseason teams across the league make head-scratching decisions, whether it’s a coaching staff change, a draft pick, trade or surprising cut. The Cleveland Browns traded two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, the Seattle Seahawks let Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker walk in free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles were comfortable trading away A.J. Brown and the Baltimore Ravens relieved John Harbaugh of his duties.
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The Browns, Seahawks, Eagles and Ravens all made controversial moves. But other teams made decisions that might have far more negative impacts. USA TODAY Sports examines NFL teams who made the most puzzling offseason decisions.
Miami’s wholesale changes are a clear indication they are at the infancy stages of a rebuild. Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Minkah Fitzpatrick are all gone. The Mike McDaniel era is over.
The signing of Malik Willis was solid as the quarterback appears ready to revitalize his career. Willis enjoyed career-highs in completion percentage and passer rating during spot duty in Green Bay, but the Dolphins didn’t put Willis in an ideal position to succeed. The Dolphins are set to enter training camp with the worst wide receiver room in the NFL. Malik Washington is tracking to be Miami’s No. 1 receiver, and his single-season highs are 46 catches and 317 receiving yards. Washington’s joined by Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell are also near the top of the depth chart. Good luck, Willis.
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The Dolphins did re-sign running back De’Von Achane to a four-year extension. Achane, who had a career-high 305 touches in 2025, is bound to receive a high volume of touches again as Miami’s undisputed top weapon.
Granted, Miami was hindered this offseason by Tagovailoa’s record-setting $99.2 million dead money cap hit. Yet, the Dolphins did little to build a competitive team for 2026. Miami fans should already be looking forward to the 2027 NFL Draft, because there aren’t going to be many wins in South Beach this season.
The Cardinals hired one of Sean McVay’s disciples in Mike LaFleur this offseason. If LaFleur doesn’t know already, the Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Rams are the favorite to win Super Bowl 61, per BetMGM, while the Cardinals are on a short list of front runners to get the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
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Arizona’s in the midst of an anticlimactic quarterback competition that features Jacoby Brissett, who’s disgruntled over his current contract, rookie third-round pick Carson Beck and journeyman Gardner Minshew. Brissett is the favorite to win the battle, but it’ll be wise for Arizona to give Beck a thorough examination, including starts during the regular season, before next year’s loaded QB draft class.
Elite class: 2027 NFL Draft quarterback rankings
Cardinals No. 3 overall pick running back Jeremiyah Love might wind up as the best offensive player from this year’s draft, but there are questions about Love’s positional value as the third selection. Love’s impact will be minimized if the Cardinals don’t have the necessary pieces around him. Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty serves as a recent case. Jeanty averaged just 3.7 yards per carry his rookie year behind a Las Vegas O-line that was below average in run block win rate. Arizona had the NFC’s second-worst run block grade (55.3) last season, per Pro Football Focus.
To make matters worse, the Cardinals are arguably in the toughest division in football. The Seattle Seahawks have Super Bowl 60 jewelry, and both the San Francisco 49ers and Rams strengthened their rosters after earning playoff berths in 2025.
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Free agent pickups wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and guard Isaac Seumalo will likely start, but the Cardinals didn’t do enough to legitimately compete in a formidable NFC West.
The Colts made Michael Pittman Jr. expendable when they signed Alec Pierce to a four-year, $114 million deal and subsequently traded Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Indy’s decision to prioritize Pierce over Pittman is perplexing. Pittman registered 485 catches for 5,254 yards in six seasons in Indy, and he had at least 80 receptions and 800 receiving yards in four of the past five seasons despite erratic quarterback play.
Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch for two straight years but has never had a season of more than 47 catches. His career-year came last year when he tallied career-highs in both catches (47) and receiving yards (1,003).
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Pierce does provide big-play ability, but Pittman was a No. 1 big-bodied possession receiver who was often covered by the opposing team’s top cornerback. Pierce is going to be covered by opponents’ No. 1 cornerback now that Pittman’s in Pittsburgh.
Daniel Jones and Pierce have a connection, but Pierce is still unproven as a No. 1 wideout.
The positive news for the Colts is they do have tight end Tyler Warren and star running back Jonathan Taylor to carry some of the responsibilities on offense.
The Jaguars are the defending AFC South champs and should once again have a playoff-caliber roster, but they had a relatively quiet offseason.
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The Jaguars let two impact players walk in free agency in linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne. Etienne compiled at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in three of the last four seasons, while Lloyd was coming off the best season of his career, earning second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. His five interceptions were tied for the most among linebackers in 2025.
Jacksonville did little to replace Lloyd and Etienne. Linebacker Ventrell Miller appears poised to takeover Lloyd’s LB spot. Miller’s flashed at times and had a career-high 80 tackles in 2024, but he is relatively unproven as an everyday starter.
In the backfield, Jacksonville signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency to complement second-year RB Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten’s showed promise in limited snaps, but neither running back has rushed for over 500 yards in a single season. Tuten and Rodriguez have combined for 1,360 career yards from scrimmage, which is less than Etienne’s 1,399 yards from scrimmage just last year.
It’s hard to believe the Jaguars got better losing Lloyd and Etienne.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: 4 NFL teams having the most puzzling offseasons: What are Colts, Jaguars doing?
