Not everyone wins in the time “post-Super Bowl.” After sifting through the top 5 off seasons, we had to go back and revisit the 27 remaining teams to see which off-season’s we liked the least. After breaking down all their offseason transactions, and what they managed do in the draft, the following five topped our lists.
Houston Texans:
Impact Additions: RB Mark Ingram, C Justin Britt, LB Joe Thomas, DL Vincent Taylor, RB Phillip Lindsay, EDGE Derek Rivers, CB Desmond King, WR Alex Erickson, TE Ryan Izzo, QB Ryan Finley, QB Tyrod Taylor, G Lane Taylor, QB Davis Mills (Rookie), WR Nico Collins (Rookie), TE Brevin Jordan (Rookie), LB Curtis Bolton, CB Terrance Mitchell, WR Andre Roberts, LB Christian Kirksey, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Impact Losses: RB Duke Johnson, C Nick Martin, QB Josh McCown, TE Darren Fells, C Beau Benzschawel, EDGE JJ Watt
Top 51 Salary Cap Available: ~$6.9 million
Let me start this off by saying, I have no idea what Houston is doing. I understand the churning of the roster, letting go of aging starters to help with Cap Space and signing bridge players to get through 2021 because you know you are going to be bad. But than the draft happens and completely blows my mind. They had very few top end picks to get cheap, quality starters due to the Laremy Tunsil trade with Miami. Then with their first selection took Davis Mills. I understand the situation with Watson is murky, and he most likely is done in Houston, but this roster is not good. This roster might be worse than Jacksonville or New York Jets last year. That means you are picking top 5, for sure. When your picking top 5 and your franchise quarterback is on the outs and will not play, then QB is 100% on the table. I can assure you that Davis Mills, who may not even start half the season, will not stop you from taking a top talent next year. If he does, then your organization might want to sign up for this list moving forward. Nico Collins was another good player, and his value in the 3rd round is good, but once again the Texans need cheap prove-it type players that bring competition to their weak roster. Trading late picks prevents you from doing this. I don’t agree with signing multiple running backs while extending David Johnson (even if its one year), very few of the players signed move the needle for me at all or even could stick to the roster beyond 2021. I’m sure I missed some of the players as they signed 30+, but the lone one I liked was Desmond King. Thankfully, most of these were one-year deals and they’ll get another swing next year when they’ll have more cap space and their own picks, but this year should not inspire confidence in Houston.
Dallas Cowboys
Impact Additions: S/LB Keanu Neal, TE Jeremy Sprinkle, S Demontae Kazee, OT Ty Neshke, S Jay’ron Kearse, EDGE Tarrell Basham, LB Micah Parsons (Rookie), CB Kelvin Joseph (Rookie), DT Osa Odighizua (Rookie), LB Jabril Cox (Rookie) CB Nayshawn Wright (Rookie)
Impact Losses: DT Antwaun Woods, LB Sean Lee, OT Cameron Erving, EDGE Aldon Smith, DL Tyrone Crawford, LB Joe Thomas, CB Chidobie Awuzie, S Xavier Woods
Top 51 Salary Cap Available: ~$9.4million
The overarching obstacle for the Dallas Cowboys last season was their defense. Nobody will bat an eye at what the Cowboys bring to the table on offense, especially with Dak returning and having a top RB and WR trio. The defense was subpar at best, and they let their defensive coordinator (Mike Nolan) go because of it. Insert Dan Quinn, and now the hope is they can get better while getting younger. However, younger is not always better. The CB’s they bring in after the draft, while promising, will take time to develop. Losing veterans like Awuzie and Woods may thrust them into roles early on. Parsons can be an impact player day 1 and will help make the eventual departure of one (possibly both) Leighton Vanderesch and Jaylon Smith much easier. The log jam at LB with addition of Neal and Cox is going to further complicate things, but Jabril Cox was easily the biggest steal of their draft. The rest of the offseason moves are puzzling as they do not significantly improve a unit that was one of the worst in the league in 2021. The cap situation will continue to limit the Cowboys, and the handling of the Dak extension is just another odd move in a continued head-scratching, Jerry Jones offseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Impact Additions: LB Miles Killebrew, G Joe Haeg, RB Kalen Ballage, RB Najee Harris (Rookie), TE Pat Freiermuth (Rookie), IOL Kendrick Green, OT Dan Moore (Rookie), LB Buddy Johnson (Rookie)
Impact Losses: EDGE Bud Dupree, CB Mike Hilton, CB Steve Nelson, S Sean Davis, RB James Connor, OT Alejandro Villanueva, LB Avery Williamson, C Maurkice Pouncey
Top 51 Salary Cap Available: ~$10 million
When you look at the impact losses list, there are a significant amount of 2020 starters listed. When you double check the additions list, there are not as many “starting caliber” players listed at those same positions. Steel City neglected to replace Alejandro Villanueva after he left for division rival Ravens, while also not replacing Mike Hilton or Steve Nelson who both played significant roles on this defense. Dan Moore was a 4th round selection but thinking he can come in day 1 and protect Big Ben’s blind side is farfetched. The realistic assumption would be that Tomlin believes there is an internal replacement at OT, and the same for CB. We are less assured this is the case. Bud Dupree has been an important part of this defense, but the emergence of Alex Hightower can help ease this loss. Buddy Johnson can help replace the departed Avery Williamson as well. Overall, this entire offseason has seemed more about plugging some roster holes created by departures, and not much improving. I would expect some regression for the 2021 Steelers, and we didn’t even touch on the decline of Ben Roethlisberger.
Las Vegas Raiders
Impact Additions: RB Kenyan Drake, C Nick Martin, CB Casey Heyward, WR John Brown, DL Solomon Thomas, WR Willie Snead, S Karl Joseph, EDGE Yannick Ngakue, OT Alex Leatherwood (Rookie), S Trevon Moehrig (Rookie), EDGE Malcom Koonce (Rookie), S/LB Divine Deablo (Rookie), S Tyree Gillespie (Rookie)
Impact Losses: C Rodney Hudson, OT Trent Brown, WR Tyrell Williams, G Gabe Jackson, S Lamarcus Joyner, EDGE Takk McKinley, LB Raekwon McMillian, WR Nelson Agholor, EDGE Vic Beasley, DT Maurice Hurst, S Jeff Heath, TE Jason Witten, EDGE Arden Key
Top 51 Salary Cap Available: ~$8.3 million
As per usual, the Raiders have made some head-scratching moves in the offseason. Some you look at and say “hmm, I get it but I wouldn’t do it.” Others you look at and say, “what is going on?” The team started off by gutting their offensive line getting rid of 3 quality starters (?). Followed by extending their ascending LT. Next, they sign Kenyan Drake to 7.5 million deal, when they already have a former first round pick in Josh Jacobs taking a lion’s share of the carries. If they wanted some insurance at the position, I think they should have went cheaper, as Jacobs has been effective when healthy. Yannick Ngagkue may have been a little bit of an overpay, but they needed pass rush help opposite Crosby after turning over the entire room. Some other smaller, thrifty pays weren’t too alarming (Joseph, Snead, Brown, etc.) To no surprise at all, the Raiders completely “Raidered” this draft. They reached slightly on Leatherwood, who was almost a consensus 2nd rounder, but followed it up by selecting Moehrig who was a consensus 1st rounder. No worries here, two quality players. They select a developmental EDGE in Koonce who was considered a little bit of a reach, but we’ll give them benefit of the doubt. The next two picks are where their draft loses me. They take two safeties, after already signing Karl Joseph, drafting Moehrig, and already having Jonathan Abram. I get it, Abram has been bad and Diablo might be a LB. Either way that leaves 2 spots to 4-5 guys to fight over reps when there are still other serious holes on this roster (offensive line? Defensive Tackle? Linebacker? Cornerback?) In the end there are way more signings and draft picks that are outliers, than there are solid decisions. This puts us all the way out on this offseason for Jon Gruden and co.
Green Bay Packers
Impact Additions: CB Eric Stokes (Rookie), IOL Josh Myers (Rookie), WR Amari Rodgers (Rookie)
Impact Losses: C Corey Linsley, RB Jamal Williams, OT Jared Veldheer, RB Tyler Ervin, WR Tavon Austin, OT Ricky Wagner, DT Montravious Adams, S Raven Greene, QB Tim Boyle, DT Damon Harrison, G Lane Taylor, LB Christian Kirksey
Top 51 Salary Cap Available: ~3 million
The Packer’s Free Agency alone would make this a bad offseason, just by evaluating players lost vs. players added. The team has a bloated salary cap figure, therefore they retained free agents they deemed a necessity and let everyone else walk and signing no one outside of the team prior. Next, in the draft they did alright. Stokes was a slight reach, but Myers and Rodgers are two players who could step up and play a role in 2021. The one black eye on the offseason has to be the Rodgers debacle. This is a franchise altering tipping point and could decide the fate of the Packers for the next decade. Whether it was Rodger’s camp, the Packers camp, or another outside source that leaked information regarding the reigning MVP’s contempt toward the team doesn’t matter. What matters is resolving it as soon as possible, whether its with an extension, guaranteed money, or a trade (not likely due to cap restrictions, reigning MVP, etc.) To remain competitive, the team needs to retain Rodgers, if not they will look to move on with Love. I have maintained that it makes sense for both sides to return to Green Bay for 2021, but the jury is out and until this is resolved this offseason will continue to carry this shadow.
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