3 teams whose offseason plans make no sense
It's assumed that every NFL team enters the offseason with a meticulously laid out plan designed to create a consistent approach from free agency to the draft, and everything in between.
However, while some teams' visions for 2018 and beyond are clear, others are making moves seemingly at random. Here are three franchises whose offseasons so far have left us scratching our heads:
Miami Dolphins
Major moves: Traded WR Jarvis Landry to Browns, Released DT Ndamukong Suh, Released C Mike Pouncey, Signed WR Albert Wilson, Signed WR Danny Amendola, Signed RB Frank Gore, Acquired DE Robert Quinn
Seriously, does anyone know if the Dolphins want to compete in 2018 or not? Head coach Adam Gase is on at least moderately thin ice entering next season, and the front office has done him no favors by moving on from arguably its two best players in Landry and Suh.
Landry was always a goner after it became clear Miami had no intention of paying him like an elite receiver, but to use that money on the solid but unproven Albert Wilson and 32-year-old Danny Amendola is mind-boggling. The Dolphins' haul for Landry - a 2018 fourth-round pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick - was equally underwhelming.
Suh's mammoth contract was absurd, but even if the All-Pro defensive tackle wasn't playing at the level of his compensation, he was still one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the league. To make matters worse, the Dolphins shipped out one overpaid defensive lineman for another, trading a fourth-round pick and swapping sixths for Robert Quinn. Will they ever learn?
The Dolphins have struggled with cap issue for years. Their aging roster needs an overhaul, not more veteran talent taking up snaps. Bringing Frank Gore back to his hometown is a good story, but it makes little sense on the field after Kenyan Drake proved toward the end of last season he can be a solid starter and considering Gore is a non-factor on passing downs.
Finally, what's the plan under center? It's Ryan Tannehill's job for the upcoming campaign, but he was far from a lock to be the long-term option before missing all of 2017 with a knee injury. Miami opted not to pursue Kirk Cousins or bring in veteran competition for Tannehill (sorry, Brock Osweiler), but will also be hard-pressed to land one of the top quarterbacks with the 11th overall pick.
As always, it appears the Dolphins are simply treading water.
New York Giants
Major moves: Traded DE Jason Pierre-Paul to Buccaneers, Signed LT Nate Solder, Acquired LB Alec Ogletree, Signed RB Jonathan Stewart, Released CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Entering the 2018 offseason, the Giants were at a crossroads. New York owns the No. 2 overall pick and has an aging franchise quarterback in Eli Manning, so the team could either usher in a new era with a young passer or rally around Manning one last time.
So far the Giants have tried to walk both paths - a recipe for disaster.
New York has made it clear that Manning will remain the starter next season regardless of what happens with the No. 2 overall pick, but trading defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is counter to that win-now mentality. His contract may have been bloated, but trading him forced the Giants to eat $15 million in dead money.
While the Giants didn't see the value in paying an upper-tier pass-rusher, they had no qualms about making Nate Solder - an average left tackle at best - the highest-paid player at his position. New York was clearly desperate to improve Manning's protection, but the cost was steep for a team that could be rebuilding a year from now.
Furthermore, signing a washed-up Jonathan Stewart to help fix their consistently bad running game is more than optimistic, and surrendering two 2018 draft picks to acquire the underwhelming Alec Ogletree again highlights the Giants' inability to decide between present and future.
The signs are pointing to New York taking a non-quarterback with the No. 2 pick, a bold move considering Manning's age. Drafting a quarterback would be the right decision, but it would also be further evidence that the Giants are trying to eat their cake and have it too.
New York Jets
Major moves: Released DL Muhammad Wilkerson, Signed CB Trumaine Johnson, Signed QB Josh McCown, Signed QB Teddy Bridgewater, Signed WR Terrelle Pryor, Acquired No. 3 overall pick from Colts
There must be something in the drinking water in The Big Apple.
The Jets clearly had a Plan A in making a play for Cousins, but once that fell through they've struggled to put together a Plan B.
Bringing back Josh McCown isn't a bad move, as he's shown himself capable of being a solid stop-gap starter. But also bringing in Teddy Bridgewater on an incentive-laden contract and giving up three second-round picks to move up to No. 3 overall in the draft screams of the lack of a concrete vision for their future and the quarterback position specifically.
Not only will the Jets have missed on their top choice in Cousins, they are at the mercy of the crosstown Giants as to whether their preferred franchise pivot is available for them to select at No. 3.
Sure, New York could have identical grades on Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield, but leaving the fate of the game's most important position to chance isn't a smart way to build a roster. Worse still, the Jets apparently didn't even offer the deal the Colts' accepted for the No. 3 pick to the Giants.
Additionally, handing out $15 million per season to Trumaine Johnson, who's been slightly above average the last two seasons, seems like New York is just spending its buckets of cap space for the hell of it, as does their short-lived pursuit of Suh.
Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said Sunday the offer to Suh - believed to be the highest among all the defensive tackle's suitors - was rescinded because it wasn't "in keeping with our long-term plan."
Johnson offered no explanation beyond that, and if we were cynical people (we are) we would say it's because the Jets are just making things up as they go along.