We usually say that hindsight is 20-20 when it comes to bad decisions. But one could argue that you don’t always need to wait for the repercussions to know that something is a mistake. Unfortunately for some NFL teams, they didn’t realize that the moves they made this past off-season were so foolish. Even before they officially blow up in the faces of these teams, here are the five most regrettable moves of the NFL off-season.
49ers Draft Punter in 4th Round
Among the many poor draft choices, the 49ers spending a 4th-round pick on Utah Mitch Wishnowsky got a little lost in the mix. You can’t possibly be that desperate for a punter to draft one so early (or draft one at all), especially when he led the nation with three blocked punts last year. Unless Wishnowsky is a top-5 punter for the next 15 years, this is a horrible decision.
Bills Sign Frank Gore
Only in Buffalo is the running back position an old man’s game. Just in case it wasn’t enough to have an aging LeSean McCoy on the roster, the Bills added 35-year-old Frank Gore to their backfield. It boggles the mind why the Bills think that was a wise choice. Every year, there are countless undrafted running backs who could probably replicate Gore’s productivity. Why not take a chance on a couple of those guys rather than spend money on an aging running back on a team that’s going nowhere in 2019.
Chiefs Trade Away Dee Ford
The Chiefs were a mess defensively last season, so their solution was to trade away Ford and his 13 sacks. They also parted ways with veteran pass rusher Justin Houston. Sure, maybe the two didn’t fit the new 4-3 scheme that’s coming to Kansas City. But is a complete overhaul of the defense the smartest thing for a team with a quarterback and offense that’s good enough to win a Super Bowl?
Steelers Get Little for Antonio Brown
Seriously? A 3rd-round pick and 5th-round pick are all you could get for Brown? No matter how bad the relationship was between player and team or how outspoken Brown was for a trade, you had to do better than that. In the long run, the extra draft picks are nothing compared to one of the elite wide receivers in the game.
Giants Draft Daniel Jones 6th Overall
Odds are, the Giants are never going to hear the end of this for the next 20 years. Jones was in no way worthy of the 6th overall pick, and he was not the best quarterback available at that point. Moreover, he would have still been available when the Giants were at the podium for the 17th overall pick. Yes, the Giants needed a young quarterback, but not Jones and not 6th overall. This could end up being one of the worst draft picks of all-time this side of Ryan Leaf.