Three NFL Teams Lacking Clear Plans

You cannot win or lose the Super Bowl in the offseason. Obviously, some moves and transactions are going to win more headlines than others. But in the end, there are still NFL teams that have helped themselves out more than other teams have so far this offseason. There are a few different NFL teams who appear to be lacking any clear plans.

Most of these teams can be seen as stuck in no man’s land. Being part of that muddy middle in the NFL can be a treacherous line to walk. You are not necessarily in position to land the top available players in the draft. At the same time, being unable to fully compete can force these teams to correct course within their roster building rather quickly.

With that in mind, we are going to list three NFL teams that appear to be lacking any clear plans. Where do they find themselves within the 2024 NFL offseason, as things currently stand? Let’s kick it off with our first of three squads.

Denver Broncos

One of the first NFL teams that stands out in lacking clear plans, is the Denver Broncos. They are still in the early phases of new ownership and Sean Payton‘s head coaching tenure. But right now, Denver appears to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. They had to let top players go, including safety Justin Simmons, due to salary cap restraints. Very little stars exist on this roster. Furthermore, the Broncos do not appear to have any concrete idea of their future plans at quarterback.

While taking on a historic dead cap hit of Russell Wilson and releasing him, Denver has not added a veteran passer. They are also not in prime position to draft one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even if they wanted to trade up and grab a passer in round one this upcoming April, the Broncos lack the draft capital to make a significant jump up the draft board.

Coach Payton has always operated in his own unique fashion. But with a true lack of star power and no true solution at the most important position, Denver is stuck in neutral. You could argue that they are in danger of finishing last in the AFC West division. Due to the toughness that Los Angeles and Las Vegas are adding behind Kansas City, the Broncos are being left in the dust.

Jacksonville Jaguars

I would not categorize the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offseason as horrid. But in total, it is a very head-scratching set of moves to try and understand. The additions of veterans Mitch Morse and Arik Armstead in the trenches were tremendous moves to fill weak spots. However, spending as much as they did on names like Gabe Davis, Darnell Savage and others was a bit questionable. Jacksonville has a history of spending heavily each offseason, while still moving on from some guys before their deals are completely over. Davis and Savage could perhaps fall under that same category.

With the Jaguars collapsing down the stretch in 2023, you would have liked to see them make more urgent or smart moves. Some of their additions could improve their toughness on the trenches against top teams. On the other hand, other moves and subtractions from last year’s roster come off as overzealous. Jacksonville comes off as doing things differently from last year, just to say it will greatly impact what they had on the margins of the roster.

With how this Jaguars team is operating, you would think that Trevor Lawrence just needed one more stabilizing piece around him to get them over the hump. By no means, is that the case. 2024 is a crucial year for Lawrence, in regard to his future and with Jacksonville’s chances in the short-term. With this NFL team lacking clear plans, you could argue that the Jaguars are only the third best team in the AFC South.

Carolina Panthers

It may be a layup to place the Carolina Panthers as an NFL team lacking clear plans. But unlike Denver or Jacksonville, this team is still clearly in the bottom barrel of the league. Carolina has made a wide array of moves in free agency. Defensively, many additions have been brought in so far. Jordan Fuller, DJ Wonnum, Dane Jackson, Josey Jewell and A’Shawn Robinson are just some of the defensive pieces they have added. Some of these names are solid players. But in terms of impact and improving the overall defense, how much will any of these players really move the needle? They arguably lost better defenders in free agency with Frankie Luvu and Jeremy Chinn being just a couple of names that left.

Elsewhere, the Panthers spent heavily on guard additions Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. There were certainly worse guard moves that Carolina could have made. But at those prices, will either guy be able to dramatically improve the unbearable blocking results we saw from this team last year? Those deals could be a tough pill to swallow down the line, if their play stagnates.

There are only so many assets that the Panthers have. Of course, Carolina was not going to turn into a Super Bowl contender right away. This team just feels like they are throwing anything at the wall in a haphazard light, nonetheless. Hoping that sticks is one thing. Believing it will dramatically help out their second-year quarterback Bryce Young is another. As things currently stand, the Panthers feel like they are two years away from being two years away from competing, so to speak. Add that in with a historically impatient owner, and there could be increased pressure.