NFC's worst offseason moves: Cowboys, Falcons slip with boneheaded decisions

NFL teams typically offer rosy views of their offseasons, touting outstanding drafts and impressive signings in free agency. But we're here to throw cold water on overly optimistic outlooks.

We asked Yardbarker NFL writers to highlight the worst offseason move by each NFC team. A few of these may surprise you. 

NFC East 

DALLAS COWBOYS | Jerry Jones' “all-in” comment | After vowing Dallas would be “all-in” for 2024, his cash-strapped Cowboys signed only a handful of low-tier free agents, including running back Ezekiel Elliott, who will turn 29 on July 22. Dallas, which was embarrassed by Green Bay at home in the playoffs last season, could do without its owner ratcheting up the pressure. 

NEW YORK GIANTS | Losing safety Xavier McKinney | The 25-year-old safety didn’t miss a down in 2023, playing 1,128 defensive snaps and finishing with a career-high 116 tackles and three interceptions, his most since 2021, when he had five. The Giants didn't match the four-year, $68M deal he received from Green Bay and may regret their decision to go with 30-year-old journeyman Jalen Mills at the position instead.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Signing LB Devin White | White was benched against the Packers in Week 15 and played just 14 snaps in Tampa Bay's 31-23 playoff loss to the Lions. With a career-low 83 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2023, the NFL’s most overrated linebacker seems ill-suited for a defense that allowed 25.2 points per game, third most in the league last season.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Signing CB Michael Davis | After giving up nine touchdowns and 12.9 yards per completion with the Chargers, Davis finished 2023 as the NFL’s 96th-best cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. With a lower PFF pass-coverage grade (54.3) than teammates Emmanuel Forbes (57.6) and Benjamin St-Juste (56.4), it’s hard to see how the 29-year-old cornerback makes the team better. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Signing OL Jonah Williams | The Cardinals had a massive need for a starting left tackle, but guaranteeing $30M to the former Bengal who struggles in pass protection was not the best use of salary-cap space or resources. Arizona could have done better for QB Kyler Murray, who's entering a pivotal season.

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Signing guard Jonah Jackson | The Rams needed to make improvements to their offensive line, but guard seemed like a position at which they were pretty well set. Kevin Dotson has emerged as a top-tier starter, and rookie Steve Avila gives Los Angeles a more cost-effective option than Jackson.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Signing DL Yetur Gross-Matos | The 49ers overhauled a significant portion of their defensive line in the offseason, with Gross-Matos being one of the more significant additions at $9M per season. However, there is nothing in Gross-Matos’ previous production (13 sacks in four seasons with Carolina) that indicates he will be worth that contract.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Trading for QB Sam Howell | With mid-level QB Geno Smith in the final year of his contract and no real long-term option behind him, the Seahawks needed to address depth at the game's most important spot. But Howell, the former Commander, is merely a competent backup who will not be a game-changer in the short or long term. He threw a league-high 21 interceptions last season. — Adam Gretz

NFC North 

CHICAGO BEARS | Not getting more in return for QB Justin Fields | Moving on from Fields seemed like the best move for both parties, but the Bears practically gave him away for free, gaining only a conditional sixth-round draft choice for a player selected 11th overall in 2021. Meanwhile, now that Russell Wilson has joined the Steelers' QB room, the pick is likely to stay a sixth-rounder. (Fields must play 51% of Pittsburgh's snaps for it to convert to a fourth-rounder.)

DETROIT LIONS | Signing Marcus Davenport | With the Super Bowl window seemingly wide open for the Lions, resting hopes on a veteran with a shaky recent track record to fill the void opposite star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson seems uninspiring at best. Davenport could potentially break out, having already notched a nine-sack season (2021), but he has had only 2.5 sacks in 19 games since.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Not extending QB Jordan Love | There's still time for the Packers to right this wrong, but waiting this long has raised concerns about whether Love would be willing to sit out games until he gets a new deal. Now, an avoidable distraction is becoming real. "I don't know yet," Love said at OTAs when asked if he'd play out the final year of a contract that will pay him $13.5M, 18th among NFL QBs.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Signing QB Sam Darnold | Following Kirk Cousins' departure, the Vikings signed the 2018 third overall pick as a stop-gap insurance policy. However, the only thing Donald's career 59.7 completion percentage and robust $10M salary in 2024 are likely to do is block rookie J.J. McCarthy from starting for a year. — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South 

ATLANTA FALCONS | Signing QB Kirk Cousins | Chances are the Falcons didn’t fall in love with first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. in the weeks after adding Cousins on a four-year, $180M contract, making the former Viking QB's signing the most perplexing of the offseason. Atlanta, which had the league’s worst pass-rush in 2023, per ESPN’s win-rate rankings, would have been better off spending the money on an edge rusher.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Trade of EDGE Brian Burns | The Panthers missed their chance to get a big return on Burns, passing on the Rams’ 2022 trade-deadline offer of two first-round picks and instead dealing him to the Giants for a measly second-rounder and fifth-round pick swap. Considering that pathetic return, Carolina should have just given him an extension.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Retaining HC Dennis Allen | Allen, entering his third season as Saints head coach, has done little to suggest his ugly tenure with the Raiders, where he was fired four games into Year 3, was a fluke. Instead of seeing the writing on the wall, New Orleans painted over it by changing offensive coordinators but retaining its head coach, who has a 24-46 record.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Losing OC Dave Canales | The only demerit on the Bucs' offseason report card is losing Canales, whom the Panthers hired as head coach in January. Tampa Bay did an excellent job of retaining its own free agents, including quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans, but Canales’ departure could be significant. — Eric Smithling