The NFL offseason is a time for teams to fix holes on their roster. Whether it's through signings or trades, teams go out of their way to make improvements ahead of the upcoming season. We saw some of these offseason moves pay immediate dividends in Week 1. Kenneth Walker III ran for nearly 200 yards. Isiah Likely caught a couple of touchdown passes. Kwity Paye had more sacks than his new teammate, Maxx Crosby.
Not every major offseason move looked good right away, though. These seven offseason additions did not play up to par in Week 1, potentially causing teams to second-guess themselves.
WR A.J. Brown, New England Patriots
How Brown was acquired: Trade with Eagles
Fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, the New England Patriots revamped their wide receiver corps, headlined by their trade for A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown was coming off a down year but still surpassed the 1,000-yard mark despite being clearly unhappy with his situation in Philadelphia. The Patriots hoped a change of scenery would bring out the best in Brown, who had 1,000 or more yards in six of his first seven seasons, but things couldn't have gotten off to much worse a start.
Brown left the Patriots' season opener in the third quarter with what was later revealed to be a high ankle sprain. This injury is set to keep him sidelined for roughly six weeks, putting the 0-1 Patriots in a bit of a rough spot. Now, Brown should return at some point in the next couple of months, and he could very well help them win the Super Bowl. With that being said, it remains to be seen when he will ultimately return and how effective he'll be. Had the Patriots known this would happen, odds are, they wouldn't have made the deal.
WR Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots
How Doubs was acquired: Signed a four-year, $68 million deal
Brown wasn't the only receiver New England acquired, as the Pats signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million deal in free agency. Doubs had three straight 600+ yard seasons with the Packers, so the Patriots were hoping for him to be a reliable weapon for Drake Maye. Well, he was targeted three times in Week 1 and reeled in a total of zero catches.
Might Doubs break out now with Brown out? Sure. However, the Packers never had a surefire WR1 during Doubs' tenure there, yet Doubs never established himself in that role. Doubs as a WR2 is more than fine, but now, the player who didn't record a catch in Week 1 will be asked to play a massive role. Perhaps the Patriots should've gone in another direction.
LB Devin Lloyd, Carolina Panthers
How Lloyd was acquired: Signed a 3-year, $45 million deal
Devin Lloyd had a monster year in 2025, racking up five interceptions, 81 tackles (six for loss) and 10 QB hits. He parlayed this breakout year into a three-year, $45 million pact with the Carolina Panthers. At the time, this felt like great value for the Panthers if Lloyd were to have a repeat of his 2025. Week 1 couldn't have gone much worse, however.
Lloyd did not look good at all, struggling in coverage and particularly against the run. He isn't the only reason why the Panthers allowed 59 points in Week 1, but he earned a 31.9 PFF grade in Week 1, good for 54th out of 58 linebackers. Things are sure to get better, but was he worth the contract he got? Only time will tell.
DL John Franklin-Myers, Tennessee Titans
How Franklin-Myers was acquired: Signed 4-year, $84 million deal
John Franklin-Myers was a difference-maker with the Denver Broncos in 2025, recording 7.5 sacks and 15 QB hits, leading to the Tennessee Titans giving him a monster contract. The Titans expected Franklin-Myers to make an immediate impact, but Tennessee was utterly dominated by the New York Jets in Week 1, and Franklin-Myers was a non-factor. His 52.7 PFF grade ranked 33rd out of 41 interior defensive linemen.
If the Titans are going to be even somewhat competitive this year, they'll need their front seven, headlined by Franklin-Myers and Jeffery Simmons, to impress. They did not in Week 1, and while I'm not going to say Franklin-Myers didn't deserve the deal he got, having more talent around him in Denver might've aided his production. After all, he was trending downwards with the New York Jets (under Titans head coach Robert Saleh) before reviving his career to an extent in Denver.
QB Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
How Murray was acquired: Signed 1-year, $1.3 million deal
The Minnesota Vikings made the understandable decision that J.J. McCarthy could not be trusted as their starting quarterback, and they signed the gunslinger with the most upside, Kyler Murray, to a cheap one-year deal. This made a lot of sense as an upside swing. Unfortunately, there's a reason Murray was available to begin with. Not only was he remarkably inconsistent in Arizona, but he lacked durability, having played only one full season in his last five.
Well, Murray threw an interception on his first pass with Minnesota, and then later in the first quarter, he left with a concussion. He is not going to play in Week 2, and when he does return remains to be seen. There were questions with the Murray signing and as of now, the Vikings are once again without a real starting quarterback.
WR Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos
How Waddle was acquired: Trade with Dolphins
In search of a true WR1, the Denver Broncos made a major splash, acquiring Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins. Waddle certainly has the talent to be a WR1, but he had just 910 yards despite playing a full season in 2025, and not only did the Broncos part with a first-round pick and more to acquire him, but he's on a hefty three-year, $84.7 million contract. Massive things are expected from Waddle, yet he had one reception on three targets for two yards.
And it's not as if Waddle was shadowed by Trent McDuffie, either. The Broncos acquired him to push their offense to another level, but it looked completely overmatched in Kansas City. Waddle was tied for fifth on the team in targets with Adam Trautman. If Waddle isn't going to be a game-changing weapon, are we sure the Broncos are going to win a Super Bowl? It's not time to panic or anything, but this debut couldn't have gone much worse.
EDGE Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
How Garrett was acquired: Trade with Browns
The Los Angeles Rams made the biggest trade of the offseason, acquiring arguably the best overall player in the sport, Myles Garrett, in exchange for a haul headlined by draft capital and Jared Verse. Garrett's debut was one of the worst showings of his recent career, and then after the game, the Rams placed him on IR with a knee injury.
I'm not here to say the trade is destined to be a bust, but the Rams parted with a ton in exchange for a 30-year-old who had to undergo immediate knee surgery. Are we sure he'll be the player they brought him in to be? He very well could be, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the Rams will regret making this deal when looking back at it.
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