Worse Personnel Move by your NFL Team

[LanceyHoward]

This thread is not about the the worse draft pick. First round picks bust all the time. This is about letting somebody really good go.

I will start. The Denver Broncos in 1967 trading HOF DB Willie Brown to the Raiders, who had made all pro two of his first four years in Denver, for a third round draft pick and a defensive tackle, Rex Mirich, who was not a starter in Oakland and did not start for the 3-11 Broncos that year.

 

[heyabbott]

Giants trade their 1st round draft choice for Craig Morton. Dallas picks Randy White

 

[DanOregon]

Raiders Gruden 1.0 - they win the next SB. Instead they elevate whathizname who runs the same stuff he did when Gruden was there and they lose to the Gruden-coached Bucs.

 

[Regan MacNeil]

Does it have to be about that? Because I'm not sure it applies much to the Bears, at least not in my lifetime. Maybe Wilber Marshall, but that was a major free agency development back when free agency wasn't really a thing.

Because the Bears trading a first-round pick for Rick Mirer would be my choice.

 

[CD Boogie]

The Steelers cutting rookie QB Johnny Unitas in 1955.

No matter what AB or Bell accomplish in their post-Pittsburgh days (and it's hopefully little), I doubt they'll reach the heights that Unitas did post-Pittsburgh.

 

[outofplace]

The Steelers cutting rookie QB Johnny Unitas in 1955.

No matter what AB or Bell accomplish in their post-Pittsburgh days (and it's hopefully little), I doubt they'll reach the heights that Unitas did post-Pittsburgh.

Agreed. You could make an argument that the Steelers cutting Unitas was the worst personnel move in NFL history.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Lions traded a first round pick to Saints for LB Pat Swilling
They asked Joe Schmidt if they could take 56 out of retirement
Swilling lasted one season
The first-round pick, No. 8, was some guy named Willie Roaf

 

[CD Boogie]

Lions traded a first round pick to Saints for LB Pat Swilling
They asked Joe Schmidt if they could take 56 out of retirement
Swilling lasted one season
The first-round pick, No. 8, was some guy named Willie Roaf

Someday I hope the Lions play the Browns in a Super Bowl. It will probably be the moment when the universe stops expanding.

 

[Spartan Squad]

The coaching ****show by the Niners from 2014 to 2016.

The leaks that and pissing contest that led to Harbaugh going to Michigan which led to no one wanting the job so they hire...

... Line coach Jim Tomsula and a 5-11 season. That disaster was quickly rectified and the Niners targeted the top coaches on the market and got ...

... Chip Kelly fresh off getting run out of town from Philly. Mixed with disastrous Trent Baalke draft picks, the Niners went 2-14 and only managed to beat the lowly Rams. The only team worse was the O-fer Browns.

 

[User 4332]

Of all the boneheaded decisions the Colts made in the pre-Bill Polian era, the worst was trading for the right to draft Jeff George.

 

[CD Boogie]

Of all the boneheaded decisions the Colts made in the pre-Bill Polian era, the worst was trading for the right to draft Jeff George.

Right up there is moving all their personnel from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Right up there is moving all their personnel from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984.

Two words: Art Schlichter

 

[Starman]

Lions traded a first round pick to Saints for LB Pat Swilling
They asked Joe Schmidt if they could take 56 out of retirement
Swilling lasted one season
The first-round pick, No. 8, was some guy named Willie Roaf

Hiring Matt Millen.

Prior to Millen, under Wayne Fontes and Bobby Ross, they bounced around the .500 mark, seesawing between 10-6 and 6-10, making the playoffs once every three years or so.
They hired Millen and fell off the end of the earth.

 

[Scout]

Not quite Unitas, but Steelers releasing James Harrison only to have the Ravens release him.

 

[Jake from State Farm]

Hiring Matt Millen.

Prior to Millen, under Wayne Fontes and Bobby Ross, they bounced around the .500 mark, seesawing between 10-6 and 6-10, making the playoffs once every three years or so.
They hired Millen and fell off the end of the earth.

There are just SO many bad moves with the Lions

 

[Starman]

There are just SO many bad moves with the Lions

Yeah, dating back 40-50 years to the Russ Thomas regime.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Joey Galloway

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

The Swilling pickup looked great on paper. He was coming off a DPoY. Some things don't work out.
The money used on Mitchell should have been spent on defense.
The Lions had one of those teams where you think one area is set and then it collapses while busy repairing another area.

 

[outofplace]

Not quite Unitas, but Steelers releasing James Harrison only to have the Ravens release him.

I think you have to consider the impact of the move. Releasing Harrison that time didn't hurt the Steelers because they got him back. It was a mistake, but one that had no consequences. Of course, it was a big mistake for the Ravens.

Releasing Unitas probably didn't raise an eyebrow at the time. He was a ninth-round draft pick. Of course, there were heavy consequences as the Steelers had to watch a player they rejected turn into one of the great quarterbacks in NFL history.

 

[LanceyHoward]

The Steelers cutting rookie QB Johnny Unitas in 1955.

No matter what AB or Bell accomplish in their post-Pittsburgh days (and it's hopefully little), I doubt they'll reach the heights that Unitas did post-Pittsburgh.

AB and Bell can be rationalized by the amount of salary cap saved. Cutting them them on rookie contracts would be something comparable, but not equivalent, to cutting Unitas.