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USATSI

The NFL typically has its fair share of bad football teams every year. Some of those teams in 2023 are historically bad (see New England Patriots and New York Giants), but there always seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. 

Just look at the Houston Texans, a laughing stock after the Deshaun Watson fiasco and multiple coaching changes. The Texans had a lengthy rebuild with multiple draft picks while searching for the right coach for their next era. This strategy worked in Houston -- a bad team for several years -- yet it won't be the case for other bad teams around the league.

Some mediocre and bad teams have bad head coaches and poor players with little draft capital and salary cap space to get better. These teams have bleak futures, which is a significant problem for franchises wanting to build Super Bowl contenders. 

Let's look at the teams with bleak futures after the 2023 season. This will based off draft capital, salary cap availability, franchise quarterback (or lack thereof), and the overall state of the team. The record doesn't matter in 2023 (although it helps), but this is about the franchise's long-term growth. 

*Potential compensatory picks are not included

5. Carolina Panthers (0-6)

The Panthers have a franchise quarterback in Bryce Young, even though putting the pieces around him will be difficult. Carolina traded plenty of draft capital to the Chicago Bears to move up from No. 9 to No. 1 in order to select Young (including a 2024 first-round selection, a 2025 second-round pick, and D.J. Moore). 

Carolina could have certainly used the No. 1 overall pick this upcoming draft (which the Panthers are in position to get). Instead, the Panthers are without a first-round pick next year -- and have just six draft picks in total (second, third, fourth, two fifths and a sixth). Not exactly getting some young reinforcements to help out Young. 

The Panthers do have $63,044,389 in available cap space this offseason, so Carolina can take the free agency route in order to improve its roster. The NFC South isn't exactly the best division either, so the Panthers can turn things around in a hurry. 

There's also the issue if Frank Reich can turn things around as a coach. Reich is 3-11-1 in his last two seasons as a head coach and 12-19-1 in his last 32 games. Oh, and he's also on Year 1 of a four-year contract. General manager Scott Fitterer is on Year 3 of his tenure, but he has a murky future if the 2023 season continues to spiral. 

The Panthers roster is a mess, and the front office isn't any better. If Young develops and they are wise in free agency spending, this can get turned around. 

4. Dallas Cowboys (4-2)

While the Cowboys are a Super Bowl contender now, there are plenty of questions regarding the franchise's immediate future. What happens if Dallas bows out of the divisional round again? Do the Cowboys choose to rework Dak Prescott's contract (which will be $59,455,000 against the cap in 2024) or go in a different direction at quarterback? 

Going with Prescott is the safe route, but he's in his 30s and hasn't gotten past the divisional round of the playoffs. How's that going to change when the franchise has to pay CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs -- neglecting other areas of the roster in the process? Moving on from Prescott means overpaying a veteran quarterback or trying to develop one with a talented roster. Good thing the Cowboys can draft. 

Dallas has just $99,782 in salary cap space after the season, so there isn't much room to get better. The Cowboys are going to have to sign their core players and hit on their draft picks to stay competitive in the NFC. 

What about Mike McCarthy? What's his future like after 2023? Jerry Jones is still the owner and general manager, so there's always questions regarding what he has in store for a franchise that hasn't been to a conference championship game since the 1995 season. If McCarthy leaves, it's likely defensive coordinator Dan Quinn does as well.

The Cowboys are in "win-now" mode. Dallas is good for 2023, but the franchise's future is significantly murky. 

3. Las Vegas Raiders (3-3)

Feels like the Raiders are in this perpetual black hole and can't get out. This is an overachieving football team with a .500 record and a defense that is playing above its head over the last few weeks. Give the Raiders plenty of credit for salvaging their season and being part of a playoff race in the AFC, yet the team's future is incredibly murky.

Josh McDaniels is still the head coach. He has baffling decisions on the field and just carries controversy wherever he goes. McDaniels is in Year 2 of a four-year deal and likely won't get fired no matter how the season turns out. The Raiders settled things with Jon Gruden last year in terms of his contract, but are also reportedly paying McDaniels $10 million a season. That's a hefty buyout for a team with a head coach that has a 20-31 career record (9-14 with Raiders). 

The Raiders are going to have $68,733,314 in available salary cap space, so there's room to improve in free agency. They also have nine picks in the draft, including one in the first four rounds. There are reasons to be optimistic here, but the franchise hasn't won a playoff game since the 2002 AFC Championship and are 82-118 (.410) since Mark Davis took over in 2011. 

The franchise just doesn't seem to have a sense of direction, especially under McDaniels. Will Jimmy Garoppolo ever be the same quarterback he was with the 49ers? Will Josh Jacobs ever be the same running back? Will Davante Adams get traded? 

What's the only constant on the Raiders? Maxx Crosby getting to the quarterback. There are just too many questions surrounding this franchise. 

2. New Orleans Saints (3-3)

This team just seems stuck in perpetual mediocrity. New Orleans is still a contender in a weak NFC South and has one of the best defenses in the NFL, yet has been mediocre through three games. Derek Carr is getting paid $37.5 million a year to be 19th in the league in passer rating and lead an offense that's 24th in the NFL in scoring. 

Then there's Dennis Allen, who is 18-41 as a head coach (.305 win percentage), someone who certainly doesn't coach up to the talent he possesses in New Orleans. Pete Carmichael is also showing flaws as an offensive coordinator and play-caller, making the Saints coaching staff in dire need of an upgrade. 

The Saints are always in salary cap hell and will be $72,577,751 over the cap heading into the new league year, by far the most in the NFL. They'll have to reassemble the roster just to get under the cap in time for the new league year, continuing to mismanage the cap in the process (Mickey Loomis has been general manager since 2016). The Saints do have a first- and second-round pick (and two compensatory picks coming in the fourth round), but not enough draft capital with just six draft picks total. 

New Orleans hasn't made the playoffs since 2020 and doesn't have a playoff win since 2018. The latter streak will continue if the Saints don't turn the 2023 season around, since the future looks very bleak. 

1. Denver Broncos (1-5)

The Broncos thought they fixed their problems when they hired Sean Payton after the Nathaniel Hackett fiasco. They had a better record under Hackett after six games than they have with Payton. Russell Wilson is better statistically (65.9%, 12 touchdowns, four interceptions, 99.0 rating), yet the Broncos have the worst defense in the NFL in points and yards allowed. 

This is a bad football team that needs a lot of work on both sides of the ball. The Broncos say they are not shopping players, but they may have to with just six picks in 2024 (one first, one third, one fourth, two fifths and a sixth). The cupboard has to be restocked, especially since Denver sitting $10,095,882 over the cap this offseason. 

The Broncos can clear cap space, yet they have little money to actually improve the roster and few draft picks to help out a 34-year-old quarterback (who turns 35 next month). Wilson has five years left on his contract with one more fully guaranteed year on his deal (cap hit of $35.4 million before increasing to over $50 million per year). 

Then there's Payton, who has a five-year contract worth $18 million per year. All this money for a 1-5 team with the worst defense in the NFL. The Broncos still haven't been to the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season (and likely aren't going to the postseason this year). 

Denver is a bad football team -- and the Broncos are an organizational mess. Wilson is fixed, but Payton has a lot of work to do. By the time Payton fixes things, how old will Wilson be and will he even be around?