NFL Week 1: 3 Disappointing Veteran Debuts

Every offseason brings massive turnover at key positions across the NFL, and nothing quite generates optimism for the coming season like a big splash in free agency or a trade. It doesn't always work out. Here are three big 2022 veteran acquisitions who let their new teams down in Week 1.

Allen Robinson: 1 reception for 12 yards

The Los Angeles Rams had plenty of reasons for concern following their shellacking at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, but perhaps nothing was more troubling than the debut of wide receiver Allen Robinson. Signed this offseason to a massive three-year, $46.5 million deal, the team hoped he might offset the absence of injured wide receiver Odell Beckham. But Robinson was ineffective in his first game with the Rams, hauling in only one of his two targets for a meagre 12 yards against a Bills defense short their star cornerback Tre'Davious White. If the Rams offense is going to get on track, they'll need a lot more from the former Chicago Bear going forward.

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Chandler Jones: 1 tackle for loss, 1 quarterback hit

The Las Vegas Raiders signed edge rusher Chandler Jones to a three-year, $52.5 million deal this offseason with the expectation he could bring a boost to a defense that allowed the seventh-most points in the league last year. It didn't go as planned. The Raiders didn't get a single sack on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who carved them up for 279 passing yards and a cozy 76.5 completion percentage. If Jones doesn't improve in his role as a bookend to Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, the Raiders won't go far in the AFC West. 

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DeVante Parker: 1 reception for 9 yards

When the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver DeVante Parker in a rare intra-division trade with the Miami Dolphins, the team saw the potential for a big-bodied receiver who could win contested catches in the end zone. The opposite proved true in Week 1; Parker caught only one of his two targets for 9 yards, the other being batted into the air for a crushing red zone interception. The Patriots eventually fell to the Dolphins 20-7, and if the season opener is any indication, Miami may have gotten the better of the transaction.

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