It shouldn't be a surprise that some of the most disappointing teams of the season have a few of the most disappointing players. The Jacksonville Jaguars looked like a team primed to compete in the AFC South, but instead they're 2-11. The New York Jets won 10 games last season, but they have fallen to 4-9 in 2016. The 4-9 Los Angeles Rams have been putrid on offense and their coach has been fired.
Here's my ranking of the most disappointing players in 2016:
1. Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Bortles threw 35 touchdown passes season and, like Derek Carr, looked like a young quarterback on the rise. This year has been a nightmare, however. Many believed Bortles' 2015 numbers were tied to games in which the Jaguars trailed because they had one of the worst defenses in football. But Bortles has performed poorly this season even as the Jags' defense has improved. He has thrown 21 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, including three pick-sixes. His yards-per-attempt average has dropped from 7.3 to 6.1. Jacksonville's scoring has dropped five points per game to 18.3. Coach Gus Bradley could lose his job and the organization could decide to move on from Bortles at some point. He has another year on his rookie deal, but the Jags likely will have a top-five pick in April's draft.
2. Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, DEs, New York Jets
In the preseason, I was excited watching the dominance of the Jets defensive line, just as I was last season when I saw the Denver Broncos defense that ended up winning the Super Bowl. What a letdown. Wilkerson signed a five-year, $86 million contract before the season, and Richardson is set to make $8.069 million next year. I'm grouping them together here because they have four sacks combined and haven't lived up to their expectations -- or their pay.
Part of Wilkerson's problems could be a lingering ankle issue, but neither player has stepped up to lead a Jets team that is 4-9. Second-year player Leonard Williams has been the best Jets defensive lineman. The front office has to figure out how to motivate both players or think about moving them in trades. A trade is more likely with Richardson.
3. Brock Osweiler, QB, Houston Texans
It's pretty clear Osweiler hasn't lived up to his four-year, $72 million contract. The Texans offense is scoring 17.6 points a game, 3.6 less than when Brian Hoyer was playing quarterback a year ago. Osweiler's 5.8 yards per pass attempt is far and away the worst in the league. He has thrown 14 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. The Texans rank 31st in red-zone scoring at 41.7 percent. Despite all that, the 7-6 Texans still are a tiebreaker ahead of Tennessee in the AFC South. Osweiler's play, however, is ominous for the future, as the Texans have a big portion of their salary cap tied up in one of the worst quarterbacks in the league.
4. Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets
Quarterbacks used to fear throwing in Revis' direction. Now they are willing to attack him deep and often. He's ranked among the top 15 burned cornerbacks for completions and yards this season. Revis, 31, is at a crossroads in his career. He says he's willing to move to safety at some point. The Jets won't keep him on the roster at $15 million a year in 2017, so he might be playing safety for a different team.
5. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Gurley has been both a victim and a disappointment. He entered the league on fire, rushing for 1,106 yards in only 13 games as a rookie. This season, poor quarterback play has forced him into facing defenses that stack the box with eight defenders on a consistent basis. His yards-per-carry average has dropped from 4.8 last season to 3.3, and he hasn't looked like the same back from 2015. His longest run is only 33 yards. On Sunday, he blasted the team and said it has a middle-school offense. Gurley's stock has dropped a bit after his dynamic rookie campaign, but the Rams need to help him out. The offensive line is a major issue, and Los Angeles doesn't have a first-round pick in 2017 after trading it away to move up to take Jared Goff.
6. Marcell Dareus, DT, Buffalo Bills
Dareus is making $16.095 million per year on a deal through 2021, but the Bills haven't seen his dominant play this season. He has had a four-game substance suspension and injury issues, and he has played only five games. He has only been on the field for 255 plays. Two years ago, Dareus had 10 sacks. He has had only 5.5 in the past two seasons, including 3.5 this season. Teams have been able to run up the middle against the Bills, something they couldn't do when Dareus was at his best.
7. Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns
Haden went to the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014 and was considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He and Joe Thomas were two of the players the Browns' new analytics-minded front office didn't move. But injuries have pulled Haden's game down and prevented him from living up to his five-year, $67.5 million contract. He has missed 14 games in the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the No. 90 cornerback in the league this season.
8. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets
Fitzpatrick held out until close to the start of training camp to get a one-year, $12 million contract. He has been benched twice this season and has thrown 14 interceptions. Fitzpatrick remains popular in the locker room, but his Jets days will be over after this season.
9. Coby Fleener, TE, New Orleans Saints; Dwayne Allen, TE Indianapolis Colts
This tight end pair was great for the Colts the past few seasons, but they're paired together here because they got paid and are struggling to live up to the salaries. Fleener is making $7.2 million this season, but he has only 43 catches for Drew Brees, who expects his top tight end to average six catches a game. Allen got $7.35 million a year, but he has only 28 catches for 328 yards even though Andrew Luck has returned.
10. Greg Robinson, OT, Los Angeles Rams
The second pick in the 2014 draft struggled so much this season that coach Jeff Fisher had to deactivate him for a game, hoping a break would pick up Robinson's performance. The tackle has been a big part of the Rams' issues along the offensive line. In another year, the team has to decide if it's going to pick up his fifth-year option. That doesn't look promising.
11. Mario Williams, DE, Miami Dolphins
Williams wasn't the answer in replacing free-agent departure Olivier Vernon, who has eight sacks and has been a big part of the Giants' defensive resurgence. Williams signed a two-year, $17 million deal and has only 1.5 sacks. He has become a part-time player for the Dolphins. Since Week 5, the most he has been on the field is 36 plays. Miami could part ways with him after the season with only a $2 million hit to its cap.
12. Torrey Smith, WR, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers gave Smith a five-year contract worth an average of $8 million a year in 2015, and he hasn't come close to living up to his salary. He's fifth on the 49ers in catches (20) after having just 33 last season, and he has only seven touchdowns in 28 games. Smith was a down-the-field threat for the Ravens, but he hasn't replicated that success in San Francisco, partly because of quarterback issues. But the 49ers might have the worst group of pass-catchers in the league.
13. Justin Bethel, CB, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals paid Bethel $5 million a year for his special-teams play and his promise as a coverage cornerback. Coach Bruce Arians on Monday, however, labeled Bethel a "failure in progress" as a cornerback. Arizona has used him in only four games on defense and three times for 35 plays or less, even with the Cardinals' issues at cornerback. Bethel still has value as a special-teamer, but it'll be tough to live up to his contract.
14. Anthony Barr, LB, Minnesota Vikings
Barr looked like a future star last season. This year, his stock has dropped so far that Pro Football Focus grades him as one of the worst 4-3 outside linebackers in the league. PFF has credited Barr with 11 missed tackles, and he doesn't play the run or pass well. Barr is still only 24, so the upside is there. But Year 3 has been a surprising disappointment.
15. Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Former Eagles coach Chip Kelly thought Agholor was the perfect playmaker for the Eagles' fast-paced offense, and he wanted them to take Agholor in the first round. Kelly is now gone, and Agholor is missing in action. His yards per catch dropped from 12.3 last season to a puny 9.4 this season. He has 56 catches in his two-year career, well below expectations for a first-round pick. He has dropped passes and struggled in routes, and he was even benched for a game.