Jimmy Garoppolo's time with the 49ers was filled with ups and downs. (1:45) Some players who could use a change of scenery last year were on the list. They made it work after they got theirs. OBJ caught a touchdown in the Super Bowl for the Los Angeles Rams. In the Super Bowl, Awuzie was a big reason why the Rams were defeated. Awuzie had four tackles for loss and 14 passes defensed, all career highs. The Arizona Cardinals made the playoffs for the first time in three years thanks to the work of Ertz and Conner. After he was traded to the desert, Ertz caught 56 balls and scored 18 total touchdown. Who needs to move on this year? Some of these names are repeats. Not everyone will make a big deal of a new address. It can happen as you have just read. The reporters from the team they cover offered up one candidate who might benefit from a new place. Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH Guard with Connor Williams. He started 51 of the 57 games he played for the Cowboys. He was supposed to be another stalwart offensive line pick with Tyron Smith and others. He did not play great all the time. He was able to move well, but he was still subject to being overwhelmed and getting caught out of position. He lost his job because of the 12 penalties he received in 2021. Williams is set to be a free agent in March, and the Cowboys aren't in a position to say goodbye to a starting lineman, but for all involved it would be better if he found a new home so he wasn't constantly reminded of his penalties. Evan Engram is a tight end. The talent is always teasing. Every year, the first-round pick from the previous year will break out. It is not going to happen in New York. His best season was his first. If he tries to live up to his potential elsewhere and doesn't re-sign with the Giants, it's best for both parties. Reagor is a wide receiver. Expectations were high in Philadelphia when Reagor was selected 21st overall in the 2020 draft, even though the Eagles passed on him. An awkward strain between player (33 catches for 299 yards and two TDs last season) and city has been created by Jefferson's career immediately taking off, Reagor's has yet to, and that. Reagor would be able to play more freely if there was a fresh start. Brandon is a guard. He is a top player at his position and Washington would love to have him back. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and has made one All-Pro team. He has played on the franchise tag the past two seasons and there has been little movement toward a long-term deal, whether that is because of a desire to leave or because the tag made a deal difficult. Washington made an offer that would have made him the highest-paid guard, but he chose to play on the tag. What kind of contract do you offer? In the past four years, he has missed 22 games and not played a full season. Despite a desire to keep him around, this relationship appears to have run its course. Allen Robinson II is a wide receiver. It wasn't long ago that Robinson was the guy in Chicago. Second-year man Darnell Mooney emerged as the go-to guy for the rookies, while he and Justin Fields never connected in a meaningful way. The Bears are looking for a No. 1 and he can be a solid No. 2. Robinson is like fitting a square peg into a hole. He needs to move on. Outside linebacker. The Lions organization is in the midst of a rebuild, but at this point in his career he could be a great asset to a championship contender. A two-time Super Bowl champion with New England, Flowers was placed on IR for the second year in a row after hurting his knee in the Lions' season opener. Detroit gave him $90 million over five years, with $56 million guaranteed, and that could be an issue. The top 50 free agents.
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NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Za and Darius Smith are outside linebackers.
Smith was the Packers most important defensive player in both 2020 and 2019. He dealt with a back injury that ended his season after Week 1 but there were other issues before that. He wanted a new contract, but didn't get one. He missed most of the training camp and the entire summer program and was upset when he wasn't elected a team captain. The Packers would gain $15.75 million by moving on from him.
Danielle Hunter is a defensive end.
The Vikings have until March 20 to decide if they will pick up Hunter's $18 million roster bonus. The Vikings reworked the defensive end's contract to give him a massive extension, but a pect tear limited him to just seven games in two seasons after a neck injury forced him to miss all of 2020. No one knows if Hunter will be able to bounce back from his medicals and become the player who became the fastest to 50 career sacks. If they believe they can get a deal done with their star defensive end at a discounted cost due to those injuries, he will be in purple going forward. After two disappointing years and with his defensive line coach now on the Giants, a trade or release would allow Hunter a much-needed fresh start, and the Vikings would save 14.64 million against the cap.
Hayden Hurst is a tight end.
The role of the first-round pick changed after Atlanta drafted Kyle Pitts. He had 26 catches for 221 yards and three touchdown last season, but his fifth-year option was not picked up by the team. It makes sense for him to go somewhere else where he can get more playing time, since he wouldn't get the pay or reps that he would in Atlanta.
Ian Thomas is a tight end.
He has been a training camp star since being drafted in the fourth round, but he has never emerged as a regular-season star. He is a dependable blocker. Carolina desperately needs a receiving threat at this position. Thomas had 54 catches in the past three years. He has four touchdown in four seasons. It has never been a good fit.
Cornerback Bradley Roby.
The veteran starter was traded for a third-round pick by the Saints. He played about one-third of their snaps while rotating in with Adebo. The Saints might not want to pay Roby's $10 million salary because of their tight cap constraints.
O.J. Howard is a tight end.
The team picked up his fifth-year option last season, despite the fact that he had a torn Achilles in 2020 that ended his season early. Howard was still nowhere to be found even when Rob Gronkowski missed five games due to injury. He had a career-low 135 yards in 17 regular-season games. He bettered that mark in just four games last year. He is set to become a free agent.
Jordan is a Linebacker.
After the Cards drafted his replacements in the first round of back-to-back years, he asked for a trade. He started all 17 games and was the leader in defensive snaps. After going through that last off-season, every player deserves to be on a team that appreciates them. That is clearly not Arizona.
Joe Noteboom is an offensive tackle.
The plan was for Noteboom to learn from and take over for Andrew Whitworth when he was drafted by the Rams. However, despite Noteboom's development, that plan never materialized because Whitworth signed an extension and proved that he could compete at the highest level. Noteboom proved he is capable of starting at left tackle in the NFL after filling in as a starter several times. It would be best for Noteboom to move on as an unrestricted free agent if Whitworth decided to retire again.
Jimmy Garoppolo is a quarterback.
Since San Francisco traded up to No. 3 to get Garoppolo, the Niners have been on a path to divorce. It is just a matter of finding the right fit. The Niners and Garoppolo's representatives will work together to get the best compensation package for Garoppolo. There is something to be said for a fresh start, according to Garoppolo. This league is difficult each year. I love it because it always is. You have to earn everything in this league and it is not easy. Nick Wagoner thinks that is just something that he embraces and enjoys.
L.J. Collier is a defensive end.
The 29th pick of the draft was a healthy scratch in seven of the first 10 games of last season as Seattle went with bigger bodies in the middle of its defensive line. If the Seahawks stick with that in 2022, they might once again view Collier as too small to play inside and not twitchy enough to play on the edge. He had three sacks and a game-saving stuff while starting every game in 2020, but didn't produce much in his other two seasons.
Guard Jon Feliciano.
It makes sense for both sides to move on. It is not a must, but it would be a smart step. After spending time on the injured reserve and the COVID-19 list, Feliciano lost his starting role in the 2021. The Bills would save over $4 million by designating him as a post-June 1 cut. Bobby Johnson, a former Bills offensive line coach, is now with the Giants, and he has worked with another former Bills offensive line coach, Pedro Feliciano. It would make sense.
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The offensive tackle is Jesse Davis.
Davis still has another year left on his contract, but he was the second-worst pass-blocking lineman. Liam Eichenberg is not going anywhere because of his draft status. Miami needs to improve its offensive line and is more likely to move on from Davis, who was not drafted by the team.
Keal Harry is a wide receiver.
He was a healthy scratch in the Week 17 win over the Jags and then only played in the next two games. It felt like an end-of-the-road. Harry played 28% of the offensive snaps and finished with 12 catches for 180 yards and no touchdown, with his primary contributions coming as a blocker. Maybe a team that had a high draft grade on him would consider giving up a late-round pick to get him.
Mims is a wide receiver.
The 2020 second-round pick is a disappointment and could be on the move before or during the draft. Mims, a sloppy route runner who struggled to learn the offense, was not drafted by the current coaching staff. He has had injuries, food poisoning, and COVID-19. He has only 31 catches in 20 games. There is no denying his physical talent, but it is not clicking in New York. Maybe he can get along with his former college coach, Matt Rhule.
Alejandro Villanueva is an offensive tackle.
After one season, the Ravens are expected to create $6 million in salary-cap room by cutting Villanueva. A bad fit at right tackle, Villanueva was unable to fill the void left by injured left tackleRonnie Stanley. According to the research, Villanueva allowed 17 sacks, three more than any other player. Villanueva was given $8 million guaranteed by Baltimore, which was a disappointing free-agent addition.
Cornerback Trae Waynes.
Some of the worst luck was found by Waynes in the two seasons he was with the Bengals. He missed all of 2020 with a pec injury and was off the field for a long time in 2021. With a cap hit of more than $15 million for the final year of his deal, it is best for both sides to move on.
The wide receiver is named Jarvis.
While playing through an injury last season, he finished with just 52 catches, 570 receiving yards and two receiving touchdown, and didn't do a single interview with the team after Beckham was released. The opportunity for the Browns to move on should they want to is created by the fact that there is no guaranteed money left in the cap. He would like to stay in Cleveland, but he is confident he can still be a contributor elsewhere.
Eric Ebron is a tight end.
Ebron was the top tight end on the team at the start of the season, but Pat Freiermuth emerged as the top tight end by the end of the season. Ebron, who is set to be a free agent, had a career-low 18 targets in his second year with the Pittsburgh. Ebron had a knee injury in Week 11 and spent most of his time away from Pittsburgh. To return to his Pro Bowl form, Ebron needs a fresh start.
The safety is Justin Reid.
The Texans did not get a contract extension done before or during the season, despite the fact that the third-round draft pick outplayed his status in Houston. During the season, he was benched for violating team rules after he challenged his coach in a team meeting. The Texans don't expect him to be back in 2022.
A running back.
The Colts have Jonathan Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing in 2021, on the roster, so it is easy to forget that Mack rushed 1,091 yards in 2019. Mack was not on the depth chart last season because of Taylor and Nyheim. Mack, who tore his Achilles in Week 1 of the 2020 season, appeared in only six games and spent most of the season as a healthy inactive. The Colts did not move Mack at the trade deadline. He will be only 26 when he returns from a season where he only had 28 carries, so there shouldn't be any questions about his ability to contribute.
Brandon Linder is the center.
He can't stay healthy. He has missed 41 games in eight seasons because of various injuries. He has the third-highest cap value on the roster. There is no money to cut him. Tyler Shatley has not missed a game in the past six seasons. Shatley could be re-signed by the Jags.
Linebacker.
Evans fell out of the rotation last season. He started 59 games over four seasons, but was a healthy scratch for the playoffs. Evans is likely to leave via free agency because of the acquisition of Cunningham and Long.
Gordon III is a running back.
The Broncos have enough cap space to re-sign several of their own free agents. Three linebackers and a quarterback are on the list. Gordon has spoken about his relationship with the fans. He was the guy who got the big contract when Phillip Lindsay didn't, and the guy who kept Javonte Williams from getting more carries. Gordon has had 20 of them over the past two seasons and has led the team in rushing in back-to-back years. He has said he would like to come back, but Williams is a quality fit in Nathaniel Hackett's offense, and Gordon might want a little less drama about the whole thing.
Frank Clark is a defensive end.
Clark could be next after the Chiefs cut Anthony Hitchens. He has had some big moments for the Chiefs, but not enough. The team can save almost $13 million against their salary cap by releasing Clark, but they would need to find some help for their pass rush if they move on without him.
Linebacker.
You thought I was going to say Carr. It was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Raiders free-agent class of 2020 and he was supposed to be a game-changer in pass coverage. He struggled and was replaced by Divine Deablo as the team made it to the playoffs. Maybe Patrick Graham and his 3-4 scheme can get more out of him. The $15.7 million cap number is a huge figure to deal with.
StormNorton is an offensive tackle.
After Bryan Bulaga went on injured reserve,Norton stepped in but lacked quick-reflex skill. He improved as the season went on, but is not a full-time replacement. The team might be able to find a better right tackle in the draft or in free agency, andNorton might benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.
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