NFL Players Who Finally Have a Chance to Shine in 2015

Since the NFL and the players association negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement in 2011, all draft picks are limited to four-year contracts.

As a result, teams do not have the luxury of giving their young players significant time to develop. As such, most players with the talent to amount to something in the league either get the chance to prove it in their first two or three reasons or never do so at all.

As with any rule, of course, there are exceptions. The six players highlighted in the following slides could be those exceptions in 2015.

In small doses, the following pros have demonstrated skills that could make them impact players in the NFL. But while all of these players have already been in the league for at least three seasons, none have had opportunities to be starters for extended periods.

Not all of the following players are guaranteed to be starters in 2015, but each should have chances to play much more significant roles than they have had in previous years. Some have joined new teams this past offseason, while others benefit from changes in personnel and scheme.

If they can take what they have done in limited action and turn it into regular production, all of them have the chance to shine in 2015.

Ryan Mallett, QB, Houston Texans

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At 6’6” and 245 pounds with a rocket arm, Ryan Mallett is one of the most physically intimidating signal-callers in the NFL. That gives him the chance to be the difference-maker at quarterback that the Houston Texans have lacked in recent years.

But he is going to have to prove it in 2015.

A third-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Mallett backed up Tom Brady for three seasons with the New England Patriots before they traded him to the Houston Texans for a 2016 seventh-round pick. He finally got his chance to start an NFL game in Week 11 last year when the Texans benched Ryan Fitzpatrick, but that opportunity ended after just two games when Mallett suffered a season-ending torn pectoral injury.

This year, he could finally get his chance to be the outright starting quarterback from the beginning of the campaign if he can beat out another former Brady backup, Brian Hoyer. They vie for the approval of Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who previously worked with both quarterbacks when he was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2011.

According to a report last week from Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle, Mallett and Hoyer are “even” in the quarterback competition, as they have been rotating first-team snaps during offseason workouts.

Both quarterbacks are signed to two-year deals with the Texans. Hoyer’s deal is worth $10.5 million in comparison to just $7 million for Mallett, but that’s presumably because Hoyer has 17 career starts, whereas Mallett has only two.

Mallett has already beaten Hoyer in multiple competitions. He beat out Hoyer for New England’s No. 2 quarterback job in 2012, which led to Hoyer’s release from the Patriots. He also led the Texans to a victory over Hoyer’s Browns, 23-7, by completing 20 of 30 passing attempts for 211 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in his lone healthy start last season.

Ultimately, the quarterback competition will come down to how Hoyer and Mallett each perform in training camp and the preseason this year. For Mallett to succeed, he must answer question marks about his accuracy and ability to avoid turnovers. If he demonstrates improvement in those areas this summer, then he should win the battle and potentially be an upgrade for the Texans this fall.

Travaris Cadet, RB, New England Patriots

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Buried on a running back depth chart that included Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory (2012), Darren Sproles (2012-13) and Khiry Robinson (since 2013), Travaris Cadet had few opportunities to garner offensive touches in his three years with the New Orleans Saints.

During that span, he had just 11 rushing attempts. That said, he could be in line for a much larger role—and perhaps an ideal opportunity to further his career—after signing with the New England Patriots this offseason.

The defending Super Bowl champions lost two free-agent running backs, most notably Shane Vereen, who led the Patriots with 96 rushing attempts last season but also had 52 receptions for a combined total of 838 yards from scrimmage.

Cadet, the only running back added to New England’s roster so far in 2015, might have the skill set to be a key player in helping the Patriots replace Vereen.

Cadet exhibited last season that he could make plays coming out of the backfield and lining up as a wide receiver, much like Vereen did during his tenure in New England. Cadet does not have as much speed as Vereen, but he is a skilled route-runner who has reliable hands and the agility to elude defenders in the open field.

While the tailbacks ahead of Cadet on the Saints depth chart kept him from ever getting more than two carries in a regular-season game, he emerged as a pass-catching threat in the wake of Sproles' trade. He had 38 receptions for 296 yards and one touchdown in 2014.

Largely untested as a between-the-tackles runner, Cadet will not be a go-to option for the Patriots in that capacity, but they will likely utilize him in higher frequency as a ball-carrier. While LeGarrette Blount returns to be the team’s primary runner, the Patriots have almost no other proven talent at tailback, which should put Cadet in a position to ascend the depth chart and take on a significant role as a complement to Blount.

Jermey Parnell, RT, Jacksonville Jaguars

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The Dallas Cowboys offensive line was the best in the NFL last season, and that did not cease to be the case when starting right tackle Doug Free missed five regular-season games and two playoff contests with foot injuries. The reason the Cowboys remained great was Jermey Parnell, who filled in for Free.

Undrafted out of Mississippi in 2009, he went into the 2014 season having started just two games in his career. His impressive work as a lineup replacement for the Cowboys down the stretch made it look as though his opportunity to be a first-team player was long overdue.

After signing a five-year, $32 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, Parnell is going to get that opportunity.

His supporting cast won’t be quite as excellent as the one he had to work with in Dallas, but he will still have a strong unit around him to help his transition into a starting role. Right guard Brandon Linder is coming off a terrific rookie season, and left tackle Luke Joeckel is a talented although still developing young player. Plus, the Jaguars have two legitimate starting options at left guard (Zane Beadles, A.J Cann) and center (Luke Bowanko, Stefen Wisniewski).

A former college basketball player, Parnell is light on his feet for a 6’6”, 315-pound man. His athleticism and length give him the ability to match up with any pass-rusher, and he is a heavy-handed blocker who packs a powerful punch.

Not without his faults, he can get sloppy with his technique. He needs to improve upon his hand placement to disable defenders from slipping off him or getting their hands into his chest to drive him backward.

Even with his imperfections, Parnell should nonetheless be a big upgrade for the Jaguars at right tackle over 2014 starters Austin Pasztor, Sam Young and Cameron Bradfield.

Bill Callahan, who coached Parnell as the Cowboys’ offensive line coach for the past three seasons, gave Parnell an emphatic endorsement in January, according to Michael Florek of the Dallas Morning News.

“He’s stepped in and we haven’t skipped a beat,” Callahan said. “I think across the league he could start for any other team at right tackle. He’s that talented.”

Pernell McPhee, OLB/DE, Chicago Bears

One could say that Pernell McPhee’s NFL career has already started to shine. After all, Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the league last season. With that being said, he spent the vast majority of his four-year run with the Baltimore Ravens as a backup; he only started six total games and none in the past two seasons.

Quietly, McPhee was a terrific role player for the Baltimore defense, but his limited playing time has stopped him from achieving national notoriety. In 2015, that could easily change, as he will transition from a rotational gig to a starring role with the Chicago Bears, who signed McPhee to a five-year, $38.75 million contract in free agency.

A fifth-round pick out of Mississippi State in the 2011 draft, he lacks the speed of a prototypical edge-rusher but has a combination of size (6’3”, 280 lbs), strength, quickness, power and technical skill that could make him one of the NFL’s most versatile defenders going forward.

In his role with the Ravens last season, McPhee looked comfortable playing both in stand-up positions and with his hand in the dirt, both outside and inside. As the Bears move to a hybrid 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the addition of McPhee gives them a player who can play all over their defensive front.

“From what I'm told, Pernell McPhee will be playing at both OLB, 5-tech and 7-tech in 4-3 looks,” Bear Report’s Aaron Leming tweeted in March. “Seen as perfect fit for Fangio.”

Despite his limited playing time and long speed, McPhee recorded 7.5 sacks in 2014, utilizing his burst, ability to win both inside and outside and his arsenal of pass-rushing moves to get into the backfield and frequently generate pressure. He also has the point-of-attack strength to be a good edge-setting run defender.

With a new head coach (John Fox) and general manager (Ryan Pace), the Bears have made a major effort to overhaul their defense this offseason. McPhee might be well prove to be their most important, impactful addition.

Brandon Graham, OLB, Philadelphia Eagles

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Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, Brandon Graham never got the opportunity within his first five years with the team to realize his potential. Even so, the Eagles re-signed Graham to a four-year, $26 million contract this offseason and might finally be ready to put him in a position to play up to his first-round value.

Graham is the only former first-round pick in this slideshow, and that’s no coincidence. From being a self-labeled bust after his first two campaigns to regularly being included in trade buzz last season after really starting to come along as a player, he has had an unusual career arc thus far for a first-rounder.

Injuries were a culprit for Graham in his first two years: He suffered a torn ACL late in the 2010 season and played in just three games in 2011 after undergoing microfracture knee surgery.

Since then, however, he has performed well in limited action. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s second-best 4-3 defensive end in 2012, 15th-best 3-4 outside linebacker in 2013 and third-best 3-4 OLB last season.

Graham has only recorded 14 total sacks in that three-year span, but that’s because he has only played in a rotational capacity and started just seven games. For the past two seasons, the Eagles’ starting outside linebacker tandem of Connor Barwin and Trent Cole locked him out of the lineup.

The Eagles released Cole this offseason, which opened the door for them to bring back Graham and finally put him in the starting role he has earned. Given that opportunity, he could finally make the leap from being a highly touted prospect who performs well analytically to being a household name that NFL fans throughout the nation should know.

At 6’2” and 265 pounds, Graham has exhibited a well-rounded skill set that should make him a standout with increased playing time. He is a solid athlete for the position but does not rely on his athleticism to succeed. He is able to utilize a diverse array of pass-rushing moves and generate power as a bull-rusher, while he is also a disruptive run defender around the line of scrimmage.

Jeron Johnson, SS, Washington Redskins

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In playing his first four NFL seasons for the Seattle Seahawks, who have arguably the NFL’s best starting tandem of safeties in Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, Jeron Johnson did not get many opportunities to play. After signing with the Washington Redskins, a team that has had years of poor play at the safety position, he should be in line for a much bigger role in 2015.

A special teams regular for the Seahawks, Johnson performed well last season when Seattle called upon him to start one game.

Johnson is not nearly as big as 6'3", 232-pound Chancellor, at 5’10” and 212 pounds, but the undrafted player from Boise State possesses some of the same qualities that make Chancellor great. A physical, downhill run defender who seeks out tackles in the box, Johnson also exhibits enough athleticism to hang with tight ends in coverage.

With only 275 career defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus, most of them sporadic, he remains a largely unknown commodity. Whether he can be the upgrade Washington needs at strong safety remains a mystery. Nonetheless, he’s played well enough in a limited capacity that he deserves to have every opportunity to earn a starting job.

Johnson will have to seize a spot in the Redskins lineup, as he has been working behind another former undrafted free agent, Duke Ihenacho, early in offseason workouts, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Even so, ESPN.com’s John Keim is among the Washington insiders who still expect Johnson to push himself ahead of Ihenacho this summer:

"

In the two practices open to the media Duke Ihenacho has been with the starting defense at strong safety ahead of free agent signee Jeron Johnson. But this does not mean that Ihenacho is considered the starter -- Johnson has been with the starters on other days that haven’t been open to the media. The feeling remains that Johnson will emerge as the starter -- it’s what I also had heard when he signed.

"

Either way, Johnson should get a chance to play more frequently and prove himself defensively in 2015. The Redskins secondary is far less talented than the one Johnson comes from in Seattle, and the skills he honed during his four years there could prove to be of significant value for his new team.

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow @Dan_Hope