NFL Players Ready for Breakout Season After 2023 Early Free-Agency Period
Several NFL players have changed the outlook of their careers via free agency. While some signed lucrative deals, others chased an opportunity for more playing time or went to a destination that may allow them to shine in 2023.
The top free agents who inked deals with new clubs will undoubtedly play in prominent roles, though we shouldn't overlook the situations they left behind. When a key starter departs, someone else could take advantage of a chance to fill a vacancy.
Following early free agency, we examined all 32 rosters to highlight 10 potential breakout candidates who could perform at a high level with new teams or see significant growth because of the loss or addition of players on their roster over the past couple of weeks.
None of the 10 players listed below has had a Pro Bowl or All-Pro campaign, but each could add one of those accolades to their resume by the end of the 2023 season.
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
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Cam Akers' 2022 season had its peaks and valleys, though he finished on a strong note.
Akers opened the previous campaign in a backup role. In the middle of the term, he went inactive for two games for personal reasons. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay declined to discuss the running back's future with the team.
Yet Los Angeles turned down multiple trade offers for Akers, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Akers returned to action and saw an increase in his workload from December through the end of the season. He started in the Rams' last seven games and racked up 104-plus yards in each of the final three outings.
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue believes that the Rams will try to help Akers pick up where he left off at the end of the 2022 campaign.
"I think they'll really hope to build off what Cam Akers accomplished in December and January (he returned from his team-mandated hiatus and averaged 85.3 yards per game with six total touchdowns, including three consecutive games with 100-plus yards at the end of the season)," she wrote.
Los Angeles hasn't re-signed Darrell Henderson, who opened the previous term as the starting running back. So, unless the Rams use a high pick on a tailback, Akers would just need to fend off 2022 fifth-rounder Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers, who went undrafted last year, for the lion's share of carries. If he does that, expect him to log career-high rushing numbers across the board.
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Tennessee Titans
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This offseason, the Tennessee Titans lost underrated linebacker David Long Jr. to the Miami Dolphins in free agency, but they added an unheralded gem in Azeez Al-Shaair.
Al-Shaair has already shown his playmaking ability in an expanded role with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2021, he recorded 102 tackles, nine for loss, two sacks, five pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries while on the field for 13 starts. Al-Shaair filled in well for Dre Greenlaw, who missed all but three games that year.
With Long in Miami, we can easily make the case that Al-Shaair will go into the 2023 campaign as the best linebacker on the Titans roster. At linebacker, he'll likely start alongside 2021 third-rounder Monty Rice, who has started in 10 out of 23 career contests.
As a three-down linebacker, Al-Shaair will likely play most of the defensive snaps. Remember that the Titans' first-year general manager Ran Carthon came from San Francisco's front-office personnel department. So, he's familiar with Al-Shaair, who carved out a role for himself with the 49ers after going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic in 2019.
Jordan Davis, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles lost a key starter in their front four when defensive tackle Javon Hargrave signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. Fortunately for them, they have an in-house replacement in Jordan Davis.
The Eagles selected Davis in the first round of the 2022 draft. He made five starts through October before the team placed him on injured reserve because of an ankle injury. After his return to action in Week 13, Davis played limited snaps in a reserve role through the remainder of the campaign, taking the field for 37 percent or less of the defensive snaps in each of those outings.
Though Eagles defenders must adjust to new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who takes over for Jonathan Gannon, the Arizona Cardinals' new head coach, Davis will probably have ample opportunities to excel in a new system.
In addition to Hargrave's departure, Fletcher Cox's defensive snap count percentages have slightly dipped over the past several years. Assuming that trend continues, Milton Williams and Davis will see more snaps at defensive tackle.
At 6'6", 336 pounds, Davis should be able to win one-on-one battles in the trenches on run and passing downs alongside Cox, who had seven sacks and 25 pressures last season. Moreover, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham should continue to command a lot of attention on the edge. All three pass-rushers logged at least 11 sacks in 2022.
Davis has the supporting cast to help him emerge as one of the league's most disruptive defensive tackles.
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Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
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This offseason, the Chicago Bears upgraded Justin Fields' supporting cast in the passing game, signing guard Nate Davis, tight end Robert Tonyan and acquiring wideout DJ Moore in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers, who moved up to the No. 1 spot in the draft order.
The Bears will likely continue fine-tuning the personnel around Fields via the draft. Perhaps they add a tackle and another interior offensive lineman to shore up the pass protection. They may also take a wide receiver with Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool going into the final year of their respective contracts.
Even before those possible additions, Fields has enough talent around him for a breakout campaign.
Moore and Mooney have at least one 1,000-yard season on their respective resumes. Chicago acquired Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2022 trade deadline, but he didn't provide much impact, hauling in just 14 passes for 140 yards in seven games (three starts) with the Bears. With that said, Claypool may have a stronger rapport with Fields after they go through an offseason together.
The Bears lost running back David Montgomery in free agency, but they signed D'Onta Foreman, who can handle a sizeable workload alongside Khalil Herbert in the backfield.
With the addition of two pass-catchers, Moore and Tonyan, Chicago should have a more balanced offense that doesn't require Fields to run the ball 10-11 times per game. Assuming he logs fewer carries and more pass attempts, the Bears signal-caller could make strides that compare closely to Jalen Hurts' third-year leap in 2022.
Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
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This offseason, the Baltimore Ravens traded safety Chuck Clark to the New York Jets in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick. As a full-time starter through 17 games, he finished second on the team in tackles (101) last season.
Without Clark, the Ravens will likely ask more of 2022 first-rounder Kyle Hamilton, who lined up all over the secondary in his rookie term.
Next season, Hamilton will likely play a more traditional role at safety alongside Marcus Williams, though we should expect defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to continue tapping into the second-year defensive back's versatility. Last year, Clark played both safety spots and took snaps in the slot.
As a rookie, mainly in a reserve role, Hamilton registered 62 tackles, four for loss, two sacks, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. He can make plays all over the field on any given down, which should result in an expanded role, playing 90-plus percent of the defensive snaps.
Because of Hamilton's three-down playmaking ability, he has Pro Bowl potential going into his second term.
Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Seattle Seahawks
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Dre'Mont Jones signed one of the most lucrative contracts in free agency, inking a three-year, $51.5 million deal ($30 million guaranteed) with the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks paid him like a potential breakout player after he started in 29 out of 56 career games with the Denver Broncos.
Last year, Jones became a full-time starter for the first time in his career, recording 47 tackles, nine for loss, 6.5 sacks, 16 pressures and a forced fumble through 13 contests. If Jones can stay healthy, he can eclipse those numbers in Seattle.
Jones will play alongside a reliable run-stuffer in Jarran Reed, who returns to Seattle after one year with the Kansas City Chiefs and a productive 2022 campaign with the Green Bay Packers, logging a career-high 52 tackles, five for loss, and 2.5 sacks. The Seahawks also have a stout 6'3", 345-pound interior tackle in Bryan Mone to take up space in the middle.
Because of the Seahawks' manpower up front and two tackle machines in linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton, Jones will be able to make splash plays on passing downs (sacks) and find his way into the backfield to rack up tackles for losses against the run. He's one of the few defensive tackles who may finish with 10-plus sacks in 2023.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge, Cleveland Browns
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The Cleveland Browns can score big with an underrated free-agent signing in Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
Last year, with the Houston Texans, Okoronkwo flashed late in the season as a starter, registering five sacks between Weeks 13 and 17. He also recorded six tackles for loss in that time frame.
With a change in their coaching ranks, the Texans allowed Okoronkwo to walk in free agency, and the Browns picked up a potential steal for their pass rush.
Two-time edge-rusher Myles Garrett, who's coming off back-to-back 16-sack campaigns, will command double- and triple teams, which will benefit his teammates along the defensive line.
In Houston, Okoronkwo didn't line up alongside a playmaker close to Garrett's level. He can continue to fly under the radar and make plays with the Browns.
Through three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and one in Houston, Okoronkwo has started in just eight out of 50 contests. Based on what he did as a starter at the end of the previous campaign, the 27-year-old has the potential to complement Garrett with double-digit numbers in sacks and tackles for loss.
Rashaad Penny, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles allowed running back Miles Sanders to walk in free agency, and he signed with the Carolina Panthers. Thus far, they have replaced him with Rashaad Penny.
Last year, quarterback Jalen Hurts played a vital role in the Eagles' fifth-ranked ground attack, though Sanders handled the bulk of the team's carries (259) out of the backfield over Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. Penny could handle a similar workload as the lead ball-carrier if he avoids the injury bug, which has plagued him in five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
Out of 82 possible career games, Penny has made 42 appearances (11 starts). When healthy, he often shows great burst through running lanes for chunk yardage.
For the 2021 campaign, Penny led the league in yards per carry (6.3) and finished with a career-high 749 yards and six touchdowns on the ground in 10 outings. That year, he ran for 135-plus yards in four outings between Weeks 14 and 18, scoring six touchdowns in that stretch.
The Eagles signed Penny to a relatively modest one-year, $1.4 million contract. If he stays on the field, the 27-year-old running back could provide great value with his best season behind one of the league's top offensive lines that lost just one starter (guard Isaac Seumalo) from the previous campaign.
Kadarius Toney, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
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Unless the Kansas City Chiefs add a star veteran wide receiver via trade (DeAndre Hopkins) fantasy football managers should buy stock in Kadarius Toney right now.
The Chiefs acquired Toney from the New York Giants before the 2022 trade deadline. Though he missed three consecutive games between Weeks 12 and 14, the versatile wideout had some highlight moments this past season.
In Week 10, Toney recorded four catches for 57 yards and scored his first career touchdown. On the biggest NFL stage, against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57, he caught a five-yard touchdown pass in the Chiefs' 38-35 victory.
In seven regular-season outings (three starts) with the Chiefs, Toney caught 14 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball five times for 59 yards and a score.
Before Kansas City lost wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency, head coach Andy Reid said Toney and fellow wideout Skyy Moore would "probably" take on expanded roles in 2023.
"Both of them will probably have bigger roles," Reid said. "Both of them are very talented."
Barring a notable addition to the wide receiver room, Toney will see a steady flow of targets in the passing game if he can stay healthy.
The Chiefs don't have a No. 1 wide receiver on the roster, and tight end Travis Kelce will turn 34 years old in October. With two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes at the helm in a pass-heavy offense, Toney is in line for a big year.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
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As a rookie, Jameson Williams didn't have much of a chance to show why the Detroit Lions selected him with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 draft despite his recovery from a torn ACL. He opened the campaign on injured reserve and made his NFL debut in Week 13.
Williams didn't play more than 18 offensive snaps in any of his six appearances, but he scored on a 41-yard catch against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 and broke free on a 40-yard run against the Chicago Bears in Week 17.
Even in a small sample size, Williams demonstrated his big-play ability. He'll provide a notable spark to the Lions' aerial attack as a complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who though productive, averages just 10.6 yards per catch.
With Williams healthy, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who after the 2022 season generated some buzz as a head-coaching candidate, can dial up some explosive plays in the vertical passing game.
The Lions finished with the eighth-ranked passing offense for the 2022 term. Now, they'll reap the full benefits of a wide receiver who averaged a whopping 19.6 yards per reception at Alabama. Because Williams can stretch defenses, he's a good bet to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in his second term.
Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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