A.J. Green and Players Most Likely to Bounce Back in 2015

Imagine being the 20th-most productive individual at your given profession last year and having that be considered a disappointment. Such is the plight of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, who will undoubtedly be looking to resurrect his position within the NFL in 2015.

A toe injury robbed Green of three games and significant production in 2014. His 1,041 yards receiving represented the lowest total of his career.

Injuries, of course, are not the only reason why players struggle. Poor scheme fits and insufficient support from teammates have submarined more than a few seasons.

Over the course of this slideshow, we’ll tell you why Green and four of his colleagues will be bouncing back in a big way in 2015.

5. Matt Elam, S, Baltimore Ravens

It tends not to be a surprise that certain teams and certain units are consistently good year in and year out. It should also not come as a surprise that leadership often has a lot do with sustained success.

As you can see in the above video, Matt Elam was not a good football player last year. Pro Football Focus graded him out as the ninth-worst safety in the league, and tackling issues were only part of the problem.

A first-round pick in 2013, Elam is entering a make-or-break season. According to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, general manager Ozzie Newsome is down on the third-year safety. 

However, Elam says he's ready for 2015. "I lost five percent body fat, I got myself stronger than I've ever been. I'm just ready to go and break out this season. The offseason went well. I'm ready to start the season. I'm ready to play ball again."

Confidence alone won't get the job done, but advice from veterans like Terrell Suggs will help, as will the addition of Kendrick Lewis, who will help mask Elam's struggles in coverage. 

Elam has the talent and the support system to be a force in the NFL. If he beats out Will Hill for the starting strong safety job in training camp, expect big things from him in 2015. 

4. Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals

After a surprising rookie season, Andre Ellington was something of a fantasy football darling heading into 2014. Injuries and a shaky offensive line scuttled that ship in short order.

According to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss, Ellington suffered a left foot injury before the season began, followed that up with a hip injury and Week 2 and finally went on injured reserve in Week 14 after undergoing surgery for a hernia. 

That'll break your stride. 

Not helping matters was the shoddy performance of the Cardinals offensive line, a group that Pro Football Focus graded as the fourth-worst run-blocking unit in the league. All told, Ellington only managed to better his 2013 production by 32 yards, and that was despite receiving 90 more touches. 

Expect that to change in 2015.

Arizona signed Mike Iupati—Pro Football Focus' second-ranked run-blocking guard—during the offseason. If 2013 first-round pick Jonathan Cooper is finally healthy, the Cardinals should see a significant improvement from their offensive line.

And with that improvement, we should expect to see more runs from Ellington like we saw in 2013.

3. Kenny Vaccaro, S, New Orleans Saints

Whether it was helping in run support, laying a hit on a receiver or picking off a pass, it seemed like Kenny Vaccaro was everywhere during his rookie season in 2013. 

So why the regression in 2014?

If you listen to Vaccaro, it's because he tried being less versatile as a sophomore. He thinks a more refined role in defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's defense held him back in 2014.

"I thought that might help me make more plays, I guess. But not really though. Not in Rob’s scheme," Vaccaro said, according to ESPN.com's Mike Triplett. "The position I was in last year, that’s where you want to be. You want to be that guy that he designs the whole thing around."

With the Saints placing a greater emphasis on defense this year, expect Ryan to get back to putting Vaccaro in a position to make plays in 2015.

2. Jordan Cameron, TE, Miami Dolphins

Cameron is another player who was hampered by injury in 2014. Concussion concerns kept Cameron out of six games last season and reduced his breakout 2013 campaign to a footnote.

After fleeing Cleveland for Miami as a free agent, Cameron should see a boost in performance in 2015.

Cameron will take over for Charles Clay at tight end in the Dolphins' passing attack, a role that saw Clay catch 127 passes for over 1,300 yards over the past two seasons. Cameron should have no problems establishing a rapport with quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Per Pro Football Focus, 73 of Cameron’s 80 receptions came within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage in 2013. Tannehill, meanwhile, excels in the intermediate passing game, grading out positively on Pro Football Focus' scale in four of the six areas of the field in that range in 2014.

What's worse for the Dawg Pound: the fact that Cameron will be making highlight reel plays for another team in 2015 or the top player on this list playing in Cincinnati?

1. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

As mentioned in the intro slide, a nagging toe injury hampered Green throughout the 2014 season. Fully healthy, there’s no reason to believe Green won’t return to the form that earned him second-team All-Pro honors in 2012 and 2013.

Could he, however, be even better?

Per Pro Football Focus, Green was actually a more effective downfield receiver in 2014 than he was in the previous two seasons. Despite the toe injury, Green caught 43.3 percent of his targets beyond 10 yards in 2014, compared to 40 percent in 2013 and 41.7 percent in 2012.

His drop rate improved, too. In 2012, Green dropped a pass every 16.8 targets. That number worsened to 16.4 in 2013. Last year, however, Green saw a big jump, dropping a pass once in every 27.3 targets.

These may be subtle improvements, but they’re clear signs of a young receiver getting better as he enters his prime.

With Calvin Johnson filling out AARP paperwork at the ghastly age of 29, Green and Julio Jones are left to battle for the title of “most physically dominant” receiver in the game.

You don’t need me—or a highlight reel—to know Green has the goods. But it’s still fun to watch just how dominant he can be.