Change of Scenery: NFL Players Who Are Poised for Breakout Roles with New Teams

The NFL's annual offseason shuffling has a way of giving certain players the breath of fresh air they needed on a new team with new surroundings. 

Sometimes young players who were already starting to blossom are pushed along quicker in an offense or defense better suited for them. That will likely be the case for Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller, who was beginning to shine with the Washington Redskins and should now reach new heights in a larger role.

Other times, the free-agent breakout candidate's development stagnated with a former team. Tight end Eric Ebron, who was released by the Detroit Lions shortly before he was due to hit free agency, will get another chance to fulfill his first-round potential while playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He'll also be playing for head coach Frank Reich, who knows how to utilize an athletic tight end.

Ebron is just one of three tight ends who should benefit from better team fits in 2018.

Jerick McKinnon, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers

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Jerick McKinnon has always been a little undersized at 5'9" and 205 pounds, so he's usually thought of primarily as a third-down running back who can vacuum up receptions.

And that perception of him is correct to some extent. In 2017, McKinnon became one of the league's better pass-catching running backs, finishing with 51 receptions for 421 yards and 991 yards from scrimmage, all single-season career highs.

But his new head coach sees more than a one-dimensional running back.

"We think he's a great third-down back," San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told Joe Fann of 49ers.com. "We also think he's good on first and second down, too."

Versatile running backs are a central part of any Shanahan offense. Look at his final season as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. In 2016, two of his running backs, Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman, finished with 400-plus receiving yards and 900-plus yards from scrimmage.

McKinnon will surely get some support behind him on the depth chart. But he should be carrying most of the load unless the 49ers use an early draft pick on a running back. Matt Breida, a 2017 undrafted free agent, is San Francisco's No. 2 running back right now, followed by Joe Williams, who has yet to log an NFL carry after spending his rookie season on injured reserve.

McKinnon won't be confined purely to a third-down role, meaning he'll have more opportunities to show off his speed and slipperiness.

Paul Richardson, Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins

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Paul Richardson has always had an acrobatic flair with his sprawling circus catches. He just had a problem with staying on the field often enough, playing just one game in 2015 after recovering from a torn ACL and then injuring his hamstring.

His body finally stayed in one working piece during a contract year in 2017, and Richardson showed what he can do as a deep threat.

The 6'0", 183-pound turf-burner came into 2017 with only 51 receptions over 31 games. Then he nearly matched that mark in one year with 44 catches for 703 yards, an average of 16.0 yards per grab. The Seahawks also frequently leaned on Richardson's leaping ability in the red zone, which resulted in six touchdowns.

In Seattle, he was the second receiving option behind Doug Baldwin—and sometimes third if tight end Jimmy Graham was featured more prominently. Now after signing with the Washington Redskins, Richardson will be higher up the depth chart and receiving passes from Alex Smith, who completed 67.5 percent of his throws in 2017 and was in the MVP conversation.

Even better, Richardson will be in an offense orchestrated by Jay Gruden that's just one year removed from producing three 800-plus-yard receivers.

Eric Ebron, Tight End, Indianapolis Colts

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Tight end Eric Ebron is the classic example of why the draft-bust label can be problematic: A player can't help where he's drafted.

If Ebron had been selected a little later—as, say, a late Day 2 pick—we'd give his career production a silent nod. There would be no table pounding but at least respect for solid numbers. Pumping out three seasons with 500-plus receiving yards as a tight end over four years—including 711 yards over only 13 games in 2016—shouldn't just be greeted with a shrug, especially at a position where young players often struggle.

But Ebron wasn't a late Day 2 pick by the Detroit Lions. He was the 10th overall pick in 2014, a slot that comes with both greater expectations and greater scrutiny. The intensity of the latter is the first reason why Ebron should be given new life by a move away from Detroit. The second is the presence of Frank Reich as the head coach of his new team.

Reich took over as the new sideline boss of the Indianapolis Colts after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles during their championship run. Over Reich's two seasons in that role, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz recorded 1,640 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He also led the Eagles in receptions during the 2017 season with 74.

Ebron, who will be only 25 years old heading into the 2018 season, should be set for a similarly high volume, especially if Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is healthy.

Kendall Fuller, Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs

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There are a few reasons why cornerback Marcus Peters is now playing for the Los Angeles Rams and not the Kansas City Chiefs. And one of them is Kendall Fuller.

Peters is approaching the end of his rookie contract and will demand a massive extension. So instead of paying him, the Chiefs looked at their cornerback depth chart following the Alex Smith trade and decided to trust that Fuller's emergence early in his career will continue.

With that, they jumped at the opportunity to maximize Peters' trade value and elevated Fuller to a larger role, a decision the Chiefs likely won't regret.

Fuller is just 23 years old and coming off his second NFL season. In 2017, he soared for the Redskins, finishing with four interceptions and 10 passes defensed. He has the versatility to play both outside and in the slot, and in the latter role, he allowed a passer rating in coverage of just 55.0 in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.

That rating was the lowest among slot corners, showing that Fuller is quickly growing into a shutdown presence. His progression should continue in 2018 and beyond, making the Chiefs delighted with their return in the Smith trade.

Aaron Colvin, Cornerback, Houston Texans

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There are similarities between Fuller and Aaron Colvin, the newly signed Houston Texans cornerback brought in to be a solution for what ails the team's secondary.

He isn't quite as young as Fuller, but the 26-year-old is just hitting his prime. He may even have a bit of growth left as he enters his fifth NFL season.

But most importantly, Colvin rivals Fuller for the title of best slot cornerback in the league, a key selling point for a Texans defense that was roasted often in 2017. The Houston secondary allowed an average of 8.0 yards per passing attempt (tied for last in the league).

Colvin can provide an answer for that problem after giving up just 0.74 yards per cover snap from the slot since the beginning of 2016, per PFF. He played in the shadow of A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey with the Jaguars. After signing a four-year contract worth $34 million, Colvin will be leaned on more heavily and should have a breakout year. 

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tight End, Jacksonville Jaguars

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In 2017, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins recorded a career-high 357 receiving yards for the New York Jets. At one point early in the season, he also logged three straight games with a touchdown catch. He was also a reliable short target and safety valve while hauling in 50 passes, shattering his previous career high of 21.

Nothing there pops off the page, but it doesn't have to for there to be well-placed optimism surrounding Seferian-Jenkins going forward. After dealing with off-field issues that included a 2016 DUI arrest and subsequent release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he needed to be a steady contributor in 2017. And now that that's happened, a career rejuvenation feels possible in a new NFL city, especially with the 2014 second-round pick still just 25 years old.

Seferian-Jenkins will get that fresh start with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He'll benefit from being in a deeper offense, which is still the case in Jacksonville even after the departures of wide receivers Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson. Running back Leonard Fournette finished with 1,342 yards from scrimmage in his rookie year, and the combination of Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole gives the Jaguars a deep receiving corps.

Put it all together and add in the progression of quarterback Blake Bortles, and the Jaguars have an offense that should give Seferian-Jenkins more opportunities to use his 6'5", 262-pound frame in the red zone.

Trey Burton, Tight End, Chicago Bears

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Anyone destined for a Travis Kelce-like role becomes a breakout candidate, which is why Trey Burton, the Chicago Bears' newest tight end, could rise sharply in 2018.

Matt Nagy is the new head coach in Chicago after putting together a lethal fifth-ranked offense for the Chiefs in 2017 as their offensive coordinator. Kelce played a cornerstone role in the "U" position, which involves a player who functions as a wide receiver-tight end hybrid and can be moved around the formation.

Burton isn't on Kelce's talent level. Few are when put next to a three-time Pro Bowler. But what's important for him, and the fate of the 2018 Bears, is that he has the body type and speed to thrive in a similar role.

Burton is 6'3" and 235 pounds, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.62 seconds at the 2014 combine. That's right in line with the 4.61 time Kelce recorded at his pro day in 2013.

The 26-year-old Burton relied on that speed to have a sort of minibreakout for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, catching five touchdown passes while playing behind Ertz. Now Nagy sees him as a key cog in his offense.

"It's an important role," Nagy told Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's easy to create some plays for. And when you have a guy that has the size that Trey has and the speed that he has, it's about mismatches."

Burton showcased his on-field speed with the Eagles when given the opportunity, and he recorded 112 receiving yards with three touchdowns during the two games Ertz missed in 2017. He's now set to turn those flashes into something much larger as a key figure in Nagy's offense.

Sammy Watkins, Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs

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It's possible to have multiple breakouts in one career. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is already looking for his second one heading into his age-25 season.

Watkins blasted off to start his career. He recorded 2,029 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons after the Buffalo Bills selected him with the fourth overall pick in 2014. Then two elements combined to put a massive dent in his production in 2016 and 2017: a chronic foot injury, and being forgotten in Sean McVay's offense after a trade to the Rams.

Watkins still has deep speed and the leaping ability to be a trusted red-zone target. He showed off both with the Rams while averaging 15.2 yards per reception and scoring eight times in 2017.

However, Watkins has totaled just 1,023 yards through the air since the beginning of the 2016 season. That's a dramatic drop from his first two years in the league. But after being signed by the Chiefs, the 6'1", 211-pound pass-catcher is in a prime position to rejuvenate his career.

Watkins will be part of a loaded offense and should form an athletically imposing tandem with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who's entering his first year as a starter after being selected with the 10th overall pick in 2017. Mahomes has a catapult-like arm, and in his first regular-season start, he threw for 284 yards on 35 attempts (8.1 YPA).

The pairing of that arm and Watkins' field-stretching ability should be more than enough to bring the early-career version of the former Clemson stud back.