NFL Free Agents Who Could Blow Up on New Teams in 2021

Sometimes a change of scenery is all an NFL player needs.

So goes an annual theme as free agency approaches. Notable names and players who have shown hints of promise could erupt with new surroundings.

Whether it's because of a better schematic fit, more opportunity or more talented teammates, a few soon-to-be free agents who haven't broken out could become stars on new teams.

It's up to teams to decide if these free agents should get paid as if they will break out, but the following players have shown hints of promise that could be unlocked with new teams, making them possible steals on the open market.

Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans

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One could argue Corey Davis never lived up to expectations with the Tennessee Titans.

Davis was the fifth pick in the 2017 draft and only just this season posted career highs of 984 yards with five scores. While he did that in 14 games, he also didn't catch either of his two targets in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

But there's a chance Davis was just warming up. And a new team might better employ his vertical route tree as opposed to the Titans, who ran the ball 521 times last year compared to 485 passing attempts, on which quarterback Ryan Tannehill averaged only 7.9 yards per attempt.

Put the Western Michigan product in a better passing attack, and he has the potential to be a No. 1 wideout. Think about a team such as the Green Bay Packers, who are more than happy to lean in to the passing game as opposed to the ground attack.

Carl Lawson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals

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Carl Lawson isn't a household name, but he just might become one if he shakes free of the Cincinnati Bengals.

A fourth-round pick in 2017, he posted 8.5 sacks as a rookie but hasn't sniffed that mark since. Meanwhile, the defense around him has undergone a dramatic overhaul in scheme and personnel under the new coaching staff.

This season, Lawson registered 5.5 sacks while playing more than 70 percent of snaps only five times. Quietly, though, he created 10.5 sacks, ranking seventh in the league, according to ESPN's Seth Walder.

Add Lawson to a defense that isn't rebuilding and that has another reliable pass-rusher—and preferably plays a basic 4-3 front—and he's a candidate to hit double-digit sacks annually and outplay his next contract.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Carolina Panthers

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With the right fit, Carolina Panthers wideout Curtis Samuel could be one of free agency's biggest steals.

Samuel had a mini-breakout in 2020, catching 77 passes for 851 yards and three scores and adding another 200 yards and two touchdowns as a rusher. He was one of four Panthers with 1,000-plus yards in coordinator Joe Brady's creative offense, albeit it for a five-win team.

Should Samuel land with a team willing to give him a more prominent role, his ability to stretch the field and make plays could produce head-turning numbers. An upgrade behind center wouldn't hurt either, as Teddy Bridgewater averaged just 7.6 yards per attempt with 15 touchdowns and 11 picks, including a 13 percent bad-throw mark.

If the Panthers don't re-sign Samuel, offensive-minded teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals or San Francisco 49ers could help him shock the league.

Haason Reddick, Edge, Arizona Cardinals

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Arizona Cardinals defender Haason Reddick looked like one of the bigger busts of the last five years.

Until late this season.

Reddick, the 13th pick in 2017, had his fifth-year option declined because he never fit right with the Cardinals. They couldn't figure out how to unlock some of the potential he showed during his days at Temple, resulting in ratings such as a 40.2 Pro Football Focus grade in 2019.

But Reddick shifted away from linebacker after getting benched in 2019 and moved back to the edge this season, and he produced 7.5 sacks over the final four games and 12.5 overall. Granted, five came in one contest, but the burst of productivity in a different role could have teams wondering if the Cardinals might have stumbled upon something special.

Reddick will probably land only a prove-it deal, but almost any team should have an interest in seeing if he can break out in a role that comes more naturally to him.

Romeo Okwara, DE, Detroit Lions

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Undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2016, Romeo Okwara has been inconsistent.

For the Detroit Lions, he put in two so-so years before posting 10 sacks in 2020. Still, his 69.5 PFF grade left something to be desired. He made three starts in the first 10 games but came on late, registering four sacks over his final five games and starting the last six.

This came while Detroit employed a lame-duck coaching staff and tried to rebuild its defense, and Okwara played just 749 snaps (67 percent).

At 25 years old, Okwara could be a breakout star for a team willing to keep him on the field more amid better surroundings, especially if his hot close to the season means he turned the corner developmentally and was not just an anomaly.

Gareon Conley, CB, Houston Texans

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The bust label has chased cornerback Gareon Conley since the Las Vegas Raiders made him a first-round pick in 2017.

It didn't help that the Raiders traded Conley to the Houston Texans for a third-round pick after just two-plus seasons. But injuries haven't helped either, as Conley has yet to play 16 games in a season and missed 2020 after ankle surgery.

Still, Conley could find a better schematic fit on the open market and realize some of his potential. After all, he's forced incompletions on 22.2 percent of his targets, the second-best mark since he entered the league, according to PFF.

Should Conley sign with a team that prefers its corner to play man coverage, he could have a long-awaited breakout campaign.