5 NFL players who will improve under a new regime in 2020

These five NFL players should make big strides in 2020 after regime changes.

There were several changes to coaching staffs and front offices ahead of the 2020 NFL season, three of which came courtesy of the NFC East as the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants all moved on from their head coaches.

There were also changes made by the Carolina Panthers who hired Matt Rhule from the NCAA ranks and the Cleveland Browns who are making what feels like an annual change at this point as they’re introducing a new head coach and general manager.

In all these cases, a move felt necessary. For whatever reason, the coaches that were there were no longer getting the job done, and thus, a change was made. With those moves happening, we look in at those NFL clubs and identify one player who will benefit from the change in regimes, starting with the Redskins.

Ron Rivera had a solid run with the Carolina Panthers as he went 76-63-1 but oddly enough never had back-to-back winning seasons. He wasn’t out of work long as the Washington Redskins were thrilled to bring in the defensive-minded coach. And with his ability to get the most out of his defenders, fans are salivating at the prospects of him working with Montez Sweat and No. 2 overall pick Chase Young.

There are other big-name defenders who could take a step forward with Rivera, including former Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Taken 17th overall in 2017, Allen has 139 career tackles and 15 sacks. Even this last season, his numbers were great as he had 68 tackles with six sacks.

Having said that, he took a step backward according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as they had him graded out as the 84th defensive tackle out of 118 that were graded. Rivera’s presence could help Allen become a more consistent player, which would improve the entire defense in D.C.