Not every offseason move works out in the NFL but here are 10 players who are on new teams in 2021 that will live up to the expectations
Every year in the NFL, there are huge moves made as star players leave their teams and head to another. Whether this is done in free agency or via a trade, there’s always a huge expectation that follows.
That was again the case during the 2021 NFL offseason as teams made some major trades to try and bolster their roster. There were also countless high-dollar signings as franchises tried to take their next step.
Not every move will work but some are going to go exactly as planned — if not better. Here are the top 10 players on new teams who will live up to their expectations.
10. Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
For the second season in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs represented the AFC in the Super Bowl. Unlike the 2019 season, they were unable to finish the deal as they fell short to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Much of the credit for the win has been given to Tom Brady, who deserves it. He turned all the praise he gets, but there was no denying that the Bucs defense also deserved some serious credit for their win. The front seven made life miserable for Patrick Mahomes who was sacked three times and completed just 53 percent of his passes — even having to make some miraculous throws while going to the ground in an effort to keep his team in the game.
That’s why the Chiefs went out and signed Joe Thuney and traded for Orlando Brown to revamp their offensive line. It was impossible to drop either of those players off this list so they both come in tied at No. 10.
Brown is a stellar left tackle who will be well worth the first-round pick and ensuing contract. Thuney is one of the best guards in the game and will also make the Chiefs’ line better. Kansas City needed to do better at protecting Mahomes and these two moves will help them do just that.
9. Carl Lawson, EDGE, New York Jets
The New York Jets made arguably the best head coaching hire in the offseason when they brought in Robert Saleh. In recent years, the best coaches seem to be the younger ones who have been great as coordinators. See Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay, Kevin Stefanski, etc. for examples. There are some coaches who get a second chance that thrive such as Bruce Arians, Ron Rivera, and Andy Reid but overall, the younger coaches with something to prove have been winning.
Saleh falls into that category as the former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator needs to prove he can make the leap from defensive play-caller to the big boss. His resume is impressive and the players love him, but he has his work cut out for him in New York.
So far, he seems to have a great plan and is adding the right pieces. One of those is defensive end Carl Lawson, who they signed to a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason. New York already has a great line with Quinnen Williams in the middle but they needed someone who can come off the edge and take down the quarterback.
Lawson will be able to do that and in Saleh’s defense, he should start to become a more consistent player as he lives up to the lofty expectations that have been placed on him.
8. John Johnson III, Safety, Cleveland Browns
One team that has really improved over the past couple of seasons is the Cleveland Browns. Under general manager Andrew Berry and 2020 NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, they went 11-5 last season and won a playoff game over the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. They were close to knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs as well, which was aided by Patrick Mahomes suffering a concussion but the Browns still missed the AFC Championship Game by five points which is a testament to the moves made by their new regime.
It was also impressive work by Stefanski since the team went through one injury after another. They also had to deal with a lot of losses to COVID, including the coach himself having to watch their first playoff game from home as Mike Priefer took the helm.
Because of those injuries, which included losing safety Grant Delpit and cornerback Greedy Williams for the season, Cleveland went out and added more help in the secondary. Their best move there was to sign John Johnson III, who developed into one of the best safeties in the NFL while with the Los Angeles Rams.
Johnson turns this position into a strength as he joins Ronnie Harrison and Delpit. They still need to remain healthy but they should have a much better chance at staying competitive if they do lose anyone — especially considering Johnson doesn’t usually miss time outside of one season and is a game-changer.
7. Jonnu Smith, Tight End, New England Patriots
This was a weird offseason for the New England Patriots. For the first time since 2008 they missed the playoffs and for the first time since 2000, they had a losing season. So naturally, head coach and primary decision maker Bill Belichick decided to completely abandon his style of team-building that had worked for two decades.
Belichick started to chase everyone in free agency and they gave huge contracts to Matt Judon, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, and many more. Not every one of those moves will work — and some surely deserve heavy criticism. However, there are some that will be great signings including the move to sign Jonnu Smith.
The former Tennessee Titans tight end was signed to a $50 million contract that spans four seasons. They also gave Hunter Henry a three-year, $37.5 million deal which is a bit confusing since they paid Smith so much, but apparently, Belichick wants to re-create the two tight end set he had with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez back in the day.
Henry could be a solid addition but there are concerns about his health. He’s missed less time in recent seasons, but there’s still a deep breath taken every time he goes down hard. As for Smith, he hasn’t missed a lot of games in his career and has been progressing every season in the league. He was able to haul in 41 passes for 448 yards and eight touchdowns in an offense that had A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, and Derrick Henry.
Now, he becomes arguably the No. 1 red zone target and one of the more reliable receivers in New England. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see his numbers increase significantly.
6. Corey Davis, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
This is the second time the New York Jets make the list thanks to their solid offseason. We already discussed how Robert Saleh is a great defensive mind and added a star pass rusher in Carl Lawson. Having Lawson should help Saleh get his defense playing the way he wants but what about their offense?
So far, the first-year coach seems to have a great plan for that as well. He has his play-caller in Mike LaFleur (the brother of the Green Bay Packers head coach) and appears set to turn the offense over to him. When a coach has been so dominantly focused on one side of the ball the way Saleh has been, it’s smart to bring in a coordinator who can handle the opposite side — which is what LaFleur can do.
They also added a lot of help for LaFleur including BYU quarterback Zach Wilson and Ole Miss wideout Elijah Moore in the draft. But the person who will really matter in their offense is wide receiver Corey Davis. Another former Tennessee Titans player to hit the open market, Davis had 984 yards and five touchdowns last season. It will be a different role being the No. 1 guy but he’s more than capable of getting it done.
New York looks much better on offense in 2021 and Davis is going to be a huge reason for that.
5. Gerald Everett, Tight End, Seattle Seahawks
One of the more underrated moves of the offseason was when the Seattle Seahawks signed former Los Angeles Rams tight end Gerald Everett. A former second-round pick out of South Alabama, Everett had 1,389 yards and eight touchdowns in four seasons while bringing in 127 receptions. He did all this while primarily working as the No. 2 tight end.
Now in Seattle, he should be the No. 1 tight end and he has familiarity with the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron who was the passing game coordinator in Los Angeles from 2018 through 2020 and was the tight end coach in 2017 which was Everett’s rookie season. His knowledge of Waldron’s system is one of the reasons Carson Schroer of 12th Man Rising thinks he’s a player to watch this season for the ‘Hawks.
"“Seattle hasn’t had a true TE1 in quite some time, so I’m excited to see what Everett can do this fall. He also has the bonus of knowing the Waldron scheme, and I think Shane will work some plays up specifically for Everett. If he can contribute 600 yards and 5 touchdowns this season, he’ll make a big impact on the passing game.” — Schroer, 12th Man Rising"
If Everett hits the numbers predicted by Schroer, he will be well worth the addition. And given his athleticism and understanding of the offense he will be working in, it also wouldn’t be a shock to see him reach that production.
4. Kenny Golladay, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
One thing the New York Giants have been missing since trading Odell Beckham, Jr. to the Browns in 2019 is a No. 1 wide receiver. This isn’t to say they made a mistake in that deal since it could be argued they won the trade. Not only has Dexter Lawrence been a solid addition but Jabril Peppers has also played well and Oshane Ximines showed promise with 4.5 sacks in 2019 before missing most of the 2020 season.
OBJ, on the other hand, was inconsistent in 2019 and missed almost all of 2020 after recording just 319 yards in the first six games. Still, the Giants needed someone for Daniel Jones to target downfield and that’s why the signing of Kenny Golladay was so important. His arrival gives them someone capable of drawing double-teams and keeping the defense from stacking the box to slow down running back Saquon Barkley.
There are some risks involved in this signing since Golladay is coming off an injury-plagued campaign himself which made it seem like he might struggle to get top dollar in free agency. Even with that risk being there, the Giants were comfortable enough to sign him to a four-year, $72 million contract. And chances are, we will see a player similar to the one who crossed the 1,000-yard plateau in both 2018 and 2019.
3. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
Another big move for the Cleveland Browns this offseason was the signing of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The former No. 1 pick in 2014 out of South Carolina, was a free agent in 2020 and the Browns went after him in hopes of trying to pair him with Myles Garrett — the No. 1 pick from 2017. Clowney was offered a substantial three-year deal but wasn’t sold on the Browns and instead took a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans trying to bet on himself to earn a long-term deal in 2021.
Things didn’t go as planned for Clowney as he recorded no sacks in eight games before suffering an injury that prematurely ended his season. Once again a free agent this offseason, Clowney decided to take the offer to play in Cleveland — but he may not have had much choice.
His injury history has turned a lot of teams off — as did the lack of production over the past two seasons. However, he finds himself in a new city where there won’t be nearly as much attention from the opposing offensive lines as he’s used to seeing thanks to the presence of Garrett on the opposite side.
The only real question is if he can stay healthy. While he might not play all 17 games, as long as Clowney suits up for the majority of them, the Browns are going to be very happy with their investment. He’s a wildly disruptive player who comes in at a very affordable rate for Cleveland. Another win for GM Andrew Berry.
2. Matt Stafford, Quarterback. Los Angeles Rams
We can argue all day whether or not the trade the Los Angeles Rams made for Matthew Stafford was good or not. They did give up a ton for him including two first-round picks as well as Jared Goff and while it seems on the surface that they have upgraded, the fact is Stafford is now 33-years of age meaning he might not be around much longer.
What we cannot argue is whether or not he will do well in Los Angeles. Stafford is a very talented quarterback who enters 2021 with 45,109 career passing yards and 282 touchdowns against 144 picks. He also had two of his most efficient seasons ever in 2019 and 2020 — although 2019 was cut short due to an injury.
Not only is he playing at a high level right now, but the Rams have one of the best play-callers in the NFL in Sean McVay. He’s done excellent work in his career with Kirk Cousins and Goff but has never had a player with the talent Stafford possesses.
So while we can argue about the trade, none of that will matter if this team finds a way to win it all. And they feel like true contenders with their new quarterback under center.
1. Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans
There was a lot of drama surrounding Julio Jones this offseason, but none of that was on him. One of the best wideouts the Atlanta Falcons have ever seen, Jones had his name floated as a potential trade piece when the new regime took over this offseason.
To his credit, Jones kept quiet but then was on the air with Shannon Sharpe on FS1 saying he wasn’t coming back to Atlanta. It sounded as though Jones finally took a stand against a team he had grown frustrated with but the truth is, he didn’t know Sharpe had him on air so he was probably more honest than he wanted to be.
In the end, everything worked out since the Falcons got a decent return for a wide receiver who is now 32-years of age and Jones got to land in a very good spot with the Tennessee Titans. Right now, the Titans have three superstar players on offense in Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, and Jones.
Each of them could take over the game and while Ryan Tannehill gets a lot of grief, he’s been very good for the Titans and should be even better now that he has Jones on the team.
On top of that, Jones was able to take advantage of the new NFL number rules, which has him wearing No. 2 (Brown is No. 11 which is what Jones wore in Atlanta). That’s a pretty sweet look for a wide receiver and while that won’t help him perform on the field, he will look better doing so.