It's Week 8 of the NFL season, so we've had roughly two months to digest changes that each team made during the offseason.
Everyone loves offseason movement. Fans get super excited about new players joining their team, whether through trade or free agency. But not all moves work out. Some players excel in their new surroundings, bringing strong production to their new teams and improving prior weaknesses. Other players struggle to make anything good happen.
I took a look at five non-rookies from each category -- five players who are working really well in their new cities and five who are not. Which teams are getting help from these new players, and which ones might be on the hook for some bad contracts? Let's start in Baltimore with a late-summer signing who has made a big positive impact on his new 2023 team.
Jump to:
Additions making impact
Additions struggling to get going
Players who are working with their new teams
Jadeveon Clowney, OLB, Baltimore Ravens
How he got there: Signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract
Stat to know: Ninth among edge rushers with 25% pass rush win rate
Clowney's still got it. He has bounced from NFL team to NFL team in recent years, but he'll help whoever signs him -- even if for a year. In August, the Ravens brought him in to give a veteran complement to their young edge rusher crew, and he has been fantastic for a defense that now ranks second in the NFL in DVOA. Clowney has been even more important since David Ojabo (ankle/knee) and Odafe Oweh (ankle) have missed most of the season so far with injuries.
And it's not just Clowney's 3.5 sacks -- already surpassing his total from 2022 -- but also how he got there. Clowney is ninth in the league in pass rush win rate (PRWR) despite being double-teamed 27% of the time. Out of the top 20 edge rushers in PRWR, only Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons have been double-teamed more often.
Clowney's performance has probably earned him more money for the 2024 season. I don't know if he'll get that from the Ravens or if, at age 31, he'll be off joining another franchise for a year or two.
Samson Ebukam, DE, Indianapolis Colts
How he got there: Signed a three-year contract worth up to $27 million
Stat to know: Tied for second in the NFL with 16 defeats
Ebukam is another one of several pass-rushers who are excelling with new teams in 2023. Look at the leaders in PRWR and you'll also find Leonard Floyd of the Bills and Arden Key of the Titans. But I want to bring attention to Ebukam because while he hasn't made the most plays, he has made the most big plays.
The defeats stat combines turnovers, tackles for loss and plays that prevent a third- or fourth-down conversion in order to get an idea of which defenders make the most splash plays. The Jaguars' Foyesade Oluokun leads the NFL with 21, but Ebukam's 16 are tied for second with two other players. Not bad for a guy whom San Francisco deemed expendable after last season. Three of Ebukam's four sacks this season have come on third downs. He also has a tackle or assist on seven different runs for lost yardage. And he tackled Jaguars tight end Evan Engram for a 1-yard gain on a third-and-2 in Week 6.
Ebukam also ranks 15th among edge rushers with a 21% PRWR and fifth with a 36% run stop win rate (RSWR).
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
How he got there: Signed a three-year, $33 million contract
Stat to know: Scored five of the Raiders' eight receiving touchdowns
You might have seen recent complaints from Las Vegas All-Pro receiver Davante Adams that he's not getting enough looks in the Raiders' offense. That's not Adams' fault, and it's not really coach Josh McDaniels' fault either. The biggest reason Adams is getting fewer targets than expected is that he's not a one-man show anymore. Meyers is constantly open.
Meyers has 37 catches for 385 yards and five touchdowns through six games. He has a very average DVOA this season, in part because of opponent adjustments for an easy Raiders schedule of opposing pass defenses. But he has been superb according to ESPN's Receiver Tracking Metrics, where Meyers currently ranks 17th overall among wide receivers and 11th in open score.
There has been one problem for Meyers, and that's getting enough yardage on third downs. Meyers has 10 catches on 16 targets on third down, but only six of those catches have gained enough yardage to convert for a new set of downs (or score a touchdown). Nonetheless, there's no doubt the Raiders are getting everything they wanted when they signed Meyers to a contract this offseason. He has expanded what they can do with their passing game and basically rendered Hunter Renfrow completely superfluous.
David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
How he got there: Signed a three-year, $18 million contract
Stat to know: Third in the NFL with 57% success rate
It was a surprise when the Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama with the 12th overall pick in this year's draft. It was an even bigger surprise in the first few games of the season when Gibbs was not the lead back in the Lions' backfield. It has been Montgomery who has gained the trust of the coaching staff and given Detroit -- and fantasy managers -- a strong performance so far this season.
Through five games, Montgomery has 94 carries for 385 yards and six touchdowns. Yes, that's only 4.1 yards per carry; Montgomery doesn't have a lot of long highlight runs, with only one carry for over 16 yards (42-yard touchdown against the Panthers in Week 5). But Montgomery gives Detroit consistency. He ranks third among qualified running backs with a 57% success rate, showing that he's consistently moving the ball and keeping the Lions in advantageous down-and-distance situations.
And his success rate is even better on first down, (65% with 5.1 yards per carry). Montgomery may not move the ball in chunks, but shorter second downs make life a lot easier for quarterback Jared Goff. He isn't used much as a receiver, but he does have a positive receiving DVOA with 66 yards on six catches. Unfortunately, Montgomery has missed the Lions' Week 7 game against Baltimore with a rib cartilage injury, but he could return to the lineup soon.
Looking ahead, Montgomery's future in Detroit is uncertain despite the three-year deal. The Lions could hand the starting job to Gibbs in 2024 and cut Montgomery if the veteran's play declines, with very little cap impact.
Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Los Angeles Rams
How he got there: Signed a one-year, $1.08 million contract
Stat to know: Sixth in NFL with 0.64 yards per coverage snap
Witherspoon was a free agent afterthought, the one veteran in a Rams secondary filled with young, lower-drafted players. He has never been known as one of the league's top cornerbacks, and he lost most of the 2022 season to injury. But so far in 2023, he has been phenomenally good.
Witherspoon is near the top of the league with only 0.64 yards allowed per coverage snap according to FTN Data charting. The Rams rank No. 1 in DVOA against passes to the right side of the field, where Witherspoon is playing. Last week, Steelers receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens combined for 186 yards against the Rams, but only 25 of those came on the right side.
The Rams signed Witherspoon to a one-year contract, so he might be on to another team after the 2023 season. He'll probably get more money this time if he keeps up his strong performance this season, although he'll also be 29 years old next year, and cornerback stats are notoriously inconsistent from season to season.
Players who are not working with their new teams
Dalvin Cook, RB, New York Jets
How he got there: Signed a one-year, $7 million contract
Stat to know: 2.8 yards per carry
There was a lot of excitement when Cook signed with the Jets before the season began. Aaron Rodgers and Cook playing together in the same backfield! The stars of the NFC North, united! But then Rodgers tore his Achilles in his first game, and Cook has been terrible through six games.
Cook has just 39 carries for 109 yards with no touchdowns. That's an average of 2.8 yards per carry. The Jets haven't given Cook more than eight carries in a game since Week 1. And he has a 38% success rate and minus-26% rushing DVOA -- which would rank 30th if Cook had enough carries to qualify for rankings.
Cook was also supposed to be a threat in the passing game out of the backfield, but that hasn't worked out either. He has nine receptions for 46 yards and one first down as a receiver. His receiving DVOA of minus-21% would rank 26th if he had enough targets to qualify.
It's not like the problem is the Jets' offensive line. Breece Hall is averaging 6.5 yards per carry with a 47% success rate. Cook, 28, just doesn't look good. He's already the subject of trade rumors, but how much would he bring to a new team? Most of his money this season is guaranteed, but at least the Jets get off the hook after one season.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Dallas Cowboys
How he got there: Traded from Houston for 2023 fifth-round pick and 2024 sixth-round pick
Stat to know: 8.4 yards per reception on 13 catches
Cooks was supposed to improve the Dallas offense in two spots. He was going to give the Cowboys a strong, consistent No. 2 wide receiver to help take attention away from CeeDee Lamb, and that would in turn kick Michael Gallup down to the No. 3 spot to improve that position as well. It hasn't worked out that way. The Dallas offense is 19th in pass DVOA this season, and Cooks has been part of the problem.
He has six 1,000-yard seasons since 2015, but he may have hit a wall at age 30. So far, he has only 13 catches for 109 yards and one touchdown in five games. That's an 8.4-yard average per reception. Not great for a guy who's supposed to be a deep threat. Cooks has not caught a pass for more than 16 air yards.
His low total of 23 targets is a demonstration of the trouble he's having getting open. Cooks ranks 72nd out of 81 qualifying receivers in ESPN's Receiver Tracking Metrics. His open score of 40 ranks 70th. Cooks does a little better in DVOA, which measures value per target, but even there he is 56th. Lamb, who is not part of the problem, ranks 12th.
The Cowboys can move on from Cooks after this season if things don't turn around. Designating him as a post-June 1 cut would put $2 million of dead money on their cap in each of the next three years but save them $8 million on the cap in 2024.
Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers
How he got there: Signed a four-year, $25 million contract
Stat to know: Last among qualifying running backs with 34% success rate
Sanders was supposed to provide stability at the running back position as a veteran whom rookie quarterback Bryce Young could depend on. Instead, he has struggled with a shoulder injury and may lose the starting job to Chuba Hubbard.
Sanders has 61 carries for 190 yards, a 3.1-yard average. He has more fumbles (two) than touchdowns (one). He is in last place in success rate, which measures how often the running back gets enough yards to keep the chains moving depending on the down-and-distance of each play. NFL Next Gen Stats lists him with minus-0.72 yards per carry compared to expected yardage.
Sanders isn't doing much better as a receiver. He has a 63% catch rate, very poor for a running back, and just 5.4 yards per reception. Overall, Sanders ranks 30th in rushing DVOA and 28th in receiving DVOA out of 33 qualified running backs.
We'll see if Sanders can take back the No. 1 running back job once his shoulder is healthy or if he just becomes Hubbard's backup. Hubbard is averaging 4.5 yards per carry with a 63% success rate. But no matter how often the Panthers can use him, Sanders is likely going to be around for a couple years. They do have an out after 2024 with the ability to cut him at that point with about $3 million in dead money.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, New England Patriots
How he got there: Signed a three-year, $33 million contract
Stat to know: 14 receptions for 86 yards and 0 touchdowns
Some receivers disappoint because they don't produce on the field. Some receivers disappoint because they can't get on the field to begin with. Smith-Schuster's short time in New England has featured both problems. He was supposed to be the replacement for the aforementioned Meyers as Mac Jones' go-to receiver in the slot, but while Meyers is averaging 64 yards per game for the Raiders, Smith-Schuster barely has matched that for the entire season.
Smith-Schuster dealt with a knee injury in the spring, but he was ready to start the 2023 season. However, he only played 54% of the snaps in New England's Week 1 loss to the Eagles, and he has only played more than 60% of snaps in one game so far. Plus, he has missed the past two games in concussion protocol.
When he has played, Smith-Schuster has essentially been the worst receiver in the league. He has minus-84 DYAR, the worst total in the league, and he comes in dead last in Receiver Tracking Metrics.
Smith-Schuster has $7 million in guaranteed salary for 2024, so it's hard to imagine that he's going anywhere. Cutting him after the season would actually cost the Patriots cap space if they did it before June 1. And even after June 1, they would get a measly $1 million in cap savings. A trade is more likely, but who wants to deal for him with this contract?
Jawaan Taylor, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
How he got there: Signed a four-year, $80 million contract
Stat to know: Leads NFL with 10 accepted penalties (11 total)
Yes, Taylor leads offensive players with 70 yards on 10 accepted penalties (11 total). No other individual player in the league has more than eight penalties.
You may remember hearing about Taylor's penalty troubles in the first month of the season. The issue is not just that he draws penalties, but the type of penalties that he draws. Taylor drew several illegal formation penalties because he repeatedly lined up well off the line of scrimmage. Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes voiced support for Taylor, but his penalties have been a big problem, and Reid even benched him for a few plays in the Week 3 victory over Chicago.
But how has Taylor been as a blocker? Good and bad. Taylor has a 92.3% pass block win rate, which ranks 10th among tackles right now. Nothing is more important to the Chiefs' offense than protecting Mahomes. But Taylor also has a 69.4% run block win rate, which is the 10th worst among tackles with at least 100 snaps. The Chiefs run right end over 20% of the time but rank just 25th in adjusted line yards on those runs.
The Chiefs are so good that they can wait for Taylor to come around, and things are getting better. Taylor committed 10 penalties over the first four games but only one in the past three. Now they just need to improve Taylor's run blocking, because he's not going anywhere anytime soon. An average of $20 million per year makes Taylor the No. 2 highest-paid right tackle in the NFL behind the Eagles' Lane Johnson.