The NFL’s free agency period is full of tales of marquee players changing zip codes, but the far more interesting narrative during the mid-March frenzy lies with players who are changing addresses with the hope of bigger and better things. Several players in this year’s free agent pool have the chance to parlay some small successes into big futures. Here’s a look at five such players.
Josh McCown, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
McCown has been the consummate professional during his 12 years in the NFL. He’s quietly compiled a 77.5 career quarterback rating with 50 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. Those numbers aren’t gaudy by any stretch, but McCown did play the bulk of his snaps for a bad Arizona Cardinals team.
Since arriving with the Chicago Bears, he’s thrown 15 touchdowns against only 5 picks. Last year his ratio was 13:1. Surrounded with some talent, he’s shown an ability to perform at a high level.
Stuck playing second fiddle to Jay Cutler in Chicago, McCown now gets a chance to be the transition quarterback for Lovie Smith’s Buccaneers. Tampa Bay doesn’t have the talent that Chicago can boast on offense, but they are a team that didn’t have a terrible offense with Mike Glennon under center last year.
McCown won’t get another chance to be a starter as he’s already 34. The lack of mileage on his arm means that he could get a few good years in before retirement. With Tampa Bay lacking a direction at the quarterback position, and unlikely to go with the previous regime’s pick in Glennon, McCown will be asked to start in 2014 and be a mentor for a to-be-determined youngster.
Toby Gerhart, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Perhaps no player stands to benefit more from a change of scenery this offseason than Gerhart. Running backs always want the ball in their hands, but Gerhart has had the difficult task of playing Adrian Peterson’s understudy since he entered the league in 2010.
Even with limited exposure, Gerhart has thrived every time he’s touched the football. His career yards-per-carry average stands at a healthy 4.7 and he’s compiled just over 1,300 yards on 276 career carries
The move from Minnesota is a smart career move for a player that has the ability to step up to the role of featured back. The Jaguars are getting a talented player with very low mileage at a time when running backs are signing for fractions of what they used to make on the open market.
Gerhart gets his chance to prove that he’s more than just a good backup. Coupled with Jacksonville moving on from Maurice Jones-Drew, who signed with Oakland, Gerhart figures to be the guy for a long time for the Jaguars.
Dexter McCluster, WR, Tennessee Titans
Kansas City never seemed to find the right role for McCluster. Ken Whisenhunt, an offensive guru with a creative and versatile scheme, might be just the person to turn loose the immense talent that McCluster has shown in brief flashes.
McCluster’s speed is what makes him a weapon. He’s a running back that can play wide receiver. He’s small at 5’8” and 170 pounds, but he’s hard to tackle in the open field and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. For a team seeking a new identity under offensive guru Ken Whisenhunt, he could be quite the weapon.
Whisenhunt got the most out of another multi-purpose guy while he was coordinating Pittsburgh’s offense. Antwaan Randle El was never quite as useful once he parted ways with the Steelers. If the new Titans coach can get that type of spark out of McCluster, the talent that once made him a high second-round draft choice could be put on display more consistently.
He’ll have to be useful for a Tennessee squad that needs a playmaker at the receiver position to go along with the team’s other young talent. With running back Chris Johnson expected to be set free any day now, the Titans could shift their identify to a creative passing team. A player with the ability to work in the backfield or split wide just makes them more dangerous.
Brandon Weeden, QB, Dallas Cowboys
No player can be more excited to get a fresh start than Weeden. Mired in a no-win situation with the Cleveland Browns, Weeden has needed to get out and get a fresh start since the minute he was drafted in the first round in 2012.
Although signing with Dallas is a bit of a head-scratcher for both sides, Weeden could turn out to be a useful pick up if Tony Romo misses time next season. Kyle Orton is a competent backup but isn’t young enough to stick around long. Even if Weeden remains an understudy, he has value and more upside than Orton.
Perhaps Weeden will be nothing more than a career backup, but he’s never been given a true chance to prove his skills. Playing in Cleveland should earn any player a career mulligan when they leave. He did manage 23 touchdowns in Cleveland with no consistent talent at running back and wide receiver.
The talent on Dallas’ offense is ten times what Weeden worked with on the Browns. If he can spin the ability he flashed in college into something more successful as Tony Romo’s relief pitcher, he could revive his flagging career and pursue a job somewhere else in a year or two. The key for Weeden is time. He entered the league later than most quarterbacks and is already 30.
Michael Vick, QB, New York Jets
Vick is nearing the end of the line. He’s had trouble staying healthy, which cost him his job in Philadelphia last season, and he’s not the dynamic, rangy player that lit up NFL stat sheets and scoreboards in the early part of his career.
But Vick, 33, has what it takes to give a team a capable starter for the next year or two and he’s the classic “change of scenery” player because he has had success before and just seems to need a new opportunity to energize him.
The Jets taking a flyer on Vick makes sense for both sides. Vick gets the opportunity to start. He’ll get competition from second-year man Geno Smith, but in reality it will be Vick’s job to lose. For the Jets, they get an experienced signal caller with 13 years of experience and 128 career touchdown passes. Vick’s running ability doesn’t profile as well as it did in his prime, but he’s still too dangerous with his feet to allow him to get loose.
More than anything for New York, the Jets get a player with a similar overall style to Smith. Vick might be able to unlock more of that talent and help Smith grow into the player the Jets need for the future. Vick can leave after the season if he wants. That allows him to attempt a healthy campaign and re-establish his value for the market one final time.
