6 NFL free agents who can shine with the right team
And if they stay healthy.
It was a busy weekend in the worlds of sports and pop culture. In the NFL, a few teams made moves before the legal tampering window opens at noon on Monday. The Bears did what I expected them to and traded out of the first pick, which now belongs to the Panthers. Then the Dolphins took my advice and traded for Jalen Ramsey.
In college basketball, the conference championships wrapped up on Sunday, followed by the unveiling of the brackets in the men’s and women’s tournaments.
On the TV front, both Poker Face and The Last of Us ended their critically acclaimed first seasons. And of course, the Academy Awards were held on Sunday night to celebrate the 2022 movies that were exactly as long as they should’ve been (The Banshees of Inisherin, Top Gun: Maverick) and also the ones that were about 20 minutes too long (all the rest of them).
This year, the four acting winners were first-time nominees. Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis have been acting, practically nonstop, for decades and have been great in everything I’ve ever seen them in. But it wasn’t until Everything Everywhere All At Once until they found the roles that finally delivered the recognition they’ve long deserved.
Three decades after co-starring in Encino Man, Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan are Hollywood’s comeback stories of the year. Both found fame early in their careers but have talked about the difficulties they had finding work after that. They never gave up, though, and the right part came at just the right time for these two endearing actors.
That got me thinking about some of the NFL free agents who are about to hit the open market. Who just needs to find the right landing spot to either have a breakout or comeback season?
Below, I picked six players who could get on track in 2023 with a simple change of scenery — and better injury luck.
Parris Campbell, WR
In 2022, for the first time in his NFL career, Parris Campbell was healthy enough to play a full season. Unfortunately, that also happened to be the same year when the Colts imploded offensively. They finished last in the NFL in offensive DVOA as they alternated between the ineffective play of Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, and Nick Foles at quarterback.
Still, Campbell produced career-high numbers (63 catches, 623 yards, 3 TDs) and proved to be a quality — and, as always, speedy — slot receiver:
His injury history might scare some teams away, but Campbell has the kind of talent that is just waiting to be harnessed in a better offense. The 2019 second-round pick, who comes from the Brian Hartline pipeline, led Ohio State in receiving as a senior as one of its best playmakers and ran the fastest 40-yard dash among WRs at his combine. He’s also only 25 years old and will be an affordable option on the wide receiver market.
Andre Dillard, OT
In recent years, the Eagles have been known for putting together elite offensive line units. Andre Dillard, their first-round pick in 2019, was expected to be a foundational piece to that line as the eventual replacement for left tackle Jason Peters. However, he’s been more of a role player due to injuries and teammates who have been, quite frankly, better.
That doesn’t mean Dillard has been a full-on bust, even if his rookie year was rocky and he missed his entire second year due to a torn bicep. In the past couple of seasons, he gained experience as a valuable backup, and sometimes spot starter, at LT, RT, and guard. He learned beside All-Pros like Peters, Lane Johnson, and Jason Kelce. And he became stronger and more mature off the field.
Still only 27, Dillard should be ready to be a full-time starter for whichever OL-needy team signs him. At the very least, it’s never a bad thing to have a swing tackle at your disposal.
Bud Dupree, Edge
Unlike Campbell and Dillard, Bud Dupree has been a consistent producer throughout his career. He’s racked up 46.5 sacks, 82 QB hits, 62 TFLs, and 10 forced fumbles in eight seasons. In his two years with the Titans, Dupree remained a disrupter … when he was on the field. An ACL injury and then a hip injury caused him to miss six games each in 2021 and 2022. He’s since become one of the Titans’ cap casualties.
Yet Dupree, who recently turned 30, is a savvy veteran and can make any pass rush better, as his (now former) teammates have attested to:
If he lands with the right team, and more importantly, stays healthy, then Dupree is a good candidate for a bounce-back season.
Mike Gesicki, TE
Last year, the Dolphins used their franchise tag on Mike Gesicki, who had developed a rapport with Tua Tagovailoa. For the third season in a row, Gesicki had been second on the team in receiving, this time for a career-high 73 catches and 780 yards.
But Gesicki just wasn’t the right fit for new head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. He played just 478 snaps, and as such, his stats were more than cut in half in 2022, with 32 catches for 362 yards — his worst showing since his rookie year, when his coach was *shudder* Adam Gase1.
Gesicki did haul in five touchdowns, though, and is a big target who knows how to get open:
In a system that’s a better match for his skills, Gesicki can get back to being a TEINO (tight end in name only, I just made that up) kind of weapon.
Shaquill Griffin, CB
In his final year in Seattle in 2020, Shaquill Griffin snagged three interceptions, which matched his career total. Since then, he’s had none.
Griffin signed with the Jaguars in free agency two years ago. In 2021, he let his chances at coming down with an interception slip through his fingers2, sometimes literally. Other than that, his play was solid. The same couldn’t be said for this past season, when a back injury slowed him down and made him look like a liability out there. It also ended his season early after just five games.
Griffin is now medically cleared, but the Jags released him last week after being unable to find a trade partner. Even though things didn’t work out for him in Jacksonville, Griffin can help out another team’s secondary, and provide a strong locker room presence, if he’s truly healthy.
Damien Harris, RB
I know that running backs age in dog years, so 26-year-old Damien Harris is getting a little long in the tooth for the NFL. Still, he doesn’t have as much mileage as you might think.
Part of that is because Harris has always been part of a platoon. At Alabama, he was sharing carries with the likes of Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris. With the Patriots, it was Sony Michel and then Rhamondre Stevenson. The other reason is that Harris has never played a full season in the NFL. The closest he came was in 2021, when he appeared in 15 games and led New England’s ground game with 202 carries for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He couldn’t replicate that performance in 2022, due to injuries, Stevenson’s breakout play, and the Patriots’ discombobulated offense.
When he’s healthy, Harris is a powerful runner with deceptive speed who is extremely hard to tackle:
If he can keep the injuries at bay, and land with a team that doesn’t try to employ Matt Patricia as an offensive coordinator, then Harris can return to his bulldozing ways in 2023.
Speaking of Everything Everywhere All At Once, never forget Adam Gase’s googly eyes.
Maybe he was channeling his self who comes from the hot dog fingers universe.