NFL players who need a change of scenery this offseason

Odell Beckham Jr., Chidobe Awuzie, James Conner and Zach Ertz were among ESPN’s list of players who could use a change of scenery last year. They got theirs and made it work.

OBJ caught a touchdown in the Super Bowl and earned a ring with the champion Los Angeles Rams.

Awuzie started 14 games at cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals and was a big reason they opposed the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Awuzie had two interceptions, 14 passes defensed and four tackles for loss — all career highs.

Ertz and Conner were part of the big turnaround for the Arizona Cardinals, who made the postseason for the first time since 2015. Ertz caught 56 balls after he was traded to the desert; Conner posted 18 total touchdowns to rank third in the NFL.

So who needs to move on this year? Some of these names are repeats from last year. And not everyone will make a smash at a new address. But as you’ve just read, it can happen. Our NFL reporters offered up one candidate each from the team they cover who might benefit from new surroundings.

Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

NFC EAST

Guard Connor Williams

He started 51 of the 57 games he played for the Cowboys from 2018 to 2021. As a second-round pick, he was supposed to be another stalwart offensive line pick with Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and La’el Collins. It is not that he played poorly, he just didn’t play great all the time. His strength improved over time and he was able to move well, but he was still subject to being overpowered and getting caught out of position. In 2021, he was penalized 15 times with 12 penalties accepted, which led to him losing his job for a spell. He’s set to be a free agent in March, and the Cowboys aren’t in position to say goodbye to a starting lineman, but for all involved it would be better for Williams to find a new home so he…