10 Unsung Players who Could Impact Their New Teams

Everybody's been talking about Favre, Jason Taylor, Jeremy Shockey and the like changing teams and having potential impacts in 2008. But there are a lot of other players who changed teams this year who are getting the same attention. Some of them could have huge impacts on their teams and influence the playoff picture. Based on the principles of Football Know-it-All, here are ten men flying under the radar who could help their teams this year:

1. Shaun Rogers, NT, Cleveland Browns- With Cleveland’s DLI a meager 20.1 last year, this mammoth All-Pro end-turned-nose tackle could be just what the Browns ordered in their conversion to a 3-4. With help from fellow Browns newbie Corey Williams at left end, Rogers could anchor a D-Line that propels the Cleveland defense to heights only its offense reached last year. Rogers could very well hold the key to an AFC North title for Cleveland.

2. Kawika Mitchell, OLB, Buffalo Bills- He is a tackling machine, and with MLB now a more solid position in Buffalo with Paul Posluszny’s return, Mitchell’s presence could help the Bills reduce the amount of Side Yards that elite runners usually run up against them.

3. Antwan Odom, DE, Cincinnati Bengals- Observers have been waiting for the Bengals defense to develop under supposed guru Marvin Lewis. After 5 years, Lewis may finally have a pass rusher to at least make his defense respectable. Odom racked up 8 sacks last year and pressured the quarterback frequently. With rookie LB Keith Rivers, the Bengals may not have an elite defense, but perhaps they can move to the middle of the pack.

4. Jerry Porter, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars- He may have the reputation of a malcontent, but especially with the underachieving Matt Jones gone, it is crucial for David Garrard to have a big target. Porter averaged 16.1 Yards/Catch last year. As mentioned in previous posts, Long Pass Plays have a 0.75 correlation with winning percentage. Receivers than can spread the field help the offense substantially, and the Jaguars may have gotten a bargain in Porter.

5. Chris Myers, C, Houston Texans- Myers centered a Denver O-Line that is famous for making big holes for running backs, and that could come in handy for rookie Steve Slaton and vet Ahman Green.

6. Gibril Wilson, SS, Oakland Raiders- One of the leaders in the NFL among DB’s in solo tackles. This means that Wilson is excellent at taking down ball carriers in the flat and not allowing them to gain extra yards while help arrives. In case the linebacker corps does not improve as projected, Wilson’s tackling ability will be what keeps the Raiders from giving up as many big plays as they did last year.

7. Jeff Faine, C, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Faine was a highly sought-after center from New Orleans, and an emerging Ernest Graham will thank him for coming to Tampa. However, Faine’s strength is in picking up the blitzes up the middle, and that skill will be especially crucial with a 38-year-old Jeff Garcia in the pocket.

8. Muhsin Muhammed, WR, Carolina Panthers- Bringing Muhammed back returns that possession receiver to pair with Steve Smith and really opens up the passing game. Also, keep an eye on 2nd year man Dwayne Jarrett, the lanky big-play wideout from USC who got off to a slow start in 2007 but may emerge.

9. Randall Gay, CB, New Orleans Saints- A lot of the attention went to the acquisitions of Jonathan Vilma and Jeremy Shockey, but Gay may be just as important. In the past two years, Gay only allowed a 100-yard receiving game twice. With Mike McKenzie aging, Gay may be covering #1 receivers before long.

10. Justin Smith, DE, San Francisco 49ers- Smith can get to the quarterback, and he also gets a large amount of tackles on run plays. He is so fast, he can move laterally and seriously reduce the Side Yards of many running backs. However, he can just as easily converge on the middle to clog up the guard and tackle running lanes. Also capable of playing OLB, Smith could almost single-handedly bring the Niners’ defense into respectability.