16 NFC players who need a change of scenery

For some players, it's a no-brainer they need a change of scenery for next season. (We're looking at you, "Hollywood" Brown and Michael Thomas.) For others, the reasons are more complicated. As determined by Yardbarker NFL writers, here is one player on each NFC team who needs a new NFL home. 

NFC East 

DALLAS COWBOYS | Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert:  Tolbert was considered one of the best big-play threats in college football when the Cowboys took him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. With just 17 catches for 200 yards in 2023, however, it’s obvious the former South Alabama star and Sun Belt Player of the Year isn't a high priority.

NEW YORK GIANTS | Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt: The rookie from Tennessee won't get many catches with the three-headed monster of Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito at quarterback. Hyatt, who has only 17 receptions for 330 yards (third on team), may never reach his potential in the NFL’s worst passing offense.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Running back D’Andre Swift: His 783 yards rushing are fourth most among NFL running backs, but thanks to Jalen "Mr. Brotherly Shove" Hurts (12 rushing TDs), he has only four rushing touchdowns. His selection may seem a stretch, but for Swift to get in the end zone more, he'd need a change of scenery.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Running back Antonio Gibson: What happened to the running back who led the team in rushing with 1,037 yards and tallied 10 touchdowns in 2021? With Brian Robinson Jr. nursing a hamstring injury for Week 14, the soon-to-be free agent (193 rushing yards in 2023) has a golden opportunity to show 31 other teams what he can do. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown: Averaging just 10.9 yards per catch in 25 games with the Cardinals, Brown has not lived up to the hype after his acquisition from Baltimore for a first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in 2022. He is a free agent after this season and should go to a team that can maximize his talents. 

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Wide receiver Cooper Kupp: Injuries and age have slowed the 30-year-old to the point where the Rams aren't getting their money’s worth ($17,360,000 in 2023, per Spotrac). Plus, Kupp no is longer Matthew Stafford's go-to receiver since the emergence of rookie star Puka Nacua. 

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Running back Elijah Mitchell: He flashed big-play potential in his first two seasons with the 49ers, averaging more than 4.7 yards per carry overall. But he is never going to get enough touches in an offense with skill players Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk. 

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Safety Jamal Adams: This is a situation where the team and the player need a fresh start. Seattle paid two first-round picks to acquire Adams from the New York Jets, but his tenure with the Seahawks has been marred by injuries and inconsistent play. — Adam Gretz

NFC North 

CHICAGO BEARS | Wide receiver Darnell Mooney: Two seasons removed from a breakout campaign in 2021 (81 catches, 1,055 yards, four TD catches), the 26-year-old has become an afterthought in the offense, recording only 65 catches for 844 yards and two touchdowns since the start of 2022 (24 games). Among receivers, he is a distant third in the pecking order behind WR D.J. Moore and TE Cole Kmet.

DETROIT LIONS | Edge-rusher Julian Okwara: The 2020 third-round pick has only 78 defensive snaps this season despite ranking fourth on the Lions in sacks (two) and eighth in pressures (10). The grass isn't always greener somewhere else, but after being active in just six games heading into Week 14, a fresh start may be Okwara's only shot at significant playing time.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Safety Darnell Savage: After poor play in coverage led to his benching a season ago, Savage hasn't improved in that area  — he's graded 57th among NFL safeties, per Pro Football Focus. Savage's play with the Packers has been inconsistent at best, so a different scheme with another team would be better for the 2019 first-round pick.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Running back Alexander Mattison: Given the reins as the No. 1 back this season, Mattison has floundered, registering only 594 yards (on 158 attempts) and no touchdowns through 12 games. He stands near the bottom among NFL rushers in yards per carry (3.8) and yards per game (49.5), so the third-round pick may not be the lead back for long.  — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South 

ATLANTA FALCONS | Tight end Kyle Pitts: The Falcons don’t use Pitts (41 catches, 492 yards) like a player they drafted fourth overall. It’s time to free him from head coach Arthur Smith and allow him to thrive on a team that knows how to use him.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Defensive end Brian Burns: Frustration boiled over for Burns in Week 13, when the talented defensive end (six sacks, 12 tackles for loss) was ejected for throwing a punch at rookie Bucs offensive lineman Cody Mauch. As far as Carolina (1-11) is from contending, he’d be better off elsewhere or else the punches could start flying more often.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Wide receiver Michael Thomas: The eight-year veteran (39 catches, 448 yards) should spend what’s left of his career hitching his ride to a Super Bowl contender, not posting on X (formerly Twitter) after every Derek Carr incompletion. This union has run its course.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Running back Rachaad White: The second-year back is coming off his best two-game stretch as a pro with 35 carries, 184 yards and a touchdown in Weeks 12 and 13 despite Tampa’s offensive line ranking last in ESPN’s run-block win rate metric. Imagine what he could do if he had help. — Eric Smithling