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http://espn.go.com/nfl/insider/stor...kins-blake-bortles-most-improved-players-2015
As four teams still dream of Super Bowl glory, 28 other NFL fan bases turn their attention forward to the draft and back on the regular season to reflect on the year that was.
The great thing about the NFL is that nothing is static; while some players decline each year, some will take big steps forward and improve dramatically from one year to the next.
Often that improvement comes from the development of a young player, but there can be other reasons for the jump in performance too. Recovering from a significant injury can take more than the first year back in action, and often just finding a new team and new scheme can instantly boost a player's on-field returns.
So here are the 10 most improved players of the 2015 season.
Geno Atkins, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
In 2012, Atkins was the best defensive tackle in football. He was the standout from his draft class, a class in which the debate was over Gerald McCoy or Ndamukong Suh at the top and Atkins was a relative afterthought. Injury robbed him of his 2013 and the following season he was a shadow of his former self. This season, however, Atkins led all defensive tackles in total pressures with 82, and trailed only Aaron Donald in PFF rating among players who didn't miss time with a score of 93.0.
Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The only quarterback ranked lower than Derek Carr as a rookie was Bortles, who notched the worst single-season cumulative grade PFF has ever seen in a first-year starter. The Jaguars always knew he was raw and not ready to start in his first year, but their faith in his upside was rewarded this season with a performance that saw him finish the season graded in the top 15. Bortles, who had 35 touchdown passes, still has issues with his game, but the leap from Year 1 to 2 was gigantic.
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders[/paste:font]
Last year's crop of rookie quarterbacks was underwhelming. Although Carr's stats always looked OK, his play-by-play grading never matched them. He was the second-lowest ranked quarterback in the league and was particularly disastrous when pressured, completing just 42.6 percent of his passes. This season, he ranked 10th, and even under pressure threw more touchdowns than interceptions. Carr took a huge leap forward in his development from Year 1 to 2.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami Dolphins
Vernon was extremely impressive this season chasing a big contract. He notched 81 total pressures, up from 48 the season before, and hit the quarterback 30 times, not counting the 7.5 sacks he notched as well. Vernon was one of the most formidable pass-rushers in the league, reveling in the role as the top guy in Miami once Cameron Wake went down with an injury. This marks two seasons of steady improvement from Vernon, who has earned a big contract as one of the league's best pass-rushers.
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
It's easy to forget that Newton, a favorite for MVP and one game away from the Super Bowl, took a monstrous step forward in his performance. He has been good for some time, but the step from good to MVP is a big one. At 10.9 yards downfield, Newton's average depth of target is second in the league, yet he threw only 10 picks all season and had a passer rating of 99.4. He also is a unique weapon as a runner, averaging 4.0 yards per carry on designed runs.
Jake Matthews, OT, Atlanta Falcons
Matthews' rookie season was not good. From being patronized by J.J. Watt on "Hard Knocks" to allowing seven sacks and 51 total pressures, not to mention 11 penalties, there may not have been a worse starting tackle in football. This season, though, we saw the ability that made him such a high draft pick. In 2015, Matthews allowed just a single sack all season and saw a marked improvement in his play across the board, ending the year ranked inside the top 20 among all tackles.
Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers[/paste:font]
This was the best season of Martin's career, and the first time we have seen his full ability since his rookie season in 2012. Last year, he gained 500 yards and was PFF's 50th-ranked running back leaguewide. He missed time and failed to impress when he did play. This season, though, he was one of only two running backs to pass 1,200 rushing yards, gaining an absurd 906 of his yards after first contact. Both that figure and the 3.1 average yards after contact led the league among players who were on the field for more than 350 snaps.
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers
In 2014, Tuitt saw his first action in the NFL and it did not go well. He was routinely moved in the running game and didn't generate much pressure, notching only 21 total pressures despite playing 42.7 percent of the team's defensive snaps. This season, he was a vastly different proposition. His playing time jumped to 89.7 percent of the team's snaps and he has positive grades both against the run (35 stops) and as a pass-rusher (51 total pressures).
Jerrell Freeman, LB, Indianapolis Colts
There may have been no better linebacker against the run this season than Freeman, which seems barely believable to anybody who watched him last season, when he earned the second-worst grade of all linebackers in run defense. The only player to grade worse, Miles Burris, is currently out of the league. Much of the improved grade came from cutting down a career problem of missed tackles. He had never missed fewer than a dozen tackles in a season but missed just five this year while routinely winning against blockers at the point of attack.
David Amerson, CB, Oakland Raiders
In Washington's defense, Amerson was a disaster. Last season, he allowed a league-leading 10 touchdowns and seemed to be at the center of a coverage bust every single week. He allowed a touchdown in his first game this season before Washington had enough and cut him loose. He was picked up by the Raiders and instantly became a totally different player in a new defense. He allowed just one score as a Raider all season, coming in Week 16, and opposing quarterbacks targeting him this year completed just 56 percent of their passes for a passer rating of 66.3.
As four teams still dream of Super Bowl glory, 28 other NFL fan bases turn their attention forward to the draft and back on the regular season to reflect on the year that was.
The great thing about the NFL is that nothing is static; while some players decline each year, some will take big steps forward and improve dramatically from one year to the next.
Often that improvement comes from the development of a young player, but there can be other reasons for the jump in performance too. Recovering from a significant injury can take more than the first year back in action, and often just finding a new team and new scheme can instantly boost a player's on-field returns.
So here are the 10 most improved players of the 2015 season.
Geno Atkins, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
In 2012, Atkins was the best defensive tackle in football. He was the standout from his draft class, a class in which the debate was over Gerald McCoy or Ndamukong Suh at the top and Atkins was a relative afterthought. Injury robbed him of his 2013 and the following season he was a shadow of his former self. This season, however, Atkins led all defensive tackles in total pressures with 82, and trailed only Aaron Donald in PFF rating among players who didn't miss time with a score of 93.0.
Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The only quarterback ranked lower than Derek Carr as a rookie was Bortles, who notched the worst single-season cumulative grade PFF has ever seen in a first-year starter. The Jaguars always knew he was raw and not ready to start in his first year, but their faith in his upside was rewarded this season with a performance that saw him finish the season graded in the top 15. Bortles, who had 35 touchdown passes, still has issues with his game, but the leap from Year 1 to 2 was gigantic.
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders[/paste:font]
Last year's crop of rookie quarterbacks was underwhelming. Although Carr's stats always looked OK, his play-by-play grading never matched them. He was the second-lowest ranked quarterback in the league and was particularly disastrous when pressured, completing just 42.6 percent of his passes. This season, he ranked 10th, and even under pressure threw more touchdowns than interceptions. Carr took a huge leap forward in his development from Year 1 to 2.
Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami Dolphins
Vernon was extremely impressive this season chasing a big contract. He notched 81 total pressures, up from 48 the season before, and hit the quarterback 30 times, not counting the 7.5 sacks he notched as well. Vernon was one of the most formidable pass-rushers in the league, reveling in the role as the top guy in Miami once Cameron Wake went down with an injury. This marks two seasons of steady improvement from Vernon, who has earned a big contract as one of the league's best pass-rushers.
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
It's easy to forget that Newton, a favorite for MVP and one game away from the Super Bowl, took a monstrous step forward in his performance. He has been good for some time, but the step from good to MVP is a big one. At 10.9 yards downfield, Newton's average depth of target is second in the league, yet he threw only 10 picks all season and had a passer rating of 99.4. He also is a unique weapon as a runner, averaging 4.0 yards per carry on designed runs.
Jake Matthews, OT, Atlanta Falcons
Matthews' rookie season was not good. From being patronized by J.J. Watt on "Hard Knocks" to allowing seven sacks and 51 total pressures, not to mention 11 penalties, there may not have been a worse starting tackle in football. This season, though, we saw the ability that made him such a high draft pick. In 2015, Matthews allowed just a single sack all season and saw a marked improvement in his play across the board, ending the year ranked inside the top 20 among all tackles.
Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers[/paste:font]
This was the best season of Martin's career, and the first time we have seen his full ability since his rookie season in 2012. Last year, he gained 500 yards and was PFF's 50th-ranked running back leaguewide. He missed time and failed to impress when he did play. This season, though, he was one of only two running backs to pass 1,200 rushing yards, gaining an absurd 906 of his yards after first contact. Both that figure and the 3.1 average yards after contact led the league among players who were on the field for more than 350 snaps.
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers
In 2014, Tuitt saw his first action in the NFL and it did not go well. He was routinely moved in the running game and didn't generate much pressure, notching only 21 total pressures despite playing 42.7 percent of the team's defensive snaps. This season, he was a vastly different proposition. His playing time jumped to 89.7 percent of the team's snaps and he has positive grades both against the run (35 stops) and as a pass-rusher (51 total pressures).
Jerrell Freeman, LB, Indianapolis Colts
There may have been no better linebacker against the run this season than Freeman, which seems barely believable to anybody who watched him last season, when he earned the second-worst grade of all linebackers in run defense. The only player to grade worse, Miles Burris, is currently out of the league. Much of the improved grade came from cutting down a career problem of missed tackles. He had never missed fewer than a dozen tackles in a season but missed just five this year while routinely winning against blockers at the point of attack.
David Amerson, CB, Oakland Raiders
In Washington's defense, Amerson was a disaster. Last season, he allowed a league-leading 10 touchdowns and seemed to be at the center of a coverage bust every single week. He allowed a touchdown in his first game this season before Washington had enough and cut him loose. He was picked up by the Raiders and instantly became a totally different player in a new defense. He allowed just one score as a Raider all season, coming in Week 16, and opposing quarterbacks targeting him this year completed just 56 percent of their passes for a passer rating of 66.3.
