The NFL preseason games are over, and although there is still more than a week to go before a real game is played, the regular season is so close you can sniff it.
In the lead-up to the September 9th opener, our preview continues with a look at some of the league's most popular players who switched teams this offseason, via either trade or free agency. Note that we'll skip the quarterback position, given we outlined the crazy summer at the position few weeks ago. So from the other 21 players on the field, here are the biggest stars who went on the move (in alphabetical order):
Jadeveon Clowney: The former No. 1 overall pick is on the move again, on his fourth team in four years after signing a one-year deal with the Browns. Worth $8 million, Clowney joins an already formidable pass rush, highlighted by Myles Garrett. He'll look to rebound after a disappointing year in Tennessee in which he only played eight games due to a knee injury, didn't record a sack and had four tackles for loss.
Randall Cobb: It's not too often a player seemingly dictates a transaction, alas in the very weird and dramatic Packers' offseason, Cobb's return was a point in Aaron Rodgers' favor. The quarterback's tumultuous summer with the "would-he-stay?" headlines died down quickly after Green Bay acquired the wideout, who starred with the Packers for eight seasons before leaving in free agency in 2019. After a year with Dallas and another with Houston, the 31-year-old will be another weapon for Rodgers and a good locker room presence.
James Conner: Injuries in the last two years (and a bad offensive line even when healthy in 2020) slowed the former Steelers' running back's production after a Pro Bowl 2018 season. With just 1,185 yards combined in 2019 and 2020, Pittsburgh let the free agent walk and Arizona scooped him up on a cheap one-year, $1.75 million "prove it" deal. He won't be the workhorse back he tried to be in the Steel City, with Chase Edmonds set to take over, but he'll get double-digit touches per game.
Bud Dupree: Another former Steeler gone, a torn ACL didn't stop Dupree from getting a big payday in free agency. His five-year, $82.5-million contract with the Titans was the largest given to anyone who switched teams this summer (San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams was a free agent and was paid $138 million, but it was to stay with the Niners). After a somewhat slow start to his career, the former first-round pick had a breakout 2019 with 11 sacks, and was on pace to best that last year before the ACL injury in December. Because of that, he might not be ready until a few weeks into the season.
Kenny Golladay: The highest-paid skill position player in the free agent market, Golladay was given 72 million reasons to sign with the Giants. He got all that money despite a 2020 season in which he was limited to five games and 335 yards with hamstring issues -- issues that have popped up again this preseason. Prior to that, however, the 27-year-old had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in Detroit, including an 11-touchdown Pro Bowl year in 2019. He'll immediately step in as New York's primary pass catching target.
AJ Green: The seven-time Pro Bowler is more name than production at this point, but it's still a massive change to see him in something besides a Bengals uniform on Sundays. Now an Arizona Cardinal after inking a one-year, $6-million contract, the wide receiver looks to prove he has something left in the tank. After missing seven games in 2018 and the entirety of 2019, Green appeared in every contest last season for Cincy, but had just 47 catches and career lows of 523 yards and two touchdowns.
Julio Jones: The wide receiver portion of the program concludes with another high-profile veteran moving for the first time in his career. After 10 years, nearly 13,000 yards and 81 touchdowns, Jones' time with the Falcons ended with a requested trade, ultimately to Tennessee. The 32-year-old is still productive on the field - last year he averaged 85.7 yards per game with three touchdowns - but he only played in nine games. The seven-time Pro Bowler now joins a scary Titans offense, with Jones lining up opposite AJ Brown at wide out, and Derrick Henry in the backfield.
Patrick Peterson: Another 10-year pro and future Hall of Famer was on the move for the first time in his career. Peterson's time in Arizona is over after the 31-year-old signed a one-year, $8 million with Minnesota in March. As one of the game's premier cornerbacks and return men, Peterson made eight Pro Bowls and was a three-time All-Pro with the Cardinals. The relationship by the end, though, soured and Peterson will look for a fresh start with the Vikings, where he'll wear number seven, the same he wore in college at LSU.
JJ Watt: Our fourth member of the 2011 draft (seriously, how good was that class?) to depart, of all the icons to leave a city, Watt exiting Houston might be the hardest to grasp. Asking for his release and signing a deal to go to the Cardinals ended a historic decade with the Texans. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was the face of the franchise and a future Hall of Famer even before his fundraising efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Injuries have slowed him the last handful of years, but he'll look to make an impact on an Arizona defense that could use the help in a tough NFC West.