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7 offensive players who will bounce back in 2016

USA TODAY Sports / Thomas J. Russo / theScore

Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns, and spent the last 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast."

Things change very quickly in the NFL. For one thing, football is such a physically demanding sport that playing with the slightest of injuries or "losing a step" because of age can be the difference between having a good season and a not-so-great one. Plus, teams change coaches and schemes all the time, and that can have a major effect on a player's productivity during the course of a campaign. Finally, an NFL season is just 16 games, a very small sample size when analyzing a player's effect on the game.

Below are seven offensive players that could bounce back from down seasons.

Related: 7 offensive players who won't bounce back in 2016

Charles Clay, Bills

The Bills spent huge money to swipe Clay away from their divisional rivals in Miami. Although he's undersized and has an unconventional body type for the tight end position, he is still a pretty decent blocker. That body type also gives him versatility that few other tight ends can match. He runs very well and is good in space, but did little of that for the Bills last year.

Someone has to step up in Buffalo's passing game, especially if Sammy Watkins isn't able to play early in the season or isn't the same force he's been because of his foot injury, and Clay is as good a candidate as anyone else. Even if Watkins is the dominant player he was during the second half of last year, the Bills need more from Clay.

Look for him to develop better chemistry with Tyrod Taylor, and for Greg Roman to create more ways to get this potential playmaker the ball more often.

Kyle Long, Bears

Long was miscast at right tackle last year. While he has the body type and athletic ability to handle that position, he lacks the experience and the NFL is no place to learn a new position on the fly.

While Chicago might not be great at tackle now, the Bears are still wisely moving Long back to guard, where he and second-round pick Cody Whitehair should soon make up one of the best guard tandems in the NFL. Long should be a perennial Pro Bowl guard.

Andrew Luck, Colts

Luck has to be the early massive favorite for Comeback Player of the Year. We know what this guy can do, but he has taken a beating over his career. That is't to excuse the obvious poor play the quarterback exhibited last season, but that looks more like an aberration considering all we have seen so far from this young man. Yes, he must value the football more without question, but an improved offensive line sure will help. This is a no-brainer.

Jason Peters, Eagles

Peters wasn't quite his great self last year. Injuries were a problem, and he missed time because of it, and, at his age, it certainly makes you wonder how much longer his body will hold up. The Eagles gave Lane Johnson big money this offseason, and it looks as though Johnson will at some point take over for Peters at left tackle.

But let's not go shoveling dirt on Peters' grave quite yet, folks. He is an outlier. Along with Joe Thomas, Peters is the premier offensive tackle of this generation and a surefire Hall of Famer. Not only does he have rare power, leverage, balance, and flexibility, but he also moves extremely well. For those of you too young to remember, Peters was a tight end at Arkansas, and went undrafted before Buffalo got a hold of him and turned him into a tackle, which should go down as one of the more brilliant position conversions in the last few decades. This guy isn't done yet.

Maurkice Pouncey, Steelers

This is another pretty obvious one. But Pouncey really has had a difficult time staying on the field as of late. The Steelers' offensive line was still very good without Pouncey last year, but there is little question that he is a massive upgrade over Cody Wallace.

When healthy, Pouncey is among the best centers in football. Teaming with guards David DeCastro and Ramon Foster, the Steelers should have one of the league's best interior offensive lines next year - if Pouncey can stay on the field, that is.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers

This is just too easy, and there really isn't much reason to go into a ton of detail about why Rodgers, already an all-time great quarterback, is on this list. By his standards, he had a down year in 2015. But Rodgers' standards are ridiculously high, and the reality is that his receivers very much let him down. The running game was no help, the offensive line went through a real rough stretch with injuries, and the Packers' scheme, which stresses receivers winning one-on-one matchups rather than getting "schemed open" all contributed negatively in big ways, too.

We all know Jordy Nelson is returning, and that is a massive boost to this passing game, but Davante Adams also got far more criticism than he deserved, and could be poised for a big bounce-back season of his own. Rodgers will once again show the world that he's the best quarterback in the NFL.

Kevin White, Bears

The seventh overall selection in last year’s draft, White missed his entire rookie season after suffering a stress fracture in his shin, so 2016 is essentially his rookie season. Coming out of West Virginia, the wide receiver wasn’t considered a real polished player, but no one doubts his physical traits. This guy is big, strong, and fast. He's great after the catch and is a powerful mover. Many liked him as much or even more than Amari Cooper at draft time.

White is reportedly moving like he did in college, and he enters a favorable situation in Chicago with Alshon Jeffery as the wide receiver opposite him. He should see plenty of single coverage, and although he isn't technically still considered a rookie, expect him to outperform every wideout entering the league from college this year. White has a chance to be very special.

Honorable Mentions: Nelson Agholor, Dez Bryant, Jamaal Charles, Eric Ebron, Mike Evans, Joe Flacco, Michael Floyd, Carlos Hyde, Torrey Smith, Julius Thomas, Mike Wallace, Maxx Williams

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