Russell Wilson Contract Fun:
The Seattle Seahawks are treating the potential Russell Wilson contract with curiosity. The contention from around the league, and perhaps in Seattle, is that Wilson is a good player who has a tremendous amount of help around him with his defense and running game. It makes sense that the franchise would make him play at a high level for another year before franchising him or giving him a big contract.
But if the team is looking for a show-me season, will it really matter? The team already traded for TE Jimmy Graham, whose touchdown reception numbers are in the Calvin Johnson/Dez Bryant territory. Watching Wilson have another good season could be perceived as a product of his enhanced help around him. The only true test of his value would come if he receives a non-exclusive franchise tag. How many teams would make the big offer and gladly send two first round picks to Seattle?
The Make or Break Year for Jay Cutler:
John Fox takes over as the new head coach in Chicago. If Fox’s days without Peyton Manning are any indication, he will probably ask less of quarterback Jay Cutler in the offense. But if Cutler continues to have problems with turnovers, this is going to be his final year in Chicago. Here is why:
Cutler counts nearly $17M dollars against the cap in 2015. Had the team decided to cut or trade him this offseason, he would have counted $30M against the cap. That’s NFL math that simply doesn’t help a team.
Come 2016, cutting Cutler would save the team $4M dollars against the cap despite creating $13M dollars in dead money. If the Bears struggle in 2015, taking that cap hit to restart with a young quarterback makes sense.
The 300 Carries Test:
For years the 300 carry mark for NFL running backs has been a cautionary tale. Players who venture over this mark tend to have trouble the following seasons as the physical toll is too difficult to take. Current NFL tank, Marshawn Lynch, carried the ball over 300 times in 2012 for nearly 1,600 yards. In 2013 he took a similar pounding, but rushed for 300 less yards.
Philadelphia Eagles running back, DeMarco Murray, is now one of the highest paid runners in the league at $8.5M per season. Last year with the Cowboys, Murray rushed the ball a league-high 392 times, 436 times if you include the postseason. Those touches don’t even factor in his 61 catches in 2014. If Murray can stay healthy he will buck a trend that goes back nearly 15 years in the NFL.
Rookie Quarterbacks:
Drafting a quarterback high represents a rebirth of a franchise. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans are hoping to return to relevance with the additions of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.
Winston should be set to start week 1, as he was the pro-ready quarterback but wasn’t the quality of athlete that Mariota is. The young quarterback competition in Nashville should be much more interesting as Zach Mettenberger showed promise last year as a player who could make every throw on the field. Beating out Mettenberger would setup Mariota to start week 1, but with his development curve coming from Oregon, it may be in his best interest to take a little longer to acclimate to the pro game.