Byron Maxwell and Super Bowl "Guarantees"

Byron Maxwell, cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, recently guaranteed a Super Bowl berth. Here is my only reaction to his guarantee, and any other guarantee made by any player in history. So what? What are they supposed to do, think their team isn't going to make the playoffs? Super Bowl guarantee's among other things should actually be viewed as a positive statement. I inferred one thing from Maxwell saying this. What I inferred was that Maxwell really believes in Chip Kelly's team, and he thinks they can be very good. A very underrated attribute to good teams, is the coach getting the players to buy into the system. When every single player buys into what the coach is doing, they play their hearts out and leave everything on the field. This is the root of the common saying that a coach gets the most out of his players. A terrific example of this is the Seahawks over recent years. Believe it or not, a lot of their current star players weren't born star players. Michael Bennet and Cliff Avril were both castoffs from teams and they have become vital pieces in both the Seahawks Super Bowl appearances. It's important to get your players to buy into the system, and I think this shows that at the very least Byron Maxwell has bought into what Chip Kelly is doing, and I'm sure other Eagles players have too.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Seattle Seahawks

Offense

THE SEAHAWKS GOT JIMMY GRAHAM! THE SEAHAWKS GOT JIMMY GRAHAM! I know. Probably the most talked about thing this offseason apart from Chip Kelly doing his crazy thing out in Philly. Jimmy Graham is a huge threat to a Seahawks team that doesn't really have a red zone receiving option for Russell Wilson. Don't expect Graham to have the same numbers he did with New Orleans, because he is entering the least productive passing offense in the NFL, but he could end up having a bigger impact on his new team. Even though it's completely obvious and this is very basic analysis, getting the second best tight end in the NFL is huge for a team with few established threats in the passing game. At quarterback, the Seahawks have one of the brightest young stars in football with Russell Wilson. He is easily a top 10 QB in the NFL, and there is an argument to be made that he should be in the top 5. He is mobile, has incredible skills when the pocket breaks down, makes good decisions, and has one of the best pure arms in the NFL too. Unfortunately, there was some regression in 2014 with Wilson (he regressed as a passer), but if he bounces back and improves on his 2013 Super Bowl winning season, then this kid will easily be a top 5 QB. Either way the Seahawks should be handing him a hefty contract soon if they are smart. In the backfield, Seattle has one of the most entertaining, and one of the best running backs in football. Marshawn Lynch is outstanding. As much as Russell Wilson is the star and face of this team, I would say that this offense relies on Marshawn Lynch just as much as Wilson, if not more so. Lynch is the classic power back, and about once a year he runs for one of the craziest 60 yard "bust through the entire team" runs. It's not just about one run with him, he is so consistent and even though defenses stack the box he can break off a touchdown at any time. Literally any time. Watch the two crazy runs he had against the Saints and Cardinals. This offense works so perfectly with Lynch and Wilson too because they help each other so much. This team had 25 rushing yards per game more than the next highest in the NFL, because Wilson and Lynch are terrific off of read option plays, and they both spread out the field for one another. At wide receiver, the Seahawks look better than they have in recent years. I think Tyler Lockett will have a huge impact on this team right out of the gate. He is explosive, has versatility, and is just a flat out playmaker. Russell Wilson will love him, and I wouldn't be shocked to see him lead Seattle in receptions next season. They also have Doug Baldwin who just goes about his business being a very good wide receiver for a run first team. As added depth, they have Ricardo Lockette, Paul Richardson, Super Bowl breakout player Chris Matthews and Jermaine Kearse. In my opinion, I don't think any of those players will be consistent players for them, I'm sure all of them will have a big game or two, but Baldwin and Lockett are going to be the receivers to watch on a consistent basis. Past the skill position players is where I have a problem with this offense. I don't like this offensive line one bit. They have one good established player, and that is Russell Okung at left tackle. Unfortunately, even he has had some injuries and has struggled to stay healthy. From left guard to right tackle, the Seahawks have Alvin Bailey, Lemuel Jeanpierre, J.R. Sweezy and Justin Britt. All of those players are either unproven, or just not very good. Sweezy and Britt (even though they both had bad seasons last year) could be decent, but that's no guarantee. I feel like this is an issue that a lot of people have been overlooking because of the Jimmy Graham trade. Wilson has the ability to mask a lot of issues on the offensive line, and he's been very healthy thus far into his career, I just worry about him holding up behind this offensive line. Especially having to face the St. Louis Rams defensive front twice this year. I really am expecting more moves to at least add some more depth, because they have very little depth behind these underwhelming starters too. Overall, this offense should still be good. If a team has a good defense, it can really help out an offense by giving them better field position, creating turnovers, etc. This is what Seattle has done over the last couple of years, and I expect them to do it again in 2015. In my opinion, the struggles along the O-line cancel out the additions of Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett, so I'm predicting the Seattle offense to rank similar to where they were last year, which was around 10th in the league. If Seattle does finish around the top ten, then Seahawks fans should be very happy about that because their defense will be elite again and that is more than enough offense to win with.

Defense

Seattle's defense is elite, and is the favourite to have the number 1 ranked defense by the end of 2015. Should I keep going? Well I may as well start with the Legion of Boom. It starts with Richard Sherman. He is the most talkative (trash talk wise) player in the NFL, but he always backs it up on the field. He is the premier cornerback in the National Football League, and he has games where he shuts down one side of the field. Remember the first game of the season when Green Bay didn't pass to the right side of the field? Yeah, good times. Not saying he can't be beat (Odell Beckham Jr. did it), but he is not only the best cornerback, but one of the best players in all of football. While Sherman gets all the publicity, Earl Thomas might be the most important player on this defense. The best safety in all of football, Thomas is just incredible to watch. He has instincts out the wazoo, terrific ball skills, and insane closing speed too. He really is the perfect player to have manning center field for any football team. He also works perfectly in the Seahawks Cover 3 defensive scheme. His running mate Kam Chancellor is the enforcer of this secondary. He's basically a linebacker with the speed and athleticism of a safety. One play that describes him perfectly, (this is purely off memory so bear with me) Seahawks were playing the 49ers, and Kaep threw a ball near the sidelines, a foot away from the end zone too, and Crabtree (I think?) went up and Chancellor hit him. He hit him so hard that the refs threw a penalty flag. It wasn't an illegal hit, or he didn't show any intent to hurt him, he just destroyed him and got penalized for it. Kam isn't perfect, he's definitely no Sean Taylor back there, but he does his job very well in Seattle's scheme. The Seahawks signed Cary Williams to be their second CB to replace Maxwell, and... Well... Maybe he'll be okay? I thought he was very bad with the Eagles. At times he was a liability in coverage, so I'm not really a fan of that signing to replace a very good cornerback in Byron Maxwell. Jeremy Lane will be their slot cornerback, and he's solid. Nothing special or flashy like the rest of the LOB, but he's fairly reliable. Seattle has quietly (I say quietly because all of the attention is on the LOB) put together a deadly front seven. At linebacker, this team has three very good starters. Bobby Wagner is an incredible inside linebacker, I don't think he's elite yet, but if he shows any more development in coverage, he'll be right up there with Kuechly and Bowman. Seattle also has two very good OLB's in K.J. Wright and Bruce Irvin. Wright is a terrific coverage linebacker, and Irvin is more of a pass rushing LB. On the defensive front, this team showcases two very successful free agent signings. Michael Bennett being one of them, is one of the most versatile defensive lineman in football, and he is a terrific pass rusher too. He can move all around the line, and the Seahawks line him up inside a lot of the time as well as outside. Opposite Bennett, Cliff Avril is another very successful free agent signing. He didn't put up ideal sack totals last season, but he was constantly getting pressures on opposing QB's and still managed to have a huge impact in their pass rush. Inside, Brandon Mebane is coming off of an injury riddled 2014 season, and he looks to bounce back to form. He wasn't great last season even when healthy, but he was sensational in 2013, and if he can recapture that form then he will once again be one of the most vital pieces of their defense. Tony McDaniel will play alongside Mebane, and he's decent. He can struggle at times, but he's not a horrible option, especially on a defense with so much talent. This defense has been the best defense in the NFL for 3 straight years and after 2015 it should be 4. They lost their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and that could hurt them as he was loved by players and clearly a very good coach. They also lost a key piece in Byron Maxwell, and that could hurt them more than they think because their number 2 cornerback can be more easily targeted based off of their scheme. That shouldn't matter in the long run, as this defense exhibits strength across the board. Their D-line is strong, their linebackers are very versatile, and their secondary is almost legendary at this point. This is the defense to beat going into 2015. Every team knows it, now it's just a matter of doing it.

Seattle on paper is a ridiculously good team. They are incredibly strong at every single position group on their team, except for WR (which they are young) and offensive line. I have them as the second best team in the NFL, behind the Green Bay Packers. I still do really think their offensive line is an issue, and until they prove to me they can keep Russell Wilson upright I won't think differently. The Seahawks have been to two consecutive Super Bowls, and are one misplay (run with Marshawn!) away from winning both of them. They are one of the elite franchises in the NFL, and they have a historic defense behind them. Pete Carroll is a terrific coach too, and he should once again have no trouble posting one of the best records in the NFC, and returning to the NFC Championship game once again.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Jacksonville Jaguars

Well after the Dante Fowler injury, Jags fans might be a little blue. So I figured that it's time for an early outlook at what the Jags 2015 season will entail.

Offense

A quick glance of their roster, and things are looking pretty good for the Jags. At least better then they have for quite a few years. I will say this now, and this is frankly the only piece of information you need from this whole article, the Jags will live and die by Blake Bortles. He is going into his second year and Jacksonville needs him to take major strides for this team to be successful. Earlier this offseason it was reported that he bulked up in a good way. He's around 250 lbs right now with a lower body fat percentage then last year, so the Ben Roethlisberger comparisons are just beginning. Around Blake Bortles, the front office has surrounded him with some talent. Obviously the biggest addition is Julius Thomas, and even if he doesn't put up the numbers he would with Manning, he will definitely open the field up a lot, which will be great for the offense as a whole. Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns are set to make strides too as they are all going into their second year, and I thought Rashad Greene was a steal in the draft so he could potentially be a key cog in their offense. In the backfield, they drafted T.J. Yeldon who I had ranked higher then most, and I think he can be a great running back in this league. He is definitely an upgrade over Toby Gerhart who was their starter at the beginning of last season, but Denard Robinson and Yeldon could make a dangerous duo. On the O-line, they have improved but are still lacking some star power. I still believe in Luke Joeckel, but he's looking more and more like an average LT in a best case scenario. Across the line they have some talent in Brandon Linder, the recently signed Jeremy Parnell and Steven Wisniewski, and the recently drafted A.J. Cann, although none of them have the talent to anchor the line for them (well maybe Cann eventually, but probably not next year). Overall, their offense looks much improved from last year, although they were second last in the league in total yards, so there's pretty much nowhere to go but up. I think they have the ceiling to get to a middle of the pack offense next year, but there is a lot of potential as there are so many players just entering their first, second or third years.

Defense

The Jags defense last year was not as bad as the statistics say. They ended the year averaging the seventh most points per game allowed, but their offense did them no favours either. Unfortunately the number three pick in this past weekends draft is most likely out for the season, there is still talent to be found on this defense. They have a lot of depth at DT, as Sen'Derrick Marks was phenomenal last year, and they have Jared Odrick, and absolutely stole Michael Bennett in the 6th round. They are a especially thin in the outside pass rush department especially with the injury to Fowler, but Gus Bradley will get the most out of what he has in Chris Clemons and Andre Branch. They have a talented group of linebackers, especially Telvin Smith who I expect to make a huge leap forward and have a big impact especially in the passing game. He has a real shot at leading all linebackers in interceptions next year, which is no easy accomplishment especially for a second year player. Paul Posluszny will be a tackling machine again, and Skuta can be an adequate starter. Their secondary has a chance to take a massive step forward this year. They are getting a healthy Aaron Colvin, who probably should have been a first or second round pick last year, as well as a talented safety in James Sample. Jonathan Cyprien needs to clean up his game, because he showed a lot of potential his first year in the league. If he steps up, Sample and Cyprien can be a feared tandem at safety. Dwayne Gratz is a very talented young corner, and McCray is pretty good too. Chances are they will get burned quite a bit back there, especially with Cyprien playing a very aggressive game, but they can and will make plays.

Overall Outlook
I think you're probably looking at a 6 win team next year. Take that how you will, but I think this will be a team that nobody will want to face, especially late in the season. They are still lacking an overall level of talent to compete with the big dogs in their division (Colts) and Bortles needs to prove to me he can be the guy before I invest in the Jags. Losing Fowler hurts, but there are so many young players that could take a huge step forward this year, and I think the year after this, they have a legitimate chance to compete for the division.