According to Las Vegas, Russell Wilson has a great chance, relatively speaking, of being named NFL MVP this season. If that doesn’t happen, though, don’t be surprised.
“It’s crazy when you think about it,” former Seahawks defensive lineman Cliff Avril said on Tiki & Tierney. “You think about all the stats and how much better he’s getting every single year. The numbers get better as time goes by, and yet he still hasn’t been able to get in those conversations. The competition has been thick as well. You see this new wave of quarterbacks coming along. But man, he deserves to be at the top for sure in these next couple years.”
Wilson threw for 4,110 yards, 31 touchdowns and five interceptions last season, as the Seahawks went 11-5 and made the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Wilson produced despite limited weapons. Only two Seahawks – Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf – surpassed 350 receiving yards last season.
Might Antonio Brown actually be a good fit, if not a need, in Seattle?
Avril says yes.
“I think if there’s a system that any player [can fit in] – I don’t care what baggage you might think he comes with – [it’s Seattle],” Avril said. “You got to remember back in 2013, 14, 15, all the different personalities we had on the football team – and yet we were able to win games. Coach [Pete] Carroll was still able to coach his team and be a winning team. AB can come in there, have a Russell Wilson, have a Bobby Wagner, a K.J. Wright, all those guys kind of getting around him and showing him the way they do things there, and he’ll go out there and ball out for you. So, yes, I do think he would be a great fit in Seattle, and he’d make Russell Wilson that much better.”
As for the aforementioned Metcalf, the Ole Miss product flashed as a rookie, finishing with 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns. Metcalf could easily outpace that production in 2020.
“As a rookie, you’re just trying to figure things out,” Avril said. “You’re probably not even to the point where you can even read coverages yet. That’s what I think is going to be the next step for D.K. How great he played last year, the deep passes, being able to make pivotal plays when they needed him – but now the game is going to gradually start to slow down. He’s going to be able to read coverages. He’s going to understand the rotation and different things like that and understand how his route fits into that. I think the sky’s the limit with him. Having a full offseason with Russell Wilson, having a full offseason in the same offense and understanding the play-calls, I think the sky’s the limit for this kid.”
Defensively, the Seahawks made a big splash this offseason, sending a pair of first-round picks, among other assets, to the Jets for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams.
Avril believes it was a good move for Seattle.
“I think it was needed,” he said. “They want that Kam Chancellor-like feel. I’m not saying he’s Kam Chancellor, but he’s a heck of a ballplayer. He’s great at what he does. They want that enforcer, that guy in the middle of the field for crossing routes and things like that [who can] make people think twice about doing those types of things. But also being able to come into that box and play as if he’s a linebacker, something Kam Chancellor did very well in that defense – I think it’s [a] piece that they felt like they were missing on the defense. That’s why they went and got a spectacular player like Jamal Adams.”