The Seattle Seahawks are without question going to be one of the best teams in the NFL once again during the 2015 season. They still have one of the league’s most dominant defense, and they upgraded their offense as well. Jimmy Graham was their biggest addition this offseason, and is going to make their offense much more dangerous this season than they have been in years past.
It was a very difficult move for the New Orleans Saints to make, but it freed up cap room and Graham’s back injuries are a major concern. Seattle didn’t worry much about his back, and instead is banking on the fact that he can bounce back and come through with yet another massive season this year.
What should the Seahawks and their fans expect to see from Graham during the upcoming season?
Quite simply, Graham will bounce back from his struggles last season with the Saints. He will be in a brand new situation, and has had plenty of time to recover from those injury problems. Seattle won’t rely on him to be the focal point of their offense, which will help take some pressure off of his shoulders.
During the 2014 season with the Saints, Graham ended up catching 85 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. That doesn’t seem like a tough season looking at the numbers, which shows just how dominant Graham is capable of being.
Russell Wilson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, and this is the first time that he will have a dominant target to work with. It is a bit of a downgrade from Drew Brees for Graham, but he’ll fit nicely into the offense that Seattle runs. Marshawn Lynch is going to pick up a lot of yardage on the ground once again this year, and Graham will simply be asked to be one of the big pieces of the offense rather than the biggest piece.
At 28 years old, Graham still has a few seasons left in his career before he starts slowing down. Seattle acquired him at just the right time to make those last few seasons with them.
That being said, there is absolutely nothing holding the Seahawks back from winning the NFC once again. The Green Bay Packers are going to be very tough competitors for them, and it would be a very entertaining game to watch to say the least. Graham is without question one of the missing pieces that would have put the Seahawks over the top last season, and it will be interesting to see where they end up this year.
Expect to see him put up improved numbers from last season, and to be exactly the type of playmaker that they were hoping for when they pulled the trigger on the trade for him.
