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Eric MoodyESPN
The NFL's largest ever trade saw the acquisition of the Denver Broncos Acquired Russell Wilson From the Seattle Seahawks For a complete package of draft picks and players. He will be the quarterback who starts for the Super Bowl-winning team. Denver now has the quarterback that it has been seeking since Peyton Manning left in 2015. The Broncos used 11 different quarterbacks over the next decade, which is tied for most in the NFL.
Wilson has no limits in Denver. Wilson could have the greatest statistical season of his entire career. Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy There are many other offensive players. But before I draw a picture about what Wilson's upcoming season may look like for the Broncos and Wilson, I want to go over his entire career.
What can Wilson do beyond the 10 historic seasons? Wilson has been selected to nine Pro Bowls in his first ten seasons. This is more than Peyton Manning (88) or Johnny Unitas (88)! He has thrown 292 TD passes in his career, which is second to Peyton Manning (306), and one more than Dan Marino (32). Wilson averaged 19.9 fantasy goals per game throughout his career.
Wilson is a rare gem who has found success in a difficult environment. Here's why. Pete Carroll and the Seahawks love a run-first offense. Despite having an average-to-below-average passing rate for most of his career, Wilson thrived. The Seahawks ranked among the top six in run percentage during six of their 10 seasons. Wilson was the Seahawks' longest-serving player, running on 46.4%. Only the Baltimore Ravens More often.
The Broncos have struggled to be a quarterback since 2016. Wilson was eighth in completions (1.956), sixth among passing yards (23,085), and third in touchdowns (186) for an offense in Seattle that was 31st in total passes attempted (3,124) in that time period. We must also discuss Wilson's 2021 season.
The Seahawks hired a new offensive coordinator. Shane WaldronWilson finished 12th in fantasy points per match for the first-time since his rookie season. In fairness, Wilson missed three games due to a finger injury. This was a problem as Wilson posted a record-low 3,113 passing yards. Wilson's poor season is clearly due to health issues. This was evident based on both his numbers before and afterwards the injury.
Wilson averaged 9.6 yards per attempt from Weeks 1-5 with a 72% completion rate. Wilson's numbers plummeted to 6.97 yards/try and a 61% completion ratio after his recovery from injury in Week 9. He averaged 28.5 passing attempts and 222.4 yards per game, which is a very low number. This markedly decreased his 2016-20 averages of 32.5 passing attempts and 249.7 passing yard, as well as 20.6 fantasy points.
Surprisingly the Seahawks gave us a glimpse at Wilson on the Broncos. Wilson threw 26 touchdowns in 2020 and only six interceptions over the first eight weeks. Wilson had 206.0 fantasy points. Only Patrick Mahomes He accumulated 207.1 more. Wilson was a early MVP candidate but Seattle's offense struggled in its second half. Wilson threw seven interceptions, and only 14 TD passes from Weeks 9-17.
Wilson in Denver has the offensive players to succeed. Sutton and Jeudy both will be able to benefit from him. He will also have sufficient secondary receiving support. Tim Patrick KJ Hamler To push him past 4,100 passing yards, and to score at least 30 touchdowns. Sutton and Patrick are both huge receivers with wide catch radiuses, which will help Wilson surpass his career completion rate of 65%. The Broncos have a lot of young players who all showed flashes but were limited by conservative playcalling and subpar quarterback play. With Wilson as the quarterback, Denver will not face this problem in 2022.
Although the Broncos may not have any stars on their offensive line, they might be Wilson's best team. Wilson's protection in Seattle was very poor. There were 361 sacks for the 2013-2020 season and 41 sacks for 2016. Wilson excelled at making plays and escaping pressure, despite the protection problems. Wilson should see a slight improvement in his protection and ability to avoid pressure from the Broncos' offensive line.
Wilson should have plenty of opportunity to pass because there are many high-scoring offenses within the AFC West. Last season, both the Kansas City Chiefs (407.6) Los Angeles Chargers 390.2 ranked in the top five of the division for total yards played. Because of the addition Davante Adams However, in the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders Expectations are that they will improve their offensive play. Wilson and the Broncos are expected to play in many high-scoring matches.
Wilson has finally found a coach that believes in his abilities. Nathaniel Hackett (new Denver coach) and Justin Outten (offensive coordinator) are building their offense around Wilson’s strengths. They include his athleticism, as well as his ability and willingness to attack defenses vertically. Next Gen Stats has Wilson ranked first in passing attempts, completions and passing yards. He also scored touchdowns on passes exceeding 20 yards.
Wilson, who is only 33 years old, is capable of creating fantasy points as both a quarterback and a runner. Multiple times, Wilson has been a top-five fantasy quarterback, including an overall QB1 finish in 2017. Wilson could repeat that feat in 2022. Mahomes could be drafted instead. Josh Allen Oder Justin Herbert You should wait to draft Wilson early in fantasy football drafts. This should be a selection that exceeds expectations for his average draft position.
