NFL Uniform Rankings

What a crazy month it has been, and I can only tell it'll get busier. Recently, I was fortunate enough to graduate from college and am about to embark on a two week trip to the UK. While this site has been virtually at a stand still of late, I am hoping for it to be getting back to regular posts by July at the latest! Appreciate the following and the support, I look forward to continuing this site!

NFL Uniform Rankings:
As a huge fan of uniforms, I rarely stop looking for news and updates on uniforms from all sports. My criteria for a good uniform? Good colors, good helmet, good font and simplistic detailing. I don't like when there is too much going on, and I'm a sticklier for tradition. These rankings are a combination of the team's colors and their home and away uniforms. While I might love a home uni, if the road one is weak, the team will fall in my rankings. Also, personal bias of the team is ignored. As much as I hate the 49ers and Packers, they look pretty good. With all that in mind, here are Marihawks first annual NFL Uniform rankings!

32. Cincinnati Bengals: While I don't mind their helmets, colors, or overall scheme, I absolutely can't stand the white stripe on the side of the jerseys. Also not a fan of the kindergarten number font or the fact that they can't seem to choose if black or orange is their primary color. I can appreciate having both, but use one as a rare alternate.

31. Tennessee Titans: So, so ugly. Baby blue, navy blue, red. Stripe on the top of the jersey looks way too generic. Remember playing Madden 2002-2008 and making a team? All the jerseys were really generic, and Tennessee seems to have chosen one of those templates. Too generic, looks like a child made them.

30. Arizona Cardinals: Went from one of the best looking uniforms to one of the worst. The random striping, awkward colors spots, and strange grey facemask just don't work well together. Their black alternate is one of the worst in the game. Hopefully they're coming up with something new.

29. New England Patriots: Ugly uniform. The only reason people like it, or they've kept it, was because of their sucessess. The side stripes don't match and the templates look very dated. If it weren't for Brady and company, these probably would have been scrapped years ago.

28. Atlanta Falcons: Too crazy. Unnecessary striping and picking the wrong color as their permanent home. Look, Falcons are black, so this team should be wearing their black at home. Instead, they chose red, and stand at 28. Their throwbacks with the red striped socks are easily the best in the league, so maybe, just maybe, they should wear them more.

27. Carolina Panthers: These aren't horrible, but definitely need an upgrade. This isn't 1996 anymore, an upgrade would help this team. They've already updated their logo and wordmark, why not the uniforms? Keep the Carolina Blue and Black, emphasize more of the blue. Take away silver and put it as an outline color.

26. St. Louis Rams: If they wore their royal blue and yellow jerseys, the Rams would be top 3 easy. But sadly, they look like absolute crap. The stripes don't work, and they rely on all blue way too much. Start wearing the gold pants more, and they would be higher. Scrap it all and go oldschool? They'd be a gorgeous looking football team.

25. New Orleans Saints: Not enough going on. Generic uniforms. All-black looks bad, black pants with black socks looks stupid. Add some striping around and they'd look much better. Heck, just wearing their "gold" pants would look better. They've started wearing the gold more, but until it's the only pants they wear, the Saints will be ranked poorly.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Red, Pewter, and Black were cool ten years ago. Another example of an ehhh uniform looking good due to wins. This uniform just screams update needed. Kudos for having original colors, but the uni needs a little upgrade to make it look better.

23. Dallas Cowboys: Look, I get it's an iconic uniform, but honestly, how hard is it to make sure your colors match throughout the uniform? Their helmet is silver and navy blue, their jerseys are royal blue. The pants aren't silver, but a bluish tint, with royal. Their blue uni's match, but they wear them maybe once a year. Not great.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars: Wow. Just wow. Much better than what they were wearing, but these new uni's miss pretty badly. First, the best Jaguars jerseys were teal, but incorporated gold. These, try, but miss. I like the number font, but those helmets are the ugliest things to happen to the NFL. Here is the best example of play like a college team, look like one.

21: New York Giants: I am a huge fan of their home uniforms. They are clean and look classic. What puts them at 21 is their roads. The all red jerseys look lazy. Add some blue to the numbers and stripes, add blue socks, and they'd look dramatically better. Until then, ehh.

20. San Diego Chargers: The powder blue is ugly and doesn't belong on an NFL field. I like the homes, but hate hate hate the aways. Never a fan of matching socks with pants, and the stripe looks forced. Also, put a little more blue on the helmets. Thankfully they've removed the stupid partial neckline white, so it'll look a bit better this year.

19. New York Jets: What can be said about the Jets that hasn't been said before? Not a horrible uniform, but not classic either. Hate the random stripe. It's a very forgettable piece, and their logo is far too generic. I appreciate the use of only green and white, and think it works. But, the logo sucks and the all-green sucks

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Look, these aren't bad uniforms. I appreciate that they're classic, and have only one request. Make the shoulder sleeves full and match each player. But, when a college team looks just like you, you probably won't go to high on an NFL uniform ranking... just sayin.

17. Oakland Raiders: Another uniform that looks good enough that I wouldn't touch. But just because it's a classic look doesn't make it the best in the NFL. I wouldn't hate to see the Raiders play around with some shoulder or sock striping, just to see if you can refine the look.

16. Denver Broncos: This one pains me a bit. I've always liked the all-whites, and really miss the blue tops. But, in Denver, Orange is king, and I can respect that. Get an entire new uniform template and make it happen. Until then, these jerseys were meant to be dark blue. I wouldn't hate an entire throwback, but I digress.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Love the helmet, and probably always will. What I am not a fan of, however, is the green. I have always loved the old Eagles' colors, and think moving back to a brighter green would make these uniforms look much much better.

14. Baltimore Ravens: I appreciate that they wear purple and black, they look good together. The only issues I have are the black pants. First off, they look in need of a stripe. Second, the black socks with the black pants makes it look like players are wearing leotards. Change it, become top 10.

13. Indianapolis Colts: I've always been partial to these uniforms. I love the colors, the logo, the striping, and pants. Honestly, I don't think I'd change a thing to these uniforms. Maybe change the facemask to white instead of grey, but that's about it.

12. Detroit Lions: What puts the Lions so high are their colors. I've always loved watching the Lions with their silver and blue. Thankfully they've gotten rid of most of their black, but it still remains. If they would just finally get rid of all that black, the Lions would have one of the best uniforms in the league.

11: Minnesota Vikings: If it weren't for the redesign, the Vikings would have been 31 on this list. I love what they've done, going back to a simpler style. Not a fan of the black facemask or number font, but these are a great looking uniform. Add a white striped sock for the purple pants and they'd be one of the best.

10: Buffalo Bills: Another team that benefited from a good redesign a few years back. These are a beautiful set of uniforms with the striping, colors, and look at those striped socks. Gorgeous. Hopefully they get rid of that stupid neckline, and then this would be a perfect set.

9. Miami Dolphins: I've always like the Miami uniform, going with the teal and orange. Not the biggest fan of the new logo, but it isn't bad enough to make them fall. I like the use of teal and navy in the new uniforms, with orange as a small highlight color. Nike nailed it with this uniform.

8. Houston Texans: Hey Patriots, this is how to use blue and red in a uniform. Very simple, yet strong. I like the blue helmets with the blue jerseys, and I've always been a fan of color helmet, white jersey, and color pants. This might be the only team I don't hate wearing same color socks with pants. The Texans just look good.

7. Cleveland Browns: I might be the only person in the world to rank the Browns this high. Look, I absolutely love the brown and orange together, plus no other team uses it. They're original, the striping perfect, these uniforms remind me of Cleveland, Ohio. Rumor is that they will be changing it up next year, so hopefully nothing drastic happens.

6. Washington Redskins: Look, I'm going to ignore all the controversy with the name and logo. I love the logo, it looks good. Anyways, this is one of the best color combinations in the NFL. I LOVE maroon as a color, it always looks good. I am glad they brought back the yellow pants, because they just look better in them. Kudos for the pant and sock striping.

5. Green Bay Packers: Again, kudos for sticking with colors that other teams don't use. The striping is classic and always has look good. This is the only team I think could pull off a yellow helmet with out looking like crap, and it works. Plus, that logo is iconic. Can't really beat it.

4: San Fransisco 49ers: As much as I hate this team, they look pretty amazing. Glad they got rid of the black, and are sticking with the red and gold. Look, this team would be number one if it weren't for one of the most unnecessary problems to have, the shoulder stripes. They don't even bother making them look good anymore. Either get rid of them or make them look good. Other than that, still a gorgeous uniform.

3. Seattle Seahawks: Figures I'd have them here, huh? Well, when first unveiled, I hated this look. I wanted the classic Seahawks jerseys back, so I was pretty unhappy when I saw these. What I didn't realize is how freaking good they would look on the field. They didn't overdo the green, they didn't over play the grey. Now, I wish they would add grey to their blue pants (inside the "feathers" on the stripe), or just wear blue and grey pants away, but I still love this look.

2. Chicago Bears: These easily could be the best looking set in the NFL. I'm a sucker for the navy blue and orange (Broncos?) and think that they use it perfectly. Good shoulder striped, simple helmet, and sock striping on both the home and aways. This is truly one of the finest uniforms in the league, it wasn't easy putting them at number 2.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: I might get killed over this, honestly. But hear me out. The Chiefs have a gorgeous logo, and a very simple helmet style. I love the white facemask on the red helmet, especially because they prominently use red and white. Their homes are gorgeous, the perfect amount of red, white, and a little bit of yellow. I, however, like their aways that much more. The sock striping, red pants, and overall look is arguably the sharpest in the league.

Well folks, there you have it. I'm sure that many, if not all of you, disagree with me. If so, comment below or hit up the facebook page and let me know why!

For the next two weeks, updates will be very little, if not nonexistant. I'll be in the UK checking out the other football and what not, so I'll try to keep up with the pages when I can. Other than that, the Mariners are in full swing and some thoughts will be explored when I get back.

Mariners Thoughts, Hawks Prepping for Draft

So far our beloved Mariners are sitting at 6-8, not terrible, but not good.Obviously we would like to see some more wins, but the way that we have been playing, it's hard to expect anything. After starting 2-0 to the defending AL West Champ A's, we drop 2 of 3 to Houston. HOUSTON. Bleh. With the season we are having so far, let's take a look at a few things.

Home vs. Road:
If you were to look at the standings, it should be an easy check up. The M's are 3-4 away from Safeco, and 3-4 at it. To someone who is casually looking, it seems that they are playing the same baseball home and away, yet it is simply not the case.
Historically, as in the last four years, the Mariners are 162-165 (.495) at home and 126-195 (.393) away. While it might be very early in the season, a few trends are starting to emerge that contradict the historic one. In ballparks not called Safeco, the Mariners have been outscored 27-30. Granted, they lost two games to the White Sox by a combined 2 runs. At home, however, the Mariners have been outscored a whopping 25-35. The opposing team has scored ten more runs at Safeco, a place where Seattle should have a slight advantage. Why don't they?

Attendance in Safeco:
Folks, if you love your team, support them. Who cares if they suck, you get to watch a great sport at arguably the best stadium in the majors. At the home opener, 42,589 fans watched the Mariners defeat the Astros. The two games following? Dwindled to 10,745 and 10,493, respectively. Those, by the way, set record lows for Safeco attendance. Think about it, what is the Seahawks biggest asset every Sunday? The fans. CenturyLink is impossible to play in if you're not the Hawks. Mariners? Shoot they might as well play 162 away games. When another team comes in, they experience the quietest and emptiest stadium in the majors, not very tough to play in. If I still lived up there, you better believe I'd be at as many games as I possibly could. When I move to Dallas this summer, you better believe I'll be at as many Rangers-Mariners games as I can afford. Take pride in this team M's fans, we don't want another beloved team of ours to leave before we realize what we're missing (Sonics, anyone?) 


I wanted to do some talking about the new fence at Safeco, as well as power numbers from Michael Morse and the rest of the team, but the season is still too early for me to be able to comment well enough on both subjects, so be looking for that to happen rather soon.

Seahawks Prepping for Draft:
With the draft around the corner, I will check out my previous offseason predictions and update them as they are necessary.
Offense:
In regards to the quarterback, we traded Matt Flynn to Oakland for draft picks and signed former Brown, Bronco, Chief Brady Quinn. If Wilson can stay healthy, this means very little. Sad to see Flynn go, but I've always liked Brady Quinn and can understand what Pete Carroll and John Schneider saw. A good offseason for them so far, no draft need.
No news thus far regarding the Running Backs or Offensive Line. Still wouldn't mind seeing the Hawks draft another O-lineman, because you can never have too much depth there.
The biggest offseason splash for the offseason was the trade for Percy Harvin.I was completely wrong in thinking the Hawks wouldn't pursue Harvin, and according to Madden, this is an amazing trade. Obviously, it will depend on how well he plays and stays healthy, but I can see nothing but good things coming from this signing. Sorry Viking fans, Seattle will be able to get the most out of Harvin.
Defense:
Another huge splash came in the signings of Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, and Antoine Winfield. I was shocked at how little these players demanded in money, which is a salute to how well the Seahawks are playing and how great this organization is. Few players of these calibers will take less money to play elsewhere, yet they realized the possibilities of becoming a Seahawk. Our pash rush should be vastly improved, and having a nickel in Winfield gives Walter Thurmond the ability to heal from previous injuries. The draft will be strictly for the best available players and depth, which is a GM's dream. Kudos to PCJS, they've definitely turned this organization around.

Last bit of news, my first giveaway is planned for tomorrow night, Tuesday April 16th. To enter, all you have to do is like the facebook page. I look forward to giving away some cool Mariners and Seahawks gear!

One Week into the Regular Season, Giveaway Update

What a better way to begin this week with a video I came up with. It's a compilation of some of the cooler Seahawks and Mariners moments. For some unknown reason I can't get it to play on mobile devices, which is pretty frustrating. If you're reading from a mobile device, I recommend checking it out on your computer. Would love to know what y'all think!
 
I would also like to apologize for my absence on this blog. Senior year is ending and I've been pretty busy with getting my final credits knocked out. Hopefully as everything slows down I can spend more time here!

Week one of the MLB Season (4-4, 3rd Place)

Initial Reactions: 4-4 isn't terrible, especially when we played the defending AL West champs and the only team (Chicago WhiteSox) that the Mariners can never seem to beat. More on that in a bit though. What's been really nice is watching Michael Morse swing that bat, all to the tune of leading the AL in homeruns (5) and being second in the MLB behind only Justin Upton (6). Can anybody eve remember when the Mariners lead homeruns in the last 10 years?

Another interesting thing to look at is the Seattle leaders in specific categories, shown below.

See anything interesting? Howabout that the only hitter that was on Seattle last year, Michael Saunders, is leading the Runs category? Again, it's very very early, but off to hot starts are the players we signed in the offseason. The most disappointing has to be Dustin Ackley, who has been replaced by Robert Andino twice already this season. The guy needs to start hitting the ball, and we can only hope he finds that swing soon.

A few thoughts on Mariners Opening Night:
Other than the huge amount of jealousy I have for those who were able to attend, the M's were able to start the season undefeated at home, a place where the M's aren't very good at. Other than me, who thought it was great to beat the same guy, Phil Humber, who threw the perfect game against us last night? I'll take it!

Mariners are currently in 3rd place. Again, it's early, but somebody might have told you to expect this a bit ago. 

In Seahawks News:
Nothing too notable since the last update, minus the only news that could have bummed me this offseason. Matt Flynn has been traded to the atrocious Oakland Raiders. Now, Seattle was able to get some draft picks and save some cap room, so I understand and even agree with the trade. BUT I'm selfish and was a huge Flynn supporter, and wish him all the personal success in Oakland (But I hope they still suck).

Giveaway Update:
For all of you who doubted my ability to give away some hats or a 12th man jersey, here is your proof! Again, the rules are simple. Get the facebook page x amount of likes, and I will pick one follower of the page to receive one of the items below.

On a more technical, computer note: If anybody knows how to set up links so that you can click them to view a picture, much like uni-watch.com, please let me know. I really don't like cluttering up these posts with pictures of all different shapes and sizes, and would much rather than be sent to another page.

That's it for today, Mariners face Erik Bedard tonight. For those of you who don't remember, we gave up Adam Jones for him. Still trying to recover from it...

Mariners Update! Guest Piece

Good news M's fans, we finally have some baseball stuff to talk about! As you all know, it's hard enough to follow the Mariners during the regular season from Colorado. Spring Training? Forget about it, it's nearly impossible for me to find any good, valuable, trustworthy news. So instead, my buddy Jake Garland took the initiative and gave us a great update on the Mariners Spring Training!

Alright M's fans, so we're off to a good start in spring training. The M's are boasting a 17-7 record, good for first in the Cactus League. Offensively the Mariners are leading the league in Homeruns (45) (Mike Morse leads the league with Five), RBIs (147) and Runs Scored (156). They're Sixth in Average (.285) and Seventh in hits (241). As far as pitching goes, its a whole other story. The M's are middle of the pack in every stat other than strike outs where they are Seventh with 183 in 213 innings.

What does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. Its spring training. The time for young players to prove they've got what it takes to play with the big boys and for the veterans still seeking a paycheck to prove they still have what it takes to hang. It's also the time of the year for delusional fans like myself to get my hopes up again about the Mariners being competitive again. (I do the same thing -Blake.) The Mariners have not made the playoffs since 2001 and with a revamped Angels squad it isn't going to get any easier. Despite being loaded with talented young players and a pitching rotation being led by one of the nastiest arms in the league, the M's have failed to be a threat in a weak AL west. With the questionable signings of Jason Bay (wtf were they thinking) and former Mariner Mike Morse, a guy who has been plagued by injuries. Not to mention numerous failed steroid tests and a 10 game suspension for testing positive. With all this being said, there is plenty of potential this season for the M's to make improvements on this past decade of wasted potential and horrible trades(cough cough Adam freaking Jones), but keep your guard up M's fans. If nothing else, buy the cheapest tickets you can find and go to the beer garden.

Great piece Jake, I appreciate it! Couldn't have said it better myself. Honestly, I really could not have. I had no clue about how well the Mariners are actually doing this spring, and Jake is right, we have nothing but stuff to look forward to. As he mentioned above, we have to take it with a grain of salt. The Lions were 4-0 when they lost every regular season game in 2008. But, any excitement is good for Seattle baseball fans, and we won't be disregarding it!

Folks, if you have any stories you'd like featured on the blog, send me a message or comment below. Also, if you'd like to win the 12th Man Home Seahawks jersey, send me your best seahawks (or Mariners) memory. Why are you the best Seattle fan, why should you get it? Best story gets it!

Sodo Mojo 

Personal Update: About the Blogger

What a crazyyyyyyyy offseason it's been so far! Percy, Cliff, and Mike? What about Welker going to Denver, or Goldson bolting for Tampa Bay? I've tried as hard as I can to wait a little longer before talking about free agency, and because there hasn't been much Mariner news, I will introduce the person writing all of these posts to you!

ABOUT THE BLOGGER

The name is Blake, I'm a 21 year old senior at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Anybody who knows me understands that I live and breathe football and baseball, I could talk for hours and hours about each.
I was born in New Mexico in 1991 with a football in one hand and a baseball in the other. My family moved to Colorado in 1996, the year I remember becoming an actual fan of professional sports and their teams. If anybody knows football, especially in regards to 1996-1999, the Denver Broncos were undoubtedly the best team in the NFL (Let's debate about it.) Obviously, my youth consisted of watching John Elway throw, Shannon Sharpe catch, and Terrell Davis run there way to back to back Super Bowl wins over the Packers and Falcons. It's hard to not become a fan of a successful team that young. 
In 2001 (We must have been good luck to teams where we moved to), my family moved to the beautiful state of Washington. Yes, the same year Ichiro erupted in MLB. Yes, the 116 record win year. My neighbor was a HUGE M's fan, and needless to say it rubbed off on me.
Living in the Seattle area for ten years definitely deepened my love for the Mariners. It also turned me from a die hard Bronco fan into having a small crush on the Seahawks. When Seattle moved to the NFC West in 2002, I was able to (sort-of) enjoy them more and more as time went on. My dad bought season tickets for the first six years that Seahawks Stadium Qwest Field Centurylink Field was opened. It was definitely the atmosphere of the stadium that opened me up to being a Seahawks fan. As time went on, it was harder to follow a team in Denver when everything you see and hear is Seahawks. Naturally, I began to heavily follow the Hawks.
After high school I decided to take a football scholarship in Colorado, surrounding myself with Bronco fans galore. While I enjoy being able to openly support the Broncos and talk about them, it made me miss being able to turn on the TV and see the Mariners or the Hawks playing. This move has not only strengthened my love for the Seattle teams, but has made me appreciate the Seattle fans,organizations, and the city itself. Don't get me wrong, I love the Denver Broncos. They'll always have a special place in my heart and memories. I just can't call them my team anymore. That is reserved for the Seahawks. I know the roster up and down. I've been to their games; wins and losses. I've endured SBXL refs, Jim Mora as head coach, and Charlie Whitehurst playing against Cleveland. It's safe to say I'm a loyal, die hard 12th man. 
As for the Mariners, they've never had to compete for my support. They could lose each and every game and I would still support them, even arguing that they're the best team in the league. In fact, when the came down here to Denver last year, I'm confident I was the only Mariner fan in Coors Field. Which we swept. And I can't make fun of anyone, because no one here likes baseball except me... boo.
In a nutshell, I love football and baseball. I love the city of Seattle and everything that comes with it. I love the Seahawks and the Mariners enough to blog and ramble about it. I've enjoyed watching the Sounders play and do their thing. I'm excited for the Sonics to return. I adamantly HATE the OKC Thunder Blunder. Hate the Niners. Hate every other baseball team. Give me a break on the Broncos, and I'm all Seattle all the time.

I've really enjoyed starting the blog, and hope to continue it and allow it to grow into something unique.
-Blake


So there you have it, my fanship story. If you'd like to share one, message the facebook page. The coolest story, the most die-hard fan, the most appreciative memory will win the 12th Man Home Seahawks Jersey. From one 12 to another.

Sodo Mojo.

"If it were easy, everyone would do it." 
Couldn't have said it any better coach. Rest in Peace, still can't believe it's already been three years.

$eahawk$ New$

I need to touch on $omething that impact$ every player in the NFL. I'm not $ure how to bring it up, but I will have to try it anyway$. Alright, I'm done with the symbols. Without being corny, we need to talk about the salaries of what I consider Seattle's most important assets. Of course I'll be talking about the skill positions, but I cannot reiterate this enough: The success of the O-line and the D-line will determine the success of this football team. A good year by both of the squads will mean another winning season.

As a former football player, I can appreciate how important both lines are. The Seahawks are not overpaying any lineman position, which is huge. It allows them to continue working with what they have, all while having the flexibility to spend on other positions. Look at the Atlanta Falcons. They had to cut RB Michael Turner, CB Dunta Robinson, and DE John Abraham. These are really good players that cost a lot of money. Seattle doesn't have that issue right now (emphasis on right now...). Now, let's compare the Hawks salaries against the NFL's premium.
Note: Numbers will reflect BASE salary for 2013, incentives not included. A few Seattle's best players are still signed to their rookie contracts, hence the small paycheck.

Quarterbacks

1. Peyton Manning, Broncos – $18,000,000
2. Michael Vick, Eagles – $12,500,000
3. Matt Ryan, Falcons – $11,500,000

Matt Flynn, Seahawks – $5,250,000
Russell Wilson, Seahawks – $526,217
The Hawks are in such a good position in terms of their quarterbacks. As I've stated many times before, Flynn is not as expensive as people have thought. While I don't agree with him making more than Wilson, that will change very soon. With Seattle's two quarterbacks making a combined $5,776,217, it provides a whole lot more cap room for other positions. Wilson makes 34% of what Manning makes and means just as much to his team. Steal? Let's keep enjoying it while we can. For those of you looking for Joe Flacco after his huge contract, check it out. From 2013-2015, he is scheduled to make $11,000,000, with only $1,000,000 in 2013. From 2016-2018, he will make $58,000,000. The rest will fall with a yearly $5,800,000 bonus and incentives.

Runningbacks

1. Chris Johnson, Titans – $8,000,000
2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings – $8,000,000
3. Stephen Jackson, Rams – $7,000,000

(10) Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks – $4,000,000 

Marshawn is one of the better paid Hawks, ranking as the 10th richest RB for next season. Again, as much as he means to Seattle, this is a great deal. While RBs don't tend to last as long as other positions, their pay tends to reflect that. I can tell you that although Chris Johnson is an impressive RB, the Titans sure wish they didn't spend as much as they did on him. His numbers are down from his 2000 yard season. If Lynch can stay productive, the Hawks will definitely provide bonus and incentive money for Lynch.

Wide Receivers

1. Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers – $11,000,000
2. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs – $9,515,000
3. Wes Welker, Patriots – $9,515,000

(6) Sidney Rice, Seahawks – $7,000,000

Golden Tate, Seahawks – $490,000

Doug Baldwin, Seahawks – $465,000

Ben Obomanu, Seahawks – $2,000,000

Sidney Rice is Seattle's highest paid player, a choice made when the Hawks were anything but good and desperate to pick up a good free agent. While Rice hasn't lived up to the cost, last year gave hope to what he can do with a full year to produce. Tate and Baldwin are still signed to their rookie contracts, and therefore have been very affordable. Once they become free agents, however, Seattle will have to make a very difficult decision. I don't see both returning, and this upcoming year will have a lot to say who will stay in Seattle. It absolutely baffles me that Obomanu makes as much as he does, and I can confidently say he will not make that after his contract expires. 

Cornerbacks

1. Nnamdi Asomugha, Eagles – $11,000,000
2. Champ Bailey, Broncos – $8,000,000
3. Jonathan Joseph, Texans – $7,250,000

Richard Sherman, Seahawks – $465,000

Brandon Browner, Seahawks – $415,000 

We all know how I feel about these corners. What is so amazing is Pete Carroll and John Schneider's abilities to analyze talent beyond the first round. Browner was playing in the CFL, and signing him to an affordable contract was easy. Sherman is tied to his rookie contract too, and will cost Seattle a whole lot more when he re-signs. I don't see the Hawks paying premium for both, and if Browner gets a great offer elsewhere, I see him walking,

Safeties

1. Ed Reed, Ravens – $7,200,000
2. Antrel Rolle, Giants - $6,750,000
3. Charles Woodson, Packers - $6,500,000

Earl Thomas, Seahawks – $1,000,000

Kam Chancellor, Seahawks – $490,000 

Thomas makes a very affordable salary for how he produces, and Kam is still tied to his rookie contract. These players are the heart and soul of this defense, and they continue to set the tone for the game. I truly believe that if you removed either Thomas or Chancellor, this defense would take a significant step backwards. Both affordable right now, both will get premium contracts in the future.

There seems to be a reoccurring theme to this post. Rookie contracts are affordable. PCJS have both proven they can find talent in the draft and get the best out of them. That's why I see the Hawks investing more into the draft than in free agency. Don't get me wrong, if they can pick up a good player for the right price, they will do so. But I don't see any Sidney Rice contracts being signed in the near future for these Hawks, they simply don't need it. 

Don't forget about my giveaway on my facebook page!

How 'bout that Spring Training?!

Spring Training means very little, we all know this. It's like the preseason. Remember when the Detroit Lions went 0-16? They were 4-0 in the preseason. Now, I'm not comparing the 2013 Mariners to those dreadful Lions, but it is an interesting thought. 9-1, riding a 9 game winning streak is cool no matter what you're playing. The coolest thing about it, and probably the only reason I'm so excited for the next couple of months, is how the hitters are hitting the baseball. We have seen a power surge in Arizona that hasn't been seen since 1997, a pretty good Seattle team I might add.

"Now Blake," you might ask, "how are you going to prove that this isn't the same ole Mariner team. How impressive is this output?" Ahhh, so glad you asked. First and foremost, I can't prove that this isn't the same disappointing team, they tend to prove that themselves. It's a long season, roller coaster is to be expected. Most importantly, I can provide a few numbers that indicate that there is something in the water in Arizona, and they should probably bring some back up to Seattle.
Not too shabby for Seattle. While I like to see the production, it would be realllllly nice to see Smoak, Montero, and Morales start hitting more. This is a pretty important year for Smoak especially, as another subpar year could result in termination. The man is 1-9 this spring, with his only hit being his homerun mentioned earlier. Montero isn't faring much better, only going 1-7 so far. This is why I appreciate the comments and feedback! Being in Colorado, I'm not able to see the games or hear many news, and I have to rely on outside sources. I couldn't have been more wrong about Smoak or Montero, as they are hitting 8-15 and 7-14, respectively. I would love to see these guys continue their hot hitting, as they are the future of this ball club.Morales will be given more slack from me, but he was an Angel, and we all know Angels tend to be in Seattle. (Chone Figgins, anyone?)

I am pleasantly surprised by Bay and Gutierrez, and if they can continue producing, I see good things happening for the M's! Bay is guaranteed $1 million from the M's, with $2 million if he becomes a regular starter. For the money, it seems like a low-risk high-reward type situation. While I would like to see Casper Wells take the LF position, if Bay is out playing him, I see no problem with it. Win-win! Guti just needs to stay healthy. He has always proven he can play the position with the best in the MLB, brother just needs to hit the ball better and put his speed to use. I see this being a very productive year for him.

That's it for tonight, I was trying to see how well I could insert a spreadsheet, as I plan on using more statistics as this blog continues to grow. I'm debating on talking about the Seahawks contract issues, especially with Flacco signing his new deal, but I will probably wait until the draft to do so. The Mariners contract issues are much crazier, as baseball tends to be. I will, however, try to talk about the bigger and more important ones soon.

Speaking of Flacco, I read a very, very interesting fact. Out of all the $100 million contracts given out in the NFL, Brett Favre made the most at the end. He only ended up with $56 million. Ridiculous number, but it shows that the NFL is shifting towards less guaranteed money and more incentive based contracts. Should be interesting to see how it turns out.

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