The preseason is over (meaningful preseason, anyway) so let’s hand out some August awards. These are the guys who looked really good to me in the practice games:
PRESEASON ALL-PRO TEAM
Russell Wilson, Seahawks
It’s very apparent, watching Seattle’s first-unit offense march up and down the field in its last two exhibitions that this is easily the best team in the NFL right now. Maybe there will be some injuries or the team will go flat later on or whatever. But right now, Seattle needs to be in that top spot in any power poll, way ahead of everyone else. This is a team that looks like it will go 14-2 or 15-1, and Wilson is the guy leading the way. Entering his third year, he’s even better than he’s been in the past. He’s got some experience now. He’s completed 77 percent of his passes in the preseason, with 2 TDs and 3 touchdown runs.
RB Mark Ingram, Saints
New Orleans didn’t pick up the option on him, so Ingram’s in a contract year. And he’s running like a guy who wants to prove to everyone that he’s a legit running back. He’s running angry. Looks faster and meaner than he has in his first three years of his career (in which he was kind of a bust). 21 carries for 148 yards, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. Breaking tackles in every game.
RB Bryce Brown, Bills
Every time Buffalo puts him out there, he’s gobbling up yards. He’s averaged 6.5 per pop and run for 140 yards. But the Bills don’t seem to have any immediate plans for him. He hasn’t gotten any work with the first-unit offense. Buffalo seems to be locked in on the one-two punch of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. Something about Brown seems to rub coaches the wrong way, because Philadelphia dumped him.
WR Percy Harvin, Seahawks
The Seahawks traded away a first-round pick for Harvin, then gave him a big pile of money. The Vikings turned that pick into Cordarralle Patterson, and relative to what they’re being paid and their ages, there isn’t a team in the league that wouldn’t rather have Patterson. But Harvin looks damn good right now. Even faster than he’s been in the past, if that’s possible. He’ll definitely turn some short catches into long touchdowns, and he looks like he’s probably the best kickoff returner in the league. Harvin has returned only three kickoffs for Seattle, and they’ve been a 58-yarder against Minnesota, an 88-yard touchdown in the Super Bowl and a 46-yarder against the Bears on Friday. He’ll definitely score a touchdown via that route this year; he might score 2.
WR Justin Hunter, Titans
He’s got the Randy Moss skillset. That’s why Tennessee traded up to select him early in the second round a year ago. He pissed off the coaches as a rookie by not taking practice seriously enough (like Moss in that way as well) but now he appears to be putting things together. A rare guy who can just take away balls from cornerbacks. At New Orleans he caught a 64-yard bomb, then they featured him at the goal line on a pitch-and-catch fade route. Looks ready to ascend.
WR Allen Hurns, Jaguars
Jacksonville selected two wide receivers in the second round, but Hurns looks like he’ll be better than both of them. Just an undrafted free agent, but he ges downfield and makes plays. He’s been working with the first-unit offense all along and has caught 13 passes for 230 yards, averaging almost 18 yards per catch.
TE Kyle Rudolph, Vikings
Norv Turner did great things for Jordan Cameron, and it looks like it’s playing out the same way in Minnesota. Rudolph has caught 7 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, with multiple other near-touchdowns. Almost certainly will be a top-5 tight end.
PK Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals
Jay Feely’s a good solid kicker, but Catanzaro simply came in and took the job. His leg is a lot stronger (which helps on kickoffs) and Catanzaro made all of his kicks. He was solid at Clemson last year. Arizona just cut Feely, so Catanzaro will be a top-15 kicker when we release out revised board on Thursday.