NFL Stars with the Most to Prove in 2015

With free agency and the 2015 NFL draft both in the rearview mirror, the focus has shifted across the National Football League.

Up to now, it was all about assembling this year's teams. Now, things shift to preparing for the upcoming season. 

And for some veteran stars, that preparation brings with it added pressure in 2015. Maybe it's because of an injury last year. Or a suspension. Or a disappointing season. Or an early playoff exit. For whatever reason, these NFL stars enter the 2015 season with even more on the line than usual.

In addition to winning, there's redemption. Or legacy. Or Papa John's Pizza.

What? Isn't that what all the cool players eat?

Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos

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Might as well start with Captain Commercial himself.

Mind you, at first glance, Peyton Manning's 2014 stats look just peachy. Yes, Manning's numbers were down compared to his record-setting 2013 season, but the 39-year-old still threw for 4,727 yards and 39 touchdowns.

However, look a bit closer and the skies darken. Over the last month of the 2014 regular season, Manning managed to top 300 passing yards in a game only once. Over that span, Manning tossed only three touchdown passes but six interceptions.

It caused some to question whether the inevitable had happened—whether Father Time had claimed another victim.

In fact, when the Broncos were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs at home by the Indianapolis Colts, there was even speculation that was it—that Manning had played his last NFL game.

However, Manning and the Broncos soon put those questions to rest, and the five-time NFL MVP told Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post that he's not ready to ride off into the sunset just yet:

"

I think there are young 39s and old 39s. I'm in that young group, for sure. March birthday. I think you have to be very careful just lumping them all in together. Who is there? Vinny (Testaverde)? Warren (Moon)? Daryle Lamonica, right? I have no idea. I just know some guys that have played a long time. I think it's all about trying to do your job, no matter how old you are.

"

Now, nothing that happens in 2015 is going to stop Manning from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer five years after he does call it quits. That's as certain as death, taxes and lying politicians.

However, there's more on the line for Manning than "just" a bust in Canton—there's his place among the all-time greats at the position.

And another deep playoff run (or Super Bowl trip) could have a big impact on that.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

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Like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees has accomplished just about everything a quarterback can in the National Football League: NFL MVP. Super Bowl champion.

Just like Manning, at 36 years old, Brees is a lot closer to the end of the line than the beginning.

Just like Manning, Brees' production in 2014, on its face, looks fine: 4,952 passing yards. 33 touchdown passes. A passer rating of nearly 100.

And like Manning, Brees enters the 2015 season surrounded by questions.

Last year, Brees failed to hit the 5,000-yard mark for the first time since 2010. The Saints missed the playoffs, and the front office shipped Brees' top target out of town in the offseason by trading tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks.

Add in Brees' contract, which expires after the 2016 season, and there's been talk that one of the most beloved players in the history of the organization could be nearing the end of the line in the Big Easy.

Brees dismissed the speculation while speaking with Mike Triplett of ESPN.com in April:

"

Well, all the trade rumors I would hear from people. I would have people come and, ‘So I hear you’re getting traded to Tampa.’ Oh, OK, great. And then the next week, it’s like, OK, who is it this week? Buffalo? Or wherever else. So I lost track.

But again, I know that if things like that were taking place that I have the type of relationship with our team, our organization, that I would know about those things. So when I hear them second-hand or from a media outlet or whatever, I don’t really pay it much [attention].

"

Of course, Brees also allowed that there's been no real progress in talks on a contract extension, and that was before the Saints used a third-round pick in the draft on Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson—Brees' potential replacement.

If Brees continues to decline in 2015 and the Saints once again miss the postseason, then what was once unthinkable is going to become a lot more plausible.

Sam Bradford, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

By the time Sam Bradford finishes the 2015 NFL season, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft will have tallied $70 million in career earnings.

I use that term loosely, because to this point in his career, Bradford has done very little to earn any of that money.

However, despite the injuries that have plagued Bradford dating all the way back to his time at Oklahoma, Philadelphia head coach/general manager/all-around grand poobah Chip Kelly saw enough in Bradford to swap quarterbacks with the St. Louis Rams.

In fact, in addition to sending Nick Foles to the Rams, Kelly even threw in a second-round pick.

It didn't take long for tight end Zach Ertz to see why Kelly has so much faith in Bradford, as he told Reuben Frank of CSN Philadelphia:

"

We’ve been throwing for the past three weeks and I can honestly say I’ve thrown with Andrew, Nick and other guys, and I don’t think I’ve thrown with a guy who has a stronger arm than Sam Bradford.

He hasn’t been able to really truly get his full legs underneath him. But the ball still comes out effortlessly, and it’s a lot of fun to run routes with him.

"

The problem is that rocket arm is attached to a body made of glass. The 27-year-old has made it through 16 games only twice in five seasons, including two ACL tears of the same knee that has sidelined Bradford since October—of 2013.

That arm isn't much good to Kelly and the Eagles on the sidelines. Or the trainer's table.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

To say that 2014 wasn't Adrian Peterson's best year is an understatement.

I'm not going to rehash the child abuse allegations that led to Peterson pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge last November. They've been discussed ad nauseam.

Those allegations led to Peterson spending nearly all of last season on the Commissioner's Exempt List, and while Peterson was reinstated in April, the way the Vikings handled the situation reportedly didn't sit well with the 30-year-old.

As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported back in March, the 2012 NFL MVP wants out of Minnesota. But despite his hefty salary, the Vikings are in no hurry to acquiesce to those wishes:

"

It's coming to a head, one way or the other. Peterson's bluff will likely be called by the Vikings after the draft, assuming there is no trade. Will he stay away through the entire offseason and into camp and beyond, when actual money would be at stake. As it stands right now, I wouldn't doubt it. But the closer we get to September, the more things can change.

From everything I have gathered about how badly Peterson wants out, short of the Vikings throwing a ton more money at him -- you know, the way sore feelings are often assuaged in pro sports -- he won't make it easy on them. His resolve will be strong and it'll be an uncomfortable OTA and preseason around Minnesota. If Peterson does end up back there, I don't see it reaching that point for quite some time.

"

Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman insisted to Pat Borzi of the New York Times just before the draft that the team's position regarding Peterson hasn't changed:

"

I think Coach Zimmer stated it pretty clear that we have no interest in trading Adrian Peterson, and we don’t.

Our position has not changed since all the statements we made down at the owners’ meetings, O.K.? Adrian Peterson is under contract. His suspension was lifted. We’re looking forward to having Adrian Peterson back here as a Minnesota Viking in 2015. That’s the end of the story. That’s it.

"

So there you go. A back who doesn't want to be there, and a team that has no inclination to let him leave.

It has the makings of an interesting summer. It's also worth noting this: In recent years, when running backs like Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew staged lengthy holdouts, the results that season were...

Well, let's put it this way. I wouldn't go betting the rent that Peterson rushes for 2,000 yards in 2015.

Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys

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OK, so maybe calling Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden a "star" is pushing it. Still, he does have one on his hat.

Close enough.

Besides, after the Cowboys surprisingly decided to forgo selecting a running back in the 2015 NFL draft, McFadden will have to be a star if the Cowboys are going to win the NFC East for a second straight year.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News that he believes McFadden is up to the task.

"We really think Darren’s in the best shape of his career," Jones said. "He looks great out there. We really think that you put him behind our offensive line and he has some luck and stays healthy, we might really have something here."

Of course, that's the problem with McFadden. In his seven seasons in the NFL, McFadden has played a full 16-game slate all of once (last year).

Even when on the field of late, McFadden has looked little like the slashing runner who topped 1,100 yards on the ground for the Oakland Raiders in 2010. Last year, McFadden averaged a paltry 3.4 yards per carry for Oakland. It was the third straight season in which McFadden has failed to gain even 3.5 yards per tote.

Yes, the Cowboys have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Yes, the team plans to rotate backs, with Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and even potentially Ryan Williams all seeing work.

But as things stand today, as goes McFadden, so goes the Dallas run game.

And as that ground game goes, so go the Cowboys in 2015.

Percy Harvin, WR, Buffalo Bills

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Percy Harvin has been a fixture on these sorts of lists going all the way back to 2012.

In 2011, Harvin caught 87 passes for 967 yards with the Minnesota Vikings. He also picked up over 300 more yards on the ground. Harvin appeared to be a superstar in the making—a true home run threat every time he touched the ball.

However, even then storm clouds were brewing. Harvin repeatedly missed time with migraines. He reportedly clashed with coaches.

After a disappointing 2012 season, the Vikings dealt Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks. A hip injury wiped out almost all of Harvin's 2013 campaign, but he made it back onto the field for Super Bowl XLIX, where his kick return for a score to open the second half was the dagger that finished off the Denver Broncos.

And yet, by halfway through last season, the rumblings had grown even louder and Harvin was once again on the move—this time to the Big Apple and the New York Jets.

Harvin's time in New York was uneventful, and come the spring, the 26-year-old was once again on the hunt for a new team.

He found one with an old coach, following Rex Ryan from New York to Buffalo.

And Harvin told The John Murphy Show, via the team's website, that he intends to make all the doubters eat crow:

"

Coach Rex Ryan saw that I can be a receiver and that I can run routes. That’s the thing I like about Coach Sanjay (Lal). He said he worked on that with me and the results I was getting, if you turned on the film, I’m creating separation, I’m running posts, I’m running daggers, I’m running comebacks, and I don’t think people have given me credit for that. I feel like I can establish that here and show the world I can be an every down receiver but also add some of the gimmick stuff if that’s what the coach asks for.

"

Of course, Harvin's been singing that same tune for almost as long as he's been a fixture on these sorts of lists.

Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets

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Harvin's departure from the Big Apple left the New York Jets with a hole at wideout, so new general manager Mike Maccagnan decided to replace the mercurial receiver with...

Well, Maccagnan replaced Harvin with Brandon Marshall—the poster child for mercurial receivers.

When the Chicago Bears dealt Marshall to the Jets for a Day 3 draft pick back in March, it marked the third time the 31-year-old has been traded in nine seasons.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, it also marked the third time that Marshall wore out his welcome in an NFL locker room:

"

Marshall caused a ruckus in the locker room after a loss to the Dolphins last season when he was overheard yelling at kicker Robbie Gould and offensive linemen had to intervene. He separately challenged a Lions fan and Lions center Dominic Raiola to fights on Twitter. He criticized Cutler when he was benched during Week 16 on WMVP-AM 1000, saying “I'd have buyer's remorse too” in regards to the quarterback's contract.

"

Add in a big salary and an injury-marred 2014 that saw Marshall record the second-fewest receiving yards (721) of his career, and it was bye-bye Windy City.

New teammate Eric Decker told Kimberley Martin of Newsday that he's over the moon about the addition:

"

Coach always tries to put you in the best position. But on any team, to have more weapons, guys that can make plays, it does become easier. He's one of those guys that has proven it for so long. When you hear the name 'Brandon Marshall,' I mean, he's one of the best. I would say that he definitely makes me a better receiver already because I get to be the 1-2 punch with him.

"

At first glance, it would appear to be a low-risk (albeit expensive) move by the Jets, but we'll see if Decker and the Jets (not to be confused with Benny and the Jets) are still all smiles after hanging out with Marshall for a while.

Rent Brandon. Don't buy.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

There wasn't a busier team in the NFL during free agency this year than the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact, you could write an entire one of these pieces focusing solely on the players who either headed into or out of the City of Brotherly Love in 2015.

One of the players in that latter group was wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who parlayed a career year into a five-year, $55 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Maclin's already been working with his new quarterback in minicamp, and he told Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star he believes he and Alex Smith will establish a strong rapport:

"

It was more so just catching, kind of seeing how the rotation (of the ball) comes out. Everything was smooth.

I felt very comfortable in that meeting today. The fact I had the opportunity play in this particular (offense) before is definitely going to help me.

"

The 27-year-old got no argument from Smith, per Paylor:

"

Yeah, it was good, good to kind of get going on the first day. I had met him a few times and been around him and talked to him on the phone since we signed him, but it was great to get face to face and throw a little bit.

I think some things click for some guys faster than others, it just depends. I think there will be a little more of smoother transition — he’s been in the system, he’s learned his terminology. None of this is brand new for either of us.

"

Maclin's familiarity with Andy Reid's offense from their time together in Philadelphia will be useful as he tries to help jump-start a Chiefs passing game that floundered in 2014.

At least there's a bright side. When Maclin makes his first touchdown grab in 2015, it will give him more scores than every wideout on the Chiefs roster last year.

Combined.

Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If the Marshall trade sent a ripple across the NFL, then the March trade moving tight end Jimmy Graham to the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks was the equivalent of a tsunami.

The New Orleans Saints shocked the league on the opening day of free agency, dealing Graham to the Seahawks for a first-round pick (No. 31) in the NFL draft and center Max Unger.

It wasn't just onlookers who were stunned. Drew Brees found himself picking his jaw up of the floor as well, according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com:

"

I think it shocked all of us. A lot of crazy things happened, though, during the course of free agency for a lot of different teams. Unfortunately, you've been around long enough, you see some of these things happen at times. If anything it shows the confidence our organization has in the young players, especially the young skill players on offense, just feeling like those are guys that now have a chance to step up and fill a big void and fill a big role and continue to progress forward.

"

Still, what's done is done, and Graham has moved from one of the NFL's most pass-heavy offenses to one that's a lot more ground-and-pound.

Seattle may be a run-first team, but head coach Pete Carroll told Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated that the Seahawks plan to find plenty of ways to get Graham the ball.

"

We think he’s a fantastic target that we can implement in a number of ways. I think all the ways we’ve come to understand is pretty clear: He’s a big receiver, plays big, makes plays in a crowd, makes plays on top of guys, is a very effective player in the red zone, he’s been a consistent scorer. So all of that stuff, we’re going to fit it into our offense and make him a very obvious complementary part of it. When you have to deal with Marshawn and it starts with the run game and Russell doing his thing to complement the receivers that we have, we think this is a great addition. Your best players always help your other guys play well and be productive. That’s what we’re hoping for.

"

It was a bold move for a team still smarting from their deflating last-second loss to the New England Patriots (see what I did there?), and there will be more than a little pressure on Graham to acclimate to his new team quickly and help the Seahawks get to Santa Clara.

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins

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There probably isn't a player in this article with more reasons to prove himself in 2015 than Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

In fact, he has about $60 million of them.

That's the amount of guaranteed money on the six-year, $114 million megadeal that Suh inked with the Dolphins back in March, a deal that made the 28-year-old four-time Pro Bowler the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

After making the playoffs in 2014 with the Detroit Lions, Suh told reporters upon joining the team that he intends to make a return trip with the Dolphins this year.

"I feel like this team has a great nucleus and it's just about finding some other pieces to get us over the hump and make a run," Suh said, via Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "They have a great owner that wants to win, and knows the process of doing that." 

They'd better. Paying QB money to any player who isn't a quarterback can have a huge trickle-down effect on the rest of the roster. (Just ask the Lions.)

If Suh doesn't make an immediate and significant impact on the Miami defense, it isn't going to take long for grumbling to start about the size of his paycheck.

As a matter of fact, not only does Suh have to at the very least maintain his All-Pro performance level on a consistent basis, but there's more.

The Dolphins have to win. If they don't, people will start pointing fingers at Suh—whether it's his fault or not.

Byron Maxwell, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Granted, much like Darren McFadden, Byron Maxwell isn't exactly what most fans would consider a "star" in the NFL.

However, the Philadelphia Eagles' newest cornerback is being paid like one—so he'd better play like one.

Back in March, the Eagles raised more than a few eyebrows across the NFL when they handed Maxwell a six-year, $63 million free-agent deal. It's a lot of coin for a 27-year-old cornerback who Pro Football Focus ranked 45th at his position last year while with the Seattle Seahawks.

However, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com crunched some numbers of his own by comparing the performances of some of the league's highest-paid cornerbacks (Richard Sherman, Joe Haden, Patrick Peterson, Brandon Carr and Maxwell) and, in his opinion, that math reflects favorably on Maxwell:

"

Rank: (least to most)
Targets: Sherman, Maxwell, Peterson, Carr, Haden
Catches: Sherman, Maxwell, Haden/Carr (tied), Peterson
Yards: Sherman, Talib, Maxwell, Talib, Peterson, Carr
Touchdowns: Sherman/Maxwell (tied), Talib, Carr, Peterson
Penalties: Sherman, Talib, Maxwell, Haden, Peterson

As you can see, Maxwell comes in the top three of every category, and top two for three of them.

Meaning when it comes to earning his pay, if Maxwell doesn't take a step back next season, he should be worth every penny to the Eagles.

"

Maxwell isn't hearing the naysayers either, telling Matt Lombardo of NJ.com that he sees a lot of similarities between the Philadelphia defense and the one he left in Seattle:

"

I don't think there's going to be too many differences between here and Seattle. I had to do my job in Seattle and when I get here I'll do my job, whatever that may be. The technique will be the same from Seattle. I'm not going to be playing a different technique, or anything like that. I'm going to be playing cover-3-man, that's what I do.

"

That's exactly what the Eagles were hoping when they signed Maxwell—that the fifth-year pro will help transform a Philly pass defense that ranked 31st in the league into one that looks more like the Seahawks' league-leading "Legion of Boom."

Big-time paycheck. Big-time expectations.

Big-time pressure.