With OTA’s having started a few weeks ago and the new guys joining our team, we’re so excited to get everyone together and get things rolling for the upcoming season. Hopefully, we have another championship in our near future!

Anytime you bring new guys to a team, it means there are also guys leaving the team. It’s hard to say goodbye because we’ve developed strong relationships with our teammates and we grow to become so thankful for them. As tough as it is to see these guys move onto other teams or different careers, we’re excited about the new guys coming in. We have new faces and different personalities to grow accustomed to as we transition into the new season.

Personally, I don’t follow the draft too closely. I watch the Wisconsin guys coming out of my college; I’m definitely rooting for them, hoping they are put in good situations. And through my agency I hear about different guys to keep our eyes on. Other than that, I leave it in our organization’s hands. I know they will find the best guys for our team, taking into account the athletes’ personalities, skills and background when making their decisions. With the leadership we have in this organization, I know we really can’t go wrong.

Every year during the draft, I’m reminded to put myself in these guys’ shoes. Whether you are a rookie just entering the league or a player going from one team to a completely different city and community, this is a huge transition. It’s always tough being the new guy. As a veteran on the team, I try to reach out to our new teammates. I’m looking forward to building new relationships with them to help them make their transition smooth. Our aim is to help them get plugged into the community we have here as quickly and painlessly as possible.

It’s hard to replace last year’s team. But anytime you experience a major victory or event — especially something as significant as winning the Super Bowl — you form a unique bond with your teammates. But I know we can be as good as we were last year, and even add to it to make it better. We did lose some experienced players and strong leaders this year, and while that can be hard, we just need to recognize the leadership traits those individuals brought to the table and discover how we can fill in those gaps. Everyone is gifted in a different way. When we figure out what one person was really good at, then we can figure out how either we ourselves can step into that role or find a new person to fill that hole.

The key to Kingdom impact is to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leading. When we do, we can examine who is the right man for the job so we can continue to do great things for God’s glory.

— Chris Maragos, Philadelphia Eagles safety

The Increase, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is a community of Christian pro athletes sharing their personal stories of the decrease of self and the increase of Christ (John 3:30). Visit TheIncrease.com for more stories and videos.