Colorado Rapids hoping to break into relevancy

It's harsh to say that the Colorado Rapids are irrelevant, but they are. They haven't threatened for a playoff spot, didn't have any great players of note and couldn't even drum up local interest in the club, finishing the 2015 season with the worst average attendance in MLS. But Colorado appears set to get back into the national and local consciousness this season, spending big and looking to compete once again. What do they need to get back into the playoff race?

1. Pablo Mastroeni is on the hot seat

Mastroeni ended his playing career after the 2013 season and, by the time the 2014 season rolled around, had been handed the keys to the Rapids. An unquestionably terrific player and leader, Mastroeni has struggled to adapt to management, winning just 19 of 71 matches in charge of Colorado. Underwhelming rosters have hampered him, but that doesn’t change his questionable decisions -- like complaining about a lack of skill while leaving his most skillful players on the bench. Now in his third year, Mastroeni needs to show growth, more tactical imagination and start racking up some wins.

2. Big names coming to town

Jermaine Jones is on his way to Colorado and Tim Howard is rumored to be next to join the Rapids.

The Rapids are spending. Finally. A club that has become known for going cheap whenever possible sent allocation money and a first round pick to the New England Revolution for United States international Jermaine Jones and signed him to a contract using Targeted Allocation Money. That means he will be paid between $457,500 and $1 million in 2016, which is no small sum of money. They're also reported to be on the verge of signing U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, who would join the team in July and would make $2 million. The Rapids are spending big and committing to the team in a way we've never seen before. Those big names will have to pay off.

3. Dillon duo’s time

Colorado Rapids midfielder Dillon Powers

Dillon Powers and Dillon Serna were thrown into the fire as kids and helped the Rapids make the playoffs in 2013, but they haven't taken huge steps since. Part of that could be attributed to a variety of factors related to the club and management, but Powers is 25 years old now and Serna is 21. They need to start becoming the stars that people envisioned they would be by now. In Serna's case, that means playing regularly. Seeing as Mastroeni keeps saying he wants skill and creativity, he can't possibly continue to leave Serna on the bench as much as he has before.