You Heard It Here First – January 24th, 2012

Time now for the debut of a new column that I’ll be writing every week at about this time. Simple premise really – I’ll make some bold predictions and talk about them. Some of this stuff will be just for fun but there will be some serious ones too. Just a warning though – don’t hang your hat on any of these predictions. But when they happen, just remember – you heard it here first.

Brandon Weeden will be drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second or third round.

This prediction isn’t too far out there. Everyone knows the Redskins will be drafting at least one quarterback. Personally, I think they may draft two and then get a third from free agency (provided that free agency quarterback isn’t Peyton Manning). What may surprise people is how high Weeden is drafted.

There is only one reason why he’s not considered a first round pick – at age 29, he is as old or older than 21 current starting NFL quarterbacks. However, Weeden is a first round talent and should that shine through at the Senior Bowl you will see his draft value rise. Not so long ago, Weeden was projected as a 5th round pick. Right now, he’s projected for the early fourth round.

By the time the draft comes around, he could be a player that a team trades back into the second round late in order to get him before someone else.

On the prediction – the Redskins coaching staff are one of two at the Senior Bowl (the other being the Vikings) and so Mike Shanahan is getting a full week with these guys. Don’t forget – it was at the Senior Bowl last year that Marvin Lewis had all that close contact with Andy Dalton that convinced him Dalton was legit. Just sayin.

Matt Hasselbeck will be a starter for at least six games in the NFL in 2012.

Hasselbeck is unquestionably one of the hardest working and safest quarterbacks in the league. He’s had a pretty raw deal in his career so far having suffered through bad teams and simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Coupled with the injuries he has had and this is a man who will never get the credit he deserves because on the face of it his career has been relatively mediocre.

However, of the veteran quarterbacks in the NFL who don’t have secure starting roles, it could easily be argued that he is the best of them. Let’s look at the list of these guys – Kyle Orton (29), Matt Cassel (29), Tarvaris Jackson (28), Rex Grossman (32), Carson Palmer (32), Jason Campbell (30).

Hasselbeck is at least on a par with every single one of those guys. All of them could have starting jobs in 2012 (there is the possibility of genuine quarterback competitions in both Oakland and Kansas City). With so many quarterback needy teams out there and so many unstable situations, the thought of Hasselbeck starting the season ahead of a developing rookie or coming in part way through on a struggling team is highly likely in my estimation. Before anything else though, it will be interesting to see what the Titans do with him.

The New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl by at least 12 points.

The Super Bowl is the premier event in the NFL. But more often than not it fails to live up to expectation. We’ve been lucky in recent years with some truly thrilling action in the final game of the postseason. This year though I believe that we’re going to see a blowout and that blowout will come from Tom Brady and a Patriots team keen to lay to rest the ghosts of Super Bowl XLII and bury the Tyree Miracle.

The key for me – I don’t believe the Giants pass rush will be effective enough. If you look at the play of the New England offensive line, they are built to counter exactly the sort of pressure that the Giants defense like to bring. Furthermore, Tom Brady has shown numerous times in the past his ability to read defenses and change plays at the line. Defense may win championships – but only if the offense doesn’t know what you’re doing.

Well, that’ll wrap up this week’s column. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or you can follow me on Twitter @Gizzy_DJ. And remember — you heard it here first!

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