6 BOLD NFL predictions for 2016 according to USA Today

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Six bold NFL predictions for 2016
By: Steven Ruiz
February 10, 2016 1:34 pm

Predicting what will happen in a given NFL season is hard. Who saw Cam Newton winning MVP or a 7-8-1 Panthers coming within a game of a perfect 16-0 regular season? With that in mind, here are six crazy predictions for the 2016 season that we (kind of) expect to come true.


1. The Broncos miss the playoffs

OK, hear me out. Denver has no idea who its quarterback will be in 2016, the running game was a non-factor last season and the defense could lose a lot of key pieces this offseason. Von Miller is a free agent but he’s not going anywhere, although it will probably require the Broncos tagging him. That will take up a lot of Denver’s cap space, a decent chunk of which it will need to pay either Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler. So where’s the money for guys like Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall? The Broncos defense will be good even if they lose all three of those guys, but it will not be the same historically dominant force it was in 2015. A shaky offense combined with a watered down version of the defense does not bode well for the 2016 Broncos.


2. The Raiders end their 13-season playoff drought

If the Broncos are going to miss the playoffs, another AFC West team will have to take their spot atop the division. Why not the Raiders? The team took some big steps in 2015. Derek Carr looks like a franchise quarterback. Amari Cooper lived up to the hype, and the signing of Michael Crabtree certainly paid off. Running back Latavius Murray was quietly a Pro Bowler. The foundation for one of the league’s best offenses is there. On the other side of the ball, Khalil Mack is an absolute superstar and fully capable of carrying a defense.

The team is in good hands with general manager Reggie McKenzie running the show. He’s produced stellar draft classes these last two years while not needlessly spending money in free agency just for the sake of it. Headed into the offseason, Spotrac projects the Raiders for an astonishing $79 million in cap space thanks to McKenzie’s patience. With a solid core already in place and money to make major additions to the roster, the future is bright in Oakland — even if the team’s future isn’t in Oakland.


3. Colin Kaepernick returns to the Pro Bowl

This is prediction is completely based on the magic Chip Kelly has worked with quarterbacks. And he’s never had one nearly as talented as Kaepernick. Kelly got career years out of Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford, and none of those guys even really fit his scheme. Kaepernick will allow Kelly to unleash the full power of his offense. Defenses will have to respect the read option looks that they have been able to ignore over the least three seasons with slow footed quarterbacks running Kelly’s offense.

Also, it hasn’t been too hard making the Pro Bowl as a quarterback these last few seasons. Andy Dalton made the 2014 squad throwing 17 interceptions. Teddy Bridgewater made it in 2015 with just 14 passing touchdowns.


4. The Jaguars are in the playoff race until Week 17

If Jacksonville can play just a little defense next season, this team will be hard to beat next year. The offense, which broke out in last season with Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns taking big-time leaps in their developments. Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon looked like he belonged in the NFL, and should give the Jags just enough of a running game to keep defenses from loading up against the pass. The defense is really the only thing standing in the way of the Jaguars becoming a competitive team. Head coach Gus Bradley fired his defensive coordinator Bob Babich, replacing him with Todd Wash. If the change pays off and Jacksonville’s defense is even remotely competent, this team will challenge the Colts and Texans in the AFC South.


5. Andrew Luck gets the NFL’s first $200 million deal

A big deal makes sense for both sides. Luck gets the richest deal in NFL history and the Colts lock up the most promising young passer in the league for the next decade. Sure, Luck struggled on the field before his season was ended by injuries, but that won’t give the Colts any pause before offering him a nine-figure contract. An annual salary of about $28 million may seem like a lot, but if the deal stretches well into the 2020s, the contract will look like a bargain by the end of it.


6. Peyton Manning plays one more season … with the Rams

This is probably the boldest of all of these predictions. Not the Rams part of it, either. If Manning does come back for another season — and that’s a colossal-sized if — I can’t see the Broncos being the team that pay him. As we covered in the first prediction, Denver has a lot of younger (and better) players it has to worry about signing, including Manning’s replacement Osweiler. Even if Manning has not played his last NFL snap, he’s surely taken his last snap as a Bronco.

So why Los Angeles? The Rams need a quarterback desperately, and should be willing to pay a premium for one with the star power Manning obviously has, if only to sell tickets. The team won’t need much from the 39-year-old, either, with an offense built around running back Todd Gurley and a defense with 2015 Broncos potential.

credit: usatoday.com