Offseason Check-In

As the first week of the offseason began in the midst of a snowstorm in the Northeast, the NFL always remains in the news somehow. The next "event" that comes up on the NFL calendar is the Scouting Combine at the end of February. Apparently, some of the best ratings NFL Network gets is during their coverage of the Combine. I won't watch every single minute of it, but there are some elements that are interesting to watch. The QB drills are fun to view, and the WR drills are entertaining. Also, the 40-yard dash is exciting to watch, especially with the Defensive Backs and Receivers. One other thing about the combine is that all the GMs and Coaches are there, so NFL Network gets a lot of interviews and football talk on the platter.

Free Agency will start on March 5th. Normally, I would do a huge Free Agent preview, and I would look at the possible players that the Broncos could acquire, but I can't do that this year because of the uncertainty of the CBA. The CBA probably won't get agreed upon before March 5th, so the NFL is headed into the uncapped season. It is too complicated to figure out how all that will affect each team and their players who are coming up on Free Agency.

The NFL offseason is long and many media outlets will look to keep the teams and league in the news all offseason. You can't believe every rumor or detail that comes up on ESPN or SI.com. If you are a Bronco fan, you can't buy into the fact that the Broncos will offer a second round pick for Donovan McNabb. You also can't buy into the notion that Brandon Marshall will be traded. The Broncos have a plan, and no one outside of the walls of Dove Valley knows what is going to happen. Throw in the fact that the CBA is up in the air, and there is really no way to tell what Denver will do this offseason.

With all that said, here is what we do know: At the Owners Meeting in the middle of March, the NFL usually announces their opening week matchups and their Thanksgiving games. It is a fun tradition around here to try and predict what the league will do with these matchups. Here is my prediction for Opening Weekend and the Thanksgiving slate:

Thursday Night Kickoff Opener (NBC): Pittsburgh at New Orleans

Sunday Night Football Opener (NBC): Philadelphia at New York Giants

Monday Night Football (ESPN): Houston at Indianapolis (Early Game)
Seattle at San Francisco (Late Game)

Thanksgiving Games:
New York Jets at Detroit (CBS)
Chicago at Dallas (FOX)
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (NFL Network)