Football this 'n' that

In a move that shocks absolutely no one, Florida State QB Jameis Winston declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday, six days after the Seminoles were routed by Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

Personally, I think Winston's making a mistake. He's fallen into the same trap as others before him, including Cleveland QB and fellow Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. Specifically, he let the success he enjoyed as a freshman go to his head, and his off-field antics, sometimes still on campus, demonstrate a lack of maturity. Character issues like that will not guarantee that Winston will be a high 1st round pick. There's still the specter of allegations of sexual assault against a fellow FSU student, who now is threatening a lawsuit against the university. For all of his talent, Winston is not 100% ready for the NFL. Period.

Tampa Bay, which has the #1 pick, would be better served going with Oregon's Marcus Mariota, especially if the Ducks beat Ohio State for the national title on Monday, or addressing another need altogether. They don't need the media circus that Winston would bring.

Here's a thought. Why not lure Tim Tebow back from broadcasting, and let him be the QB for Tampa Bay?

NFL picks for this week:

Ravens over the Patriots. The Evil Empire of the NFL must fall, and Joe Flacco & the Ravens have beaten Crybaby Brady's bunch @ Foxborough twice. Few teams can actually say they did that.

Seahawks over Panthers. I disagree with the point spread, since the idiot oddsmakers forgot that Seattle failed to cover the last time these two teams met.

Packers over Cowboys. The only way Dallas continues its road winning streak is if Aaron Rodgers' injured calf gets worse. Hans & Franz won't be available to help.

Broncos over Colts. 2nd of 2 rematches this week (Seahawks-Panthers is the other). Same result. Maybe as a gesture of goodwill, Peyton Manning can treat his former mates to pizza after the game.

The Giants dismissed defensive coordinator Perry "Heavy" Fewell after the defense was among the worst in the league this year. Defense is Rex Ryan's bag. Why not bring him in, if you can't bring back Steve Spagnuolo? That way, you have a coach-in-waiting if ownership finally decides to cut Tom Coughlin after next season.

We think Oregon will, in fact, win the College Football Playoff on Monday, and we see this being another high scoring affair. We also recommend that ESPN should reconsider the starting time. I get that it's all about milking ad dollars, but if you want the next generation of kids to play the game, you're better served with a 7:30 (ET) kickoff. Period.