Bill Shanks: What to look for in 2016
With 2015 coming to a close, it's time to look ahead to 2016. Yes, it's hard to believe it's 2016. What happened to all that Y2K stuff? Seems like that was just yesterday, doesn't it?
So what's going to happen in the New Year in sports? Let's make some predictions and see which ones come true.
The Atlanta Falcons will fire general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Yes, the late-season improvement helps his case, but now is the time for team owner Arthur Blank to cut the cord and start over in his front office. Blank will bring in someone who has worked with head coach Dan Quinn before to help improve the Falcons' roster.
Georgia will bring in another top-10 football recruiting class. New head coach Kirby Smart, who will be paraded around this state after spring practice is over, will sign a great group and start the project of improving Georgia's talent level.
The Mercer men's basketball team will win the Southern Conference. This is a very good team, and it might get even better after it gets into a very solid conference schedule. Bob Hoffman might be the coach of the year in the conference, as well.
The Braves will trade Ender Inciarte before spring training starts. They'll be tempted and pull the trigger on a trade bringing more talent in for one of the players they got from Arizona in the Shelby Miller deal.
Georgia's G-Day game will have the highest attendance in history, as fans will want to see the debut of Coach Smart on the sideline and some quarterback from Washington named Jacob Eason who everyone will want to see.
The Falcons finally will address the offensive line in free agency and the draft, with two new projected starters. Also, Atlanta will draft a quarterback in the third round to groom for the future.
The Hawks will win 50-plus games but will be knocked out in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Braves starter Julio Teheran will be traded before the July 31 trade deadline for three players.
The Braves will go 77-85 and fire Fredi Gonzalez at the end of the season. While they will be better, the lineup still will need help and the Braves will make a huge trade for a bat in December.
Dansby Swanson will have a great season for the Braves in the minor leagues and show he will be ready to take over at shortstop on opening day 2017 in the new Sun Trust Park.
The Braves' young pitching will show tremendous promise, both in Atlanta and in the minor leagues. The Braves will draft another pitcher (Jason Groome?) with the third pick in the June draft and after the season will be ranked as having the best farm system in baseball.
Georgia will go 8-4, but fans will realize the talent is just not where it needs to be -- yet. Smart will impress in his first season as head coach, and Eason will show tremendous promise, raising the expectations going into 2017.
Georgia Tech will rebound from a horrid 2015 season and go 7-5. But will that be good enough to save Paul Johnson's job? No. Johnson will be replaced at the end of the season by former Yellow Jackets player Ken Whisenhunt.
The Falcons will go 9-7, and they will again miss the playoffs. The offensive line will be better, and there will be signs the franchise is on the right track. But will there be more talk about Matt Ryan's future?
The state of Georgia will still be searching for a championship, as it won't happen in 2016.
Listen to "The Bill Shanks Show" from 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WPLA Fox Sports 1670 AM in Macon and online at www.foxsports1670.com. Follow Bill at twitter.com/BillShanks and email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.
This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Bill Shanks: What to look for in 2016 ."