By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

The 2012 NFL season will be remembered for the hyped-up rookies that made good and veterans who proved they were still elite players despite serious offseason surgery.

However, several football players unexpectedly jumped on to the scene in 2012 – guys who were afterthoughts or backups coming into the season.

Here’s a look at some who surprised in 2012.

1. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay, RB (Martin’s OPG): The Tampa Bay rookie had 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns on 319 carries. Martin was a first-round draft pick, but excelling this quickly caught many by surprise. By Week 9, NFL fans knew his name as Martin rushed for 251 yards in a 42-32 win over Oakland.

2. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco, QB (OPG): The second-year player started the season on the bench as Alex Smith’s backup. It seemed Smith was becoming the quarterback the 49ers imagined he would be, and Kaepernick’s role became murkier. However, an injury to Smith threw Kaepernick into the mix and he finished the season as San Francisco’s number-one arm. He had 1,725 passing yards and 10 touchdowns with 321 rushing yards in the final eight games of the regular season.

3. Alfred Morris, Washington, RB (OPG): The sixth-round draft pick probably was the biggest surprise of the 2012 rookie class. All the focus was on another rookie on the Redskins, but Morris couldn’t be ignored after averaging 98.2 yards a game through the first five games of the regular season. Morris finished the year with 1,613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

4. Russell Wilson, Seattle, QB (OPG): Wilson was on the radar for many, he just didn’t get a lot of attention because of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. However, Wilson forced people to take notice and took the Seahawks deeper into the playoffs than any other rookie QB in 2012 – not too bad for a third round draft pick. He completed 252-of-393 passes for 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added four rushing TDs in the regular season.

So, who was your surprise of 2012?

Answer the question in the comments to win the Doug Martin patch card pictured above. Make sure to include your email address. One random winner from the comments will be selected on Monday.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook and Twitter.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

Many collectors tend to be buyers and sellers, tracking the hobby marketplace in an effort to build our personal collections to the max.

You pull a good card of a player who you share no personal connection with. But it’s a card you know could bring in cash to help you get what you want.

However, the key is knowing when to sell the card for maximum value. Buying and selling is a lot like the stock market. Buy low, sell high, and have a bit of luck on your side.

Collectors sitting on Nick Foles cards are pondering the buy-sell decision right now.

Here are factors to consider.

Pros
1. He’s the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.
2. Foles led the league this week with 381 passing yards.
3. He has shown potential to be a good NFL quarterback.

Cons
1. Despite constant hype, the Eagles have not been able to get out of a rut.
2. He’s been sacked 14 times in five games, which could lead to injury.
3. Potential changes to the Eagles staff in the offseason could affect his development.

When it comes to rookie quarterbacks in the league, Foles isn’t higher on the list because of Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Russell Wilson – first- and second-tier players that brought hype with them.

Foles has been able to fly under the radar for a while, but with the type of week he had in Philadelphia’s 23-21 win over Tampa Bay, he was able to get some media attention.

Most of his cards have seemingly doubled in price since the start of the season.

But does that mean it’s time to sell his cards?

What do you think? Is it time to sell your Nick Foles cards, or are you buying more for another jump in value?

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here.

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Football Editor

Panini America is doing its part to spread holiday cheer this season. It got Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Trent Richardson to don Christmas hats for special holiday-themed memorabilia cards.

The only way to get these cards is in Panini’s Black Friday promotion.

The 2012 NFL rookies wore hats specific to each player’s team. Luck’s hat has a bit more blue in it while RG3’s hat has that Redskins maroon color.

Companies have had holiday cards in the past. Pro Set regularly put Santa Claus cards into its football card packs in the early 1990s.

In 1999, Upper Deck featured baseball star Ken Griffey Jr., in a Santa hat and then embedded pieces of the hat in cards. It was issued to UD employees and some direct dealers.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Griffey card is the writing on the back: “You have received a special holiday-worn Santa hat card straight from Santa’s special workshop in Carlsbad, California. We hope you enjoy this piece of “collectible cheer” as we at the Upper Deck Company wish you a very happy holiday season.”

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Football. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here.