In The Words of Frank Sinatra: “Here’s To The Losers”

Last week, a commentator on the NFL Network said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe all the bad teams we have this year!”

As a matter of fact, “we” have several really good teams, either unbeaten or one loss or maybe two, and, in fact, many of these are teams I picked to win divisions this year: Pats, Steelers, Colts, Saints, Cards, Packers, and Giants. If I am forgetting a team or two, I’m sure someone will let me know. Plus you have the Ravens, Vikings, and—amazingly—the Bengals and Broncos. The Bengals because last year without Palmer they were the Bungles, and the Broncos because who woulda thought Kyle Orton could be even better than Jay Cutler?

But yes, we do have many “bad” teams this year. In fact, I can’t remember a year where, seven weeks into the season, there are this many winless and one or two-win teams that do not look like they will win many more games. Almost every division has at least one. Some have two. And who are these teams?

Lions: Yes, they finally won, but other than (maybe) their game with the Rams in week 8, I really don’t think they will win any other games. I was really hoping they’d be this year’s Miami Dolphins (instead, they appear to be this year’s Bengals).

Rams: It would not surprise me if they went 0-16. Honestly, last years Lions were better!

Bucs: I expected them to have problems but this is ridiculous! Put Josh Freeman in already!

Browns: When they beat the Bills, I almost put the Bills on this list, but then the Bills beat the Jets, so the Bills are off it. But I have two words to explain why the Browns are as futile as ever: Eric Mangini.

Chiefs: Matt Cassel, I assumed, would get them off the loser list, but what do I know?

Raiders: So what if they beat the Eagles? As goes Jamarcus, goes the Raiders. If they had a consistent QB, they’d be at least decent.

Panthers: Never mind the “odd year blues.” The situation in Carolina is more serious than that, but don’t ask me what it is! Why aren’t they running it more? They only had one of the best RB tandems in the league in 2008.

Titans: This situation really is inexplicable. I mean, losing 59-0 against the Pats?

Now, I could add a few more teams to this list, but I won’t, because some of the 2-4 teams (the Fins, for instance…) really are better than that. I guess the “experts” I excoriated really were right about Miami’s “brutal” schedule. But, when they lost Pennington for the year, I knew “playoffs” was pretty much out of the question (I had them as one wild card). Plus, they have been in every game they have lost, unlike, say, the Redskins, Seahawks, Jags and a few other 4-loss teams.

 

 

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In The Words of Frank Sinatra: “Here’s To The Losers”

Last week, a commentator on the NFL Network said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe all the bad teams we have this year!”

As a matter of fact, “we” have several really good teams, either unbeaten or one loss or maybe two, and, in fact, many of these are teams I picked to win divisions this year: Pats, Steelers, Colts, Saints, Cards, Packers, and Giants. If I am forgetting a team or two, I’m sure someone will let me know. Plus you have the Ravens, Vikings, and—amazingly—the Bengals and Broncos. The Bengals because last year without Palmer they were the Bungles, and the Broncos because who woulda thought Kyle Orton could be even better than Jay Cutler?

But yes, we do have many “bad” teams this year. In fact, I can’t remember a year where, seven weeks into the season, there are this many winless and one or two-win teams that do not look like they will win many more games. Almost every division has at least one. Some have two. And who are these teams?

Lions: Yes, they finally won, but other than (maybe) their game with the Rams in week 8, I really don’t think they will win any other games. I was really hoping they’d be this year’s Miami Dolphins (instead, they appear to be this year’s Bengals).

Rams: It would not surprise me if they went 0-16. Honestly, last years Lions were better!

Bucs: I expected them to have problems but this is ridiculous! Put Josh Freeman in already!

Browns: When they beat the Bills, I almost put the Bills on this list, but then the Bills beat the Jets, so the Bills are off it. But I have two words to explain why the Browns are as futile as ever: Eric Mangini.

Chiefs: Matt Cassel, I assumed, would get them off the loser list, but what do I know?

Raiders: So what if they beat the Eagles? As goes Jamarcus, goes the Raiders. If they had a consistent QB, they’d be at least decent.

Panthers: Never mind the “odd year blues.” The situation in Carolina is more serious than that, but don’t ask me what it is! Why aren’t they running it more? They only had one of the best RB tandems in the league in 2008.

Titans: This situation really is inexplicable. I mean, losing 59-0 against the Pats?

Now, I could add a few more teams to this list, but I won’t, because some of the 2-4 teams (the Fins, for instance…) really are better than that. I guess the “experts” I excoriated really were right about Miami’s “brutal” schedule. But, when they lost Pennington for the year, I knew “playoffs” was pretty much out of the question (I had them as one wild card). Plus, they have been in every game they have lost, unlike, say, the Redskins, Seahawks, Jags and a few other 4-loss teams.

 

 

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Brett Favre to the Vikings: So Much for Early Preseason Predictions

In my last article for Bleacher Report, I warned readers about making their preseason predictions without knowing all the facts. This is what I wrote:

“You can’t assume the rosters at the beginning of preseason will be the same as rosters at the start of the season. See 2008, Chad Pennington Effect.”

And we had the Chad Pennington Effect because we first had the Brett Favre Effect.

So, all of you wise guys who picked the Bears to win the NFC North because they got Jay Cutler…are you ready to change your NFC North prediction because the Vikes got Brett Favre?

After all, there were some out there last season who, upon learning the Jets acquired Favre, changed their AFC East prediction from the Pats to the Jets. When Brady went down in Week One, those folks were feeling mighty smart.

Of course, these folks didn’t take the Chad Pennington Effect into account.

And all of you who chose the Pats (or Steelers) vs. the Bears in Super Bowl XLIV, are you ready to change your prediction to Pats (or Steelers) vs. the Vikings?

Because, guess what? That’s what I heard from Rich Eisen and Warren Sapp yesterday, along with avowed Vikes’ fan Mike Mayock on the NFL Network (which, naturally had to interrupt the replay of my Dolphins’ preseason game vs. the Jags!) on Tuesday, during their “pre-press-conference” jabber.

Now, Eisen usually has that calm collectivity that spells reasonably objective, but this didn’t stop him from claiming the Vikes (as well as the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys, and Falcons…Cowboys and Falcons? Are you kidding me?) are legit Super Bowl contenders!

I imagine Fox Sports, ESPN, Sporting News, CBS/NBC/ABC, Pro Football Weekly, and Sports Illustrated will say the same things.

Actually, with Adrian Peterson and that defense, I always thought the Vikes would win the NFC North, and might be on the Supe contender “long” list.

And, while many Vikings’ fans—of which I used to be, back in the Joe Kapp days—think Favre brings instant Supe contention to their team, I beg to differ.

Now, there is nothing wrong with getting the guy who can make his new team an instant winner. That’s what my Fins did last year when they got Pennington. Still, there are many Fins’ fans who hated that move, wanting “QB of the future” Chad Henne to learn his way through the season, even if it meant just a few wins.

Just as there are more than a few Vikes’ fans who hate the Favre move. The difference is, are Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson “QBs of the future” for the Vikes?

Still, while Favre might be able to win games that neither Rosenfels (remember that debacle against the Colts last year, when Rosenfels blew a late lead with his bad passes and fumbles?) nor Jackson can likely win with fourth-quarter rallies, does that mean that “Lord Favre” can keep it up over a 16-game season and into the playoffs?

Think back to Week 12 with the Jets, who had just beaten the undefeated Titans right after beating the Pats on a Monday night game, and were 8-3—a game up on the 7-4 Pats and two up on the 6-5 Fins and Bills. Everyone in New York was talking Giants-Jets Super Bowl.

Then Favre, a gunslinger with the most interceptions in NFL history, proceeds to show why he has that distinction, taking the Jets out of real contention before they even played Miami in that final game.

Conclusion: If you picked the Bears (or Packers, even) to win the NFC North, you might want to stay with your prediction!

It’s a Conspiracy, I Tell You! AFC North Edition (Humor)

Well, judging by the lack of comments for my “It’s A Conspiracy, I Tell You! AFC East Edition” slideshow a few weeks ago, I was bound and determined NOT to post another “It’s A Conspiracy, I Tell You!” piece. Guess it wasn’t funny enough…but heck, what’s not to laugh at with Rex Ryan’s look of irony or players bowing to Tony “Soprano” Sparano?

Maybe I just did the wrong division. The thing is, being a Fins fan I tend to follow what’s happening in the AFC East.

But then, Big Ben of Steeler Super Bowl victory fame seems to have gotten himself into a jam when he was at Lake Tahoe’s Harruh’s Casino and meeting up with Andrea McNulty, who has now accused him of “sexual assault.”

As they used to say about Namath, “Say It Ain’t So,” Ben!

I mean, with that gorgeous Super Bowl Ring of yours, you don’t need that floozy!

And what were you doing in that den of iniquity, anyway?

Well, I got a hold of Andrea herself. “Fact is, Benny Boy was betting all that Super Bowl money of his on whether I would give him a blow job!”

Instead, she ruefully admitted, “He gave me one…right up the old sex assault alley!”

So then, I asked her, “Why didn’t you file a police report?” Because I can’t find a sports site anywhere where it can be verified that she filed a police report before filing sex assault charges on the Steeler Quarterback.

“Because,” she responded, “then I’d have to admit the real reason I charged him with sex assault is because I’m a Cardinals fanatic and I want to hurt the Steelers real bad by messing around with Big Ben!”

And then, other wierd happening started to happen inside a division, the AFC North, that I ordinarily couldn’t care less about.

Miami Dolphins in the Media: Little Respect Then, Little Respect Now

I now feel compelled to write this, but I’ve been feeling it since 1972!

I don’t know why (but I have my suspicions), but whenever the Miami Dolphins, after years of mediocrity, finally turn the corner and develop into a potential powerhouse and then actually accomplish that feat, most sports pundits say “oh what a nice feel good story,” then proceed to banish the team back to mediocrity using any excuse they can.

In 1971’s preseason predictions, the division was handed to the Colts. Well, okay, they were the Super Bowl champs, so that makes sense. But it was Miami who won the AFC East and then the AFC.

So in 1972, Miami was given the AFC East crown preseason, but wasn’t anywhere in anyone’s Super Bowl predictions. The Raiders, if I remember rightly, were handed the AFC crown, and some had them beating the Cowboys in Super Bowl VII. Well, need I say how that turned out!

But then in 1973, who got the kudos to win the Super Bowl? The Dolphins? Heck no! Their schedule was easy in 1972 so that’s why they went undefeated.

Oh, and, BTW, they went undefeated WITHOUT THEIR STARTING QB most of the season, but that was poo-pooed as well.

No, in 1973, the Steelers were the ones who got all the pundit love.

Interesting, in light of my complaint: the Steelers, remember, were 1972’s “feel good” story. So why did they get the respect, but today’s turned-around 2009 Dolphins get nothing but this:  their schedule should keep them out of the playoffs.

And the worst thing is this: Most Dolphins fans believe this nonsense!*

Thank goodness the Dolphins players and coaches don’t believe it!

For instance, the big fluff in this past week’s offseason color has been what Joey Porter and also Channing Crowder have said about sports pundits running their keyboards about how there is no way the Patriots won’t win the AFC East this year, as well as win the Super Bowl.

Porter said (I think drawing a wrong conclusion) that both Pats’ WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker <a href=”http://www.phinsider.com”>”claimed” that the Pats would retake the division and win the Super Bowl</a>. Crowder said pretty much the same thing, adding his barb at the Jets loudmouth coach, Rex Ryan.

Actually, Moss said <a href=”http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/15233595″>no such thing</a>, nor did Welker <a href=”http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/05/24/memorialday/index.html”>when interviewed on Peter King’s blog</a>.

They said with Brady back the Pats offense will be better in 2009 than in 2007. One could read into that, however, that they think the Pats will retake the division and win the Super Bowl. And that is what Porter and Crowder did, I think.

Yet it doesn’t help when every pundit, INCLUDING DOLPHIN PUNDITS!, hand the AFC East back to the Patriots this preseason, based solely on the fact that Brady is back, without taking into account that the Dolphins have also improved. Not to mention that the Jets and Bills have also improved!

I think that is precisely what has gotten Crowder and Porter so hot and bothered.

It is too bad, however, that the only pundits bringing this up, such as <a href=”http://www.profootballtalk.com”>Mike Florio</a>, are bringing it up because he’s a Patriots fan, and believes that by bringing it up, the Pats will have “incentive” to go out and beat the Dolphins twice this year.

As if losing the AFC East last year wasn’t incentive enough.

Memo to Mr. Florio: Pats beat Dolphins twice next year? Ain’t gonna happen!

What is “gonna happen,” however, is that the Fins will do what the Fins have to do to not only win the AFC East again in 2009, on the field if not on paper, but win in the playoffs as well. And, like 1971 through 1973, have a say in the Super Bowl as well.

Thank God Tony Sparano believes it, and thank God so do the players.

 

* I, too, have picked the Pats to win the division. But I said that in the context that 2009 is their last hurrah, and that it will be the Dolphins dominating this division in the future. But I NEVER SAID the Fins won’t make the playoffs. They will, one way or another, in 2009.

But I also said on BR that with Jason Taylor back, I might pick the Fins to win the division, after all.

Sportscasters: The Best of the NFL Network

Asked to present an article about my local sportscasters, I responded that I don’t have local sportscasters! I live way out in the west Texas mountains and the closest local sportscasters are 200 miles north and west of me! That is, Midland-Odessa or El Paso. I don’t get “local” radio or TV, either. I get XM Satellite Radio (ESPN and FOX Sports) and DirecTV Satellite television (the same, plus MLB Network, NFL Network, etc.).

So, since the NFL Network is the only “local” sports network I watch regularly, here is my slideshow on the best of NFL Network.

State of the AFC East: Post Draft

This article is not about grading each AFC East team’s 2009 NFL Draft. As far as I’m concerned, it does not appear any of the four teams screwed up their drafts, and it looks like each team did well in their own ways.

Whether their choices work out of not, each team addressed serious needs. I am not going to argue how well these needs were address, however. The needs were addressed, for the most part.

The state of the AFC East, Post-Draft, depends on the state of each team.

Still, holistically, what with Brady’s return, the Jets getting Mark Sanchez (who should be able to step into the starting position at quarterback immediately), the Fins getting not just one but two outstanding cornerbacks so they don’t have to rely on free agent vets coached by others, and the Bills getting a similar level of offensive line help so Trent Edwards can play the whole season with TO and company, I’d like to rename this division.

AFC BEAST!

Just think. Two short years ago when it was the Patriots and three lousy teams, the division was called AFC Least. Then last year it was AFC Not-Least.

Further, if this division can cope well with collectively having the NFL’s hardest schedules playing the AFC South and NFC South, the term AFC Beast will, or will not, have been earned.

In the order that I think these teams will finish (for whatever that’s worth!), let me state what looks to be the state of each AFC East team at this point.

Patriots:

I can’t see them finishing any worse than 11-5, what with Brady’s return, looking at their schedule. Very much to their advantage, after they come back from London and the Saints, which they should win, they have a bye week…and then get the Fins at home! In other words, they should beat the Dolphins at least once.

Since the Pats didn’t need to draft for a whole slew of positions–unlike the other three teams which did–and mainly drafted for depth and to shore up a couple of defense slots that are getting old, such as linebacker, and replacing Ellis Hobbs with Patrick Chung, I’d have to say Belichick had a good but not great draft.

But then again, he didn’t need a great draft as long as Brady really is coming back to his old form. In fact, it is how Brady plays in 2009 that will determine how well the Pats do in the standings.

That’s because the rest of the division has improved quite a bit. So, if Brady does not have the year we all expect him to have–a good one, if not a great one–the Pats might still make the playoffs anyway as a division winner or wildcard.

Folks, just as Don Shula was the best coach overall during his tenure, Bill Belichick is this era’s Don Shula, love him or hate him. You simply can’t tell me he won’t do his best to keep the Patriots “up there” in the standings!

 

Dolphins:

Another coach/regime that can be compared to Shula is the coach/regime of the present-day Dolphins. Parcells-Sparano had many folks comparing the 2008 turnaround Fins with the turnaround Fins of 1970. Shula was bound and determined to rebuild this expansion team while winning, and so it goes with the “Trifecta.”

I’ve seen folks rate Miami’s draft anywhere from B plus to C minus, and that seems to depend on how well Pat White and Patrick Turner, the big wideout from USC, perform. Another complaint was that the Fins didn’t draft any linebackers until very late, or any pass rushers.

Folks forget that the “Trifecta” is in the middle of a project that will probably take another year or two. Don’t forget, Miami’s run at the Super Bowl in the early ’70s was predicated on their 1968, 1969, and 1970 outstanding drafts, and their not quite successful run in the early 80s was built from the 1978, 1979, and 1980 drafts.

So, could a third run at the Super Bowl in the next decade depend on what they do with their 2008, 2009, and 2010 drafts?

Such that, they got their offensive and defensive lines worked up in 2008, their secondary and receiver depth worked up in 2009, so could their needs for nose tackle to replace the aging Ferguson, outside LB to replace the aging Joey Porter, and ILB help to spell Crowder and Ayodele, and more running back help be realized in 2010.

As for Pat White, while his ability to play the Wildcat is not in question, and though front office folks say he will compete at QB, I have no doubt that Sparano will use him effectively wherever White is put.

 

Jets:

The Jets, meanwhile, can be graded draft-wise solely on how Mark Sanchez works out. The Jets draft will either be an A plus or an F minus. Shonn Greene should work out okay, however.

Taking all the “on paper” factors into account, there is no reason that with a defense that barring all logic should be one of the league’s best, the Jets won’t be in the thick of the playoff race again this year. This is true even if Sanchez is not quite the Joe Namath-clone so many Jet fans are expecting him to be right off the bat.

In fact many “pundits” say the Jets will finish ahead of the Dolphins and really I can’t pose a reasonable counter-argument because that may well be the case. For one thing, the Jets don’t have to play the Steelers or the Ravens; they get to play the Bengals instead, and, oh yeah, the Raiders, who beat them last year.

On the other side of the coin, the Jets brought in Brett Favre in 2008 to do precisely what folks might expect Sanchez to do this year: bring the AFC East title home to New York.

Something happened to the Jets in 2008 that prevented them from accomplishing this feat, however. Maybe it was just the Mangini regime not doing all it could.

Rex Ryan’s regime, however, should be more willing to “get ‘er done.” Sanchez is there and the Jets really do have one heckuva talented team, even without Laveraneus Coles. So it wouldn’t surprise me if they did make the playoffs, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t, either.

 

Bills:

Honestly, the Bills have done just about everything they could do to get this team back into some sort of contention for a division title, except to draft for someone to replace Jason Peters. They have also added quality depth to their defense, which really wasn’t bad at all last year.

Quite frankly, had Trent Edwards not been injured such that the Bills had to rely on JP Losman, who really isn’t starter calibre at quarterback, I don’t think the Buffaloes would have caved in the middle of the season when they had to play three straight games against division rivals.

Other breaks that went against them last year was Losman screwing up royally in New York in that lose ball, and not having the Dolphins in the ice and snow of western New York where a Bills win in December is a given.

Instead, Miami played in a controlled dome stadium temperature, and where Ricky Williams played CFL ball.

I would say if the Bills were in almost any other division they would have a serious chance of winning it. Given that they are young and quite talented, it is true that someone is going to have to finish last in the AFC East.

I think the Bills will fill this role.

They don’t have Belichick and Brady like the Pats do. They don’t have Parcells-Sparano and a wonderful four-year-plan like the Dolphins do. They don’t have sexy Rex Ryan, what seems like half a great Ravens defense, and the sheer optimism that the Jets do.

All they have is Dick Jauron, Terrell Owens, and a team that looks more and more everyday like the AFC East version of the Cincy Bengals arrest report.

Vontae Davis Is…A Parcells Guy?

I had said in two previous Dolphin draft prediction articles that the Fins should select the best Cornerback in the first round that was not Vontae Davis.

Vontae Davis, conventional wisdom claimed, supposedly, that, while extremely talented and extremely physical, had work ethic and consistency issues on and off the field.

Davis, in other words, was a more talented Paul Soliai-type player, who would not play his best, and was definitely not a Parcells guy. That’s what I had said.

So what do Parcells-Ireland-Sparano know that I don’t, picking the guy I had said they should not pick in round one?

I was miffed at first when it was announced by the NFL Commissioner, “With the 25th pick in the NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select Vontae Davis, Cornerback, Illinios.”

The first thought was, “Not another Jason Allen!”

You know, the round 1 near-bust in the really bad Miami 2006 draft.

But this is Parcells we’re talking about. Bill Parcells and his regime simply do NOT make round one (or two or three, etc.) draft mistakes!

So, maybe they know something I don’t. In fact, maybe Davis’s “issues” are just smoke and mirrors. Maybe the Fins were going to pick Davis all along, knowing or not knowing that Malcolm Jenkins would be gone by pick 25.

In fact, I may be completely wrong about Davis. In fact, given that the Dolphins must play the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, TO, Lee Evans, and more fine receivers and tight ends, twice a season, the physical and big corner in Davis just might have been the best player available, period, for them to pick.

In fact, I am darned glad they did what I said they ought to do in picking to fill their biggest need, cornerback. And they also picked CB Sean Smith in round two.

Their other round two pick was a quarterback. Weird! They don’t need a quarterback.

But Pat White? Way cool! Now, when and if they do run the Wildcat, this guy in running it becomes not only a pass threat (Ronnie Brown was hardly a pass threat), but also a running and receiving threat as well.

Again, this is Parcells we’re talking about, so no doubt he and Dan Henning and Sparano have offense moves up their sleeves.

Thank goodness there are still some decent linebacker and defensive line possibilities for the later rounds, because Miami has another seven picks to go, with getting another fifth rounder in that Colts move-up deal.

Best Miami Dolphins Draft Ever: 1970 or 1983?

The Bill Parcells-Jeff Ireland-Tony Sparano Era began in late 2007 and saw an outstanding draft for the Miami Dolphins in 2008.

Nearly every player chosen in the seven rounds is still with the team, and most of them contributed in solid fashion to the 2008 AFC East Champion team, especially tackle Jake Long (round one) and defensive ends Kendall Langford (round three) and Philip Merling (round two).

To boot, Chad Henne (round two) will be their quarterback of the future, and Donald Thomas (round six) was the starter at guard until a season-ending injury in the preseason sidelined him.

And they made draft deals that sent a fourth-rounder for Anthony Fasano and Akin Ayodele, and a sixth rounder for Jason Ferguson. I call it thievery!

But until this group of rookies—and that also includes undrafted talents wideout Davone Bess and kicker Dan Carpenter—can prove itself by helping the Dolphins back to the Super Bowl, I can’t really call the ’08 class the best in Miami history.

 

The NFL.com web site considers the Class of 1983 the best Dolphin class ever. Undoubtedly, Hall of Famer Dan Marino one of the greatest draft steals of all time.

He lasted too long in the first round. then, the Steelers, drafting right before Miami that year, were “supposed to draft” the University of Pittsburgh Heisman winner.

They say it was because Pittsburgh owner Rooney wouldn’t see him drafted that the team was unable to keep up their dynastic ways in the ’80s.

The ’83 class also included punter Reggie Roby, Mark Clayton of “Marks Brothers” fame, Mike Charles, and Charles Benson. All of these folks started for the ‘Fins in their Supe XVIII loss to the 49ers and in that game which saw the Dolphins end the Chiacgo Bears’ unbeaten streak one an awesome Monday night.

Actually, that whole 1985 team was made up of players primarily drafted between 1976 and 1982 and included the “Killer B’s” Kim Bokamper (1976), Bob Baumhower (1977), Doug Betters (1978), Glenn Blackwood (1979), and Bill Barnett (1980), plus A.J. Guhe.

 

But despite all these accolades for ’83, in my opinion the greatest Dolphin draft class ever was selected in 1970.

“Class” isn’t even the word for it. Here’s the breakdown:

 

Round One

Miami had the second overall pick. They had just gotten Don Shula from the Colts (for which they’d give up their 1971 No. 1) and had a good young quarterback in Bob Griese, but they had no great receivers.

So they traded their first to the Cleveland Browns, who needed a quarterback, and got wideout Paul Warfield.

 

Round Two

Miami took tight end Jim Mandich, who became a pass-catching threat.

 

Round Three

The Dolphins went with cornerback Tim Foley, who still holds the NFL record for most TD from blocked punts in a game, set in 1973 against the Colts.

 

Round Four

The ‘Fins got their other starting CB, Curtis Johnson.

 

Round Five

This pick went to the Boston/New England Patriots for Nick Buoniconti, who is now in the Hall of Fame. He helped make two other ’70 linebacker rookies, Mike Kolen and Doug Swift, into savage hitters.

 

Round Seven

Perennial All-Pro Free safety Jake Scott, who was the MVP of Super Bowl VII, came courtesy of this selection. He and 1968 third rounder Dick Anderson created one of the best safety duos ever.

 

Round 12

Linebacker Mike Kolen was taken.

 

And let’s not forget free agent walk-ons Doug Swift, undrafted from the CFL; Kicker Garo Yepremian; and All-Pro, Hall of Fame guard Bob Keuchenberg, from the minor leagues.

Take a look, and it’s obvious: The 1970 rookie class combined with the trades that resulted produced about one-fourth of the team that went undefeated in 1972 and won Super Bowls VII and VIII.

 

So, which is better for you, the 1970 or 1983 Class?

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