Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

What if in the 1950s the players drafted by the NFL who went up north to play in the CFL and became Canadian Football Hall of Famers (Ken Ploen, Leo Lewis, Johnny Bright, Frank Rigney, John Burrow, even Bud Grant after playing for the Eagles) would have been successful if they had signed or stayed in the NFL? I think they could have been Pro Bowlers at least.

It would impossible to list all the what ifs on the Redskins keeping their draft choices under George Allen. He got fined for trading draft choices he didn't have.
The highest draft choices under Allen
1971 2nd. 6th
1972 8th
1973 5th
1974 6th
1975 5th
1976 5th
1977 4th, 7th

after he left
1978 5th
1979 4th, 7th
1980 1st, 2nd, 6th

Teo wrote:What if in the 1950s the players drafted by the NFL who went up north to play in the CFL and became Canadian Football Hall of Famers (Ken Ploen, Leo Lewis, Johnny Bright, Frank Rigney, John Burrow, even Bud Grant after playing for the Eagles) would have been successful if they had signed or stayed in the NFL? I think they could have been Pro Bowlers at least.

Bud Grant said that Leo Lewis was the best player he ever coached.

Sonny9 wrote:It would impossible to list all the what ifs on the Redskins keeping their draft choices under George Allen. He got fined for trading draft choices he didn't have.
The highest draft choices under Allen
1971 2nd. 6th
1972 8th
1973 5th
1974 6th
1975 5th
1976 5th
1977 4th, 7th

after he left
1978 5th
1979 4th, 7th
1980 1st, 2nd, 6th

Even though Allen had an eye for talent, his Redskins drafts didn't deliver much. They did draft players like George Starke, Frank Grant and Mike Thomas (as well as Jon Keyworth--who they cut) and surprisingly only had some brief bumpy stretches before the Gibbs era really began. They looked on the verge of collapsing after losing eight of their final 10 in 1978, but then nearly made it to the playoffs the next year. Losing Riggins, among other things, led to the 6-10 slide in 1980. and after a bumpy 1-6 start in 81, they went 7-2 the rest of the way and were back.

BD Sullivan wrote:Even though Allen had an eye for talent, his Redskins drafts didn't deliver much. They did draft players like George Starke, Frank Grant and Mike Thomas (as well as Jon Keyworth--who they cut) and surprisingly only had some brief bumpy stretches before the Gibbs era really began. They looked on the verge of collapsing after losing eight of their final 10 in 1978, but then nearly made it to the playoffs the next year. Losing Riggins, among other things, led to the 6-10 slide in 1980. and after a bumpy 1-6 start in 81, they went 7-2 the rest of the way and were back.

Considering draft position, Allen was an above average drafter 1971-75. Before that, Lombardi was a little above average and Otto Graham was terrible.

1976-78 produced almost nothing for the Redskins. Last two years of Pardee were better (Warren, Milot, Monte Coleman, Monk.) Then a big 1981 class.

Besides Starke, key 1982 pieces Theismann, Riggins, and Moseley were Allen acquisitions.

What if the 1963 Detroit Lions lose both Milt Plum and Earl Morrall to training camp/preseason injuries, and are forced to go with George Plimpton as their starter on opening day?

What if all the players drafted by the AFL signed with NFL teams and vise versa.

One interesting thing would have been both Don Meredith and Roger Staubach would have been Texans/Chiefs which means Len Dawson would have probably faded into obscurity. Stram would have had no reason to reach out to him.

Joe Namath - Cardinals ( probably traded immediately to the Giants as was the rumored plan)
Abner Haynes - Steelers
Dick Butkus, Merlin Olson - Broncos
Gale Sayers - Chiefs
Fred Biletnikoff - Lions
Buck Buchanan - Giants
Paul Warfield - Bills
Lance Alworth - Cowboys
Mel Renfro - Raiders

Just to name a few.

Paul Warfield - Bills

Wasn't Carl Eller also drafted by Buffalo? If they would have got both Eller and Warfield, and eventually made Lamonica the QB, the Bills may not have fell off the cliff for a while in the late-60's, and OJ may have ended up in Atlanta instead.

JKelly wrote:What if all the players drafted by the AFL signed with NFL teams and vise versa.

What if the NFL had not upped its salaries and the AFL outbid it for many of those draft picks.
What if the vast majority of players signed with the AFL?

Would that have hurt the NFL's prestige and made the AFL its equal far sooner?

There were some interesting rumors just after the 78 season ended:

*Red Miller would leave Denver to take the NE job (where he was previously a Pats assistant)

*Gil Brandt would become the Giants GM and bring Reeves with him. Instead, George Young got the job and hired Reeves.

If Miller goes to NE, the Broncos may have a HC that is only there for two years. The Gerald Phipps family would sell the team to Edgar Kaiser in two years, and who knows if he would want to keep them.

As for who that replacement would be, I have no idea. Maybe they would look at Reeves, George Allen, or even Bud Carson.

As for George Young, he actually hired Ray Perkins in 1979 as HC. Perkins was the one who brought Belichick to the Giants through Ernie Adams, who was an assistant with the Pats. Adams and Belichick had been friends for about ten years (since they were at Philips Academy in Andover, Mass):

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2018 ... story.html