Playboy's Pro Football Preview

Ted Hendricks, the Baltimore Colts' cerebral linebacker, sat in a Chicago delicatessen methodically devouring a two-inch-thick hot-pastrami sandwich. He was in town for the N.F.L. Players Association strike strategy meeting and he brimmed with quiet enthusiasm for the justness of his cause. Midway through the meal, he was asked if the players' financial demands weren't somewhat unreasonable.

"Actually," he explained, "the freedom issues are more important to us than the money issues. We want to be free to sell ourselves to the highest bidder, like other workers. As it stands now, team owners buy and sell the rights to our labors as though we were indentured servants. We want our basic First Amendment freedoms; our private lives, how we dress off the field, how we cut our hair are none of the owners' business. What would happen if any other industry levied fines against workers who broke arbitrary company rules or expressed a 'controversial' opinion to the press? Any of a half-dozen Government agencies would haul them into court overnight. Consider the option clause in the player contract, which requires us to work an extra year at a reduced salary after our contract period has expired. Even worse is the 'Rozelle rule,' which drastically inhibits our right to work wherever we please, after we've played out our option, by requiring the team to which we sell our services to compensate our former team for the 'right' to employ us. If that isn't indentured servitude, what is it?"

Joe Thomas, the Baltimore Colts' trenchant general manager, stood before the picture window of his penthouse office in Hunt Valley, Maryland, gazing out over the bleak April landscape. Worry lines etched the corners of his eyes.

"Actually," he told us, "the players' freedom demands don't bother me that much. The biggest problem is their financial demands. I think the players do have a right to choose their own lifestyles as long as it doesn't impair their ability to perform on the field and as long as they respect the enormous responsibility of being continually in the public eye. They have a great influence on impressionable kids. I could do without the option clause; I would just sign them to four-instead of three-year contracts. But if the draft is valid--and the Players Association hasn't demanded its abandonment--then the Rozelle rule is valid. The philosophy behind both--a balance of player talent--is the same. The Players Association's money demands, however, would cost the league an extra $100,000,000 a year and many of its demands are ludicrous. For example, it wants $5000 for each year of league play as 'adjustment' pay when a player is cut or quits. George Blanda could quit tomorrow and draw $120,000 severance pay. That would be quite an adjustment, wouldn't it?"

Thus, as we go to press, a long and bitter player strike, beginning with the opening of summer-training camps, seems inevitable. But it's our hunch that when the players have realized one of their most desired, but unstated, objectives--missing much grueling practice under a hot sun--the strike will be settled, giving the players more personal freedom but not much more money.

• • •

Although gallons of tears are being shed by Miami fans about the impending departure of Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield and Jim Kiick for the World Football League in 1975, Dolphin rooters need not despair. Miami's superiority to other teams in its conference is frightening and the major reason for the Dolphins' dominance is an offensive line (continued on page 154)PRO Football Preview(continued from page 134) that, incredibly, is made up entirely of castoffs. Norm Evans was shipped from Houston in the expansion draft of 1966 and the other members were originally signed as free agents, yet they humiliated the Viking defensive line--supposedly the best in the business--in the Super Bowl.

The other not-so-secret ingredient of the Dolphins' success is the masterful coaching of Don Shula. Much of Shula's effectiveness results from the nature of his relationship with his players. He eschews rah-rah pep talks, inspirational dressing-room signs and petty rules about dress and deportment. As a result, the Dolphins are consummate professionals. They come together on the field, do their jobs with proficiency, then go home to their families.

Since the squad is now in its physical prime (Nick Buoniconti, at 33, is the oldest starter), few newcomers will make the team, despite the fact that the Dolphins, drafting last, got most of the players they wanted. Punt and kickoff returner Nat Moore has the best chance to make a big splash as a rookie.

If the Dolphins are challenged in their own division, the Buffalo Bills will do it. The Bills, in fact, are similar to Miami in many ways. They're young (the squad's average age is 25), the offensive line is suddenly excellent (it transmogrified in a single year from one of the worst to one of the best), the quarterbacking is good (Joe Ferguson matured more in one season than most do in five) and the running game is relentless (O. J. Simpson does most of the ball carrying, but Jim Braxton is no slouch, and rookie Carlester Crumpler has all the equipment to be Simpson's backup man). In addition, the defensive line is far better than most fans realize, especially since Walt Patulski and Mike Kadish are playing together again, and, as during their four years together at Notre Dame, they seem to inspire each other. And the coaching is first-class. Lou Saban is not just an executive supervisor who lets his assistants do the grimy on-field work; he is, in fact, his own quarterback and running-back coach. But most importantly, the Bills' morale is sky-high. The leaders are Simpson and offensive guard Reggie McKenzie, whom O. J. calls "my main man"; they lead a squad that, oozing with confidence and detecting the first heady whiffs of success, is the least likely to welcome a season-disrupting players' strike.

Baltimore is on the way up, too, but the Colts' development is running at least a year behind Buffalo's. After nearly two years of acrimony, created by general manager Joe Thomas' decision to dismantle an aging and increasingly ineffective team, the squad's vocal malcontents are seeing Thomas' shrewdly conceived plans begin to jell and have ceased their demands to be traded. Best of all, the Colts' recently quiescent fans returned to their best form with Baltimore's stunning victory over the Dolphins late last season. Thomas has finally made believers of Colt followers with his wise drafts the past two years. He's a canny judge of talent and a cunning negotiator. Last January, with two first-two second- and two third-round draft choices, he cleaned up. Rookie defensive ends John Dutton and Fred Cook will help solve the Colts' main weakness--an insipid pass rush. The other major problem, ineffective quarterbacking, should be helped by an added year of experience for youthful Bert Jones and Marty Domres. Two good rookie pass receivers, Roger Carr and Fred Scott (from Amherst, of all places), give the Colts unusual depth at that position.

The New York Jets will probably have more new players this fall than any other team in the league. Coach Charley Winner, who is new himself, inherits a squad heavily populated with graybeards, so as many as six rookies should be starters before the season ends. Both the offensive and defensive lines, last season's weaknesses, will feature two 24-kt. rookies, Carl Barzilauskas and Godwin Turk on defense, Gordon Browne and Bill Wyman on offense. Newcomer Greg Gantt will improve last year's atrocious punting and another rookie, Roscoe Word, will return kicks. The Jets' fortunes have hinged in recent seasons on the precarious health of Joe Namath, but replacement Al Woodall did such a commendable job last season that coach Winner feels he can have a winner regardless of Namath's status. Winner is an emotional coach and if his enthusiasm infects the usually blasé Jets, they might be respectable. If not, New York football fans will just have to pray for the Giants.

When coach Chuck Fairbanks went to New England a year ago, he did a masterful job of organizing the coaching staff, the front office and the team. What he couldn't do, despite a '73 draft bonanza, was put together enough good players to field a winning team. Nor will he make much progress this year unless he finds some gems among the 75 free agents he has signed. Last winter's draft was nearly a dry run, especially in those places--defensive line and linebacker--where help is needed most. Despite the need for talent, only four or five new players will start this season. Two of them, safety Jack Mildren and receiver Dick Gordon, are veterans obtained via trades. Among the draftees, only offensive lineman Steve Corbett and linebacker Steve Nelson have a chance to break into the line-up. The running game is also weak, featuring Sam Cunningham and not much else. Still, the Pats could rise above last years' 5-9 record. They do have John Hannah and Cunningham, who emerged as team leaders during their rookie year, and the coaching of Fairbanks. One of his assistants told us, "The sportswriters are wrong about Fairbanks. He's no martinet. He just doesn't take any bullshit from the players."

The Pittsburgh Steelers have historically been losers in the N.F.L. Not anymore. This year will mark the first time in history they've had three winning seasons in a row. Their A.F.C. Central title in 1972 was the first championship of any kind they had ever won. And yet Pittsburgh fans, seeing their heroes suffer the indignity of a play-off loss to Oakland, have turned sullen and are demanding changes.

The only real change needed is relief from last year's injury epidemic that claimed such key players as quarterback Terry Bradshaw and runner Franco Harris. If the Steelers remain reasonably healthy, they should be the top team in the strongest division of the N.F.L. Since the Steelers are manned with good young players nearly everywhere (the only position where age will soon become a problem is at linebacker), coach Chuck Noll drafted for insurance depth. If Noll returns to the frequent use of his three-wide-receiver offense (a strong probability, with so many good ones), rookie Lynn Swann will play a lot of football. The other draftees will be lucky to make the final 40-member squad.

The Cincinnati Bengals, long chronicled as a young team with a great future, reached full maturity last season. Unfortunately for them, the other teams in their division have improved so much that the Bengals have a less than even chance of doing as well this year. Their only apparent squad weakness is too few quality reserves, especially in the defensive line; but that problem was largely solved, as usual, by the draft. (Using a minimal scouting crew, player personnel director Pete Brown's draft selections are more astute than those of most teams that use the huge scouting combines.) As always, the Bengals' biggest asset is the coaching expertise and awesome personality of owner-coach Paul Brown. His players' total devotion is almost eerie. One of Brown's players once confided to us, "When I was a little kid going to Sunday school, my mental image of God looked just like coach Brown."

The Houston Oilers should be the most improved team in the league this year, and after two 1-13 years in a row, that wouldn't seem to be a difficult accomplishment. The principal reason for the upsurge is head coach Sid Gillman, who had intended to step aside in December after taking over a dismally disorganized team at midseason. By the final game, changes were so dramatic that his players went to Gillman and asked him to remain. So the squad's morale is astonishingly good. "You'd think they were champions," one of Gillman's assistants remarked after they nearly defeated Cincinnati near the end of the season. The Oilers do have some good football players and it's unlikely that there'll be a repetition of the rash of injuries that emaciated the offensive line and defensive backfield last season. They had another problem throughout 1972-1973--a talented but uncoordinated group of defensive linemen, none of whom had played together. Better teamwork and a matured linebacking corps should help the defensive unit. Gillman says that Dan Pastorini, Lynn Dickey and Edd Hargett are the best trio of quarterbacks in the league. With runners George Amundson and Bill Thomas (who have the makings of future greatness), Gillman has all the necessary ingredients for his coaching specialty, a high-scoring offense.

The Cleveland Browns were supposed to return to powerhouse status last season, largely because they had two first-round and two second-round draft choices in 1973. But three of the four super-rookies were busts, with only diminutive runner Greg Pruitt fulfilling expectations; the two first-rounders who disappointed last season, receiver Steve Holden (who was slow to develop) and offensive tackle Pete Adams (who injured his knee), could contribute this year. Only one newcomer, runner Billy Pritchett, has an outside chance of making it big. If he gets down to a skinny 230 pounds, he could be a terror--the big backfield bull the Browns have been looking for ever since Jim Brown retired. Cleveland's defense is set. Bob Babich, whose arrival was the primary reason for the defensive unit's improvement in '73, is the best middle linebacker in the Browns' history and has become the driving personality of the defense. His charisma should get a good workout this year; unless the offensive line is vastly strengthened and the receivers abandon their let's-see-who-can-drop-the-most-passes competition, the defenders will be on the field most of the time.

The Oakland Raiders continue their gradual--and almost imperceptible--rebuilding, mostly with their own draft picks. There were 47 veterans on Oakland's pre-season roster, and 33 had been originally drafted by the Raiders. Five others were signed as free agents. This year, draftees Dave Casper (tight end) and Pete Wessel (defensive back) have the best chances of making the team. The Raiders, historically offense oriented, were aided last year by a suddenly superb defense, and it should be even better this year if the backfield can avoid the debilities of age. Tony Cline, who doubles as linebacker and end, is perhaps the most underrated player in the league. Coach John Madden's principal concern will be finding and grooming replacements for quarterbacks Daryle Lamonica and Ken Stabler, both of whom will eventually depart for the W.F.L.

For the Denver Broncos, it's a season of big its: If John Rowser, obtained from the Steelers, can fill the need at corner-back; if offensive guard Paul Howard has improved enough to become a starter; if rookie linebacker Randy Gradishar lives up to his advance billings; and if John Hufnagel develops into an adequate backup quarterback, the Broncos will be an even bet to beat the Raiders and become division champions. Their linebackers should be better this year with the return of a healthy Tom Jackson. Coach John Ralston's motivational tactics will presumably continue to inspire his players. He is a unique coach, an uncompromisingly proestablishment power-of-positive-thinking advocate with a toothy smile and a disposition that makes Pollyanna look like a pessimist. He spends his time being a good guy and leaves the ass kicking to his assistants. In fact, the Bronco coaching staff has a special meeting each Saturday night during the season so that Ralston's assistants can explain the next day's game plan to him. Then, during the games, he makes decisions about kicking, keeps track of the score and acts as head cheerleader. And it works. So well, in fact, that the Broncos could get to the Super Bowl in a few years.

"This draft is one of the finest we've had in a long time," exulted Kansas City coach Hank Stram. In comparison with recent years, he wasn't indulging in hyperbole. Many of the Chiefs, especially members of the offensive line, are getting old, so rookie Charlie Getty will be groomed for future help up front. An even more immediate need may be fulfilled by first-round choice Woody Green, who'll be the Chiefs' first good outside runner since Mike Garrett. Still, Stram will have trouble holding his squad together until replacements can take over.

The San Diego Chargers will be one of the most changed teams in the league, beginning with the new coaching staff, headed by Tommy Prothro. Former head coach Sid Gillman (who quit in a huff during the '71 season) was a strong father figure. His successor, Harland Svare, believed that players should be self-motivated. Unfortunately, that approach led to things like players' being fined by the N.F.L. for using drugs. Prothro, cool but tough, brings a much-needed strong hand to the controls. As a college coach, he had a way of wringing the last drop of potential from the available talent. This should come in handy at San Diego, because the Charger squad exhibits an evenly spread mediocrity. Nearly every position is up for grabs, and an extraordinarily talented group of draftees could provide as many as six starters, especially runner Bo Matthews, who may achieve instant stardom. But even with the best luck, it will be another grim autumn in San Diego.

Two years ago, the Dallas Cowboys had become dangerously long of tooth and the team's decline and fall seemed imminent. But coach Tom Landry has managed the neat trick of rebuilding, so that, almost unnoticed, an old talented team has become a young talented team. Two rookies--defensive end Ed Jones and linebacker Cal Peterson--would be immediate starters almost anywhere else but will be lucky to see more than minimal action this season. Running back Charles Young is likely to be groomed--in the late stages of runaway games--as Calvin Hill's replacement. (Hill is going to the W.F.L.) As usual, training camp will probably uncover a couple of future all-pros nobody had heard of until player personnel director Gil Brandt, the Sherlock Holmes of football talent, signed them as free agents out of South Overshoe State Teachers College. In short, the Cowboys have everything necessary to regain the world championship.

There is at least one bit of good news on Capitol Hill: Redskins coach George Allen says, "We will be a better team than we were last year." And what George Allen the seer predicts, George Allen the zealous coach fulfills. Last fall, the Redskins were bedeviled by persistent misfortune. But all three of their quarterbacks had season-end surgery and are now joined by Joe Theismann, of Notre Dame and Canada. Bill Kilmer, who, despite his wobbly passes, is as inspirational on the field as Allen is on the side lines, should win the starter role. Because the Redskins badly need a middle linebacker, rookie Mike Varty has a good chance to make the final squad. Offensive guard Walt Sweeney, acquired off-season from the Chargers, could win a starting berth, but unless Allen consummates some startling trades before the season begins, the Redskin squad will be a virtual duplicate of the '73 crew--only better, according to Allen.

The St. Louis Cardinals had a new offensive-minded head coach in '73, a resultantly rejuvenated attack and a dismal defense. But the Cardinals have a glut of unrealized talent on the defensive unit; it was inept last year largely because of inexperience and injuries. If the youngsters can stay healthy long enough to work as a unit, they'll be a good team. End Dave Butz, who improved vastly during his rookie year, may be moved to tackle, and he and Bonnie Sloan (another second-year man) could become the best pair of defensive tackles in the game. The offense, however, will still be the big show, because coach Don Coryell teaches a go-for-broke style and, consequently, the Cardinals will again live by Jim Hart's passes.(There's a severe lack of depth at running back.)Two newcomers, tight end J. V. Cain and tackle Greg Kindle, should make big offensive contributions. But the Cardinals' most important asset is a positive attitude established by Coryell, an intense, outgoing man who has earned his players' respect and devotion. Now that he's had a year in pro ball and knows his players, he could make a lot of waves this season.

The Philadelphia Eagles look like a mirror image of the team that went to training camp a year ago. In 1972, the Eagle offense had set a record for futility, scoring only 145 points. So new coach Mike McCormack, feeling the defense would be as solid as ever, worked mostly with the attack unit, which featured supposedly washed-up passer Roman Gabriel and a rookie-dominated offensive line (where rookies aren't supposed to be able to play). When the season opened, Eagle fans could hardly believe their eyes. Gabriel's passing was phenomenal, his leadership incendiary, the line played laudably and the Eagle offense became the second best in professional football. The defense, however, collapsed, especially at middle linebacker, and McCormack spent much of the off-season on the phone trying to make defensive trades. If the Eagles become contenders, it will be because he found defensive help; if he hasn't, they won't.

We can't recall ever having seen a team exhibit a more shocking reversal of form than the New York Giants in 1973. After looking invincible in pre-season, the squad was hit with injuries. Organization suffered because the team headquartered in New York, practiced in New Jersey and played in Connecticut. After losing the third and fourth games (against Cleveland and Green Bay) in the last few minutes, the team was emotionally drained, and it never recovered. The rest of the season was a nightmare. To the rescue in January (you could almost hear the Lone Ranger theme trumpeting in the background) came new head coach Bill Arnsparger, a certified defensive genius. After spending the off-season viewing films of last year's games, Arnsparger said, "The Giants weren't really that bad a team. They were victimized by bad breaks and breakdowns." Believing firmly in an old-fashioned, strength-up-the-middle strategy, Arnsparger used the draft to revive his offensive line, which suffered an attack of old age last fall. If the player strike is settled quickly enough so that superrookies John Hicks and Tom Mullen can get sufficient early training, they should both be starters. New defensive end Rick Dvorak has the ability to be the swing man in Arnsparger's "53" defense. Giant fans can also take encouragement from the no-nonsense approach of new director of operations Andy Robustelli and owner Wellington Mara's promise to avoid getting in the way. Give Arnsparger three years and he'll have the Giants playing toe to toe with Dallas. In the meantime, he'll have to be content with an occasional upset.

The inexorable inroads of age have beset the Minnesota Vikings. Until now, the problem hasn't been debilitating, because the team's older players are in superb physical condition and they've been able to substitute experience for loss of youthful strength and quickness. But it could all catch up with the Vikings this year in the form of minor but slow-healing injuries. With this in mind, coach Bud Grant looked for draft choices who could take over almost immediately. Linebackers Fred McNeill and Matt Blair will compete for the right to displace Roy Winston, and tackle Steve Riley will back up Grady Alderman. The Vikings' reliable offensive strengths are quarterback Fran Tarkenton, wide receiver John Gilliam--who has signed a W.F.L. contract--and runner Chuck Foreman. But they badly need added depth in the defensive backfield and some good runners to relieve Foreman and Oscar Reed. Grant will also work to sharpen the reactions of both lines, which were unaccountably slow off the ball in the Super Bowl. Despite all these problems, the Vikings are still the class team in their division and should again be in the play-offs.

The Green Bay Packers are, in one respect, the Notre Dame of pro football; more fans outside their home area identify with the Packers than with any other team, and their vocal followers make many road dates seem like home games. Despite this, morale became a serious problem last season. There were many factors, including the loss to injury of defensive back Willie Buchanon, a strong emotional leader on the field, and the unstable quarterback situation, which has been a problem since Bart Starr's arm went limp in 1968. Coach Dan Devine's largest task, however, is to resolve personality conflicts with many of his players. At season's end, quarterback Jim Del Gaizo said his teammates were too thinskinned and should face up to their own shortcomings rather than gripe about Devine (which should indicate who'll be starting at quarterback when this season opens). The Packers also badly need another good defensive lineman and a replacement for center Ken Bowman, who may be retiring, but they ignored those holes and chose thunderous fullback Barty Smith for their first-round draft pick. If he is as good as his credentials, and if Devine can work him into the same backfield with John Brockington, the Packers could have the strongest ground game this side of Miami. But injuryprone Del Gaizo must stay healthy if the Packers are to challenge the Vikings for the division championship.

Detroit head coach Don McCafferty faces three immediate problems: choosing a number-one quarterback, finding a suitable replacement for retired linebacker Mike Lucci and, most urgently, rebuilding the squad's morale before the season begins. Greg Landry, who still has (continued on page 163)PRO Football Preview(continued on page 159) the talent to become the best quarterback in football, will undoubtedly remain the starter and rookie Ed O'Neil has the raw ability to win Lucci's job, in which case he will play side by side with his Penn State roommate, Jim Laslavick. But the morale problem has its roots in the Detroit front office's cool and rigid attitude toward its players--partly due to the calamitous 1973 season--and McCafferty can't be expected to fix this kind of plantation mentality. But he does seem to have created a better understanding between players and coaches. Last year the team didn't adapt to an all-new coaching staff, its system and philosophy, as readily as had been hoped. Now, after a full year, the transition should be complete. If the offense stays reasonably healthy, the Lions might break their longstanding Minnesota jinx: They haven't beaten the Vikings since December 1967.

In the bar car of the 5:30 commuter train headed toward Chicago's elite North Shore suburbs, publicity flacks, stockbrokers and assorted Loop business types lament the impotence of "our Bears" and solemnly agree that " 'Muggs' [general manager Halas] and Ed [vicepresident McCaskey] have got to get a new quarterback and a couple of good linebackers." But year after year, Bears' season-ticket holders, largely concentrated among the North Side establishment, fill the stadium. Bears owner George S. Halas is, above all, a cost-conscious businessman, so when the public stands in line to buy an inferior product, why should he spend a bundle on research and development? The basic cause of the Bears' pitiable state is their bumbling front-office organization, which resembles a merger of the Marx Brothers with the Committee for the Re-election of the President. Also, Abe Gibron, an old-fashioned blood-and-guts coach, makes his preseason workouts so rigorous that his players enter the season physically and emotionally spent. In fact, toward the end of last season, most of the players just gave up and quit. "I hate to get up in the morning," linebacker Jimmy Gunn told us. This year, the squad enters summer drills depressed and disorganized. The situation will probably go downhill from there.

"When your record is twelve and two, you win your division championship and lead the entire N.F.L. in total offense, total defense and points scored, you have to figure your team is reasonably strong," declared Los Angeles general manager Don Klosterman, thus establishing new boundaries for administrative understatement. Indeed, the Rams enter this season with no discernible weakness, leaving little likelihood that any rookies will see much action. One of their most important strengths is the personal presence of owner Carroll Rosenbloom, an unusually enlightened man in a generally benighted profession. Choosing Chuck Knox, for instance, as his head coach last season was a stroke of genius. Knox, an emotional rock, is a perfect counterpart to the mercurial Rosenbloom and his cool stability helps players keep their confidence when things are going wrong. So if the Rams can maintain their winning spirit and seeming immunity to serious injury (last year only one of 22 starters missed an entire game because of injury), they'll play the Cowboys to see who goes to the Super Bowl.

Norm Van Brocklin, his deeply creased countenance reflecting years of vitriolic emotion, confronted his squad after their season's-end losses to two weaker teams and took the blame for Atlanta's letdown; he said he hadn't prepared them properly. But Van Brocklin's method of preparation is one of Prussian intimidation. On the field, he is a reasonable facsimile of George Patton; off the field, he demeans his players to the press, dictates hair style and dress ("If you want to wear bell-bottoms, join the Navy") and spills acidic views about opposing players. ("They've got a Communist playing cornerback," he once said of the Cleveland Browns, referring to Ben Davis, Angela's apolitical brother.) Despite all this, the Falcons entered last season needing only a quarterback who could function effectively under the pressure of Van Brocklin's coaching. They found Bob Lee, a good-willed lover of Jesus. How long he and Van Brocklin will be able to tolerate each other is debatable. Though the Falcons have a superb veteran team (Olympic Gold Medal winner Gerald Tinker, at wide receiver, and defensive back Maurice Spencer are the only rookies who'll play), we doubt that they can ever win a championship with Van Brocklin. Teams motivated by fear nearly always let down when the heat is off. They may win the big games, but they'll often lose to weaker teams.

The San Francisco 49ers will for the first time have full use of four numberone draft choices. Wide receiver Terry Beasley and defensive back Mike Holmes, the team's selections the past two years, have played minimally because of injuries. Combined with this year's two first-round choices (running back Wilbur Jackson and defensive lineman Bill Sandifer), they should give the 49ers the most helpful injection of new talent of any team in the league, and it comes just in time. The 49ers took a precipitous nose dive in '73, largely due to a series of major injuries to key players and an unsettled quarterback situation. Jackson and another rookie runner, Delvin Williams, will account for the running and Steve Spurrier should be a dependable starter at quarterback. On defense, linebacker Willie Harper should continue his impressive maturation. With all this good new talent on hand--and if their luck changes--the 49ers could experience an instant resurrection; but unless they can figure out some way to beat Los Angeles, a trick they haven't turned since their first game of the 1970 season, they won't get to the play-offs.

No team last year changed as much from the beginning to the end of the season as the New Orleans Saints. Enthusiasm skyrocketed when coach J. D. Roberts was fired in late August and new coach John North got a standing ovation when he entered the room for his first squad meeting. North, a bluntly honest man, completely rebuilt the team, bringing in 14 new players, all of whom are still on hand. The Saints suddenly jelled in the third game (against Baltimore) and got better the rest of the season. The progress will continue this fall if a tendency to fumble can be cured and if a thin defensive line can be reinforced. Rookie linebacker Rick Middleton should be an immediate starter; runner Alvin Maxson could prove to be the surprise in the Saints' draft. He and veteran runner Jess Phillips will remove some offensive pressure from quarterback Archie Manning. Watch the Saints. They might be the overlooked team of 1974.

Lastly, let us borrow from contemporary political double talk to say that the above predictions may become inoperative if the player strike, scheduled to begin as this issue makes its appearance, reaches an impasse and lasts beyond the beginning of the regular season. Fear not, there will be a season. Tickets have been sold and television contracts signed, and franchise owners aren't about to let all that money escape them. But if the strike drags on, look for a wild assortment of unpredictable teams, peopled with rookies and free agents, playing high-class sand-lot football. It may not be a thing of beauty, and football purists will be horrified, but the rest of us just might enjoy the most entertaining season since raccoon coats went out of style.

This Season's Winners

AFC Eastern Division: Miami Dolphins

AFC Central Division: Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Western Division: Oakland Raiders

AFC Play-offs: Miami Dolphins

NFC Eastern Division: Dallas Cowboys

NFC Central Division: Minnesota Vikings

NFC Western Division: LOS Angeles Rams

NFC Play-offs: Dallas Cowboys

Super Bowl: Dallas Cowboys

This Season's Top Rookies

(in approximate order of immediate value to their teams)

Waymond Bryant Linebacker Chicago Bears

Carl Barzilauskas Defensive Tackle New York Jets

Woody Green Running Back Kansas City Chiefs

John Hicks Offensive Guard New York Giants

Wilbur Jackson Running Back San Francisco 49ers

Rick Middleton Linebacker New Orleans Saints

Dave Gallagher Defensive Lineman Chicago Bears

Bo Matthews Running Back San Diego Chargers

Randy Gradishar Line backer Denver Broncos

Steve Corbett Offensive Guard New England Patriots

Ed Jones Defensive End Dallas Cowboys

Roscoe Word Kick Returner New York Jets

Wayne Wheeler Wide Receiver Chicago Bears

Don Goode Linebacker San Diege Chargers

Billy corbett Offensive Tackle Cleveland Browns

John Dutton Defensive End Baltimore Colts

Steve Nelson Linebacker New England Patriots

Paul Seal Tight End New Orleans Saints

Greg Kindle Offensive Tackle St. Louis Cardinals

Roger Carr Wide Receiver San Diego Chargers

Greg Gantt Kicker New York Jets

Harrison Davis Wide Receiver Baltimore Colts

Fred McNeill Linebacker Minnesota Vikings

John Smith Kicker New England Patriots

Dave Casper Tight End Oakland Raiders

Nat Moore Kick Returner Miami Dolphins

Barty Smith Running Back Green Bay Packers

Ed O"Neil Linebacker Detroit Lions

Oliver Alexander Running Back Chicago Bears

Alvin Maxson Running Back New Orleans Saints

Gerald Tinker Wide Receiver Atlanta Falcons

Eastern Division

American Football Conference

Miami Dolphins ................... 11-3

Buffalo Bills ................... 8-6

Baltimore colts ................. 6-8

New York Jets ................... 5-9

New England Patriots ............ 5-9

Central Division

American Football Conference

Pittsburgh Steelers ................... 9-5

Cincinnati Bengals .................... 9-5

Houston Oilers ........................ 6-8

Cleveland Browns ...................... 6-8

Western Division

American Football Conference

Oakland Raiders ..................... 9-5

Denver Broncos ...................... 8-6

Kansas City Chiefs .................. 6-8

San Diego Chargers .................. 3-11

Eastern Division

National Football Conference

Dallas Cowboys .................. 11-3

Washington Redskins ............. 9-5

St. Louis Cardinals .............. 6-8

Philadelphia Eagles ............. 6-8

New York Giants ................. 5-9

Central Division

National Football Conference

Minnesota Vikings ................... 9-5

Green Bay Packers ................... 8-6

Detroit Lions ....................... 6-8

Chicago Bears ....................... 2-12

Western Division

National Football Conference

Los Angeles Rams ................... 9-5

Atlanta Falcons .................... 7-7

San Francisco 49ers ................. 7-7

New Orleans Saints ................. 6-8