Playboy's Pro Football Preview

When you see your favorite N.F.L. team play its first game this year, be sure to have a copy of its latest player-personnel list at hand--otherwise you may never figure out who's doing what to whom. Player turnover will be greater this year than in any other season in the history of the game.

The reasons for the impending head lopping are clear and compelling.

First: The owners and the coaches are eager to rid themselves of the more militant participants in last fall's acrimonious players' strike, especially those whose on-the-field abilities are less phenomenal than their negotiating talents. If the manager of an ordinary commercial enterprise fires workers who strike, he finds himself up to his sphincter in howling Labor Department watchdogs. Pro football franchises, on the other hand, have the right to cut a veteran (however long and conscientious his service might have been) when a fresh-faced rookie can--in management's opinion alone--do the job better (and usually cheaper). In human-rights legalese, that's called age discrimination. In professional sports, it's called upgrading the squad.

Second: Four fifths of the players on the average N.F.L. squad are easily replaceable. The football talent bank is enormous. At the end of every pre-season training period, the last two dozen players who are sent packing by each franchise are only marginally less desirable than most of the players who survive. Final cuts are usually determined by personality conflicts, hair styles and old loyalties.

The Las Vegas gambling conglomerates--which set point spreads for the entire sports-betting industry--carefully watch the health and well-being of only six to ten players on each N.F.L. squad. All the rest are considered expendable.

Third and most important: Last spring's draft marked the richest talent influx in N.F.L. history. Five years ago, when the N.C.A.A. first permitted colleges to red-shirt freshmen, a large majority of the most promising youngsters were held out of competition to give them an added year's maturity. This year's pro rookie crop, therefore, is loaded with twice the usual number of superstuds.

The teams with the greatest turnover will probably be those whose players were most defiant during the strike--the Bears, the Lions and the Falcons, for example. Not surprisingly, those are the clubs whose management is among the least enlightened and whose player morale, as a result, is lowest. The teams that field players who were not so enthusiastic about the strike--and whose management consists of rational, post-Victorian adults--will have the least personnel turnover and the best shot at January's Super Bowl. They're Green Bay, San Diego, Dallas and Minnesota.

N.F.L. owners and general managers won't talk about those issues on the record, but I can assure you that all of this is what they're thinking. If you want verification, just look over the scouting reports that follow, wait until the season starts--and keep those programs handy.

Miami made it to the Super Bowl last January because the Dolphins were deep at almost every position except--incongruously--quarterback. Coach Don Shula had to make do with two backup types, neither of whom could take command. He hopes that that problem was solved when the Dolphins grabbed quarterback Dan Marino in the draft. The only ominous aspect of that development is that Marino suffered in his senior year at Pittsburgh from the same malady that has haunted Dolphins incumbent David Woodley: a puzzling inconsistency. Unlike Woodley, Marino may have a problem with an excess of self-adoration.

However the signal-calling problem is resolved, Miami will again field one of the youngest--and fastest-improving--teams in the league. The no-name defense will again be the best in the country, and (continued on page 138)Pro Football Preview(continued from page 122) fullback Andra Franklin (this decade's Larry Csonka) will lead a no-thrills ball-control attack.

Coaching changes in pro football franchises are almost always accompanied by emotional and operational disruptions and a falling off in on-field performance. The transition from Walt Michaels to Joe Walton in New York has been so smooth and cordial, however, that the Jets' rise to national prominence will continue unabated. Walton is more offensive-minded than Michaels, and the Jets will probably throw the ball more often than a year ago. No other changes should be noticeable.

Only a few years ago, the Jets were a garbage team, but they've had the patience to rebuild methodically through the draft. Thirty-four of last year's players came from the past seven drafts.

This year, at long last, the Jets enjoyed the luxury of drafting for future needs. They pulled off one of the draft's major stunners by selecting an obscure quarterback named Ken O'Brien in the first round. Ken O'Brien? That's right--he'll make player-personnel director Mike Hickey look like a genius in a few years.

The Patriots' success (or lack thereof) this year will depend largely on how well the players' ego wounds have healed after a year of boot-camp regimen under coach Ron Myer. A year ago, Myer took over a squad that had been mired in the same old lackadaisical motions since Chuck Fairbanks became coach in 1973. He inherited a large contingent of congenital bellyachers who were, not surprisingly, one of the more militant groups during the strike.

Myer put an end to partying on road trips (the Patriots had lost all their away games the season before he arrived) and has implemented a stringent physical-conditioning program. Further improvement this season, though, will depend on whether or not the offense (especially the passing game) can be upgraded. Myer went into the draft looking for a top-quality wide receiver and a young quarterback to groom for the future. He hit the jackpot. Quarterback Tony Eason and receivers Darryal Wilson and Stephen Starr-ling are all capable of becoming starters, if not stars, the first time they put on pads.

The New England fans, turned off by the bitching of some of those players, are solidly behind Myer, who produced a winning season his first year at the controls.

New Buffalo coach Kay Stephenson inherits a ball club riddled with dissension. While there aren't any unpaid bills, the players are bitter about salary levels and about the departure (for Seattle's greener pastures) of popular former coach Chuck Knox. But Stephenson has the personal qualifications to heal the wounds. At 39, he is the youngest head coach in the league; he looks more like a quarterback. He is low-key, laid-back and coldly logical, with a steel-hard emotional make-up. All are qualities he'll need to straighten out the disarray brought on by a benighted ownership.

Stephenson's first job is to fix a defense threatened by age and attrition. The draft brought two classy linebackers, Darryl Talley and Trey Junkin, plus defensive end Jimmy Payne. Payne has the tools to become an All-Pro.

The offensive unit received even more help in the able bodies of quarterback Jim Kelley and tight end Tony Hunter. So while skies aren't exactly blue over Buffalo, they're not as gray as usual.

Baltimore's dismal no-win performance last fall was more a failure of attitude than of ability. The Colts' morale has been miserable since Robert Irsay bought the franchise 11 years ago, but last season, many of the players simply quit trying, content to punch in, punch out and draw their pay checks. Coach Frank Kush, no shrinking violet, is giving the heave ho to the quitters. A practitioner of Parris Island training methods, Kush will refine the art of creative ass kicking in pre-season camp.

No small recompense for being the crummiest team in the league is the inheritance of the first pick in the draft, and that was a major windfall for the Colts. They then swapped quarterback John Elway, the most prized draftee of the past decade, to Denver for offensive lineman Chris Hinton (the Broncos' number-one draft choice this year), quarterback Mark Herrmann and the Broncos' number-one draft choice for next year. The deal will help Baltimore's prospects only if all of the draftees show up for pre-season camp. Unfortunately, computerized analysis shows a high statistical tendency among college seniors to have nervous breakdowns after learning they've been drafted by Baltimore.

Best bets to help the Colts regain respectability are defensive rookies Vernon Maxwell and George Achica. Kush will be able to use all of his new talent, plus any remotely promising free agents or rejects from other training camps. The Colts, in short, need help everywhere.

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The fortunes of all pro football teams are cyclical, and the evidence indicates that the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming around again. Chuck Noll's team is loaded with gem-quality youngsters. The squad finished last season with 15 first-year players on the roster, all of whom will benefit from an extra year's experience. Such veterans as quarterback Terry Bradshaw, fullback Franco Harris and linebacker Jack Lambert give the team stability.

The Steelers still need a flashy wide receiver, plus reinforcements in the defensive line and secondary. Two rookies, defensive tackle Gabriel Rivera and receiver Wayne Capers, are good enough to pull down starting jobs their first year. Look for Walter Abercrombie to storm in among the league's premier runners during this, his sophomore season.

Cincinnati, traditionally one of the league's more stable franchises, lost only two games last fall, so the Bengals would appear to be candidates for the Super Bowl, right? Unfortunately, serious problems are festering beneath the surface.

The defensive unit, one of the N.F.L.'s best two years ago, went limp last fall. Complacency is given as the official cause, but discontent with salary levels may be a bigger factor. Even more threatening to the Bengals' prospects are ongoing salary disputes with several key offensive players. Quarterback Ken Anderson, for example, resents taking home a salary that is only half that of Houston's aging Archie Manning. Owner Paul Brown, notoriously parsimonious, isn't likely to cough up generous amounts of cash, so the resentment will probably continue. The draft brought two superstud rookies, center Dave Rimington and defensive back Ray Horton. Both will make immediate contributions if the salary scales fall from Brown's eyes.

The Cleveland Browns, a team with too many problems to solve in a single year, will struggle just to stay out of the basement. Among the major worries are two of the squad's more publicized players, Brian Sipe and Tom Cousineau.

Sipe was the banner-waving Friedrich Engels of the players' strike, but after the exploited quarterback returned to his $350,000-a-year "slave job," he was a bust and was replaced by Paul McDonald. Sipe's chances of winning his job back in pre-season drills are slim.

Linebacker Cousineau, at $500,000 per year, was the second-highest-paid player in the N.F.L. last year--and only the third-best linebacker for the. Browns. The front office insists that his reputation as a superflake is unjustified, citing Cousineau's recent sartorial exchange--his earring for a three-piece suit.

The Browns went into the draft needing reinforcements in both lines and greater speed in the running and receiving corps. Defensive end Reggie Camp and offensive tackle Bill Contz should make contributions, but the sleeper in the Browns' draft will turn out to be tight end Tim Stracka.

Houston fans thought the Astros were bad. Now here come the Oilers. Coach Ed Biles was hired two years ago, after Bum Phillips was fired for fielding an offense that was considered too conservative. Biles's heralded diversification has made a difference, to be sure: The offense is so disaster prone, watching it is like watching Skylab in action.

The Oilers have two high-quality quarterbacks, Archie Manning and Gilford Nielsen, but little else to qualify them as a respectable professional outfit. The cavalry is desperately needed in nearly all areas, especially in the offensive line and the defensive secondary.

The Oilers had six picks in the first three rounds of the draft and, providentially, they reaped a bonanza. Offensive linemen Bruce Matthews and Harvey Salem should be immediate starters. The same goes for defensive backs Keith Bostic and Steve Brown.

With such lean reserves of talent, however, any improvement over last season's one-win performance will depend largely on how well the Oilers dodge serious injury. Morale isn't as bad as some Houston sportswriters insist, now that Bud Adams has become an absentee owner and has turned control over to general manager Ladd Herzeg.

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Now that M*A*S*H is gone, there's no unit anywhere as out of whack as San Diego's. The Chargers have had the best offense and possibly the worst defense in the league. Since 1979, their early-round draft picks have been devoted to offensive talent, while the stopper crew has suffered from malign neglect.

This time, it was different. For two years, the Chargers had stockpiled choices for the 1983 draft, the most talent-laden conscription in history. The plan paid off. Rookie linebacker Billy Ray Smith will go to the Pro Bowl his first season. Two other rookies, defensive backs Gill Byrd and Danny Walters, should also start.

If the newcomers can raise the defensive unit even to mediocrity, the Chargers' attack ought to get them to the Super Bowl next January. They're overdue.

Al Davis' renegade relationship with the rest of the honchos in the N.F.L. gives his Los Angeles Raiders a galvanizing us-against-the-world spirit. They are high for every game, never lethargic. If all of the legal spats and the genuine hostilities between Davis and the rest of the league ever got ironed out, the Raiders would probably go into a slump.

Those in charge of the team's fortunes need to think about replacements for some of the scarred veterans--Jim Plunkett and Cliff Branch have most of their raiding behind them. It doesn't look as though this year's draft brought any gold nuggets like Marcus Allen and Todd Christensen. Still, the Raiders should be strong.

Seattle was in a mess of trouble until new general manager Mike McCormack and new coach Chuck Knox came to the rescue last fall. Both are the personable father-figure types sorely needed to heal the rancor left behind by the previous regime. Knox, a ruggedly handsome closet intellectual with steely blues, is the All-Pro at the coaching position.

The first order of business for the Knox years is to overhaul the Seahawks' inefficient talent-evaluation department. The offensive unit, with the notable exceptions of quarterback Jim Zorn and receiver Steve Largent, was a void last fall. The defense, having received almost all the recent rookies, wound up in pretty good shape. Last spring's top draft picks, therefore, were attackers. Rookie running back Curt Warner may double the Seahawks' offensive output all by himself. Look for McCormack and Knox to have the Seahawks in the 1985 play-offs.

You won't recognize the Kansas City Chiefs. Hardly anybody did in 1982. But last year's plodding, earth-bound offense has metamorphosed into a versatile and relentless air attack. New head coach John Mackovic, a brilliant offensive innovator by reputation, vows to find a starting quarterback in pre-season drills, then ask him to throw the ball 40 times a game. Rookie Todd Blackledge will undoubtedly get the call.

Mackovic brings to the Chiefs other useful qualities--a tough mind and a stand-up personality. He won't tolerate the meddling and the backbiting from the front office that made former coach Mary Levy circle his wagons.

The defensive side, especially the secondary, will be excellent again. But Mackovic desperately needs reinforcements for his offensive line, as well as a big, intimidating runner and great work by Blackledge. Rookie punter Jim Arnold will make a solid contribution his first year.

Best of all of Mackovic's contributions is the fresh sense of optimism that blushes in the Chiefs. They went from sky-high before the strike to sullen afterward, but the arrival of Mackovic and defensive coordinator Bud Carson has reversed the trend.

The Denver franchise begins rebuilding from nowhere. The Broncos won only two games last fall, their worst season in a decade. An inexplicable proclivity for turnovers and decimating injuries were the main problems. The inroads of age are also beginning to show up in the once potent Orange Crush defense. The running game--featuring Gerald Willhite--and the special teams were the Broncos' only discernible strengths last fall. The quarterbacking, with Steve DeBerg and superstar rookie John Elway, will be excellent. Rookie lineman Mark Cooper will stoke up last year's dismal blocking.

The subtle but powerful effects of group psychology play a more important role in football than most fans realize, and the Dallas Cowboys have been bulleted by those forces more than any other team. The adoration of their followers is fierce, but every other team in the league is infuriated by the "America's team" moniker the Cowboys have given themselves. During the week before their final showdown with the Redskins last fall, Washington television stations showed the Tom Landry "When you're surrounded by Redskins" American Express commercial innumerable times. The Redskins were boiling by game time.

The Cowboys' organization is stable as ever and will stay in the thick of the Super Bowl race. The only discernible manpower shortage is at linebacker. The talent there is, by Dallas standards, unimposing.

The results of the Cowboys' draft are as enigmatic as ever. Except for defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, the rookie crop is anonymous. Inevitably, as we've noted before, there is a kid from Possum Hollow A&M who will be an All-Pro for Dallas a few years down the road.

The Redskins' direction this year will have to be away from the complacency that often besets Super Bowl victors. Admirers of Joe Gibbs insist that as long as he's their coach, self-admiration will never be a problem among the Redskins. There are clouds on the horizon, however. The team needs second-tier strength in almost every area except the offensive line, a young crew that improves with every game. The draft brought no nuggets except Darrell Green, who ought to be an immediate starter.

The Redskins' fortunes this season will again come down to the performance (and the freedom from injuries) of quarterback Joe Theismann and fullback John Riggins. Coach Gibbs insists that he will demand more from his players this year than ever before; but if luck and injuries work against them, that won't be enough.

During the three years of coach Jim Hanifan's tenure, St. Louis has become a fountain of youth. The offensive line, a problem in recent years, has been rebuilt. The running game, led by O. J. Anderson, is good and getting better.

The best harbinger of all, however, is the ascension of quarterback Neil Lomax. His mobility, poise and running skills could make him the best in the league before long.

The Cardinals' feathers are thin in the defensive line and the secondary, so Hanifan used the draft to stockpile fresh bodies for those positions. Rookie defensive backs Leonard Smith and Cedric Mack could make all the difference for the Cards.

Few clubs have ever suffered through more turmoil and trauma than the Giants did last year. In addition to the players' strike and coach Ray Perkins' announcement of his departure in midseason (he went to Alabama to replace the late Bear Bryant), defection, injury and illness robbed the team of key players. But fullback Rob Carpenter has returned to camp, starting quarterback Phil Simms has returned to health and new coach Bill Parcells has stayed home (he grew up nine miles from Giants Stadium) and has taken command.

Although Parcells is a tough disciplinarian, he will surely create a more amiable ambience for his players than the workaholic Perkins did. One of his players told us, "Bill at least knows how to relax once in a while. Perkins was so tight-assed and grim, they wouldn't even let him into the tavern during happy hour."

The defensive unit will be the Giants' strength. Their linebacking crew is the best in the league. Tailback Butch Woolfolk had a superb rookie season and will be even better this time around, if only a thin offensive line can be reinforced. The draft brought tight end Jamie Williams and tackle Karl Nelson. The Giants' prize rookie, though, is safety Terry Kinard.

The players' strike was probably more damaging to the Philadelphia Eagles than to any other team. Much acrimony remained in a squad that produced one of the more militant player groups, and the team's performance after the strike was dismal. The attitudinal problems were largely a reaction to Dick Vermeil's concentration-camp approach to coaching. New coach Marion Campbell, conversely, is a Deep South type with a more tranquil psyche. There's a new sense of lightness in the front offices and training rooms.

The defense, superb two years ago, still has the manpower to regain its stature, but the offense sorely needs a bull-moose-style fullback to take the pressure off halfback Wilbert Montgomery. If all works well, rookie Mike Haddix will fill that need.

Look for Ron Jaworski's passing stats to improve. Mike Quick, in his second year, will become one of the league's best wide receivers. Rookie pass catcher Glen Young will provide even more speed. It's still a long way down from 1980.

Traditional wisdom has it that the two teams that make it to the Super Bowl in any given year are among the league's dozen or so most talented squads, are the least victimized by dumb officiating, commit the fewest mental errors and suffer the least from injuries. The last factor may be the most important and will be the key to Green Bay's fortunes this season. After years of wallowing in near oblivion, the Packers are upwardly mobile, having made the play-offs last season for the first time in coach Bart Starr's eight years. The talent is dangerously sparse, though, especially in the offensive line and the defensive secondary.

The prize gleanings from last spring's draft, defensive back Tim Lewis and offensive lineman Dave Drechsler, will help hold things together. Mike Miller, another draftee, will help upgrade an already excellent passing game. This could be the year when fullback Gerry Ellis finally plays up to his considerable potential. If all the variables fall into place, the Packers will have an excellent chance to make a return to the Super Bowl next January, and wouldn't that be something?

Minnesota never strays from the top for long, having made the play-offs 12 times in Bud Grant's 16 years as coach. The Vikings will see post-season action again if some defensive problems (a lethargic secondary and aging linebackers) can be solved. Two prize rookies, defensive back Joey Browner and linebacker Walker Ashley, could provide the answers.

The Vikings' defensive line is a strength, thanks in great part to the addition last year of Charlie Johnson, who has become a leader both on and off the turf.

The Tommy Kramer-to-Sam McCullum passing program will again be the Vikings' prime offensive weapon, but don't be surprised if Darrin Nelson, a tentative rookie last year, becomes one of the nation's leading runners this fall.

Another happy portent for the Vikings is the fact that the Twin Cities fans, ill-famed in the past for stoicism, are suddenly bursting with enthusiasm. It's a development that may be related to the warmth of the new Metrodome. Now the Vikings need no longer be disoriented when playing away from home before noisy crowds.

Tampa Bay coach John McKay has an E. F. Hutton reputation ("When he talks, you damn sure better listen," one of his players told us), so his pledge that the Buccaneers will be much better this year must be taken seriously. McKay will have to rejuvenate an offense that played in last year's play-offs in a coma. If the offensive line can do a better job of opening holes, James Wilder can be one of the league's top ground gainers. Two rookies, center Randy Grimes and tackle Kelly Thomas, will bruise some opponents.

The Bucs need new blood for an aging secondary; draftee Jeremiah Castille should be a starter by midseason.

Chicago's second consecutive drop to the basement was due to a dismal pass defense and to the difficulties of adjusting to a new coaching staff during a truncated season. The defensive problems, matters more of strategy than of manpower, will be addressed during pre-season drills.

The Bears' manpower problems are in the offensive line, where injuries and the inroads of age have taken a double toll. Prize rookie quarterback Jim McMahon spent most of last season running for his life. But this draft had the richest load of offensive-line prospects in memory, and the Bears got their share. Rookie tackle Jimbo Covert is a certain 1985 All-Pro. Another draftee, Willie Gault, will show opposing cornerbacks the most blazing speed in the history of the franchise. Rookie Mike Richardson will help in the secondary.

With a little luck (and if a high-quality runner can be dug up to share some of Walter Payton's burden), the Bears could be one of this year's surprise teams.

The offensive crew will be much sharper after a year's shakedown. Gault joins McMahon and receivers Ken Margerum and Ricky Watts in what will be one of the league's most entertaining aerial circuses.

Last season was a big depression for Detroit fans. The Lions' poor performance was brought on by sour grapes left over from the players' strike. During spring camp, coach Monte Clark worked hard to dispel the gloom. He was successful, apparently, and team morale seems better.

Clark's other tasks are to get steadier play from the offensive line and the quarterbacks and to come up with a big fullback to block for Billy Sims. The latter problem was solved with the drafting of James "Juggernaut" Jones. You'll recognize him. Another rookie, tackle Rick Stronger, will help in the trenches.

The Lions' defensive crew, top-notch except for a low-grade secondary, will have to hold the fort while the offense rebuilds.

The great penance will end in New Orleans this fall. The Saints, without a winning season in their 16-year history, will be the league's most improved team. Miracle of miracles--they could even win the division. There is enough talent in camp that coach Bum Phillips won't have to do patchwork on the line-up every week. Last spring, he was able, for the first time, to make draft choices that weren't based on emergency needs.

The best news in Hangover City is that quarterback Dave Wilson--destined for greatness--has recovered from the injury that wiped out his 1982 season. The Saints' major prayer is for a bruising fullback to help George Rogers with the running.

Most of the credit for the Saints' emerging respectability belongs to Phillips. Since his arrival, the team has gone from instability to rock-solid organization. Internal conflict and coaching-staff upheavals are all part of the past. The fans in Houston (where Phillips was summarily fired three years ago) must be eating their hearts out. Or chewing on their towels.

New Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Henning's first priority is to construct a defense. His linebackers (especially Fulton Kuykendall and Buddy Curry) are capable, but the rest is a wasteland. The draft brought three strong defensive linemen--Mike Pitts, James Britt and Andrew Provence. All are good enough to start immediately in this company.

Henning will rejuvenate last year's torpid and unimaginative offense by abandoning the ball-control approach (the Falcons had no big play all season) for a wide-open, anything-goes attack. The running game, featuring William Andrews and Gerald Riggs, is a bright spot.

With more entertaining games going on, perhaps the surly and rebellious Atlanta fans will behave with a little more civility and the local press will stop abusing quarterback Steve Bartkowski.

Last year, the 49ers went the way most teams go a year after unexpectedly winning a Super Bowl: They spent too much time reveling in their own glory. All the time spent starring on the banquet circuit, doing commercial endorsements and basking in the adoration of Bay Area fans took a toll. A severe rash of injuries to a shallow squad helped the downfall.

Last year's dismal 3-6 showing has dispelled any complacency, however, and coach Bill Walsh is kicking out the loafers. But some more serious problems must be solved if the 49ers are to return to championship form. Their running game is anemic and their blocking is ineffectual, allowing opposing defenses to victimize quarterback Joe Montana. A limp pass rush puts an unmanageable burden on an otherwise superb pass defense. The passing attack, with Montana hitting Dwight Clark's stellar hands, is the only clear asset.

Walsh needed help from the draft, but there were few early-round choices for San Francisco. Rookie halfback Roger Craig will add some punch to the running attack.

The Rams' franchise is in chaos. The front office, a reunion of the Keystone Cops, is overseen by owner Georgia Frontiere, whose employees refer to her affectionately as Miss Piggy. New executive vice-president Ray Nagel is a creamily charming social type with little pro football background and even less reputation among football men. Only one person in the organization--Jack Faulkner, director of football operations--knows much about running a team, but his job security is fragile. He isn't a good ass kisser.

Frontiere is merely the latest example of a hallowed N.F.L. tradition of inept but money-laden owners who got rich and powerful by (if you'll pardon the word in this case) accident. Baseball has no monopoly on those.

New head coach John Robinson, a solid and unpretentious man who is liked and respected by everyone in the game, will bring some stability. His rebuilding problems were partly alleviated by a productive draft that brought immediate help in spectacular runner Eric Dickerson and receiver Henry Ellard.

The Rams' most desperate need, however, is a top-grade defensive lineman who can play right now. Rookie tackle Doug-Reed can probably play soon, but for the Rams, that may not be enough.

Playboy's 1983 Pre-Season All-Pro Team

Offense

James Lofton, Green Bay...........................Wide Receiver

Wes Chandler, San Diego..........................Wide Receiver

Kellen Winslow, San Diego.............................Tight End

Anthony Munoz, Cincinnati...............................Tackle

Pat Donovan, Dallas......................................Tackle

R. C. Thielemann, Atlanta.................................Guard

Randy Cross, San Francisco...............................Guard

Mike Webster, Pittsburgh..................................Center

Dan Fouts, San Diego................................Quarterback

Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders..................Running Back

Tony Dorsett, Dallas...............................Running Back

Mark Moseley, Washington ...........................Place Kicker

Defense

Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay................................End

Art Still, Kansas City...................................End

Randy White, Dallas.....................................Tackle

Dan Hampton, Chicago....................................Tackle

Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh........................Middle Linebacker

Ted Hendricks, Los Angeles Raiders..............Outside Linebacker

Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants................Outside Linebacker

Everson Walls, Dallas.................................Cornerback

Mike Haynes, New England..............................Cornerback

Nolan Cromwell, Los Angeles Rams ....................Free Safety

Ken Easley, Seattle.................................Strong Safety

Dave Jennings, New York Giants...........................Punter

Mike Nelms, Washington ............................Kick Returner

This Season's Winners

A.F.C. Eastern Division...........................Miami Dolphins

A.F.C. Central Divisions........................Pittsburgh Steelers

A.F.C. Western Division.......................San Diego Chargers

A.F.C. Champion .... San Diego Chargers

N.F.C. Eastern Division...........................Dallas Cowboys

N.F.C. Central Division........................Green Bay Packers

N.F.C. Western Division.......................New Orleans Saints

N.F.C. Champion .... Dallas Cowboys

All The Marbles .... San Diego Chargers

Eastern Division

American Football Conference

Miami Dolphins................ 11-5

New York Jets.................. 10-6

New England Patriots............ 9-7

Buffalo Bills................... 6-10

Baltimore Colts................ 4-12

"College seniors tend to have nervous breakdowns after learning they've been drafted by Baltimore."

Central Division

American Football Conference

Pittsburgh Steelers.............. 11-5

Cincinnati Bengals............... 10-6

Cleveland Browns.................. 6-10

Houston Oilers ................... 5-11

Western Division

American Football Conference

San Diego Chargers............ 12-4

Los Angeles Raiders................. 11-5

Seattle Seahawks..................... 8-8

Kansas City Chiefs................... 7-9

Denver Broncos ...................... 6-10

Eastern Division

National Football Conference

Dallas Cowboys................ 12-4

Washington Redskins................ 10-6

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

New York Giants...................... 7-9

Philadelphia Eagles..................5-11

Central Division

National Football Conference

Green Bay Packers.............. 10-6

Minnesota Vikings................... 10-6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers.................. 9-7

Chicago Bears........................ 6-10

Detroit Lions........................ 5-11

Western Division

National Football Conference

New Orleans Saints............... 9-7

Atlanta Falcons.................. 8-8

San Francisco 49ers.............. 8-8

Los Angeles Rams................. 7-9