NFL "what-if" scenarios thread

[RichardBak]

Layne/Rote was good, for as long as it lasted (which wasn't long).

Rote/Hadl

[Brian wolf]

I felt Kemp and Lamonica we're starters A and B.

[CSKreager]

what if the Colts in 1983 draft Eric Dickerson and we don't have the wild Elway sweepstakes?

[7DnBrnc53]

what if the Colts in 1983 draft Eric Dickerson and we don't have the wild Elway sweepstakes?

Wouldn't have been a bad idea, but they would have had to trade RB Curtis Dickey for a QB or something.

Another "what if" has to do with Accorsi not wasting time with Elway, trading down, and taking Marino like he wanted to.

[Brian wolf]

RIP Roman Gabriel ...

What if Al Davis and the Raiders had signed Gabriel in 1966?
Since the NFL was strongly opposed to this happening, as well as possibly losing other players like Brodie to Houston, they finally agreed to a merger, where Lamar Hunt got what he finally wanted in 1959, a seat at the pigs table with other NFL owners.

Had Tex Schramm blew it for the NFL, Davis might have signed Gabriel for big money and other players would have probably followed suit, resulting in war of wages the NFL might not have been able to survive -- no one knows for sure?

Davis tried his best and was eventually, generously, given an ownership stake in the Raiders team by Wayne Valley, who could have ended his coaching career and dumped him by the wayside with Rozelle presiding over both leagues, but knew this team needed his leadership into a future that would see the leagues compete for a world championship before merging for good.

Gabriel could have joined them, with Tom Flores traded a year earlier and Lamonica still backing up Kemp in Buffalo. Could Gabriel had led them to a western division championship over the Chiefs?
Could other former NFL QBs like Jim Ninowski, had helped other AFL teams?

As for the Rams in the NFL, they would have lost their potential starter, but no one at that time knew how well he might have been anyway?

Could another QB had come in for Gabriel and given new HC George Allen a winning season? It would have been interesting to see who he might have chosen as his starter. Bill Munson might have led them to victories, yet with Gabriel staying in LA, the Rams would have a record of 63 - 29 - 6 from 1966-1972 with Roman only missing two starts! Had this team won a championship, Gabriel might have made the HOF. Since they didn't, he still has a good case but the beginning and ending years to his career hurt his candidacy. Could he have made the HOF if he, not John Unitas, been the MVP in 1967? He did win it in 1969 but the team got beaten by a determined Vikings team in the playoffs.

Davis with the Raiders went back to Flores in 1966, who gave him a 7-2-1 season before giving way to Lamonica in 1967. Could Gabriel have done as well or better ?

[Sonny9]

Gabriel could have joined, with Tom Flores traded a year earlier and Lamonica still backing up Kemp in Buffalo. Could Gabriel had led them to a western division championship over the Chiefs?
Could other former NFL QBs had helped other AFL teams?

As for the Rams in the NFL, they would have lost their potential starter, but no one at that time knew how well he might have been anyway? Could another QB had come in for Gabriel and given new HC George Allen a winning season? It would have been interesting to see who he might have chosen as his starter.

So Lamonica stays with the Bills.
1967 The Bills take a nose dive. Kemps int% jumps from 4.1 to 7 and his sack% goes from 3 to 9.3 Lamonica gets, the 3 starts Flores got and maybe more starts that season? 1968 Kemps hurt and out of the season. Lamonica takes over the starting QB position and Kemp doesn't bother to return for his final season. They don't go 1-12-1 with Lamonica at the helm in 1968, so no OJ in 1969.

[7DnBrnc53]

Gabriel could have joined, with Tom Flores traded a year earlier and Lamonica still backing up Kemp in Buffalo. Could Gabriel had led them to a western division championship over the Chiefs?
Could other former NFL QBs had helped other AFL teams?

As for the Rams in the NFL, they would have lost their potential starter, but no one at that time knew how well he might have been anyway? Could another QB had come in for Gabriel and given new HC George Allen a winning season? It would have been interesting to see who he might have chosen as his starter.

So Lamonica stays with the Bills.
1967 The Bills take a nose dive. Kemps int% jumps from 4.1 to 7 and his sack% goes from 3 to 9.3 Lamonica gets, the 3 starts Flores got and maybe more starts that season? 1968 Kemps hurt and out of the season. Lamonica takes over the starting QB position and Kemp doesn't bother to return for his final season. They don't go 1-12-1 with Lamonica at the helm in 1968, so no OJ in 1969.

So OJ probably goes to Atlanta, and maybe takes some teams that weren't far away from the playoffs in 1971-73 over the hump.

[Brian wolf]

Had Gabriel joined the Raiders in 1966, Art Powell probably would have finished his career there--and made the HOF--while Biletnikoff would have been a star much quicker, since he never had a rapport with Flores. With Powell there, would the Raiders have still signed Warren Wells?

*I goofed, Davis promoted Rauch as his HC in 1966 ...

[Halas Hall]

I think Bill Parcells said if the Giants had selected Reggie White in the 1985 allocation of the rights to USFL players, their defense would have been declared illegal. I think they selected Hall of Fame tackle Gary Zimmerman, but he did not like New York City.

[7DnBrnc53]

I think Bill Parcells said if the Giants had selected Reggie White in the 1985 allocation of the rights to USFL players, their defense would have been declared illegal. I think they selected Hall of Fame tackle Gary Zimmerman, but he did not like New York City.

They probably get one more Super Bowl (at least) if they had White.

Also, I wonder if White stays in 1993 since he is playing for the Mara's instead of Norman Braman.