Brees with the Cowboys means Romo goes somewhere else, and his trajectory is somewhere between “total disaster who gets injured from a light breeze” and “takes Brady down a peg.” Put Romo on the Giants in 2007 and give him some blocking and it’s not close - either he throws four picks and the Pats roll or he throws four TDs and the Giants embarrass the previously unbeaten Pats. (Or he does both and the game is the most insane SB ever. That might be fun.)
As for Young, having Jeff Fisher didn’t do him any favors, but he’s a poor man’s Michael Vick at best and his needs-to-grow-up-itis is still a problem. One possibility in 2007 is the Buccaneers - Oakland was taking JaMarcus Russell first because Al Davis left his brain at Taco Bell years before. It’s also hard to blame the Lions for Megatron or the Browns for Joe Thomas, so Tampa Bay was next. They could have used a QB, and Young coupled with Jon Gruden was a possibility.
Romo on the Giants would be interesting. Going 4-4 in the SB would probably put it as one of the most exciting games of football for some time. Brees as a Cowboy would fit a childhood dream, but that would be too nightmarish for this Black and Gold, "'Aints" and all fan. Still leaves the question as to the QB (unless we somehow keep Aaron Brooks for another year), but it does leave the door open for a Southern Miss guy in my book.
Young, with the support system of Gruden, may actually put the Bucs back at a threat to the NFC South, if played right. I don't necessarily believe that Young was a complete disaster, but he did need quite a bit of support (especially in coaching) that he was lacking. Gruden could have been that piece to help Young, if not turn him around completely, keep him from total ruin long enough.
Apologies for the barrage of questions, but another one hit me:
There have been a few mentions of Dolphins QB David Woodley (including a fun one of WI he demanded a trade and ended up with the Saints) and, upon finding some highlights of Dolphins and LSU games, I did find Woodley to be quite an adequate QB, if not the star power of his successor with the rocket arm. And, all that move with Marino could be agreed to have started following XVII and the collapse Woodley had there. Also, as a Saints fan, we could have had the local boy of Shreveport at #206 in 1980 (instead of going for DE Chuck Evans [whom was released two years later], leaving Woodley to the Dolphins at #214).
So, once again bringing this topic up with a different twist, two ideas....
1) WI The Fins managed a comeback to win XVII against the Skins? How would that have played out in the 83 Draft?
2) WI The Saints picked Woodley in 1980, leaving him on the sidelines under Archie Manning for at least the first two years?