An Alternate 1989 NFL Draft

This is inspired by this video:

Tempe, AZ. December 18, 1988

The Green Bay Packers fall to the Phoenix Cardinals, 24-20. GB had a 20-17 lead going into the half (on a Majkowski TD pass to RB Larry Mason), but they decided to sit Majik in the second half.

Randy Wright threw a pick-six to Cardinal DB Lonnie Young early in the fourth quarter, and was intercepted again by Young late in the game to seal the win for Phoenix.

As a result, GB gets the #1 pick in the draft, with Dallas falling to #2. It looks like the Packers will be drafting Troy Aikman in April.
 
January 23, 1989: First round order (Playoffs go as in OTL) for the draft (April 23rd & 24th in New York City):

1. Green Bay
2. Dallas
3. Detroit
4. Kansas City
5. Atlanta
6. Tampa Bay
7. Pittsburgh
8. San Diego
9. Miami
10. Chicago (from Raiders)
11. Chicago (from WAS)
12. Denver
13. Phoenix
14. N.Y. Jets
15. Seattle (from IND)
16. New England
17. Phoenix (from SEA)
18. N.Y. Giants
19. New Orleans
20. Cleveland
21. L.A. Rams
22. Indianapolis (from PHI)
23. Houston
24. Minnesota
25. Chicago
26. L.A. Rams (from BUF)
27. Cincinnati
28. San Francisco
 
As a result, GB gets the #1 pick in the draft, with Dallas falling to #2. It looks like the Packers will be drafting Troy Aikman in April.

I'm not convinced they would take a QB at first overall, not with Barry Sanders sitting there, and Majikowski showing promise. But if they did, that would utterly screw over Dallas (always a good thing), who would probably go with Walsh as originally in the supplemental, or put off the QB part of their rebuild another year.
 
I'm not convinced they would take a QB at first overall, not with Barry Sanders sitting there, and Majikowski showing promise. But if they did, that would utterly screw over Dallas (always a good thing), who would probably go with Walsh as originally in the supplemental, or put off the QB part of their rebuild another year.
Actually, the Packers weren't interested in Barry Sanders. Aikman would have been the man no matter what:


And, you are right about Walsh, unless they change their mind and take Rosenbach. I heard that they were thinking about that originally.
 
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1. Green Bay: Barry Sanders, Packers runningback carousel did not produce a single thousand yard rusher. Sanders would help alleviate that problem and would give Majowski an out option. The main weakness in the Packers team was the splitting of time between their two QBs in 88 and their rush defense. Their passing defense was top 5 all year. If Majowski repeats his 1989 miracle season with Sanders in the backfield, this would immediately improve the Packers.
2. Dallas: Deion Sanders. Dallas Cowboys defense coming off the 1988 season was in the bottom half of the league, ranked 25th of 28. Their rush defense was above average, but they gave up too many yards through the air. The O-Line for Dallas at the time was fairly effective at preventing sacks and TFLs
3. Detroit: Troy Aikman. Lions had the worst passing offense in the league in 1988, a good defense that kept games low scoring. Aikman gets either the lucky or unfortunate enough draw to go to Detroit with a defensive minded head coach (who in OTL did well with Barry).
4. Kansas City: Derrick Thomas. Well look at that, he ends up with the same team to assist with their terrible rush defense.
5. Atlanta: Tony Mandarich. Someone was going to have to take him. I think the 1988 Atlanta Falcons were the worst team in 88. Average rushing game, poor passing offense, and poor defense all around. Besides IOTL, adding Deion didn't turn the Falcons around. But hey, maybe he can make Chris Miller's life a bit easier and not get killed by that 49ers and Rams defense he had to play twice a year.
 
Hopefully Dallas takes Walsh and then refuses to trade him to New Orleans, since they actually need him to be the QBOTF, opening up the way to the Saints taking Brett Favre in ‘91
 
1. Green Bay: Barry Sanders, Packers runningback carousel did not produce a single thousand yard rusher. Sanders would help alleviate that problem and would give Majowski an out option. The main weakness in the Packers team was the splitting of time between their two QBs in 88 and their rush defense. Their passing defense was top 5 all year. If Majowski repeats his 1989 miracle season with Sanders in the backfield, this would immediately improve the Packers.
2. Dallas: Deion Sanders. Dallas Cowboys defense coming off the 1988 season was in the bottom half of the league, ranked 25th of 28. Their rush defense was above average, but they gave up too many yards through the air. The O-Line for Dallas at the time was fairly effective at preventing sacks and TFLs
3. Detroit: Troy Aikman. Lions had the worst passing offense in the league in 1988, a good defense that kept games low scoring. Aikman gets either the lucky or unfortunate enough draw to go to Detroit with a defensive minded head coach (who in OTL did well with Barry).
4. Kansas City: Derrick Thomas. Well look at that, he ends up with the same team to assist with their terrible rush defense.
5. Atlanta: Tony Mandarich. Someone was going to have to take him. I think the 1988 Atlanta Falcons were the worst team in 88. Average rushing game, poor passing offense, and poor defense all around. Besides IOTL, adding Deion didn't turn the Falcons around. But hey, maybe he can make Chris Miller's life a bit easier and not get killed by that 49ers and Rams defense he had to play twice a year.

Nice try, but here is how it would have gone down in this world.

1. Green Bay: Troy Aikman, QB, UCLA. They had their sights set on him before winning that Cardinal game in OTL. They had Aikman, Mandarich, and Derrick Thomas as their top-3 players according to the second video above.
2. Dallas: Tony Mandarich, OT, Michigan St. He was the second-rated guy on their board, and some in the organization thought that they should take him over Aikman.

Now, here is where it gets fun (and this is where the first vid above comes in):

3. Phoenix (from DET): Deion Sanders, CB, Florida St. The Cardinals send the 13th and 17th picks, a 1989 second-rounder, and a 1990 third-rounder to the Lions for the right to draft Prime Time, who was, in my opinion, the best CB prospect to come into the league in two years (Rod Woodson).
4. Kansas City: Derrick Thomas, OLB, Alabama.
5. Atlanta: Tim Worley, RB, Georgia. This is a shocker, but they liked him better than Sanders (from what I hear). They wanted a big back to replace Gerald Riggs, who they would trade to the Redskins.
6. Tampa Bay: Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma St. Lars Tate wasn't the franchise RB, and James Wilder would be 31 that year. This has to help Vinny's chances of staying in Tampa long-term.
7. Pittsburgh: Broderick Thomas, OLB, Nebraska. I considered several players here besides Thomas, like Burt Grossman, Rison, and Donnell Woolford. Here's the deciding factor: The Steelers only had 19 sacks in 1988. Broderick should help on that end opposite Greg Lloyd (also, Bryan Hinkle is 30).
8. San Diego: Burt Grossman, DE, Pitt.
9. Miami: Sammie Smith, RB, Florida St.
10. Chicago (from Raiders): Donnell Woolford, CB, Clemson.
11. Chicago (from WAS): Trace Armstrong, DE, Florida
12. Cleveland (from DEN. The Broncos make the same trade as OTL): Eric Metcalf, RB/WR/KR, Texas
13. Detroit (from PHX): Andre Rison, WR, Michigan St. Pete Mandley led the team with only 44 catches in 1988. Also, they need more depth here with a move to the run and shoot.
14. N.Y. Jets: Jeff Lageman, LB/DE, Virginia
15. Seattle: Andy Heck, OL, Notre Dame
16. New England: Hart Lee Dykes, WR, Oklahoma St.
17. Detroit (from PHX): Joe Wolf, OG, Boston College. Lions could use O-line help.
18. N.Y. Giants: Brian Williams, OL, Minnesota
19. New Orleans, Wayne Martin, DE, Arkansas
20. Denver (from CLE): Steve Atwater, S, Arkansas
21. L.A. Rams: Bill Hawkins, DE, Miami
22. Indianapolis (from PHI): Eric Hill, ILB, LSU. 10-year vet Barry Krauss left in Plan B.
23. Houston: David Williams, OL, Florida
24. Pittsburgh (from Minn): Tom Ricketts, OL, Pitt
25. Miami (from CHI): Louis Oliver, S, Florida
26. L.A. Rams (from BUF): Cleveland Gary, RB, Miami
27. Atlanta (from CIN): Shawn Collins, WR, N. Arizona
28. San Francisco: Keith DeLong, ILB, Tennessee

In Round 2, the Lions take RB Eric Ball instead of WR John Ford of Virginia. As a result, the Bengals take DL Dennis Byrd of Tulsa.
 
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July 7, 1989: The Supplemental draft was held today. In the weighted lottery, the Falcons got the first pick out of the top tier teams, but they passed. Dallas, who got the second pick, decided to take Timm Rosenbach after missing out on Troy Aikman. Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones went back and forth on him and Walsh, but they decided that Rosenbach has a little more ability.

Then, after inactivity by the next ten teams, the Cardinals decided to select Steve Walsh with the 13th pick. Some scouts are starting to warm up to Walsh, and Neil Lomax’s career is probably over due to a hip injury.

The next three teams passed, but Denver decided to take the third of the big three off the board by taking Alabama RB Bobby Humphrey. Tony Dorsett is out for the year (and maybe for good), and Humphrey may give Denver their first real feature back since the days of Floyd Little and Otis Armstrong.

As a result of their selections, the Broncos, Cardinals, and Cowboys won’t have a first-round pick in 1990, but it will be worth it if these players are long-term franchise difference-makers.
 
In a somewhat related vein, is there a game out there where you can pick up the NFL in any historic season and import OTL draft classes as you go along, and alter expansion/relocation to your liking?

It would be great for timelines.
 
First, I will address teams with key differences in their draft picks as opposed to who they took in OTL:

Green Bay Packers: I don’t see much change here. Don Majkowski still starts, and Aikman gets to wait a year like Carson Palmer would do. The Pack end up 9-7 (they don’t beat Tampa twice because they have Sanders) and miss the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys: The only other QB they had on the roster was Babe Laufenberg. He plays pretty much all season, since Dallas faces some vicious defenses. Also, Herschel is still traded away for a king’s ransom, so there will be no running game for most of the season. I see the Cowboys going 0-16, and still missing out on their 1990 first-rounder by getting Rosenbach.

Phoenix Cardinals: Since Bill Bidwill is a tight-wad, I don’t see Prime Time coming into the fold until Week 3 against the Giants. The Cards won the first two in OTL with Gary Hogeboom at QB, and he plays most of the year while Steve Walsh gets up to speed. I see the presence of Prime Time leading to two extra wins in OTL (against the Redskins in Week 5 and the Raiders in Week 14) and a 7-9 record.

Atlanta Falcons: Tim Worley doesn’t make a big impact his rookie year, with John Settle and Keith Jones also in tow. The Falcons still end up 3-13.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Barry Sanders ends up with Rookie of the Year, and helps guide the Bucs improve three wins to 8-8 (their first non-losing year in seven years).

Pittsburgh Steelers: Without Tim Worley, the Steelers probably rely on Merril Hoge and Warren Williams at RB. Also, Broderick Thomas doesn’t set the world on fire (being out-played by Jerrol Williams, another rookie OLB) his first year. So, the Steelers end up at 7-9 instead of 9-7 (they lose to SD & KC).

Detroit Lions: They end up with Andre Rison and Eric Ball, but the loss of Sanders in this world is big. They end up at 4-12 instead of 7-9.

My 1989 Standings

AFC East: Buffalo 9-7, Miami 8-8, Indianapolis 7-9, New England 6-10, N.Y. Jets 4-12
AFC Central: Cleveland 9-6-1, *Houston 9-7, Cincinnati 8-8, Pittsburgh 7-9
AFC West: Denver 11-5, *Kansas City 9-6-1, Seattle 7-9, Raiders 7-9, San Diego 7-9
NFC East: N.Y. Giants 12-4, *Philadelphia 11-5, Washington 10-6, Phoenix 7-9, Dallas 0-16
NFC Central: Minnesota 10-6, Green Bay 9-7, Tampa Bay 8-8, Chicago 6-10, Detroit 4-12
NFC West: San Francisco 14-2, *L.A. Rams 11-5, New Orleans 9-7, Atlanta 3-13

Since Dallas used their 1990 first-rounder on Timm Rosenbach, here is the top-5 of the 1990 draft:

1. Atlanta 3-13
2. Detroit 4-12
3. N.Y. Jets 4-12
4. New England 6-10
5. Chicago 6-10
 
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The 1989 playoffs go about the same, with the 49ers winning the SB. The only change has to do with the Oilers. Since they beat KC in the Wild Card Game, Jerry Glanville keeps his job.

As a result, the jobs available are the Cardinals, Falcons, and the Jets.

The Falcons, who would have went after Glanville, decide to go after Joe Bugel. They ultimately give him their HC job. He decides to keep interim HC Jim Hanifan on his staff as OL coach.

The Cardinals interviewed Bill Belichick, and they made a run at Mike Holmgren, but they ultimately decided on Ram DC Fritz Shurmur as HC.

The Jets interviewed Michigan St. HC George Perles and Louisville HC Howard Schnellenberger, but eventually hired Bruce Coslet.

Finally, the Patriots made another opening on Feb. 26 by deciding to fire Raymond Berry, and give the job to Steeler DC Rod Rust.
 
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1990 NFL Draft Order

Dallas used first-round pick in 89 Supp. Draft (Timm Rosenbach)

1. Atlanta
2. Detroit
3. N.Y. Jets
4. New England
5. Chicago
6. Seattle (from IND)
7. Pittsburgh
Phoenix used first-round pick in 89 Supp. Draft (Steve Walsh)
8. L.A. Raiders
9. San Diego
10. Seattle
11. Miami
12. Cincinnati
13. Tampa Bay
14. New Orleans
15. Green Bay
16. Houston
17. Buffalo
18. Kansas City
19. Green Bay (from CLE)
20. Atlanta (from WAS)
21. Dallas (from MIN)
22. Philadelphia
23. L.A. Rams
24. N.Y. Giants
Denver used first-round pick in 89 Supp. Draft (Bobby Humphrey)
25. San Francisco
 
April 22, 1990: BLOCKBUSTER TRADE

The Falcons, who were shopping Jeff George, trade the #1 overall pick to the Colts.

Falcons get:
Chris Hinton
Eric Dickerson
1990 fifth-round pick
1991 first-round pick

Colts get:
1990 first-rounder (which will be used on George)
RB Tim Worley
1990 fourth-round pick
1991 seventh-round pick

Before completing this trade, they talked to the Lions about swapping picks. However, the Lions didn't want to part with young WR Andre Rison.

Speaking of the Lions, it looks like they will be using the second choice on Houston QB Andre Ware. Also there are trade rumors involving Don Majkowski, Marcus Allen, and 49er CB Tim McKyer. All three will probably be moved this weekend.
 
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1990 NFL Draft: First Round

1. Indianapolis (from ATL): Jeff George, QB, Illinois.
2. Detroit: Andre Ware, QB, Houston
3. N.Y. Jets: Blair Thomas, RB, Penn St.
Trade: New England sends the fourth overall pick and a 1990 second-rounder to the Seahawks for the sixth overall pick, 10th overall pick, 1990 third-round pick, and a 1991 fourth-round pick
4. Seattle (from NE): Cortez Kennedy, DT, Miami
5. Chicago: Junior Seau, LB, USC
6. New England: Keith McCants, OLB, Alabama
RUMOR ALERT: The Packers are in the midst of shopping Don Majkowski. San Diego, picking ninth, appears to be the front-runner (GB wants to stay near the top of the draft so they can get Texas A&M Tackle Richmond Webb).
TRADE ALERT: Steelers trade seventh overall pick to Dallas. The Cowboys send them the 21st overall pick, Minnesota's 1991 first-rounder, 1991 second-rounder, and 1990 fourth-rounder.
7. Dallas (from PIT): James Francis, OLB/DE, Baylor
8. L.A. Raiders: Anthony Smith, OLB/DE, Arizona
TRADE ALERT: Packers send QB Don Majkowski to Chargers for first overall pick (ninth overall) and 1990 third-round pick.
9. Green Bay (from SD): Richmond Webb, OT, Texas A&M
10. New England: Ray Agnew, DT, N.C. State
11. Miami: Renaldo Turnbull, OLB/DE, West Virginia
12. Cincinnati: Chris Singleton, OLB/DE, Arizona
13. Tampa Bay: Mark Carrier, S, USC
14. New Orleans: Eric Green, TE, Liberty
15. Green Bay: Emmitt Smith, RB, Florida
16. Houston: Lamar Lathon, OLB/DE, Houston
17. Buffalo: James Williams, CB, Fresno St.
18. Kansas City: Percy Snow, ILB, Michigan St.
19. Green Bay (from CLE): Tony Bennett, OLB/DE, Ole Miss
TRADE ALERT: Kansas City trades their 1990 second and fourth round selections to Atlanta for the 20th overall pick
20. Kansas City (from ATL): Reggie Rembert, WR, West Virginia
21. Pittsburgh (from DAL thru MIN): Rodney Hampton, RB, Georgia
22. Philadelphia: Ben Smith, DB, Georgia
23. L.A. Rams: Bern Brostek, OL, Washington
24. N.Y. Giants: Darrell Thompson, RB, Minnesota
25. San Francisco: Dexter Carter, RB/KR, Florida State
 
I have two trades to announce:

1. 49ers trade Roger Craig and a 1990 third-round pick to the Raiders for Marcus Allen.
2. 49ers trade CB Tim McKyer to Miami for a 1990 eleventh-round pick and a 1991 second-rounder.
 
Other notable picks:

Bears: They take S Robert Blackmon with the 33rd overall pick (acquired a year ago from SD for Jim McMahon)
Buccaneers: They take OLB Andre Collins with the 38th overall pick
Cowboys: They take RB Harold Green with the 26th overall pick.
Jets: They take WR Alexander Wright with the 28th overall pick.
Seahawks: They take S Pat Terrell with the 34th overall pick.
 
Other notable picks:

Bears: They take S Robert Blackmon with the 33rd overall pick (acquired a year ago from SD for Jim McMahon)
Buccaneers: They take OLB Andre Collins with the 38th overall pick
Cowboys: They take RB Harold Green with the 26th overall pick.
Jets: They take WR Alexander Wright with the 28th overall pick.
Seahawks: They take S Pat Terrell with the 34th overall pick.
You didn't mention Shannon Sharpe and John Randle who were also in this class. Are they still on the same teams?(Sharpe went in the 7th, Randle as a UDFA)
 
1990 NFL Season: AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

AFC EAST
: Goes pretty much the same as in OTL. The Bills still bounce back from their Bickering Bill 1989 season to go 13-3. The Dolphins have a strong comeback season as well, going 12-4, making the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The Colts finish 7-9, as rookie QB Jeff George and young RB Tim Worley struggle. The Jets finish 6-10, but they give the Bills, Dolphins, and Bengals fits, and the future looks bright under first-year HC Bruce Coslet.

Finally, there are the 1-15 Patriots. What a mess that was. There was the Lisa Olson saga, which was a black eye to the team. Then, you had an over the hill Steve Grogan and the terrible journeyman Marc Wilson providing garbage at the QB position, and rookie Keith McCants providing little in the pass rush. This organization has hit rock bottom, and has far to go.

AFC CENTRAL: The Steelers are back, finishing 11-5. Rookie RB Rodney Hampton gives the offense extra juice, running for 1,185 yards and becoming a ROY candidate. Also, the defense finishes third in points and yards allowed.

The Oilers stay stuck on the 9-7 treadmill, and miss the playoffs on a tie-breaker. Jerry Glanville’s time in Houston is over, especially since you have a roster with six Pro Bowlers failing to achieve as it should.

The Bengals regress again after their 1988 SB season, with a 7-9 record. The lowlight was when several players sexually assault a stripper in their hotel room in New Orleans late in the season when they went there to play the Saints. Paul Brown was so upset that he has fired HC Sam Wyche.

The Browns bring up the rear with a 3-13 record, which will lead to the firing of Bud Carson.

AFC WEST: The LA Raiders make the playoffs for the first time since 1985 with a 12-4 record. Roger Craig does a decent job minding the store for Bo Jackson, who comes back and boosts the Raiders during the stretch drive. Also, the defense finishes in the top-10 in points and yards.

Kansas City returns to the playoffs for the second straight year with an 11-5 record behind a strong year by QB Steve DeBerg and a powerful run game, led by Christian Okoye and Barry Word.

The Chargers, under first-year QB Don Majkowski, finish with a 9-7 record and make the playoffs on a tie-breaker (they beat the Seahawks twice and the Oilers once). Marion Butts and Anthony Miller also help pace the offense with Pro Bowl seasons.

The 9-7 Seahawks miss the playoffs on a tie-breaker, but they probably didn’t deserve to make it. Dave Krieg didn’t have a good year, they only had one Pro Bowler (John L. Williams), and they finished outside of the top-10 in points scored and allowed.

The Broncos had a total SB hangover season at 4-12, blowing several leads in the second half. 1991 can’t come soon enough for them, with a high draft pick coming.

AFC PLAYOFFS

WILD CARD


Dolphins 17, Chiefs 16
Steelers 21, Chargers 17

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Bills 44, Dolphins 34
Raiders 20, Steelers 17

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

In OTL, Bo Jackson was hurt by a Bengal player. However, with a different opponent, that doesn’t happen. So, he is available for the Raiders in this game. He helps the Raiders stay fairly close, but Buffalo’s no-huddle is still too much, and they pull away in the second half.

Bills 38, Raiders 24
 
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