In 2011, the Green Bay Packers ranked 27th in the league with 1,558 rushing yards (3.9 per carry average) in 2011. In 2012, the Packers averaged a lowly 3.9 YPC last year while rushing for 1,702 yards to rank 20th in the NFL. To remedy their rushing wows, the Packers drafted runningback Eddie Lacy out of Alabama with the 61st pick. 

The last time the Packers used their 61st pick on a runningback was in 1988, when the Packers selected Keith Woodside out of Texas A&M. Woodside played only 4 seasons with the Packers, never gaining more than 326 rushing yards in any season.  Hopefully for the Packers, Lacy will be able to contribute more than the Packers received from Woodside. Having said that, the Packers would probably like a few runs from Lacy similar to Woodside's most famous run, as set forth below.  

The Miami Dolphins traded up in this year's NFL Draft to select defensive end Dion Jordan out of Oregon with the third overall pick. According to the usatoday.com, Jordan is "a rangy pass rusher who used to play tight end. He could stand to add a little weight, but he should be able to focus his talents as a pass-rush specialist out of the chute — much as Aldon Smith did for the 49ers in 2011 — behind starting defensive ends Jared Odrick and Cameron Wake, who will be happy to see fewer double teams with Jordan on the opposite flank."

The last two times the Dolphins picked a defensive end in the first round was in 1987 and 1988.  In 1987 the Dolphins selected defensive end John Bosa out of Boston College with the 16th overall pick, and in 1988 the Dolphins selected defensive end Eric Kumerow out of Ohio State with the 16th overall pick. Bosa only played 3 seasons in the NFL, and Kumerow only played 3 seasons with the Dolphins (and never started a game in those 3 seasons).  

Each of those two pics were symbolic of Dan Marino's tenure with the Miami Dolphins, which was marred by mediocre to terrible defenses.  Hopefully for new star quarterback Ryan Tannehill's sake, the Dolphins will not make the same draft mistakes. 

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During the 1980's, the Chiefs used two first round draft picks on offensive tackles. In 1984, the Chiefs took offensive tackle John Alt out of Iowa with the 21st overall pick, and in 1986 the Chiefs took Brian Jozwiak out of West Virginia with the 7th overall pick.  Alt, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 1992 and 1993, had a solid career with the Chiefs from 1984 to 1996. Although Jozwiak was the higher of the two picks, he only played 3 years in the NFL after suffering a career ending hip injury. 

Hopefully for the Chiefs, Fisher will have a career more similar to Alt's than Jozwiak's.  

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Summerall and Madden called their first game together in 1979, and the duo would go on to broadcast games together for 20 plus seasons on two networks and become one of the most well-known partnerships in TV sportscasting history. Summerall and Madden's broadcasts during the 1980's helped increase the NFL's popularity to heights the NFL had never previously experienced. Summerall and Madden also called 5 Super Bowls together.

According to wikipedia, "The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named Summerall National Sportscaster of the Year in 1977, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1994. Summerall was the 1994 recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, bestowed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame "for longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football". In 1999, he was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame."

As a followup to the last post, it should be noted that the Chiefs, with the 4th overall selection in the 1989 draft, selected linebacker Derrick Thomas out of Alabama.  Thomas played his entire career with the Chiefs, he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the year in 1989, he made the Pro Bowl 9 times, he was a 7 time selection to the First Team All AFC, he was named to the 1990's NFL All Decade Team, and he was selected to the Hall of Fame in 2009.  Thomas' career was cut short by tragic auto accident in 2000. Thomas passed away later that same year. 

On March 21st, the NFL made a controversial rule change which will prohibit any player - offensive or defensive - from initiating contact in the open field with the crown of his helmet. Runners can protect themselves by dropping their pads - it's only illegal, says the NFL, if you use the helmet to ram your opponent. 

Many ex NFL players find the rule change to be a bad rule change. Hall of Famer Earl Campbell made the following statement:

"I know there's going to be some things changed, but I never thought I agreed with Jack Lambert Twenty years or 10 years ago, he said the quarterback is going to end up wearing a dress. I did not think that I would live long enough to see that happen, but he's right. I think what they ought to do, if they really want to change it all up, give guys like we started football in elementary, flag football, and everybody will know not to bump into nobody.”

Another Hall of Famer, Eric Dickerson, made this statement regarding the rule change:

"I think it's a bad rule, mostly because its a natural reaction.   You'll never be able to police it. Running backs have to be able to protect themselves and doing that is protecting yourself.  That will never happen. What's next, take the stiff arm away?"

Hopefully the players can remain safe and the game won't change dramatically with the rule change. However, certainly the incredible run by Campbell set forth below would be illegal in today's NFL.

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John Elway, the quarterback that threw all of those passes to the Three Amigos, is now the general manager of the Broncos. Elway and the Broncos just recently signed wide receiver Wes Welker to a 2 year, 12 million dollar deal.  Welker has accumulated 8,580 yards receiving and has caught 38 touchdown passes during his career. Adding Welker to a receiving corps that already includes Demaryius Thomas and Erick Decker may help create the New Three Amigos! 

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On March 12th, the Miami Dolphins signed wide receiver Mike Wallace, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, to a 5 year contract that will average 12 million dollars per year. In 4 years with the Steelers, Wallace accumulated over 4,000 yards receiving and 36 touchowns.  Should Wallace put up similar numbers for the Dolphins, Wallace may become the Dolphins' best wide receiver since Mark Clayton and Mark Duper.

From 1983 to 1992, Clayton caught 550 passes for over 8,500 yards and over 80 touchdowns for the Dolphins.  Clayton was selected to 5 Pro Bowls and was named All Pro 3 times.  Mark Duper played for the Dolphins from 1982 to 1992, catching over 500 passes for 8,869 yards and 59 touchdowns. Duper was a 3 time Pro Bowler, and was named All Pro twice. Good luck to the Dolphins and Mike Wallace!

Quarterback Doug Williams was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1978. Williams led the Bucs, who had never qualified for the NFL playoffs before Williams' arrival, to the NFL playoffs 3 times, including an appearance in an NFC Championship Game. After getting into a contract dispute with the Bucs (Williams was the lowest paid starter in the NFL, even though he had already had great success as a starting quarterback), Williams left the Bucs after the 1982 season and joined the USFL. Williams played in the USFL for 2 years, and then returned to the NFL with the Washington Redskins in 1986. Williams lead the Redskins to a Superbowl victory in 1987, and was named the games' MVP.  Williams retired from the Redskins in 1989. 

After his playing days, Williams was a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars, an offensive coordinator in the World League of American Football, as well as a head coach and athletic director at the high school level. In 1997, Williams became the head coach at Morehouse College, and he was then named head coach at Grambling State University, leading Grambling State to 3 consecutive SWAC titles before leaving to rejoin the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a personnel executive. Williams was later promoted to director of professional scouting for the Bucs, and he later became a general manager of the Virginia Destroyers in the United Football League. In 2011, Williams resigned from the Destroyers to begin his second stint as the head football coach at Grambling State University.