Remember The 90's?: Re-Living Greatness

[young2rice]

Interesting to see who will be the starter between Billy Joe and Schreder.

I'm pretty sure at this point it's actually going to be Billy Joe Tolliver. The injury to Schroeder allowed him to come in late in the year and he played so well Madden progressed his ratings nicely.

As of right now Billy Joe Tolliver is now 87 Ovr compared to Jay Schroeder's 82 Ovr so it's almost set in stone he'll be the starter unless Schroder has a monster pre-season and his ratings progress by at least +3.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Cincinnati Bengals
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Boomer Esiason (99)
HB: Herschel Walker (94)
FB: Ron Wolfley (85)
WR: Tim McGee (91)
WR: Eddie Brown (87)
WR: Chris Calloway (74)
TE: Rodney Holman (92)
LT: Anthony Munoz (98)
LG: Bruce Reimers (96)
C: Bruce Kozerski (86)
RG: Ron Solt (91)
RT: Ken Walter (94)
LE: Daniel Stubbs (91)
RE: Keith Willis (88)
DT: Tim Krumrie (88)
DT: Mark Hammerstein (79)
LOLB: Jack Del Rio (92)
MLB: Kevin Walker (91)
MLB: Rick Dennison (83)
ROLB: Scott Stephen (88)
CB: Mark Lee (88)
CB:Jimmy Spencer (83)
CB: Carl Carter (82)
FS: Aneas Williams (90)
SS: David Fulcher (99)
K: Steve Christie (93)
P: Lee Johnson (86)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 12-4, Playoff Birth

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Bengals had a big time season last year that was capped with another quick disappointing playoff out. This time with Esiason and Brooks healthy it was obviously not the answer the Bengals needed. As a result the Bengals shook up their team this off-season in an attempt to right the wrongs.

James Brooks retired leaving a huge hole on the Bengals offense, but they filled it in with one of the best halfbacks in the league in Herschel Walker. Along with Walker the Bengals made sure to have a dependable backup quarterback to Esiason in Stan Humphries. The Bengals also added depth at wide receiver with young upstart Chris Calloway. Despite loosing key players on their offensive line in Scott Kooistra and Brian Blados the Bengals managed by signing Ron Solt to fill in Blados' position. The Bengals also brought veteran defensive ends to the team in Keith Willis at 33 years old. However the most affected position on the Bengals team this year was easily the linebacker corps. The only starter of all 4 starters last year that is the same is middle linebacker Kevin Walker. Outside of him the Bengals got rid of a lot of mediocre players and consolidated that money to one great player at each position. Jack Del Rio came to the Bengals from the Cowboys where he was a monster on defense, and injured Scott Stephen was cut by the Packers to join the Bengals barely ahead of James Francis. Finally a veteran Rick Dennison was added to be the Bengals #2 MLB. This new monstrous linebacker corps is vaulted into the top echelon of teams due to the talent that the Bengals brought in.

The Bengals had a mediocre draft as well with one of their better picks being rookie fullback Charles Evans who will play behind Ron Wolfley and probably eventually take over for him. Otherwise the majority of the Bengals other picks will not see much playing time as they are buried in the depth chart.

One of the bigger changes was the Bengals letting long-time kicker Jim Breech go. The aging kicker was replaced by a younger but still talented kicker in Steve Christie. Breech missed a few field goals late in the season last year and that may have contributed to the Bengals decision to go elsewhere.

Rumors this off-season that Boomer Esiason was unhappy with the Bengals contract led many people to believe he was going to force a holdout. However at the last second the Bengals and Esiason seemed to reach an agreement and restructured his contract to a $21.42 million dollar deal. There were originally talks about a trade to Dallas but that fell through at the last second.

This upcoming season should be just as good a season for the Bengals as a lot of their star players are returning and for the most part they are an improved talented team. Herschel Walker will definitely bring a dynamic to the Bengals that James Brooks couldn't and could very well be the push that they need to get it done in the playoffs. Meanwhile the astounding remodeling of the Bengals linebackers may lead to a much more efficient defensive output in the 1992 season.

[Aso]

Is there any way to get these 1990 or any other year roster onto ps2 madden 06 or 07?

[Aso]

http://www.footballdb.com/players/billy-joe-tolliver-tollibi01

lol Billy Joe Tolliver is definitely re-writing history.

[young2rice]

Haha yeah in real life after his decent 1990 year he never really started or was too injury prone to ever make much of his career, so it's interesting to see how far it takes him. And I really don't know why but Madden just had him become a beast of a player in the playoffs. Regular season he had like 6 td's 9 int's or something lackluster, and then came into the playoffs and the Raiders would be down but he'd always come out with a clutch deep ball throw to put them back up.

As for the saved file unfortunately no since this is madden 2005 PC there is no way to put it on the ps2.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Buffalo Bills
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Jim Kelly (98)
HB: Thurman Thomas (98)
FB: Jamie Mueller (93)
WR: Andre Reed (95)
WR: Jeff Graham (80)
WR: Raghib Ismail (75)
TE: Keith McKeller (88)
LT: Will Wolford (94)
LG: John Ritcher (91)
C: Kent Hull (99)
RG: John Davis (93)
RT: Howard Ballard (95)
LE: Dexter Manley (78)
RE: Bruce Smith (99)
DT: Jeff Wright (86)
DT: Mike Lodish (82)
LOLB: Darryl Talley (90)
MLB: Shane Conlan (94)
MLB: Brett Faryniarz (82)
ROLB: Cornelious Bennett (97)
CB: Nate Odomes (93)
CB: Everson Walls (90)
CB: Kirby Jackson (88)
FS: Vencie Glenn (96)
SS: Joey Browner (99)
K: Jason Staurovsky (81)
P: Joe Prokop (87)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 13-3, Playoff Birth

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Buffalo Bills had a monster year last year as they continue to dominate their conference. However they've been unable to get it done in the playoffs and make it to the big game.

The biggest change this off-season came in the Bills secondary. Not only did they make solid draft decisions in picking up Darryl Williams (80 Ovr). Then the team decided to say goodbye to veteran Bill free saftey, Leonard Smith. However they certainly did their best to find a replacement. The Bills went out and signed two of the top three safeties available in the free agency pool not named Ronnie Lott. The Bills picked up ex-Viking Joey Browner (99 Ovr) and free safety Vencie Glenn (96 Ovr). Between these two and the signing of ex-Giant CB Everson Walls (90 Ovr) the Bill shave completely revamped their pass defense in the hopes of taking their team deep in the playoffs.

Outside of the secondary there weren't many additions for the Bills of significance other then backup right tackle Tootie Robbins to sit behind Howard Ballard, and backup middle linebacker Brett Faryniarz who ended up replacing the departed Ray Bentley.

This upcoming season for the Bills should be a solid one that is just as good as last year but with better playoff results. The Bills won't be hard pressed to repeat a 13-3 season, but if their triplets continue to falter in December and January their hunt for the a Super Bowl may never happen.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Denver Broncos
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: John Elway (93)
HB: Eric Pegram (77)
FB: Buford McGee (85)
WR: Vance Johnson (88)
WR: Mark Jackson (88)
WR: Rickey Nattiel (77)
TE: Sterling Sharpe (87)
LT: Dave Widell (88)
LG: Jim Juriga (84)
C: Mike Baab (89)
RG: David Widell (89)
RT: Ken Lanier (88)
LE: Reuben Davis (90)
RE: Ron Holmes (89)
DT: Greg Kragen (88)
DT: Chester McGlockton (81)
LOLB: Michael Brooks (90)
MLB: Karl Mecklenburg (97)
MLB: Jeff Mills (77)
ROLB: Simon Fletcher (99)
CB: Tyrone Braxton (93)
CB: Wymon Henderson (91)
CB: Le-Lo Lang (82)
FS: Steve Atwater (97)
SS: Dennis Smith (89)
K: David Treadwell (88)
P: Mike Horan (99)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 7-9, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: Last season was a disappointing year for the Broncos as they fell short of the playoffs in a tough division battle. The Raiders ended up clinching a wild card birth with a 9-7 record and the Broncos were even beat out by the Chargers, who didn't get into the playoffs, at 8-8, with the Chiefs bringing up the rear at 6-10. This competitive division combined with a lackluster season for John Elway led to the Broncos demise.

The Broncos made their biggest changes this off season to one of their glaring holes on defense, their defensive line. While Warren Powers was certainly a solid player him and Ron Holmes were underachieving with a combined 3 sacks between them. The Broncos desperately needed a pass rush from the defensive line that could match the ferocity of Simon Fletcher's 14 sacks, Mecklenburg's 6, Atwaters 5, and Dennis Smith's 5. So the Broncos went out and signed both Reuben Davis and Jacob Green, two of the best available left ends, as well as picking up Chester McGlockton to play defensive tackle behind Greg Kragen, who had 0 sacks last year. Hopefully all of these additions will lead to much more pressure up front and give the Broncos defense the shot in the arm that they need.

Outside of the defensive line a few backups were assigned that filled roles. The Broncos dropped both backup safeties, Kip Corrington, and Elliot Smith in exchange for rookie Keith Schulz and 1991 rookie Harry Colon. The youth movement in the backfield will hopefully learn from two of the best veterans in Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith in order to eventually be eased in as starters.

Another huge change for the Broncos was the release of their entire tight end roster. The Broncos cleaned house with the intention of going in a different direction and finding a true pass-catching tight end. As a result they drafted young Johnny Mitchell. However, at the last second Sterling Sharpe decided to change positions from wide receiver to tight end, and he has been so good in training camp that he will most likely start over Mitchell. Sharpe has appeared to be a natural tight end that was caught up as a wide receiver last year, but he is still young and has plenty of time to show how good he can be.

The biggest problem for the Broncos this year is going to be at runningback. The team let Bobby Humphrey go with the intentions of acquiring another half back in free agency or the draft. However the Broncos were always outbid by other teams and were left without much of an opportunity. So it appears that two green players will be trying to earn their colors as Eric Pegram (77 Ovr) will most likely start, and split time, with Leroy Thompson (77 Ovr). It'll be interesting to see how this affects the Broncos offense and if either player will be able to step up and fill in Humphrey's shoes. If not Elway may be in trouble for another season.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Cleveland Browns
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Bernie Kosar (94)
HB: Leroy Hoard (89)
FB: Kevin Mack (91)
WR: Reggie Langhorne (85)
WR: Courtney Hawkins (76)
WR: Mark Seay (74)
TE: Pete Holohan (83)
LT: Phil Farren (87)
LG: Ken Reeves (78)
C: Pat Cunningham (72)
RG: Bruce Collie (75)
RT: Tony Jones (84)
LE: Rob Burnett (83)
RE: Anthony Pleasant (83)
DT: Michael Dean Perry (90)
DT: Fred Smerlas (76)
LOLB: William Thomas (84)
MLB: Michael Johnson (93)
MLB: Eddie Johnson (76)
ROLB: Mike Croel/Leon White (83/82)
CB: Frank Minnifield (95)
CB: Tony Stargell (84)
CB: Michael Brim (84)
FS: Alvin Walton (86)
SS: Elliot Smith (79)
K: Eddie Murray (99)
P: Rick Tuten (85)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 10-6, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Cleveland Browns were disappointed last season when they had a solid 10-6 year but were not given a playoff birth. The Browns managed to get beaten out by the 12-4 Bengals and the 11-5 Steelers, feeling robbed of their season. As a result the Browns decided to shake things up on their team this off-season.

The Browns made a very big decision in letting Webster Slaughter, the teams top wide receiver go. The result freed up a lot of cap space but left Bernie Kosar's favorite target off the team. Instead the Browns focused on wide receivers in the draft and are hoping that Courtney Hawkins, Mark Seay, and Johnie Barnes will be able to fill in the void. The Browns also wanted to get a better tight end in the mix as they decided to sign Pete Holohan to start over Scott Galbraith. These additions as a whole will hopefully open up the passing game for Bernie Kosar. Meanwhile the Browns backfield still remains crowded as Leroy Hoard (89), Eric Metcalf (84), Barry Word (82) and fullback Kevin Mack (91) all fight for playing time.

The Browns added some depth on defense by signing Leon White to their linebacker corps as well as picking up two solid corners in Tony Stargell from the Jets and Michael Brim from the Vikings. The addition of these two cornerbacks will definately help Frank Minnifield in the backfield as they'll attempt to solidify their defensive weakness. Ever since the release of Felix Wright and Thane Gash the Browns have been searching for new safeties. Early last season they signed Alvin Walton (86) to be the teams top free safety but had Keith Bostic starting at strong safety. The Browns let Bostic go and decided to go with Broncos former backup SS, Elliot Smith (79) in an attempt to find the right piece.

The most glaring problem for the Browns, besides loosing their number one wide receiver, was the huge hole they have in their offensive line now. It all starts in the middle where center Mike Baab was cut, forcing the Browns to settle for a less-talented Pat Cunningham. With left guard Ken Reeves (78) improved but still weak in comparison to the rest of the line, and Bruce Collie (75) starting at right guard, the middle of the Browns offensive line is going to cause them troubles. Outside of their tackles, Paul Farren (87) and Tony Jones (84) they have a glaring lack of ability. This may prove to be a big factor in the ability of the Browns runningbacks to break big runs, and Kosar may find himself under duress more often than not.

If the Browns can get it done in the trenches then there is a good chance they can make it to at least above .500. In their tough division however that may prove to not be enough as last years 10-6 season went without a playoff birth.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Vinny Testaverde (84)
HB: Roger Craig (92)
FB: Reggie Cobb (91)
WR: Bruce Hill (91)
WR: Mark Carrier (90)
WR: Shawn Collins (78)
TE: Ron Hall (82)
LT: Paul Gruber (87)
LG: Derek Kennard (84)
C: Ralph Grimes (91)
RG: Todd McHale (83)
RT: Rob Taylor (86)
LE: Michael Bankston (79)
RE: Ray Seals (84)
DT: Ron White (86)
DT: Curt Jarvis (78)
LOLB: Tim Harris (91)
MLB: Ray Bentley (90)
MLB: Levon Kirkland (83)
ROLB: John Grimsley (90)
CB: Ricky Reynolds (92)
CB: Tim McKyer (90)
CB: Rodney Rice (81)
FS: Harry Hamilton (94)
SS: Mark Robinson (92)
K: Teddy Garcia (80)
P: Mark Royals (90)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 9-7, Playoff Birth

Projected 1991 Outcome: For the second year in a row the Buccaneers have surprised everybody and made it to the playoffs. However last year that was largely due to an off-season addition in Roger Craig. The Buccaneers beat out the 7-9 Falcons and the 6-10 Saints to squeeze into the wild card round and hope to improve this season.

For the most part the Buccaneers were smart this off-season and released players they felt could be released and added depth and talent where needed. The biggest shake-up on the team came at the linebacker spots as the Buccaneers released both starting middle linebackers, Eugene Marve and Sam Anno to be replaced by Ray Bentley and rookie Levon Kirkland. Kirkland is expected to be a monster in the league if he continues his progression and Bentley has many proven years in Buffalo. Meanwhile the Buccaneers got rid of their backup ROLB Kevin Murphy in favor of their drafted LOLB Quintus McDonald. The Buccaneers solid draft continued when they drafted their new starting left end late in the draft in Michael Bankston. Bankston will take over for Reuben Davis who the Buccaneers did not feel like resigning. Dave Brown was added on the team and was expected to land a potential starting job in the NFL but at the moment he will ride the pine behind both Vinny Testaverde and Steve Walsh. Shawn Collins left Atlanta to bring depth at the WR position in Tampa Bay and Gary Wilkins was added as a solid backup tight end.

The only player that wasn't really redeemed by the Buccaneers when they cut him was on special teams. Kicker Steve Christie was one of the top kickers in the league at his young age but he was adamant about going to another team this off-season. As a result the Buccaneers had to sign Teddy Garcia who was out for a year after being released by the Houston Oilers. Garcia may be a step down in talent but is certainly a serviceable kicker.

Outside of a few questionable special teams moves the Buccaneers seemingly improved their team in the off season for the second year in a row. If their stars remain healthy and this progression continues the Buccaneers may continue surprising the league and be looking at their third consecutive playoff season. With the Falcons struggling after last years quarterback controversy and the Saints floundering as their defense ages the division may be wide open for Tampa Bay.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Phoenix Cardinals
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Timm Rosenbach (87)
HB: Johnny Johnson (84)
FB: Larry Centers (86)
WR: Brett Perriman (85)
WR: Ricky Proehl (85)
WR: Alvin Harper (75)
TE: Walter Reeves (85)
LT: Luis Sharpe (89)
LG: Joe Valerio (80)
C: Bill Lewis (86)
RG: Lance Smith (81)
RT: Derrick Deese (80)
LE: Freddie Joe Nunn (94)
RE: Jim Skow (85)
DT: Tim Newton (79)
DT: Mark Duckens (79)
LOLB: Winston Moss (89)
MLB: Eric Hill (92)
MLB: Garth Jax (82)
ROLB: Ken Harvey (91)
CB: Robert Massey (89)
CB: Manny Hendrix (82)
CB: Ashley Ambrose (79)
FS: Leonard Smith (93)
SS: Tim McDonald (99)
K: Greg Davis (85)
P: Rich Carmarillo (98)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 7-9, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Phoenix Cardinals are slowly rising in their division as they continue to improve each season. Key additions last year and the surprise development of quarterback Timm Rosenbach are putting the Cardinals up top. However in order to surpass the 11-5 Rams, 10-6 49ers, and 9-7 Seahawks the Cardinals are going to need to make some changes, and that's exactly what they did.

For the most part the offense of the Cardinals remains identical to the previous season. 3rd string wide receiver Ernie Jones dropped one on the depth chart to make room for an improved Alvin Harper who was on the Cardinals roster last season. The Cardinals signed backup tight end Orson Mobley from the Broncos and he'll play behind Walter Reeves. However the only starter change was at right tackle when the Cardinals made a great pick in drafting offensive lineman, Derrick Deese. Deese is expected to be a great lineman and has shown flashes of that in college.

The rest of the Cardinals draft was pretty successful. The Cardinals drafted quarterback prospect David Klingler and he'll make a solid 3rd QB behind Rosenbach and Chris Chandler, however the surprise came when the Cardinals drafted yet another quarterback in Tommy Maddox. Maddox was simply taken in a scenario of best-player-available as the Cardinals didn't really need him on the roster. However the Cardinals hit the gold mine more than once in the form of cornerback Ashley Ambrose (79 Ovr) and left outside linebacker Tracy Scroggins (75 Ovr). Scroggins will make a solid #2 that will play behind both Winston Moss on the left side and Ken Harvey on the right side.

The biggest change this off-season for the Cardinals was in their secondary. Veteran corners like Jay Taylor and youngster Michael Turner were the Cardinals top two corners last season, and both were not resigned. As a result the Cardinals went into free agency and found their replacements in Robert Massey and Manny Hendrix. However the biggest addition was Bill veteran Leonard Smith. Smith is one of the best free safeties in the league and will get the starting nod over talented Michael Zordich because of his experience and abilities. While Zordich may be hard pressed not to start the new tandem of Leonard Smith and Tim McDonald could cause havoc for other teams passing games.

This year should be an improved season for the Cardinals. With pretty much every offensive starter returning, and some positive changes on defense with the addition of big time players like free safety Leonard Smith, as well as a solid 1992 draft class, teh Cardinals should do better than 7-9 this year. The only question is how far above .500 can they go, and will it lead to a playoff birth?

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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San Diego Chargers
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Jim Harbaugh (79)
HB: Marion Butts (90)
FB: Tim Spencer (90)
WR: Anthony Mller (92)
WR: Nate Lewis (79)
WR: Floyd Dixon (78)
TE: Craig McEwen (90)
LT: Eric Floyd (83)
LG: Courtney Hall (87)
C: Frank Cornish (78)
RG: David Richards (90)
RT: Bubba Paris (90)
LE: Lee Williams (95)
RE: Burt Grossman (92)
DT: Joe Phillips (87)
DT: Mark Wheeler (71)
LOLB: Billy Ray Smith Jr. (88)
MLB: Junior Seau (94)
MLB: Gary Plummer (88)
ROLB: Leslie O'Neal (99)
CB: Gil Byrd (96)
CB: Donald Frank (87)
CB: Melvin Jenkins (85)
FS: Felix Wright (96)
SS: Thane Gash (99)
K: Ron Allegre (82)
P: John Kidd (87)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 8-8, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: After 1990's playoff birth the Chargers had high expectations for the 1991 season, however those expectations were quickly shot down when the Chargers finished at 8-8. Lackluster quarterback play and some key injuries left the Chargers one game short of sneaking into the wild card round, and instead they watched as the Raiders beat them out at 9-7 and went to the Super Bowl. The Chargers made some changes this off-season and they hope it's what they need to get over the hump.

The biggest change this off-season was the quarterback switch as ex-Chicago Bear quarterback, Jim Harbaugh, will now be trying to lead the Chargers. He'll have to hold off John Friesz and rookie Brad Johnson at bay though as Harbaugh is barely getting the starting job over the cluster at quarterback. If Harbaugh can do better than Wilson did last year then it may be just what the doctor ordered.

The Chargers lost three key defensive players in #2 defensive tackle George Hinkle, #2 cornerback Sam Seale, and #2 free safety Martin Bayless. Hinkle's loss will bet he most damaging as the Chargers didn't replace him in free agency and will settle with a late round draft pick in Mark Wheeler who is certainly less talented. Sam Seale was replaced by Melvin Jenkins who should be a solid replacement in San Diego. Meanwhile Martin Bayless wasn't starting in the star-studded San Diego safety depth chart so his loss won't create too much of an impact, especially since the Chargers signed Odie Harris to fill in the spot as well. But when you have Thane Gash, Felix Wright, and 2nd year Eric Turner riding the bench you've got some wiggle room at safety.

The draft for the Chargers was pretty strong all around as they not only nabbed a potential future starting quarterback in Brad Johnson. But they got depth from halfback Bernie Parmalee, linebacker Robert Jones and defensive tackle Mark Wheeler. Keith Alex on the offensive line and another defensive tackle, Larry Webster rounded out the 1992 draft class who should see some significant playing time.

The Chargers made the changes that they felt needed to be done in order to sneak into the playoffs this season. However that is wholly dependent upon the production and quarterback. Whether it's free agent Jim Harbaugh, backup John Friesz, or rookie Brad Johnson, one of these quarterbacks need to establish himself early and get the Chargers rolling. Then Marion Butts and the defense will take care of the rest.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Kansas City Chiefs
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Steve Pelluer (82)
HB: Christian Okoye (91)
FB: Todd McNair (90)
WR: Stephone Paige (85)
WR: Willie Davis (74)
WR: J.J. Birden (73)
TE: Ben Coates (88)
LT: Rich Baldinger (87)
LG: Dave Lutz (86)
C: Tim Grunhard (87)
RG: Houston Hoover (83)
RT: John Alt (94)
LE: Neil Smith (90)
RE: Leonard Griffin (86)
DT: Dan Saleaumua (94)
DT: Shawn Lee (77)
LOLB: Chris Martin (87)
MLB: Percy Snow (90)
MLB: Ed Reynolds (88)
ROLB: Derrick Thomas (97)
CB: Albert Lewis (90)
CB: Kevin Ross (90)
CB: Alan Grant (83)
FS: Der'on Cherry (88)
SS: Kevin Porter (88)/Darren Woodson (84)
K: Nick Lowery (99)
P: Bryan Barker (86)

Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 6-10, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: Last year the Chiefs, along with the rest of their division struggled to get into the playoffs. Eventually the Raiders made it out on top and took advantage of that opportunity to go to the Super Bowl, but lose. The Chiefs are hoping to improve upon their last-place standing in the division with a 6-10 record in 1991.

Unfortunately for the Chiefs they lost a couple of big names on their team in MLB Dino Hackett and LOLB Van Waiters along with #2 wide receiver Robb Thomas. The linebacking corps of the Chiefs was demolished as the leader Hackett went to the Rams meanwhile Waiters also departed to a new team. The Chiefs are confident though that Percy Snow can fill in where Hackett left off as well as Ed Reynolds. Reynolds had contract disputes with the Patriots and spent last season holding out, so this will be his first action in two years when the season starts. Reynolds is certainly a talented middle linebacker but time will tell if he is still in football shape at the age of 31. The Chiefs also brought in a new 2nd defensive tackle in Shawn Lee from Miami. Lee left the crowded Miami defensive tackle scene for the hope of seeing more playing time in Kansas City where he'll get the nod over Darryl Grant. Meanwhile ex-Colt Alan Grant (83) will vastly improve the Chiefs secondary as he will fill in the nickle corner spot that Lloyd Burress (73) was playing before.

Robb Thomas was the Chiefs number two receiver and Emile Harry was the third. Both of these players departed from Kansas City and as a result the Chiefs are looking for answers. Steve Pelleur has been a stop-gap starter for the Chiefs since the retirement of Steve DeBerg and he hasn't had much to work with in the passing game. Willie Davis and J.J. Birden will move up from the #4 and #5 spot to fill in the #2 and #3 spot. It will be interesting to see whether or not these two players are ready for this quick change and can handle the pressures of being starting wide receivers.

The draft for the Chiefs was a very successful one that saw them take a lot of talent, however they went with the philosophy of best player available, and not necessarily most needed position. The Chiefs added two runningbacks to their roster in Rodney Culver and Vaughn Dunbar. Dunbar has a lot of potential and will solidify the #2 spot behind Christian Okoye. The Chiefs have been trying to find a suitable #2 ever since Barry Word departed from them after the 1990 season. The Chiefs addressed their needed wide receiver position but not until later in the draft and selected Todd Kinchen. Kinchen is talented but it appears he won't be able to surpass Davis and Birden to see more playing time. Defensively the Chiefs picked a strong young left end in Chris Mims but the Chiefs are already set at that position with Neil Smith and Phil Hansen starting over him, and Leonard Griffin/Bill Maas on the other side. Meanwhile the best and most talented selection by the Chiefs will most lilkely be strong safety Darren Woodson. Woodson was selected to replace Harry Colon who the team drafted last year but released this off-season despite marked improvement during the season. Woodson may end up eventually overtaking Kevin Porter's starting spot before seasons end but at the moment he is still the team's #2.

The Chiefs did loose some home town favorites in Robb Thomas and Dino Hackett but gained a lot of good players in Ed Reynolds, Alan Grant, and Shawn Lee through free agency, meanwhile taking upcoming prospects Darren Woodson, Vaughn Dunbar, and Chris Mims in the draft. Through these improvements it appears the Chiefs can expect to win more than 6 games this season, which is exactly the direction they want to be going, up.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
================================================

Indianapolis Colts
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Jeff George (80)
HB: Bobby Humphrey (87)
FB: Michael Haddix (85)
WR: Bill Brooks (88)
WR: Jessie Hester (79)
WR: Floyd Turner (76)
TE: Mark Bavaro (91)
LT: Kevin Call (84)
LG: Kevin Donnalley (80)
C: Keith Kartz (82)
RG: Brian Baldinger (85)
RT: Ryan Mattes (87)
LE: Jon Hand (88)
RE: Garin Veris (85)
DT: Tony SIragusa (84)
DT: Tracy Rocker (84)
LOLB: Fredd Young (85)
MLB: Carl Banks (90)
MLB: Duane Bickett (86)
ROLB: Jeff Herrod (94)
CB: Eugene Daniel (85)
CB: Chris Goode (84)
CB: Larry Brown (74)
FS: Mike Prior (95)
SS: Keith Taylor (90)
K: Dean Biasucci (88)
P: Rohn Stark (97)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 7-9, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Colts were upset about the fact that they couldn't make it into the playoffs (despite it being super easy with 2 non-exsistant teams in their division in the Texans/Jaguars essentially giving them 4 free victories) as they went 7-9 on the season. Despite the play of their all-star runningback things didn't work out, and Colts management was not pleased. As a result the Colts have made some humongous changes this off-season in a gamble.

The Indianapolis Colts all-time leading rusher, Eric Dickerson, is no longer a Colt. The Colts refused to resign Dickerson after his tenure and he will now be joining the Miami Dolphins. Dickerson was pretty much the majority of the Colts offense as he accounted for over 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing and receiving. With Dickerson gone the Colts desperately tried to find a solid replacement in ex-Bronco Bobby Humphrey. Humphrey is certainly a solid back but nowhere near Dickerson's level so it'll be interesting to see what affect that has on the team.

Outside of Humphrey the Colts decided that with Dickerson gone the team might need to focus on their passing game a little more. With Bill Brooks and Jessie Hester the obvious starters at wide receiver the team set out to find a solid #3 in speedy Floyd Turner. But the biggest addition may be switching from former Colts tight end Pat Beach to ex-Giant bruiser, Mark Bavaro. Bavaro is a big step up and despite his age he still has the skill needed to make an impact. If the Colts are lucky these added weapons in the passing game may help Jeff George progress better as the teams starting quarterback. The Colts also upped the ante on defense by adding Patriots breakout sack-machine, Garin Veris to the defensive line.

The draft for the Colts was pretty irrelevant outside of a single pick, Robert Porcher. Porcher is one of the most talented players coming out of the 1992 NFL Draft and with his skill he will most likely be starting somewhere on the team by next year. The Colts however spent the majority of their picks where it counts, in the trenches with 3 offensive lineman rookies in center Kendall Gammon, center J.Warren, and right guard C.Whitley. All will make solid backups and bring needed depth but it's questionable as to whether or not any of these players will make a significant impact on the team. Another solid pick for the Colts was halfback Amp Lee. Lee has the talent to eventually progress into a solid runningback but he is buried in the depth chart. With Bobby Humphrey more than likely the starter, Anthony Johnson switching from fullback to halback, and Steve Sewell sitting ahead of Lee, he probably won't see much playing time at all.

The Colts lost the primetime player on their offense. When that happens in an off-season then you know your team is in trouble the following year. The plus side is that the Colts were sub-.500 so it's hard to do much worse. With a decent replacement in Bobby Humphrey, the additions of Mark Bavaro and Floyd Turner to help Jeff George in the passing game, as well as the focus on the trenches and d-line with Garin Veris and Robert Porcher joining the squad the Colts made solid foundational improvements. However the Colts will certainly be hard-pressed to bring the highlights that Dickerson had given them over the years back to their team this season.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Dallas Cowboys
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Troy Aikman (86)
HB: Emmitt Smith (93)
FB: Daryl Johnston (91)
WR: Michael Irvin (85)
WR: Kelvin Martin (84)
WR: Robert Brooks (79)
TE: Jay Novacek (90)
LT: Mark Tuinei (84)
LG: Crawford Kerr (84)
C: Mark Stepnoski (83)
RG: Tony Slaton (86)
RT: Nate Newton (90)
LE: Tony Tolbert (83)
RE: Jim Jeffcoat (91)
DT: Eric Swann (83)
DT: Jimmie Jones (79)
LOLB: Van Waiters (84)
MLB: Roman Phifer (82)
MLB: Corey Widmer (75)
ROLB: Ken Norton Jr. (91)
CB: Isaac Holt (90)
CB: Eric Thomas (80)
CB: Roland Williams (80)
FS: Bill Bates (91)
SS: James Washington (87)/Terry Hoage (87)
K: Cary Blanchard (76)
P: Mark Saxon (85)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 9-7, No Playoffs

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Dallas Cowboys were very disappointed that they lost the chance to make it in the playoffs as they fell 1 game short in a tough division of clinching a wild card birth. The Eagles made it at 10-6 but the 9-7 Giants, Cowboys, and 6-10 Redskins all struggled. The Cowboys have a lot of young talent but they made some big change sin the off-season, and not necessarily for the better.

Two of the biggest losses this off-season for the Cowboys were the retirement of #1 wide receiver, Roy Green, and the release of top left outside linebacker Jack Del Rio. Green had spent numerous seasons with the Cardinals and Rams as one of the best but most underrated receivers in the league. At his old age he joined the Cowboys and surprised many by still being productive on the team as their top receiver. However his age caught up to his speed and he decided to call it quits at the end of this season. However the biggest blow to the Cowboys would have to be linebacker Jack Del Rio leaving. Del Rio was 1 tackle away from leading the team in tackles with 114. His presence and field awareness will be sorely missed. The Cowboys did their best to garner a new player to replace him and settled for ex-Chief, Van Waiters, who is a decent linebacker, but certainly no Jack Del Rio.

Four rookies out of 1992 draft for the Cowboys have the potential to make impacts either this year or down the road for the team. The immediate is the addition of kicker Cary Blanchard who replaces a released Ken Willis. He will obviously make or break numerous games for the Cowboys during his rookie season. The next is wide receiver Robert Brooks. With Green retired Michael Irvin is now the full-time top receiver, and Kelvin Martin is behind him. Robert Brooks has all the talent in the world and is perfect to fit the Cowboys 3rd wide receiver spot where he will see some playing time in his rookie season. Corey Widmer joins the team and will play backup MLB to Roman Phifer, last years star rookie. Meanwhile finally Roy Barker is being groomed to be a potential starting defensive lineman in the future and has a lot of talent to learn from around him.

The Cowboys obviously have a top notch runningback with Emmit Smith on the team. They released Alonzo Highsmith, Emmit's backup, only to have him resign with the team. However the big question this year is can Troy Aikman produce? Aikman has struggled early in his career and this is the season that he needs to start stepping it up. Aikman now has his receiving corps in place with Irvin, Martin, and Brooks, as well as tight end Jay Novacek. However he's going to have to make them shine with his play and improve over last years average 2,610 yard 17 td, 17 int, 73.6 rating season.

If the Cowboys improve their passing game offensively, and don't take too much of a hit defensively with the loss of Jack Del Rio and the slight step down by loosing Manny Hendrix in the backfield, then they could repeat a 9-7 year this season. However hopefully this year that 9-7 will be enough to push them into the playoffs.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Miami Dolphins
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Dan Marino (97)
HB: Eric Dickerson (93)
FB: Tony Paige (81)
WR: Mark Clayton (88)
WR: Mark Duper (83)
WR: Tony Martin (76)
TE: Ferrell Edmunds (92)
LT: Richmond Webb (80)
LG: Ralph Tamm (90)
C: Jeff Dellenbach (83)
RG: Harry Galbreath (81)
RT: Mark Dennis (82)
LE: Leon Seals (88)
RE: Jeff Cross (91)
DT: Moe Gardner (79)
DT: Ted Washington (75)
LOLB: David Griggs (83)
MLB: John Offerdahl (91)
MLB: Elijah Alexander (72)
ROLB: Hugh Green (82)
CB: Milton Mack (88)
CB: Liffort Hobley (86)
CB: J.B. Brown (79)
FS: Jarvis Williams (88)
SS: Louis Oliver (86)
K: Pete Stoyanovich (91)
P: Reggie Roby (91)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 10-6, Playoff Birth

Projected 1991 Outcome: The Miami Dolphins snuck into the playoffs last year at 10-6 behind the Bills outstanding 13-3 season. Barely beating out the Jets and Patriots who both went 8-8 in an intense division battle. The Dolphins made changes that they felt will keep them at the level they are at in the future.

The Dolphins were able to loose a couple players due to retirement and free agency but without much of an impact on the team. Only Jim Jensen, E.J. Junior, and Rod Saddler were starters that left and all were replaced by equally as good, if not better, players at their positions. There is nothing but improvement across the board for the Dolphins. The biggest of which comes in the form of a playmaker on offense, Eric Dickerson. Dickerson leaves the Colts and will easily start over Mike Rozier to pound it in Miami. It's a shame that Rozier will not end up getting the carries he deserves after two solid years but when you have the opportunity to sign Eric Dickerson you do it, and that's exactly what Miami did. Dickerson will bring one of the league's best rushers behind Dan Marino, which should help free up his passing game with Duper and Clayton, which has been on the decline as of late.

The Dolphins added cornerback Milton Mack to the team to give them added secondary insurance as well as moved last years rookie defensive linemen, Moe Gardner and Ted Washington into the starting two defensive tackle positions. Leon Seals makes his way over as a big-time replacement for Rod Saddler and will be a welcomed addition on the increasingly talented Dolphins line. Hal Garner also joined the team to give them depth behind David Griggs and Hugh Green at the outside linebacker spots. One of the most likely overlooked additions, but most impactful, was the addition of left guard Ralph Tamm. Tamm will start over the inexperienced Keith Sims who struggled as a rookie last year along with Richmond Webb on a weakened Dolphins left side.

From the draft the Dolphins did their best to pickup depth and security at their positions. They started off with solid defensive pickups like cornerback Terrell Buckley, middle linebacker Elijah Alexander, and defensive tackles Brad Culpepper and Marc Boutte. But as the picks went on the players talent started to diminish with selections like M.Johnson and linemen J.Brown and S.Gordan.

The biggest obvious weakness on the Dolphins right now is their lack of depth at the wide receiver position. With Mark Duper and Mark Clayton at the top and youngster Tony Martin filling in for retired Jim Jensen the top 3 are set, but after that it begins to become questionable. Fred Banks (64 Ovr) is the only other wide receiver on the roster, so as soon as any of the Dolphins receivers is injured they may be forced to dip into free agency for a replacement as they currently don't have the numbers.

It's hard to see the Dolphins dropping in record this upcoming season because the only thing they did this off-season was improve as a team. With amazing additions like Eric Dickerson and solid players like Milton Mack, Leon Seals, Ralph Tamm, and Hal Garner, the Dolphins are definitely looking to return to the playoffs.