The Meteoric Rise and Fall of One of Pro Football's Most Promising Corners—Monte Jackson

By John Turney 

You start your pro football career by making the All-Rookie team, and by your second season, you're everybody's All-Pro and one of the best at your position. Then, in your third year, you're a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler for the second straight time.

Next stop: superstardom. Right? Not so fast.

Welcome to the sad story of Rams' and Raiders' cornerback Monte Jackson.

His first three years were similar to Hall-of-Fame cornerbacks Herb Adderley, Lem Barney and, roughly, "Night Train" Lane. They were also better than almost everyone who came before or since. But then it all stopped. The next six years he never made another All-Pro team, never went to a Pro Bowl and sometimes didn't start.

So what happened? Nobody knows.

His first three seasons, the 5-11, 189-pound Jackson was one of the league's most promising newcomers. But then something happened. By his fourth year he was disgruntled, demanding a trade that eventually happened. He was dealt to the Oakland Raiders where he proceeded to sink so deep into mediocrity that the ABC Monday Night Football crew mentioned it.

"Monte Jackson," Howard Cosell told America, "once considered, perhaps, as good a cornerback as there was in the league."

Hall-of-Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who shared the booth with Cosell, agreed, saying, "Not only was he considered that, Howard," Tarkenton said. "He was."

Key word: was.

"But he hasn't been that for the Raiders," said Tarkenton.

Nobody could have foreseen such a rapid decline when Jackson began his career with the Rams. Needing to upgrade their athleticism, they chose the speedy San Diego State star in the second round of the 1975 draft and, midway through that season, plugged him into the right-cornerback position after the starter was hurt.

Result? Not only was he a consensus All-Rookie pick; the Newark Star-Ledger's Dave Klein named Jackson to his second-team All-NFC. That may not sound like a big deal, but it was. Klein was part of a clique of writers who sought player evaluations by talking to teammates, opponents and coaches to gauge the league's elite players. 

Other writers in that group were Paul Zimmerman (then of the New York Post, and, later, Sports Illustrated); Murray Olderman of the Newspaper Enterprise Association; Larry Felser of the Buffalo News; Cliff Christl of the Green Bay Press-Gazette and a lesser-known but astute writer named Peter Pascarelli of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

But it was in 1976, Jackson's second season, that he became nationally known. And for good reason. Playing right cornerback most of the time (he sometimes moved to strong safety in the Rams' nickel defense among other spots), he was a menace. In the opener in Atlanta, for instance, he intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown -- the first of three that season.

Monte Jackson in Rams nickel defense as strong safety

Jackson as an off-ball linebacker in another version of nickel defense

Jackson as a slot cornerback in another variation of the nickel defense

By season's end, he totaled ten interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. Both led the NFL. For that, he was named to every major All-Pro team and was Football Digest's Defensive Back of the Year. He was king of the mountain among NFL corners, with a better year than future Hall-of-Famers Roger Wehrli, Mike Haynes, Mel Blount, Ken Riley, Lem Barney and Emmitt Thomas.

The next year he wasn't challenged as much, mostly because quarterbacks were rightfully wary. Nevertheless, he still intercepted five passes playing essentially the same roles -- corner in base defense and strong safety in nickel -- until injuries caused some reshuffling. Then, Jackson became a full-time cornerback.

He wasn't a consensus All-Pro as in 1976, but he did get attention -- making the Pro Football Writers' team and playing in his second Pro Bowl. But then ... poof! ... the lights began to dim.

His descent began in the months preceding the 1978 season when Jackson held out for more money and asked for a trade. He wanted to be sent to his adopted hometown of San Diego or to the New York Giants, where he could play with his brother, Terry. Though newly-named Rams' coach Ray Malavasi tried to talk him into staying, it didn't work. Jackson simply wanted out.

So the Rams accommodated him ... sort of.

He was traded, but not to the Chargers or Giants. He was sent to the Oakland Raiders in what was known as the "Lawrence Welk Trade" -- as in, "Ah one, and ah two, and ah three," referring to the first, second and third-round draft picks the Rams gained from the Raiders. With two future Pro Bowlers at cornerback in Pat Thomas and Rod Perry, Rams' GM Don Klosterman felt the club was in position to make a move. Plus, he had second-year pro Nolan Cromwell to play nickel safety.

So he pulled the trigger on a deal that netted one of the highest bounties ever for a cornerback. In 1983, the Raiders sent first, second and sixth-round picks to New England for Hall-of-Famer Mike Haynes. Then, in 2019, Jacksonville received two first-round picks and a fourth for Jalen Ramsey. 

Raiders' owner Al Davis coveted cover corners, and his own right cornerback, Hall-of-Famer Willie Brown, was 38 and entering his final year. Davis wanted a high-quality replacement ... a star ... and he thought he found one in Jackson.

He did not. Jackson was not only not the player he'd been in Los Angeles; he would never be a star in Oakland.

When he first arrived, the Raiders found he was out of shape, dropping to 180 pounds -- or 15 pounds under his normal playing weight -- and lacked his usual strength. Nevertheless, he soon was starting in place of Brown, though not playing as he did in L.A.

No problem, 1979 would be better, right? Wrong.

Jackson spent the offseason lifting weights to gain weight and strength. This time, however, he showed up at camp weighing a whopping 225 pounds, and reporters called him "fat." The weight gain coincided with a newly painful knee, an injury that dated back to college and probably kept him from being a first-round pick.

The media thought the pain stemmed from excess weight; the Raiders suggested it was all "in Jackson's head." Finally, the Raiders' medical staff diagnosed a cartilage tear and scheduled Jackson for arthroscopic surgery. However, the procedure revealed something worse: He had a congenital knee defect that could not be corrected.

When he returned to the lineup, he was beaten repeatedly on the field by opponents and off it by the Oakland media. 

The knee continued to bother him during the Raiders' Super Bowl season of 1980, and though he reported to camp at his ideal weight of 195 pounds ... too light, too heavy or just right ... it didn't matter. He still struggled to cover receivers he once blanketed with ease.

By November, he lost his job to another former Ram, Dwayne O'Steen, who would never be on anyone's All-Pro ballot. And when he did get on the field, it was in sub-defenses where he wasn't even the nickel back. Granted, he played in the Raiders' 27-10 victory in Super Bowl XV, he contributed little. 

Eventually, he got his right cornerback position back, but it wasn't until October, 1981, a full year after he was benched for O'Steen. Result? No change. The former All-Pro was "just a guy," with the 1982 strike year another of obscurity. In their fifth year with Jackson, Raiders' coaches were perplexed. They simply didn't know what made him tick.

"(He has) all the physical tools to be a great player," the team's secondary coach said, who added that Jackson's "understanding of his position rivaled that of anyone I ever coached."

He also said he was never sure Jackson wanted to be a Raider. 

He probably didn't. Just as he didn't want to be a Ram. So the Raiders surrendered, sending him back to the Rams for Pat Thomas, who by then had knee issues of his own. Failing to make the final cut, Jackson nevertheless was re-signed by L.A. when starting cornerback cornerback Kirk Collins pulled a hamstring in Week 4.

Collins had been having his own breakout year -- not unlike Jackson's in 1976 -- with five interceptions to open the season. And, not unlike Jackson, he seemed headed for stardom. But a routine medical check-up revealed throat cancer, and, sadly, he died the following year. 

Jackson, meanwhile, was worse in his second bow with the Rams than he was at any time with the Raiders and was waived after five games. Turning to the USFL, he practiced four days in January, 1984, with the New Jersey Generals before walking away, reportedly because he didn't think he could make the team.

So, what went wrong in Oakland? How did a career with so much promise, so much potential, end up so diminished? Even his fellow Rams' teammates don't know. They marveled at his abilities but weren't sure he loved the game.

It's possible he enjoyed weight-lifting more. He and Rams' strongman running back Cullen Bryant liked to lift together. But he probably went too far in 1979 when he became musclebound with the Raiders, something that could've contributed to his lack of productivity that year.

"He could bench press 395 (pounds)", said Hall-of-Fame defensive Jack Youngblood. "That's amazing for a guy who was his size. Let me tell you, he was a strong kid. And he could run."

Another part of his demise in Oakland may have been what he was asked to do by the Raiders' coaches. Basically, they wanted him to play what he called "aggressive and unrelenting" football. One problem: That wasn't his game.

"I'm not a physical corner," he told the San Francisco Examiner's Frank Cooney in 1979. "I like to play off my man, play soft give him a cushion. I like to let the quarterback throw the ball because I feel they are going to make mistakes, and I am going to get some interceptions. 

"But here they like you to play close and harass them and discourage them from throwing the ball. So I had to fit my style of play into Oakland's, and it's not been easy."

No matter what the reason was, it derailed a career that, for the first three years at least, was superb as anyone's out there. With Malavasi as his defensive coordinator, Monte Jackson could cover wide receivers, tight ends, running backs ... anything coaches asked or demanded.

Yes, his ball skills could have been much better (Rams' coaches ascribed five dropped interceptions to him in 1976 ... think about what might have been!), but no one in the NFL intercepted more passes in his two All-Pro seasons. Plus, no one returned more picks for scores.

So while the Monte Jackson who played with the Raiders is probably worth forgetting, the Monte Jackson who played with the Rams is well worth remembering. 

That Monte Jackson was a great player.

NFL Action '72 - An Update

By Jeffrey J. Miller

A couple of weeks ago, I realized it has been nearly two full years since I published my story about the Sunoco football stamp promotion from the early 1970s called NFL Action ’72. At the time, I had just ordered a sealed copy of the deluxe collector book and—after poring over its magnificently illustrated pages—decided to relive a childhood memory and fill a whole new book from scratch. 

Original Article July 3, 2022: 

(nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com)

I still had my original books, but they were pretty ratty, and only one was complete. By the way, I never owned a deluxe copy when I was younger, so filling one now adds a new wrinkle to the proceedings. As mentioned in my original article, as a long-time vinyl record collector I was well aware of how much sealed copies of vintage albums depreciate after removing the shrink wrap, so I decided to order a second copy to keep sealed while using the first copy in my endeavor to collect all 624 player stamps. 

Two copies of the deluxe NFL Action '72
collector books - one sealed, one open.

(Now, I realize there are plenty of fans/collectors who have complete books, and I am sure there are many who have gone back and put together a complete collection as the I am trying to do here. This is not to diminish anyone else’s journey. In fact, if you, gentle reader, have revisited your childhood pursuit and completed a full set later in life, please share your story in the comment section below.  Every collector has experienced some type of difficulty or humorous moment in her or his individual pursuit, so please feel free to share any such anecdotes with the rest of us!)

I committed myself to filling this one neatly, with stamps cleanly separated from each other and placed squarely into the book with no yellowing tape or wrinkling glue. As anyone who collected these stamps back in the day can attest, one of the biggest problems facing the collector was exactly how to adhere the stamps in the book. Some used scotch tape, which stained the pages and the stamps with a horrible yellow residue. Some used glued, which left wrinkles or waves in the stamps and often made them impossible to remove if trading or replacing an attached stamp. I have even seen some examples in which collectors attached the stamps using grey duct tape, staples and any other number of ill-advised methods. To that end, I ordered special two-sided archival tape—guaranteed not to yellow—to use to fasten the stamps in their rightful places within the book.

Diving headlong into my new endeavor, I ordered 20 unopened stamp packets from an eBay seller and was nearly as giddy as I was back in 1972 when my Dad brought home new packets after filling the tank at the local Sunoco station. Those new stamps were separated and placed neatly into the book, which only provided a fraction of the total number of stamps I would be compelled to acquire in order to attain a full set. So the process was repeated a few more times—and it was not cheap.  Even buying them in lots of 10 or 20 packets at a time resulted in a per-packet cost of $3-$4, and the farther along one gets in his or her individual journey, the more often one of the packets purchased will be one he or she already has!

The Denver Broncos' pages, as of June 2024. 

Like most childhood endeavors, distractions come along that make one lose sight or even set aside what we thought was going to be a laser-focused pursuit. Having a job, a wife, a house, a son in college, writing a book and other diversions eventually superseded the stamp collection and at some point it just stopped, unceremoniously and unintentionally. I looked at the book a few times over the ensuing couple of years but for some reason did not go back to it, until a couple of weeks ago.  Realizing I had neglected the pursuit for too long and seeing that I had written in my original article that I would periodically report on my progress, I decided to re-ignite the flame. I saw I was at about the halfway point of the collection and went on eBay to see if there were any good deals. If anything, the prices have increased in the two years since beginning this journey, but I nevertheless ordered eight sealed packets from a seller, just to get myself restarted.

The fresh packets arrived this week and, being careful not to let my adrenaline rush get the better of me, I opened them as gingerly as I could so as not to tear or wrinkle the booty inside.  Unfortunately, of the eight packets received, only three contained stamps I needed.  Despite the fact that this trove yielded only 24 new stamps, I felt pretty good about getting to place these new pieces into the book. Ah ... very satisfying! And, hey, I can at least say I was able to complete the Dolphins' defense!

Now that I have sufficiently whetted my appetite once again, it's game on! Time to order more ... and see this thing through to a glorious end. 

An unexpected bonus for me in this endeavor was learning more about the 82-stamp supplement released later that fall featuring players who had been recently acquired by each team. These stamps were available by mail-order only, so not many were produced. Each team had anywhere from two to five “new players” in the supplement, and there was a checklist to tell the collector exactly which player the “new player” was supposed to replace.  

For example, one of the “new players” included in the supplement for the Buffalo Bills was defensive tackle Mike McBath.  The checklist indicates that McBath’s stamp was intended to replace Jim Dunaway's.  

The stamps in the supplement are extremely rare (only two were found on eBay) and command high prices among collectors. A copy of the McBath stamp was listed recently on eBay for $50 … yikes!  (However, since McBath never had a stock card issued by Topps or any other company, this was the only collectible on which his fans could get their hands.)

Mike McBath's "new player"

stamp replaces Jim Dunaway's. 

I will continue to chronicle my journey toward completing the full 624 stamp collection (although I will not be pursuing the 82-stamp supplement!).  It's been a great deal of fun so far, and hopefully it will not take too long to report that I have finally reached my goal.  

Fernando Von Rossum a "Fitting" Recipient of HOF's Ralph Hay Pioneer Award

 By John Turney 

If the Pro Football Hall of Fame is going to name a recipient of the Ralph Hay Pioneer Award, it figures it should be someone who's "the true definition of a pioneer who went where no one had gone before,"

And it is.

Introducing Fernando Von Rossum, a trailblazing football announcer who introduced millions of fans to "American football" via Spanish-language TV broadcasts. He was chosen for the award Wednesday by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"The selection of Fernando as a Ralph Hay Pioneer Award winner could not be more fitting," said Hall president Jim Porter. "He is the true definition of a pioneer – someone who went where no one had gone before.

"He took a game that was totally foreign to most of his television audience and helped build the National Football League’s presence in Mexico to a point that international games became part of the country’s sports landscape ... "

Von Rossum, who called his first football game 60 years ago, worked for Televisa, described by the Hall as a "dominant media organization in Latin America," as well as TV Azteca and FOX Sports. Though he covered all sports, he became more than the "Voice" of the NFL for Latin America; he became one of its ambassadors.

He not only covered a sport that most of his audience knew little about; he taught it to millions of viewers who embraced the NFL so enthusiastically that the popularity of football -- at least, as Americans know it -- expanded widely south of the U.S. border.

"You shock me," Von Rossum said when notified of the award. "I live with words, but they escape me at the moment.

Von Rossum began calling games after Channel 6, a local station in Monterrey, in 1969 secured the broadcast rights for Dallas Cowboys' games and named Rossum -- then a chemical engineering student working as a sports commentator -- its play-by-play announcer. 

When Televisa one year later broadcast Cowboys' games nationally, the NFL's popularity exploded ... and continued to grow, with Von Rossum's role growing with it.

"An NFL ambassador in México, Fernando Von Rossum has been the most resounding and important Spanish voice of all time for the league," Ricardo López Juárez wrote in 2021 in Le Opinion. " The NFL's international growth wouldn't have been possible without his contributions.

"The Mexican NFL market would not have grown the way it did without the turbo-charging of a significant amount of games televised nationally there since the 1970s, particularly on Televisa, the dominant Mexican media behemoth. Von Rossum led those telecasts as their play-by-play announcer."

The Ralph Hay Award is named after the former Canton Bulldogs' owner who, in 1920, hosted the NFL’s formational meeting in Canton. Originally known as the Dan F. Reeves Award, it was established in 1972 and is awarded in recognition of “significant innovative contributions to professional football.”

The Hay Award is presented periodically, but only when the Hall's board thinks there's an appropriate recipient -- one reason it's been awarded only 11 times in 52 years. 

The previous 10 recipients are as follows: 

1972 – Fred Gehrke: Los Angeles Rams' halfback who devised the idea of logos on helmets and painted horns on Rams helmets in 1948.

1975 – Arch Ward: Chicago Tribune sports editor who initiated the Chicago All-Star Game that featured NFL champions vs. College All-Stars.

1986 – John Facenda: Legendary voice of NFL Films.

1992 – David Boss: Vice President and Creative Director for NFL Properties and noted photographer.

2001 – George Toma: NFL’s longtime head groundskeeper known as the “God of Sod.”

*2004 – City of Pottsville, Pennsylvania: Loyal support of the NFL, with undying spirit and pride in the history of the defunct Pottsville Maroons of the 1920s.

2007 – Steve Sabol: President of NFL Films and honored filmmaker.

2012 – Art McNally: Devoted his entire professional career to officiating and pioneered numerous innovations for the NFL including instant replay.

2016 – Joe Browne: Worked for over 50 years at the NFL, turning it into the most popular sport in the world. 

2022 – Marion Motley, Woody Strode, Kenny Washington and Bill Willis: Reintegrated pro football after a 13-season absence of Black players in the game.

*then Mayor of Pottsville John D. W. Reiley rejected the award.

Cameron Heyward—Can He Retire Today and Get A Bust in Canton?

By John Turney 

Social media was abuzz last weekend after Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive lineman Cameron Heyward mused about ending his career with the Cleveland Browns, telling The Athletic's Mark Kaboly that "I am not trying to think about all that right now."

Neither, it turns out, should the Steelers.

One day later, in fact, Koboly tried to put out the fire by saying Heyward was joking about Cleveland; that there was a conversation about former Steelers' great Franco Harris finishing his career in Seattle, with Heyward asked what he might do if he had to continue playing outside of Pittsburgh. 

"The goal," Heyward said later, clarifying his remarks, "is to be a Steeler for the rest of my career."

"Whew!" must have been the reaction to Steeler Nation.

But it begs the question: What if 2024 were Heyward's last NFL season? What would that mean for his legacy? More to the point, if that did happen, has he done enough in his career to merit Hall-of-Fame consideration? 

Let's take a look.

He's certainly played long enough. This season will be his 14th, and he should surpass 200 games played and, possibly, 170 games started.

No problem there. 

However, he never played on a championship team. Unlike previous Pittsburgh teams, these Steelers failed to reach a Super Bowl during Heyward's tenure. In the decade prior to his arrival, they advanced to three, winning two.

That could be an issue ... except he never played on a losing team and has been part of eight playoff teams. In other words, he's never been stuck on a perennial loser. Moreover, he's been noticed by those who vote for All-Pro teams and Pro Bowls.

He's a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler.

That's the good news. That bad? He wasn't voted to the 2010s' all-decade team and won't make the 2020s' squad. But there's a catch: Heyward is someone who would benefit from a mid-all-decade team, if there were such a thing -- one that spanned from 2015-2024. He'd almost certainly be chosen to it.

As it is, his three All-Pros are similar to others who played his position -- a 3-4 defensive end in a base defense and a defensive tackle in passing downs. Howie Long did that. So did Richard Seymour. Both were All-Pro three times, with Long going to eight Pro Bowls and Seymour seven.

Lee Roy Selmon, a pure 3-4 end who didn't "sink" to defensive tackle, was also a three-time All-Pro. Two guys who played multiple positions -- Dan Hampton and Joe Klecko -- could also be considered for comparison, with Hampton a four-time All-Pro and Klecko chosen twice.

Both were four-time Pro Bowlers, while Long, Selmon, Hampton and Seymour were honored on all-decade teams. In reality, the only player in Heyward's genre whom he doesn't match in terms of All-Pro seasons is former Houston Texans' star J.J. Watt. He was a five-time All-Pro. Oddly, Heyward went to one more Pro Bowl.

Now, before I go further, let me explain something: I didn't compare Heyward to other defensive interior linemen who were 4-3 defensive tackles -- guys like John Randle, Warren Sapp or even his contemporary, Aaron Donald -- the so-called "three-techniques," or pure pass rushers.

But it's important to note that, as Heyward's career progressed, the Steelers used less and less of their 3-4 base defense -- which was around 35-40 percent during his All-Pro run as a defensive end -- and more nickel. That means he's been a three-technique tackle a lot (among other things), though he plays the position differently than the quick, slashing interior rushers.

He does it with so much power that 49ers' defensive tackle Javon Hargrave called him "the strongest defensive lineman in the league" -- someone who's able to hold blockers at bay, he said, with what coaches call a "long arm stab."

"He has a left long arm that is better than anyone else in the league," Browns' All-Pro guard Joe Bitonio told NFL Films. "Once he gets it locked in there, it's pretty tough to get it off."

Critics will contend that he hasn't accumulated an abundance of sacks during his career, and that's fair. He has 80-1/2, with three double-digit seasons. But that's not his role in the Steelers' defense. In fact, when Heyward signed a six-year $60-million contract in 2015, he made that clear.

"If I can become a double-digit sack guy," he said, "or just take up a lot of attention so other guys get pressure, that's fine. The front seven has to dominate, and we're all a part of it."

Heyward's "part" is to create interior pressure, making sure opposing quarterbacks have no place to step forward when edge rushers like teammate T.J.Watt swoop in from the outside. And he's been effective. But there's more to the former first-round pick's game than rushing the passer; more like another, less glamorized, aspect of the game that Heyward values.

Playing the run.

"The first key to this defense," he said of the Steelers, "is stopping the run. You can look at any game. When we didn't stop the run, we got beat." 

It is hard to beat someone with Heyward's strength and determination. He stacks blockers with his leverage and power to close gaps. Then, if the play is away from him, he chases down runners with hustle rarely seen from a 6-5,  295-pound lineman.

"His motor never stops", said three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Melvin Ingram. "He just keeps going, keeps going, keeps going. Cam's motor is crazy."

That motor led to 333 tackles of opposing rushers since 2019, and if that seems like a lot it's because it is. Only two other NFL linemen have been involved in more stops during that time, and neither is yet 30. Heyward turned 34 last year. 

"Talk about an ageless wonder," said former Buffalo center Mitch Morse, now with Jacksonville. "From play one to the last play, he's chasing the ball down. If you don't anchor on a bull rush, he has more than you can handle."

So there you have it: Glowing opinions of his peers to add to Cam Heyward's case.

No, he probably won't end his career with 100 sacks, and he may not make another Pro Bowl or gain the Super Bowl ring he covets. But there's no denying that Heyward passes the eye test. You can't help but notice him when the Steelers' defense is on the field. 

Not only that, but his teammates insist he's been the heart and soul of the Steelers' defense the last decade. He set the tone, the standard and the conscience for the unit. In short, he was the absolute leader.

That should count for a lot.

So what does all this mean for his Hall-of-Fame chances? Like others asked to do similar things -- namely, play both the pass and the run -- Heyward should be seen through the same lens as Hall-of-Famers Howie Long, Richard Seymour, Dan Hampton and Joe Klecko. They were versatile, almost positionless, defensive linemen who didn't produce a slew of sacks, dominated the middle and were enshrined.

If Cam Heyward is viewed that way, then we have the answer to our original question. If he were to retire now, then, yes, he's done enough to warrant a Gold Jacket.

Ravens Add Alternate Helmet to Alternate Uniform

 By John Turney

They are back.

From 2016 to 2019 the Baltimore Ravens wore an all-purple "color rush" alternate uniform that featured purple jerseys with gold numbers with white trim. The pants are purple with gold and white stripes.

We quite liked them—

Today the Ravens brought them back, but with a difference. This time they will have a matching purple helmet. 

As a stand along the helmet looks really good—

We're not a huge fan of the forward-facing Ravens logo but -- okay. It's a good helmet with contrasting and complimentary colors.

The question is this: Is it too much purple? 

Here is the entire kit—

Well, maybe. But maybe not. The gold complements (with white trim) break up the purple enough to not make it a monochrome look. It's not a purple block of color, in our view and that is a good thing.

Before the black lid contrasted the purple nicley and we think contrast is a highly underrated design element but it is not mandatory, either. And this seems to work.

Here are a few more shots released by the Ravens—

So, overall, it's good. For some reason, they pop. So the grade? We'll give them a B+ to maybe even an A- ... somewhere in there.

Remember When Two Teams Swapped Rosters ... Twice? This NFL Vet Does

 By John Turney

Merlin and Phil Olsen

What? Really? 

Are you telling me there really was a time when the Rams' entire roster was swapped with the Colts' roster, only to have both rosters traded back to each other?

"Yes, that's right," said someone who knows. "When (NFL owner) Carroll Rosenbloom and Robert Irsay traded the Colts for the Rams, everything was traded. The equipment. The desks. All the assets and liabilities. Everything. And that included all the players, so they had to be traded back."

That someone is former NFL player Phil Olsen, brother of Hall-of-Famer Merlin Olsen. But how would he know?

Good question. Rosenbloom, then the Baltimore Colts' owner, wanted to own the Los Angeles Rams. So he worked out a deal in July, 1972 where Irsay would buy the Rams, then swap them for the Colts and cash. But some of the niceties were never brought up or discussed ... until Olsen is questioned.

"Ed Masry was my agent and lawyer," he said, "and he was an extremely smart and aggressive attorney. He was my brother Merlin's lawyer and also Roman Gabriel's. You'll remember his name from Eric Brockovich fame.

"Ed caught wind of the deal and used the information to get Gabriel a bonus for not trying to block the trade."

It turns out that Gabriel had a no-trade clause in his contract and was one of the few -- and perhaps only -- individual with veto power over a trade.

"Merlin didn't," said Olsen. "I didn't. But Ed had negotiated one for 'Gabe.' So when he found out what was going on and how it worked, he used that as leverage and reasoned that, with the swap of assets comes the swap of the players. So the only way to get them to the right team was to trade them back"

Consequently, Gabriel was entitled to compensation for waiving his no-trade clause ... at least in Masry's thinking.

"Roman got the compensation, and it was sizable," said Olsen. "I think it was maybe three or four hundred thousand dollars, which was a lot of money back then."

According to the papers, Gabriel's salary was $125,000 at the time. So, chalk one up for Masry. But it wasn't the first time the shrewd lawyer took advantage of holes in the system.

"Prior to the 1970 NFL draft," Olsen said, "I was expected to go high. But I didn't want to go back East. I wanted to play in Denver, in the Intermountain West, (and) I expressed that with Ed. So he sent a letter to everyone drafting in front of the Broncos, telling them not the draft me; that I wouldn't sign."

Masry's bluff didn't work. The then-Boston Patriots chose Olsen with the fourth overall pick, leaving Olsen in an uncomfortable situation. Other than holding out, there really wasn't much he could do, and he wasn't going to go that sit out the season. He wanted to play in the NFL.

So, he signed with the Patriots -- a one-year contract with a one-year team option.

"Ed was a bold advocate," Olsen said, laughing.

But Olsen never played with the Patriots. Practicing for the College All-Star game that summer, he suffered a serious knee injury in a collision with what he called  "a big, but a very clumsy player" and was sidelined for the year. At the end of the season, his one-year contract expired, and the Patriots didn't exercise their option.

Apparently, they'd forgotten about it.

"They had some turnover in the front office," Olsen said, "and for some reason the Patriots didn't exercise my option, nor did they for a number of other players who also were in the same situation as I was."

Which, according to Olsen, made him and those players free agents.

"I got a call from Ed asking if the Patriots had contacted me about the option," Olsen said, "and I told him, no, I hadn't. So he went to work in getting me to Los Angeles. He was sure that missing the deadline made me a free agent."

So Olsen ended up in Los Angeles to play next to his Hall-of-Fame brother in what newspapers reported as a "loophole in Olsen's contract," while Masry ended up in NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle's office to discuss a sticky situation he wanted kept quiet.

"Ed and I flew to New York," Olsen said, "and met with Rozelle and Ed laid out our position. The Patriots were not happy and were concerned about me leaving."

So Rozelle struck a deal.

"He agreed to let me be a free agent," Olsen said, "if we did not reveal the details of how my free agency came about. He didn't want the Patriots to lose any more players if they found out about the implications of the team's lack of exercising the options. 

"It would have been chaos, but, as far as I know, Ed was the only player representative who was on top of it. The others were not yet wise to the situation. I was able to sign with the Rams, and Rozelle would name the compensation the Patriots would receive. That ended up being a first-round pick and a third, I think."

That's exactly how it turned out, but only after the Patriots tried to pry a top player (Isiah Robertson and Jack Youngblood were mentioned) and a 1972 first-rounder from the Rams. That didn't happen. Instead, Rozelle settled on a 1972 first-round pick, $35,000 cash to reimburse Olsen's original signing bonus, and "additional compensation at the end of the 1971 season."

As it turned out, that was the 1972 third-round pick Olsen mentioned -- a package Rozelle called "just compensation" but left the Patriots furious.

"As it stands, I have nothing but total dissatisfaction with the settlement," said Upton Bell, then the Patriots' general manager. "It's an example of giving to a team that already has and taking from a team that has not."

Olsen played four years for the Rams, first as a defensive tackle next to his brother; then as a third defensive end behind Youngblood and Fred Dryer.

"I went from being a starter," he said, "to playing maybe one-third of the snaps. So I played out my option." 

Then he decided to move.

"John Ralston was the coach of the Denver Broncos," Olsen said, "and he'd recruited me to go to Stanford when I came out of high school before I settled on Utah State. He was interested in signing me. So Ed worked out a deal".

Only one problem: Compensation.

To avoid having Rozelle decide the terms, the Rams agreed to trade Olsen's rights for the rights of unsigned wide receiver Otto Stowe, plus a draft pick. That meant Olsen finally would play where he wanted five years earlier and get what he wanted where he wanted ... or not.

Surprisingly, the Broncos asked him to change positions and move from the defensive line to the other side of the ball and play center.

"They didn't tell me until I got to Denver," Olsen said. "But I wanted to do what John asked me. So for the next two years I split time at center with myself and Bobby Maples alternating quarters. He'd play the first and third, and I'd play the second and fourth quarters. I also was the captain of the special teams."

Those special teams were elite, especially in 1976 when Rick Upchurch was returning a punt for a touchdown or Olsen was blocking kicks seemingly every other week.

Though Olsen was expected to be the full-time center in 1977, those plans were derailed by a player revolt that forced the firing of Ralston and had Red Miller replace him. Miller didn't see Olsen as his next starting center; he wanted him to play left tackle. And that was a no-can-do.

"Red brought his own center with him," said Olsen, "and didn't give me a chance to keep the job. I told him I didn't mind moving to tackle, but I wanted a chance to compete at center ... and if I got beat out, that was fine, I'd move. But, he didn't want competition at the center position. He wanted the guy he was bringing in to start."

Faced with playing a position he'd never tried before on a surgically repaired knee, Olsen retired and moved on to business interests. His NFL career, he thought, was over. But, to his surprise, Buffalo coach Chuck Knox -- who had just joined the Bills -- wanted him to play center there.

Knox had been Olsen's coach in Los Angeles in 1973-74.

When Olsen agreed, the Bills worked out a deal that sent a conditional 1979 draft pick to Denver. His early practices impressed coaches and the media, but one final knee injury in July felled him. After undergoing surgery, he spent the season on injured reserve.

However, he wasn't exactly finished.

"I was disappointed (to get hurt)," he said, "but it turned out well because I got to do a little coaching and a little scouting. I'd fly to cities and watch games and come back and report to the coaching staff and also I'd work with some of the linemen on techniques."

After the year, though, Olsen retired for good. Officially, he played for two teams in his NFL career, but unofficially he was on the rosters of four. Olsen had gone from the Patriots to the Rams to the Broncos and finally the Bills -- with none via a conventional player-for-player trade.

Furthermore, each time the move technically was as a free agent. However, that doesn't count the time he was traded to the Colts, then traded back to the Rams, in the franchise swap of 1972. 

What a long, strange trip it was.

As of Right Now Has Matthew Stafford Done Enough to Earn a Gold Jacket?

By John Turney 

Matthew Stafford

When Houston's C.J. Stroud, the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year, was asked last week about the kind of career he might want to have, he was given the choice of Aaron Rodgers or Eli Manning.

He chose Manning.

"You want the rings, dawg," he said on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast. "Eli got two."

Rodgers is a four-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl winner, but Stroud is old school. And he thinks rings are the thing.

But that's not all. He had more to say, suggesting that had former Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford -- now with the L.A. Rams -- been on the Packers, he would have won more than Rodgers' one NFL championship. 

"If you gave Matthew Stafford a chance like Aaron Rodgers," he said, "I guarantee you: He might've had more rings ... three or four."

Of course, that's his opinion, but it makes for a lively debate when talking about Stafford's career from a Hall-of-Fame perspective. Furthermore, it begs the question: Has Matthew Stafford done enough -- at this point in his career-- to be a Hall of Famer?

What do you think?

Supporters, like Stroud, point out that Stafford was not in a good situation for most of his career in Detroit, and that's true. The Lions' 2009 first-overall pick, he took over a terrible team that was 0-16 the year before he was drafted and had, at least for much of his career, a defense that was as mediocre as its run game.

Yet Stafford endeared himself to fans in and out of Detroit with his moxy and courage, beginning his rookie season when he led the Lions to victory over Cleveland. After taking a vicious hit to his left shoulder -- one that would have sidelined most guys -- he not only didn't miss a play; he threw the game-winning touchdown pass.

An NFL Films microphone revealed how much pain Stafford experienced. But it also caught him telling then-offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, "I can throw the ball if you need me to throw the ball," demonstrating a trait of great quarterbacks.

Toughness.

By his third year, the Lions were in the playoffs, one of only three appearances they made in Stafford's 12 seasons in Detroit. However, they were one-and-done in all three ... which, considering their history, should surprise no one. Most of the time during Stafford's tenure, the Lions were losers. His record with them was 74-90-1 in the regular season, 0-3 in the playoffs.

But that obscures a significant stat documented by Pro Football Reference: In 44 of those 74 victories, Stafford was credited with the game-winning drive, suggesting another trait of great quarterbacks.

He was clutch.

Nevertheless, for most of Stafford's career with the Lions, they were a second-tier franchise, and, yeah, I know, critics will tell you that's life in the NFL and truly great players overcome adversity. They might also add that he should've won at least one of his three playoff opportunities.

Fair enough. 

But that's not the end of the story. After bowing out of the 2020 playoffs, the Rams decided to upgrade their quarterback situation with someone better than Jared Goff ... even someone who was elite, first looking to Green Bay. 

"They made a run at Aaron Rodgers," said Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, "and the Packers were adamant that they weren't trading him."

So the Rams took the next best option and sent Goff -- the 2016 first overall draft pick -- to the Lions, along with a pile of premium draft picks, for the then 33-year-old Stafford. The deal worked wonders for both teams, with the Rams winning a Super Bowl and the Lions using the draft capital to build a playoff team around Goff.

That Super Bowl win changed the Stafford narrative, with observers suddenly describing him as an excellent -- but not truly elite -- quarterback who could be in a Gold Jacket conversation some day. But in talking to several Hall-of-Fame selectors at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, I found that he doesn't have much support ... albeit from a small sample.

The sense I got is that they thought the former Georgia Bulldog has Hall-of-Fame skills -- rare arm talent, for example -- but that in an era where passing numbers pile up quickly, his numbers needed to be examined in the context of the era.

However, I also found a member of the media who disagreed but is not a Hall voter ... and that's the NFL Network's Rich Eisen.

"Tell me who throws a better spiral than Matthew Stafford ... consistently," he said on "The Rich Eisen Podcast. "Matthew Stafford is on a Hall-of-Fame path right now. I fully believe it. He's got statistics for it. He's got a trophy for it. If he gets another trophy, I think we're done."

He went on to list other qualifications, including throwing to two Triple Crown receivers, Hall-of-Famer Calvin Johnson and the Rams' Cooper Kupp, with Eisen identifying that as evidence that Stafford "makes the guys around him better."

OK, that's one view. But there's another, voiced the year before by Nick Wright -- another non-voting member of the media -- on the national "First Things First" show.

"The Hall of Fame," he said, "cannot just be a bunch of quarterbacks and Aaron Donald. And I guess J.J. Watt can come in, too, and Randy Moss. Guys, it's the Hall of Fame. And while there is no specific checkmark-based criteria, I think we can all agree (that) to be a Hall of Famer, can you maybe be consistently one of ... I don't know ... the five best currently playing at your own position?

"Matt Stafford has not been that throughout his career. Matt Stafford is a very nice player. But Matt Stafford, I want to tell you guys, in his career he has been an All-Pro zero times. He's been a Pro Bowler once. … Same as Mac Jones now. Unbelievable."

Ouch.

So who's right? Maybe neither. It seems more like a jury-is-still-out situation.

Stafford turns 36 this season, so he'll be around a while to add to the evidence a Hall-of-Fame jury will weigh. In fact, he's seeking an adjustment in guaranteed money to his $160-million contract, which runs through 2026. Granted, having dealt with chronic injuries to his back and arm, he's not the picture of health. But he's not gimpy either. He can move within the pocket and, when healthy, make throws few others can.

So there's no indication he can't have more seasons playing at a high level. Quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and others had success after their 36th birthday.

So why not Stafford?

Besides, he may not have to be what he was to be successful.  The Rams are reloading on both sides of the ball, and that includes a strong offensive line to protect their aging passer. It's designed to facilitate a strong rushing attack, which could take pressure off Stafford and open up the play-action game. Plus, don't forget that Kupp is still around, and they have a bright young star in Puka Nacua, last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up. 

The point is that Stafford has a chance to "do more" to increase his chances of reaching Canton.

If he finishes his contract reasonably healthy, at his current rate of production he'd be approaching 70,000 career passing yards and could surpass 400 career touchdowns. He could add to his pair of Pro Bowls and, most importantly, improve his playoff record by making another deep playoff run or two.

And that's important. Because what do we remember about Matthew Stafford and the playoffs? In the 2021 NFC divisional round game vs. Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Bucs, he made a career throw to Kupp that went for 44 yards and put the Rams in field-goal position to win. Then, in Super Bowl LVI, he made a no-look throw to Kupp on the game-winning drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown to -- who else? -- Kupp.

Those are signature moments that voters look at, and a few more would help Stafford's cause.

Look, if the Hall were based on talent alone, Stafford would be, as Eisen suggests, a sure-fire candidate. His intangibles are also off the charts. Who throws better no-look passes? Maybe only Patrick Mahomes and Rodgers. Who has a better arm in league history? Perhaps Bert Jones, John Elway, Michael Vick and Rodgers? And perhaps not. 

But the Hall is not a pro personnel evaluation. It if were, Jones and Vick would be in. It's an evaluation by voters of a player's achievements, and they will ask questions like: Was he ever the best at his position? How many times was he an All-Pro? Was he ever an MVP or a top-three quarterback in his own conference? 

In those areas, Stafford lacks.

But he has what Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino, Dan Fouts and Warren Moon dream of -- the precious ring -- and that's a plus because voters will also ask, "Did he win?" Once he was given a chance in Los Angeles, Matthew Stafford did. 

Still, he's no more than a borderline case for Canton, though that can change. If he "does more" -- and he has the ability, the team and the opportunity -- he could move some voters from one side of the room to the other. 

The denouement will make all the difference. Stay tuned.