The popular line of thinking when it comes to the NFL Draft is that you can't fully evaluate the impact until three years down the road. With that in mind, we're rewinding the clock back to the 2005 NFL Draft, which could potentially be remembered as having the worst first round in NFL history. Certainly the top ten should be right up there with the worst of the worst with just a couple players coming close to living up to their billing coming out of college.

Let's take a look:

1. Alex Smith, Quarterback, 49ers - When you're the top overall pick, you should be playing at a Pro Bowl level by your third year, or at least somewhere in the neighborhood. Smith isn't even average at this point in his career and will have to hold off Shaun Hill, who went undrafted in 2002, for the starting job.

2. Ronnie Brown, Running Back, Dolphins - Brown has been a solid back so far, but hasn't lived up to being the No. 2 overall pick and is coming off an ACL injury.

3. Braylon Edwards, Wide Receiver, Browns - Edwards is developing into one of the more exciting players in the league.

4. Cedric Benson, Running Back, Bears - For a guy who is supposed to be a power back, Benson gets hurt way too often and has been such a huge disappointment that the Bears used a second-round pick this year on a potential replacement.

5. Carnell Williams, Running Back, Buccaneers - After roaring out of the gate as a rookie, Williams' career has been sidetracked by a torn patellar tendon and he may never be the same.

6. Adam "Pacman" Jones, Cornerback, Titans - On the field Jones has shown a ton of potential, but off-field issues are keeping him sidelined on an indefinite basis and have sparked a trade to the Dallas Cowboys.

7. Troy Williamson, Wide Receiver, Vikings - Even after being fitted for glasses in 2007, Williamson had trouble hanging onto passes that hit him in the hands and he has now been shipped out of town.

8. Antrel Rolle, Cornerback, Cardinals - Rolle couldn't cut it at cornerback in the NFL, so it looks like he will be moved to safety this year.

9. Carlos Rogers, Cornerback, Redskins - The jury is still out on Rogers, but he certainly hasn't played like a top-10 pick.

10. Mike Williams, Wide Receiver, Lions - After just two seasons, Williams was shipped out of town along with quarterback Josh McCown for just a fourth-round pick. What makes this pick even worse is that Williams was the third receiver picked in the top 10 by the Lions in three consecutive years. And the second of those to become a huge bust.

Other players selected in the first round in 2005 who have been busts (or the jury is still out) up to this point include:

No 16. Travis Johnson, Defensive Tackle, Texans - Johnson is holding onto a starting job at this point, but has done nothing to stand out since being drafted other than taunt unconscious quarterback Trent Green after giving him a concussion with a knee to the head.

17. David Pollack, Linebacker, Bengals - Labeling Pollack a bust might be a bit unfair because his career was ended by injury. Regardless, the Bengals got little return on their investment.

18. Erasmus James, Defensive End, Vikings - Injuries were a concern for James coming out of college, and the guy continues to look like he's made of glass, missing 24 of the Vikings' last 32 games due to injury.

19. Alex Barron, Offensive Tackle, Rams - There wouldn't be so much concern over the health of Orlando Pace if Barron could play left tackle.

20. Marcus Spears, Defensive End, Cowboys - Spears could still turn things around, but he has yet to produce like a top-20 pick should.

21. Matt Jones, Wide Receiver, Jaguars - Jones was a quarterback in college and was a project that should have never been taken on in the first round.

22. Mark Clayton, Wide Receiver, Ravens - With an improved quarterback situation Clayton could escape the bust label, but so far he's averaging just 53 receptions per season, which makes him no better than a No. 2 guy at best.

23. Fabian Washington, Cornerback, Raiders - The Raiders apparently didn't think much of Washington's performance thus far considering they traded him for a fourth-round pick.

24. Aaron Rogers, Quarterback, Packers - Rogers hasn't played enough yet to determine whether he will be a success or just another in a long line of first-round busts from 2005, so we'll give him an incomplete grade at this point.

Generally we don't place much stock in rookies as far as making an impact at the fantasy football level. It's just too much of a crap shoot to figure out which guys will make an immediate contribution, and generally most guys don't put up good fantasy numbers in their first year. Therefore, we don't advise burning a high draft pick on a first-year player.

Last year, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was an exception, and probably was a big factor in winning many a fantasy league championship for the owners that were willing to take a chance on him. As a warning, however, he's more the exception than the rule. Because of his success many of you might be expecting Oakland Raiders first-round draft pick Darren McFadden to have similar success. If you spend a high draft pick on him yourself, though, I'm afraid you may come away sorely disappointed for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost, he doesn't have the offensive line Peterson has in Minnesota. And while Peterson shared carries with Chester Taylor last season, McFadden will be competing with both Justin Fargas and LaMont Jordan for playing time. Also, last year's fourth-round pick Michael Bush, who was highly regarded before an injury ended his college career, will be looking for some time in the backfield as well. Reports indicate he is back to full strength again and ready to compete.

History also indicates that rookie seasons like Peterson's are rare, so the chances of catching lightning in a bottle two seasons in a row is unlikely. If McFadden happens to slip to the middle rounds of your fantasy draft, he's certainly worth taking a flyer on. But chances are someone in your league will be smitten with him and take him way too early.

Here's a quick look at the rest of the offensive players taken in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft:

Matt Ryan, QB Atlanta: Even with a dearth of talent at the quarterback position for the Atlanta Falcons, rookie quarterbacks are just too risky. Keep him on your watch list to see how he plays early on, assuming he's given the starting job, but until he proves he's capable of running an NFL offense effectively, he's not worth a roster spot.

Jonathan Stewart, RB Carolina: DeShaun Foster is no longer with the team, but Stewart will have to compete with DeAngelo Williams for playing time. Like McFadden, he may be worth taking a risk on later in your draft, but be careful not to take him too early. He will probably end up being a less-risky selection than McFadden simply because he is less likely to be in high demand early on and will probably be available long after McFadden is off the board.

Joe Flacco, QB Baltimore: See Matt Ryan.

Felix Jones, RB Dallas - Rashard Mendenhall, RB Pittsburgh - Chris Johnson, RB Tennessee: Like Stewart, all three of these guys will be competing for playing time, but should be worth risking a pick late in your fantasy draft. Of the three, Johnson has the least competition for the starting job, but is also probably the least talented.

Dustin Keller, TE New York Jets: With plenty of veteran tight ends to choose from, Keller shouldn't even be on your radar at this point.

Other guys to consider:

Matt Forte, RB Chicago: Cedric Benson, who gets hurt way too often for a guy who is supposed to be a power runner, has been a bust for the Chicago Bears since being drafted No. 4 overall in 2005. Don't be surprised if Forte takes the starting job away from him before the start of the regular season. Keep an eye on this situation and take a chance on Forte late if he does emerge at the top of the depth chart.

Kevin Smith, RB Detroit: Smith ran for 2,567 yards and scored 29 touchdowns last season for UCF, and his only competition for the starting job with the Detroit Lions is Tatum Bell, who is best suited for a backup job. Smith could be the workhorse back the Lions need, and as an added bonus he is surprisingly effective as a pass catcher.

Jamaal Charles, RB Kansas City: A real deep sleeper, Charles is a guy you might want to consider handcuffing if you take Larry Johnson as a starter on your fantasy team. Johnson posted the lowest yards-per-carry average of his career last season for the Kansas City Chiefs and missed the last eight games of the season with a foot injury.

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NFL history is littered with colorful nicknames which often reflect the style of play or the personal demeanor of the individual to which the moniker is affixed. Names like Blood, Greasy, Bulldog, and Curly were synonymous with greats like John McNally, Earle Neale, Clyde Turner, and Earl Lambeau in the early days of the NFL, and the creation of colorful aliases continues to this day.

In honor of these usually-affectionate nicknames, we've put together a short multiple choice quiz based on some famous, and not-so famous, player nicknames. Take the quiz...

Some NFL teams, like the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, have been liberal over the years in honoring their great players by retiring their uniform numbers while other teams, like the Green Bay Packers, have been rather conservative in bestowing such awards. The Dallas Cowboys are one of the few teams that have retired no uniform numbers, instead choosing to honor their greats with a "Ring of Honor" that graces the facade at Texas Stadium.

Perhaps the strangest "retirement" belongs to the Seattle Seahawks, though, having retired the number 12 to represent the fans... referred to as the 12th man. About Football offers this list, by team, of all the retired uniform numbers in the NFL!

Most Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees were, at one point, nothing more than NFL Draft selections with varying degrees of potential. Some were selected early in the draft, while others fooled the scouts and were not picked until the mid-to-late rounds.

Of course, you have your guys like Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and John Elway who were expected to be stars in the NFL and their draft selection reflects such. But you also have guys like Joe Montana and Dan Fouts, neither of whom came off the board until the third round of their respective drafts. And when the Chicago Bears selected Kentucky quarterback George Blanda in the eighth round of the 1949 NFL Draft, who would have dreamed he'd still be an active player in 1975?

NFL Draft history is littered with these types of Cinderella stories, from Steve Largent and Charlie Joiner to Deacon Jones and Elvin Bethea, and we've got the cream of the crop right here. About Football offers this quick run-down of the draft position of every Hall of Fame inductee to have ever been an NFL Draft selection. Check the list...

On the About Football Forum, we discourage unnecessary irritation of others because the trash talk tends to get out of control in an anonymous setting. But let’s be real… part of the fun of being a fan is being able to rub the misfortune of a rival team in the noses of its fans. And there’s a time and place for it as long as it’s all in fun.

So we’ve polled members of our forum and come up with some enjoyable ways to twist the knife in your buddy's back. Read more...

Photo: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Football officials... they're the men on the field we all love to hate and complain about. But without these keepers of the rules, a football game could not progress with any sort of structure or sanity.

Officials play a very important role in the game, from keeping things moving along to making sure the athletes don't unnecessarily hurt each other. Officials are responsible for monitoring the game clock and play clock, enforcing the rules of play, and recording all rule infractions.

You often hear them referred to by the general term of referee, but there is actually only one referee on the field during a game. Each official (usually seven in college and NFL games) has his own title and assigned responsibilities. Read more...

And if you've ever wondered what it takes to become an NFL official, we have all the details.

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Let's face it. Most football players aren't highly regarded for their intelligence (not to say there aren't a lot of smart guys playing the game). And as a result, the large amount of time they spend in front of a microphone answering questions can lead to some very amusing moments.

In honor of these blunderers, About Football has put together a collection of the more comical quips to escape the lips of college and pro football players, as well as coaches and announcers alike over the years. Read more...

If you thought the feud between Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles was ancient history, think again. The franchise, Monday, filed suit in U.S. District Court against the mercurial receiver for bonus money he has not repaid the team.

Earlier in the year, Owens was ordered by an arbitrator to repay $1.7 million in bonus money because of his actions in 2005 that led to his suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. The Eagles withheld paychecks he had coming, which covered all but about $770,000, the balance the Eagles are attempting to retrieve.

Since the procedure for handling this type of situation is part of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players, converting the arbitrators ruling into an official judgement should be a mere formality. Owens, of course, has resisted to date any efforts by the Eagles to collect on his debt, thus the lawsuit.

There should be no surprise in all this though. You didn't really think Owens was going to make this as easy as simply sticking a check in the mail and being done with it, did you?

Photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images

With multiple teams agreeing to trades, and this year's No. 1 draft pick agreeing to the terms of a contract recently, it seems like agreeing is just in the air these days. So it makes sense that the NFL would come to an agreement with Matt Walsh so that we can finally find out what, if anything, he knows or has evidence of in regards to the Spygate scandal involving the New England Patriots.

Commissioner Roger Goodell is scheduled to meet with Walsh in the league office on May 13 at which time Walsh is to spill the beans as well as turn over any physical evidence he might have. The league and the Patriots have promised not to sue him, and he will be indemnified for any expenses he incurs in connection with the interview.

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com got his hands on a copy of the agreement and has posted it here.

Hopefully this interview is the beginning of the end of the Spygate scandal in one way or another.