Current NFLers in the HOF

[IrishSteelhead]

Current NFLers in the HOF

Willis was an ILB, so of course his sack total won't be as high as pass rushing OLB. He was as dominant as sure fire HOF guys on the inside like Urlacher, so I'd put him in.

*Defensive reputation plays a large role in the credibility ILB/MLB get. The Niners had a nasty defense for a period with him as their centerpiece, and that won't be ignored IMO.

 

[irishroo]

Charles Woodson just announced he will be retiring at the end of the season, putting a cap on an all-time great, surefire HOF career. Also updated the OP.

 

[irishroo]

Megatron retiring at age 30. Similar situation to Patrick Willis, dominant player retiring well before what would normally be expected. Thoughts on his Hall chances? I think he gets in because he was so dominant.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Yes he's 100% a HOFer. Debatable 1st ballot

 

[irishff1014]

He is just barley in the top 30 in receiving yards. If he would have continued to play he would be. But as it stands i would say no.

 

[GowerND11]

Today I think you need to eclipse 1000 receptions to even sniff the HOF with the way the league is throwing the ball now. He's a no for me because of that.

 

[IrishLion]

I'd say yes. Physically dominant on a team that, quite often, offered him no help. Had a reception in every game that he played.

One of the greatest talents the WR position has ever seen. It's a shame that he couldn't stay healthy/get more help from Detroit.

 

[irishroo]

I'd say yes. Physically dominant on a team that, quite often, offered him no help. Had a reception in every game that he played.

One of the greatest talents the WR position has ever seen. It's a shame that he couldn't stay healthy/get more help from Detroit.

Is that true? If so, that's an incredible stat.

 

[IrishLion]

Is that true? If so, that's an incredible stat.

I believe so. I think it came from the ESPN Stats and Info Twitter account. I'll try to find it.

EDIT: Just a quick glance through his game logs on ESPN, and he recorded at least one reception in every game that he's played in.

 

[zelezo vlk]

He was great. If he would've played longer/gotten healthier with some injuries he could've gone down as the greatest. I don't blame him for retiring early, but his legacy will take a hit

 

[EddytoNow]

Megatron retiring at age 30. Similar situation to Patrick Willis, dominant player retiring well before what would normally be expected. Thoughts on his Hall chances? I think he gets in because he was so dominant.

As a Lions fan (Yes, there are still a few remaining.), I hate to see Megatron leave, but he was the dominant receiver in the league for a three to four year stretch and has been plagued by injuries the last few years. He has certainly earned a well-deserved retirement and to leave him out of the Hall of Fame would be a travesty.

 

[NorthDakota]

The man belongs in the hall. I really don't see what a few years of playing past his prime does...just pads some stats that don't need padding. What he was doing in his prime was nothing short of legendary.

 

[Corry]

If Vinatieri is a HOF lock so is Hester. The both were the best players at there position for over a decade.

 

[ab2cmiller]

If Vinatieri is a HOF lock so is Hester. The both were the best players at there position for over a decade.

Only difference is that Vinatieri had clutch kicks in the Super Bowl that resulted in multiple Super Bowl wins.

 

[kmoose]

If Vinatieri is a HOF lock so is Hester. The both were the best players at there position for over a decade.

I disagree. Hester was first a DB, then a WR, who did double duty as a PR/KR. He may have been the best (by far) PR/KR in the NFL for quite a few years, but he was never a great DB or WR, which is what his positions were. And Hester's tenth season was just this past season(he was drafted in the 2006 NFL draft), so he hasn't done anything the best for over a decade.

 

[TomHaverford]

Patrick Willis and Megatron are both 1st ballot HOF'ers IMO. Anybody who says otherwise is crazy to me.

Willis played 8 seasons and Megatron played 9. Pretty much every year they played they were Pro Bowl caliber players and the top 3 guys at their positions if not the top guy. They were certainly the most gifted guys at their positions even if they didn't always play up to that level. Both guys dealt with many nagging injuries, Calvin with his fingers and knees and Willis with his feet.

Not to mention they both had athletic gifts that I don't know that I've ever seen in a MLB or a WR. Willis was just freakishly explosive for an ILB and Megatron was 6'5, 238 pounds and ran sub 4.4's with a 45" vertical. Dude was uncover-able. Some of the catches he made were insane.

I can't knock guys who don't want to play for 15+ years. Not everybody has the love for the game like that like Jerry Rice or Rod Woodson or Tim Brown.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Willis made 5 first team all pro.

Megaton has made 3 first team all pro.

I don't look at probowls, only all pro team.

I think both are borderline...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zelezo vlk]

Do people not see the value of 1st ballot HOF votes? In my opinion, those should only go for the guys who clearly have a case for the greatest to ever play their position. I'd think it's 50/50 for both as far as 1st ballot goes. Look at how long it took Tim Brown to make it in. Same for Cris Carter

 

[TomHaverford]

Do people not see the value of 1st ballot HOF votes? In my opinion, those should only go for the guys who clearly have a case for the greatest to ever play their position. I'd think it's 50/50 for both as far as 1st ballot goes. Look at how long it took Tim Brown to make it in. Same for Cris Carter

Cris Carter and Tim Brown were never the best guys at their positions when they played in the NFL. They are in based more on consistency and longevity. Great players to be sure, but neither were ever better than Jerry Rice or Michael Irvin. Great, great players. Not knocking them. Cris Carter might have the best set of hands that I've ever seen, but he was very slow and his first 6 years in the league were nothing spectacular or to write home about.

Neither Carter or Brown were ever even remotely CLOSE to being as dominant and as imposing as Calvin Johnson was. Physically they just could not do the things that he could do. They just couldn't. There's only one other WR that I've ever seen with those sort of skills and his name was Randy Moss.

Calvin didn't have a QB his first few years in the NFL, and he was still a problem. His second year on there wasn't a better WR in the game when he played.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Cris Carter and Tim Brown were never the best guys at their positions when they played in the NFL. They are in based more on consistency and longevity. Great players to be sure, but neither were ever better than Jerry Rice or Michael Irvin. Great, great players. Not knocking them. Cris Carter might have the best set of hands that I've ever seen, but he was very slow and his first 6 years in the league were nothing spectacular or to write home about.

Neither Carter or Brown were ever even remotely CLOSE to being as dominant and as imposing as Calvin Johnson was. Physically they just could not do the things that he could do. They just couldn't. There's only one other WR that I've ever seen with those sort of skills and his name was Randy Moss.

Calvin didn't have a QB his first few years in the NFL, and he was still a problem. His second year on there wasn't a better WR in the game when he played.

Megatron's prime was definitely between 2011 and 2015. He's been saddled with QB problems most of his career, but not every wide receiver has great QBs throwing to him the whole time. Calvin had some struggles early, and when he hit his peak he was as uncoverable as about anybody. However, his peak didn't last his whole career. Last year was not great and this year was just okay. Mind you, he was still good, but not dominant as he was used to being.

Look, I'm incredibly glad that Megatron is out of the division, and he was one hell of a class act on the field and off of it, but to me, he didn't have long enough of a prime to justify 1st ballot. I'm also partial to longevity and he doesn't quite hit that well enough either to get the 1st ballot.

These are the stats I was using: 2009 NFL Receiving | Pro-Football-Reference.com (you can cycle through years on there). If they're erroneous, feel free to send me correct stats so I can make an informed decision.

 

[TomHaverford]

there's no doubt in my mind the guy has a lot of great football left in the tank.

I think playing for the hapless Lions has just worn on him. I don't know why they aren't trying to at least talk to him about restructuring his deal to make him more trade friendly and agreeing to let him sign off on a trade to a contender.

Better to try and get some value for him than to just let him walk away for absolutely nothing, right?

I absolutely hate the Lions for wasting the careers of the most talented RB and WR that I think the game has ever seen. You had two guys that could just do things that no other players could do and you wasted away their careers. They both deserved better than the Ford ownership and the Lions.

 

[zelezo vlk]

there's no doubt in my mind the guy has a lot of great football left in the tank.

I think playing for the hapless Lions has just worn on him. I don't know why they aren't trying to at least talk to him about restructuring his deal to make him more trade friendly and agreeing to let him sign off on a trade to a contender.

Better to try and get some value for him than to just let him walk away for absolutely nothing, right?

I absolutely hate the Lions for wasting the careers of the most talented RB and WR that I think the game has ever seen. You had two guys that could just do things that no other players could do and you wasted away their careers. They both deserved better than the Ford ownership and the Lions.

That's really how I see it too. I'm assuming you're a Lions fan and I'm sorry for losing your best players like that.

 

[TomHaverford]

That's really how I see it too. I'm assuming you're a Lions fan and I'm sorry for losing your best players like that.

yeah, unfortunately I am, but I think I'm about to boycott these aholes until the NFL makes the Ford family sell the team. They really should step in and do something, it's torture that they've put the city through. Detroit deserves better.

The Ford's should be doing everything in their power to help Johnson get out of Detroit and to a real contender and to get something of value in a trade.

What a stand up guy and class act all the way, just like Sanders was. As great as they are as players, just really good guys who do it the right way. Great teammates, never bring attention to themselves or try to be bigger than the team like a lot of star players do. No T.O. or Moss in either of those guys. Just really good, humble dudes. Both deserved way better than what they got.

 

[zelezo vlk]

yeah, unfortunately I am, but I think I'm about to boycott these aholes until the NFL makes the Ford family sell the team. They really should step in and do something, it's torture that they've put the city through. Detroit deserves better.

The Ford's should be doing everything in their power to help Johnson get out of Detroit and to a real contender and to get something of value in a trade.

What a stand up guy and class act all the way, just like Sanders was. As great as they are as players, just really good guys who do it the right way. Great teammates, never bring attention to themselves or try to be bigger than the team like a lot of star players do. No T.O. or Moss in either of those guys. Just really good, humble dudes. Both deserved way better than what they got.

Agreed and I wouldn't blame you if you stopped supporting the team until they turned around the organization.

 

[kmoose]

Going back and looking at his numbers, he's(Calvin Johnson) definitely NOT a 1st ballot guy. He's probably not even a 2nd or 3rd ballot guy. But that would depend on who else is on the ballot at the time. Based on what I consider the "Holy Trinity" for receivers; Receptions, Yards, and Touchdowns...... Johnson only put together one dominant year in his 9 years in the league. In 2011, he finished fourth in catches, first in yards, and second in TDs. 2012 was a very good year for him, finishing first in catches and yards, but he finished 40th in TDs. To me, that's like having your 1st or 3rd baseman win a Gold Glove and hit .320, but only hit 20 HRs. 1st and 3rd are your power positions and you want lots of HRs from them. A dominant WR finds the end zone very often. That's not saying it was a bad year for him, he still led the league in catches and yards, but neither was he dominant. For me, one dominant year in 9 is just not enough to get me to vote for you on the first ballot.

 

[irishroo]

Projecting future NFL Hall of Famers - Will Eli Manning of New York Giants, Cam Newton of Carolina Panthers make Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Interesting article from Bill Barnwell trying to spell out guys on each team who are potential future HoF-ers. He mentions that at any given time there are about 45-50 guys playing who will be in the Hall of Fame, which is more than I would have guessed but has historically been the case. Guys he lists as basically locks as of right now (better than 90% chance) are as follows:
- Joe Thomas (99%)
- Larry Fitzgerald (95%)
- Jason Witten (95%)
- DeMarcus Ware (98%)
- Aaron Rodgers (100%)
- JJ Watt (100%)
- Adrian Peterson (99%)
- Tom Brady (100%)
- Drew Brees (100%)
- Darelle Revis (95%)
- Ben Roethlisberger (90%)
- Richard Sherman (90%)
- Earl Thomas (95%)

Other guys/percentages I thought were interesting:
- Dwight Freeney (40%)
- Steve Smith (60%)
- Cam Newton (65%)
- Clay Matthews (80%)
- Adam Vinataeri (75%)
- Ndamukong Suh (75%)
- Eli Manning (40%)
- Antonio Gates (70%)

Also mentioned Harrison Smith and Zack Martin but essentially said it's too early to tell for those guys.

 

[TomHaverford]

Projecting future NFL Hall of Famers - Will Eli Manning of New York Giants, Cam Newton of Carolina Panthers make Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Interesting article from Bill Barnwell trying to spell out guys on each team who are potential future HoF-ers. He mentions that at any given time there are about 45-50 guys playing who will be in the Hall of Fame, which is more than I would have guessed but has historically been the case. Guys he lists as basically locks as of right now (better than 90% chance) are as follows:
- Joe Thomas (99%)
- Larry Fitzgerald (95%)
- Jason Witten (95%)
- DeMarcus Ware (98%)
- Aaron Rodgers (100%)
- JJ Watt (100%)
- Adrian Peterson (99%)
- Tom Brady (100%)
- Drew Brees (100%)
- Darelle Revis (95%)
- Ben Roethlisberger (90%)
- Richard Sherman (90%)
- Earl Thomas (95%)

Other guys/percentages I thought were interesting:
- Dwight Freeney (40%)
- Steve Smith (60%)
- Cam Newton (65%)
- Clay Matthews (80%)
- Adam Vinataeri (75%)
- Ndamukong Suh (75%)
- Eli Manning (40%)
- Antonio Gates (70%)

Also mentioned Harrison Smith and Zack Martin but essentially said it's too early to tell for those guys.

I can buy everybody on that first list except Jason Witten. He's Hall of Very Good. Not Hall of Fame IMO. I'd change Revis, Peterson, and Fitzgerald to 100% too. Also think it's way too early to be listing Earl Thomas and Sherman. They've each only played 5 seasons. I certainly think they should get there one day, but they need more time.

I don't think any of those guys in the 2nd group except Antonio Gates and Vinateri are HOF locks. Gates totally redefined the TE position for a decade. Vinateri is only the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history lol.

I think Cam MIGHT get there one day, still way too early. Suh could as well, still way too early. But he's been THE premier DT in the NFL since the day he got into the league.

Freeney, Smith, Matthews, and Eli are Hall of Very Good. Not Hall of Fame imo.

 

[irishroo]

I can buy everybody on that first list except Jason Witten. He's Hall of Very Good. Not Hall of Fame IMO. I'd change Revis, Peterson, and Fitzgerald to 100% too. Also think it's way too early to be listing Earl Thomas and Sherman. They've each only played 5 seasons. I certainly think they should get there one day, but they need more time.

I don't think any of those guys in the 2nd group except Antonio Gates and Vinateri are HOF locks. Gates totally redefined the TE position for a decade. Vinateri is only the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history lol.

I think Cam MIGHT get there one day, still way too early. Suh could as well, still way too early. But he's been THE premier DT in the NFL since the day he got into the league.

Freeney, Smith, Matthews, and Eli are Hall of Very Good. Not Hall of Fame imo.

Witten seems to me like a guy who hasn't gotten as much pub as he probably deserves, which is weird given that he's been a Cowboy his entire career and has a really compelling backstory. But he's a surefire Hall of Famer to me - 10x Pro Bowl, more than likely jumps into the top 5 all time in receptions (not just TEs, all players) after this season, and has never missed a game. He has several seasons comparable to Antonio Gates' very best season and is probably the second-best TE of this generation behind Tony Gonzalez.

I agree with you on Thomas and Sherman - still seems too early to tell. Cam and Suh as well; talent is clearly there but who knows what happens in the future.

Barnwell putting Eli at only 40% was the biggest surprise on the list for me. The list of QBs with multiple Super Bowl MVPs not in the Hall of Fame (who are eligible) is below:

...

There aren't any. Throw in the fact that he plays in NY and his last name is Manning (shouldn't matter, but does) and I think he's pretty close to a lock.

 

[irishroo]

Andre Johnson announced his retirement today. The Barnwell article referenced above has his chances at 75% and I think he'll get in. Thoughts?