2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

It is interesting looking at active players and wondering which ones would make it to Canton...

I think only three active QBs are locks and another three will likely make it assuming they don't have career-ending injuries in the next year or two...

I only see one running back who I think would make it. One tight end, probably only one receiver, one or two linemen, six or seven defensive players and one kicker...

 

Active QBs: Peyton, Brady, Rodgers, Brees.... Eli, Big Ben probably
Active RBs: Peterson.....Foster?
Active WRs: Moss, C. Johnson, A. Johnson, Fitzgerald.....Wayne?
Active TEs: Gonzalez, Gates, Witten

 

I think Manning, Brady and Brees are locks... Roethlisberger, Eli and Rodgers are very, very close...

Peterson is the only other running back. Gonzalez is the only tight end. Fitzgerald and Moss are the only receivers.

Linemen: I would think Hutchinson is a lock. Not sure about anyone else.

Defense: Lewis, Reed, Polamalu, Bailey, Woodson, Suggs and Ware I would think are locks... Urlacher and Peppers are probably very close as well.

I would not vote for any of the current kickers...

I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple...

 

Vinatieri is still a current kicker Mizzou. You wouldn't vote for him?

 

Here are King's Hall of Fame thoughts from MMQ: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130204/baltimore-ravens-win-super-bowl-xlvii-peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback/?sct=hp_t11_a1&eref=sihp#all

he Hall of Fame got it as right as any year I recall.

I am prejudiced, of course, as one of the 46 voters of the pro football shrine. But in my 21st session inside the voting room, I thought the seven-member class was just as I'd have drawn it up -- with only this proviso: Michael Strahan or Charles Haley or Aeneas Williams would have absolutely been fine with me as the fifth and final member (on my ballot) instead of Warren Sapp. But the way I look at it is the way Strahan apparently feels about it: He's going to get in eventually; he, Haley and Williams all will, in my opinion.

Five thoughts on the seven-man class of 2013:

Cris Carter breaks the logjam, but not for long. He was the most deserving of the three receivers (over Andre Reed and Tim Brown), I thought, because he did two things superbly: score touchdowns -- 130 of them -- and catch the ball within millimeters of the sideline and end line. He's the best boundary receiver I've ever seen. The way I figure it, we could have 12 receivers with 1,000 catches who are not in the Hall by 2016, and I am just glad we, as a voting group, put one of the deserving pass catchers in this year. But it won't get easier in 2014. Marvin Harrison enters the fray next year, and that can't be good for Reed or Brown. Harrison caught 151 more balls than Reed -- in three fewer seasons.

Art Modell wasn't close, and I'm not sure he's going to get back into the Final 15 anytime soon. We are forbidden from describing with any specifics the debate in the room, but I can say it's going to be very hard to get Modell elected to the Hall anytime soon. He was eliminated when the voters reduced the list from 15 to 10 on the first cut of the day. The franchise move and overall record are factors, which, I guess, means none of the 46 people on the committee will be having dinner with Jack Harbaugh any time soon.

When Modell died last fall, the Ravens issued a statement with quotes honoring Modell, including praise from Jack Harbaugh that included this: "Scribes and pundits who believe in fairness and honesty dropped the ball today in allowing Art Modell to pass from this Earth without being inducted into the Hall of Fame. There is a narrow-minded corps of individuals who came up small today. Very small."

The Parcells call wasn't hard. I know some questioned his winning percentage of .570, but look at the bad teams he inherited (Giants, Pats, Jets, Cowboys), and look at his peers in the .570 neighborhood: Stram (.576), Noll (.572), Levy (.562). You take two teams to the Super Bowl, three to conference title games and four to the playoffs, you're a Hall of Famer.

Love the offensive linemen. What's great about the current crop of candidates is that most of the 46 candidates in the room have seen Jonathan Ogden dominate pass rushers from the quarterback's left side. What I really appreciated about Ogden was his, for lack of a better phrase, clean play. He had 13 false starts in his career and 13 holding penalties. How incredible is that? And guard Larry Allen was a Hannah-type road-grader. I thought both were easy calls.

As for the Class of 2014 ... Here come Marvin Harrison, Derrick Brooks and Tony Dungy, added to strong candidates Aeneas Williams, Charles Haley, Michael Strahan, Will Shields, Jerome Bettis and Andre Reed. It will be tough to argue against Harrison, and Dungy and Brooks have good arguments too. Another Saturday in paradise coming up next February in New York.

 

You don't think Rodgers is a lock?

Calvin Johnson will be in the Hall of Fame. Same with Jason Witten and Antonio Gates. Andre Johnson? Maybe, but I'm leaning yes. Not a lock, though.

 

Reggie Wayne will be an interesting call. When he retires, he'll be Top 10 in career receptions and receiving yards.

 

You mean in now or likely to get in if they keep it going?

Assuming it's the former, I'll throw out a few names just off the top of my head.

Is Jason Witten in now? Wes Welker? How about Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne and Steve Smith? Does Anquan Boldin have a shot? Is Roddy White on his way?

Jeff Saturday would seem to have a case, as would Matt Birk. Logan Mankins?

Patrick Willis? Charles Tillman? Haloti Ngata?

Like I said, this is off the top of my head. When I have time, I might do a little research and see who's out there.

 

I don't think most of those you listed are locks yet, although many of them are in a position to make it if they can keep up current production. Except Boldin, I think he's great but I'm not sure he'll have the raw numbers comparable to his peers.

 

I'll play this game.

The retired today and in crowd:

QB — Brady, P. Manning, Brees
RB — Peterson
WR — Moss
TE — Gonzalez, Gates
OL — Hutchinson
DL — Peppers, Allen
LB — Lewis, Suggs, Urlacher, Ware
DB — Polamalu, Reed, Bailey, Woodson
K — Vinatieri

The rest in the discussion, with at least five years played:

QB — E. Manning, Roethlisberger, Rodgers
RB — Rice, Jones-Drew, Johnson, Jackson
WR — Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Wayne, Welker, Marshall, White, Steve Smith, Fitzgerald
TE — Witten, Miller
OL — Joe Thomas, Birk, Mankins, Mangold, Clady, Evans
DL — Kevin Williams, Ngata, Freeney, Wilfork, Seymour, Abraham
LB — James Harrison, Derrick Johnson, Briggs, Fletcher, Willis
DB — Weddle, Samuel, Barber, Wilson
K — Janikowski, Hanson

 

You don't think Witten is in? Is Brees behind Manning and rothlesberger? Does that extra ring carry that much weight?

 

Joe Thomas is a lock. No doubt. I also think Phil Dawson should get some attention. Best bad-weather kicker I have ever seen.