2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

Wow, interesting. Some pretty elite company there.

I do think the numbers aren't the whole story, because teams started throwing the ball more and more.

 

I think Moss and Owens are clearly better than Harrison, but I still don't think either is getting in first ballot.

 

Della- can you elaborate on why you found Reed wanting?

 

Shields will get in eventually, but I think he's going to have to wait until there's a year where there is no obvious lineman to make it in front of him. I'd bet he came closer his first year than he did the last two because he had Allen and Ogden in front of him last year and Jones this year.

I agree Pace isn't quite at the level of Jones or Ogden, but I don't know if they'll vote Shields in before him either.

Edgerrin James is one that is going to be interesting to watch. I kind of think he is right at the line of the running backs who will get in and who won't. His yards per carry is not going to help him, especially since people are pointing to that as the reason Bettis isn't in. There are so many running backs who are borderline. Bettis will eventually get in. LDT is a first-ballot lock, but there will be no more locks until Peterson is on the ballot.

A friend who is a voter told me over a year ago that Bettis has a long wait ahead of him and LDT will be the next RB inducted when he's eligible in a few years...

 

He was quoting Peter King's MMQB column.

 

All right, then anybody - give me an argument for Reed's disinclusion.
I wonder if King understood what he was watching in the 1990s.
Because the guy was much more dangerous and accomplished than Tim fucking Brown.

 

I've never understood the fascination with Reed either. Never led the league in anything, scored double-digit TDs once, doesn't rank particularly high on the career lists, and his highest accolades are a couple of second-team All-Pro nods. This despite playing in one of the most prolific offenses of the day.

Just doesn't jump off the page as a Hall of Famer to me.

ETA: Only one time did he finish higher than fifth in any of the main receiving categories -- he was second in receptions in 1989. Does that sound like a Hall of Famer?

 

Does Tim Brown?

 

No, and I don't think he will make it.

 

It sounds like we're all on the same page, because I don't think either of them should be in, either.

Harrison should certainly have gone over Reed.

 

Agreed. I saw Brown as a very good receiver and more of a compiler than a truly great WR. I've heard if Brown gets in, it will be his return skills that push him over the top.

Reed was a great receiver on a team that didn't throw the ball a ton. So much of that offense was centered around Thurman Thomas, especially in the Super Bowl years.

Michael Irvin only had one season with double-digit TDs as well. Irvin was clearly a better WR than Reed, but I think he's another example of a top WR who doesn't have crazy stats (like Rice or Harrison) because they were on a team that typically ran the ball as its first option.

 

From 1988-94 you can argue that Reed was the best WR in the AFC and in the top 5 in the NFL. Seven years of sustained excellence plus about a half dozen pretty good years. He's not the best WR in the Hall but he's not close to the worst.