Last HoF eligible years for some borderline worthies

[bachslunch]

2016: Deron Cherry
2017: Joey Browner
2018: Joe Jacoby, Roger Craig
2019: Karl Mecklenburg, Mike Kenn, Sterling Sharpe
2021: Nick Lowery
2022: Sam Mills, Steve Tasker
2023: Henry Ellard, Albert Lewis
2024: Steve Atwater
2026: Steve Wisniewski, Leroy Butler
2027: Tony Boselli
2029: Darren Woodson, Gary Anderson
2032: Bryant Young

None except Craig have been finalists as far as I remember, but several have been semifinalists. Unless a sudden groundswell builds for Jacoby or Mecklenburg, I think all of the players eligible through 2019 drop to the Senior pool. There's still time left for the rest and it's possible a few might sneak in next decade.

I'm lukewarm regarding some of these folks, but many have decent arguments.

[Reaser]

Sterling Sharpe

Arguably better than 8-9 of the last 10 receivers to go in.

[bachslunch]

Sterling Sharpe

Arguably better than 8-9 of the last 10 receivers to go in.

I'm definitely in favor of Sharpe for the Hall. He, Mac Speedie, and Del Shofner strike me as comparable, big peak but short career guys which HoF voters don't often elect. Sharpe (3/5/none) and Speedie (6/2/40s) played for seven years. Shofner (5/5/60s) played 11 years but only seven as a full time WR -- he spent one year as a DB, another primarily as a punter (did this for three seasons), and finished with two very shortened (probably injury plagued) years. I think they all belong in.

[paulksandiego]

Sterling Sharpe

Arguably better than 8-9 of the last 10 receivers to go in.

I'm definitely in favor of Sharpe for the Hall. He, Mac Speedie, and Del Shofner strike me as comparable, big peak but short career guys which HoF voters don't often elect. Sharpe (3/5/none) and Speedie (6/2/40s) played for seven years. Shofner (5/5/60s) played 11 years but only seven as a full time WR -- he spent one year as a DB, another primarily as a punter (did this for three seasons), and finished with two very shortened (probably injury plagued) years. I think they all belong in.

I completely agree with you. I really don't know how Speedie and Shofner have been shunned all these years. I wouldn't have a problem with Sterling Sharpe's election either. I thought at his peak he was perhaps "better" than Jerry Rice.

[rockhawk]

What is the argument for keeping Roger Craig out of the Hall? I know his career numbers don't stack up high, but for awhile he was arguably the league's most versatile back. Wasn't he the first RB to have both 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season? Also, IMO he was the MVP of the 49ers '88 championship team.

I think it's time Jacoby gets in too. If Munchak is in the Hall, then there certainly needs to be a place for #66.

[Shipley]

Don't see a compelling case for anyone on that list to be in the HOF.

[Shipley]

PS -- Despite what I just posted, I'd say there's a good chance several on that list will wind up getting in, if only because they have effective, influential advocates in the room.

[bachslunch]

What is the argument for keeping Roger Craig out of the Hall? I know his career numbers don't stack up high, but for awhile he was arguably the league's most versatile back. Wasn't he the first RB to have both 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season? Also, IMO he was the MVP of the 49ers '88 championship team.

I think it's time Jacoby gets in too. If Munchak is in the Hall, then there certainly needs to be a place for #66.

Re Jacoby (profile 3/4/80s), I don't see a HoF argument for him that doesn't equally apply to Mike Kenn (3/5/none), Marvin Powell (3/5/none), or Leon Gray (3/4/none), unless there's a compelling film study argument in his favor. Far as I can tell, the only difference is Jacoby's being on an o-line with a cool nickname and an all-decade team selection that may or may not have a solid foundation. I say if Jacoby belongs, they all belong.

Re Craig, he has a profile of 1/4/80s and really has pretty ordinary stats beyond his four best seasons. I'm unsure how significant the 1000/1000 argument is given that he was hardly the first RB to excel at pass catching (Frank Gifford, Lenny Moore, Jim Brown). Also, Craig's dual-nature stats suffer in comparison to those of Marshall Faulk and Rickey Watters. And the fact that RBs are arguably the most over-represented position in the HoF doesn't help.

[bachslunch]

Don't see a compelling case for anyone on that list to be in the HOF.

A good argument for some of these folks is the lack of position representation. That goes for WRs (Sharpe, Ellard), safeties (Cherry, Browner, Butler, Atwater, Woodson), and kickers (Anderson, Lowery). If not mistaken, Ronnie Lott is the only safety in the HoF who played during the 80s-90s.

Rupert Patrick's kicker study shows Groza, Stenerud, M. Andersen, Lowery, and G. Anderson clumped together as the top five all-time in FG pct. adjusted for era (with no. 6 and following notably further behind). Groza and Stenerud are in and Andersen probably will get in down the road.

Historically, OLBs have been under-represented in comparison to MLBs, but the reverse is true for the 80s-90s (only Harry Carson and Mike Singletary are in), so I'm in favor of Mecklenburg and Mills to counterbalance.

Am on the fence with some others. Albert Lewis does not have a great honors profile, but he reportedly looks strong via film study and might merit a "Ray Nitschke exception." Same may be true for Bryant Young. Steve Wisniewski's profile of 5/8/90s is really good but his reputation for flagrantly dirty play is troubling. Not quite sure if Tony Boselli merits the Gale Sayers treatment or not.

[Bryan]

If Munchak is in the Hall, then there certainly needs to be a place for #66.

I've always thought Munchak's enshrinement was kind of weird. I think in the 60's and 70's, with so much run blocking and pulling, the guards were arguably the most important spot on the OL. Yet guys like Jerry Kramer and Bob Kuechenberg are still waiting to get in to Canton, while Munchak was a HOFer without much of a wait. Maybe I am ignorant on the greatness of Munchak, but I always thought of him as a pretty good G who, like most Gs, would have trouble against the elite DLs.

As for Jacoby, he was a LT who could/was asked to pull to the other side of the line in an era when LTs were expected to be pass-blockers first. Jacoby's ability to do this is somewhat unique. Don't really know if that equates with being a HOFer, but it is something that differentiates himself from Kenn/Powell/Gray. Of those four LTs, I personally prefer Kenn, but thats JMO.