2024 Hall of Fame Class

underthelights

underthelights

Well-known member
Dwight Freeney: Best spin move of his generation as a pass rusher. He really met all the criteria for HOF. Pro bowls, longevity, arguably the best pass rusher multiple years, super bowl, etc etc etc...
Devin Hester: The HOF did the right thing here. Hester changed games with his return ability and is the best to ever return kicks. Let Cribbs in next :)
Andre Johnson: I was kind of surprised that Andre Johnson got in this early. He was great, but I don't feel he was ever the best at the position during a given year.
Julius Peppers: Another lock. Peppers was the premier player on defense for 3 teams (Carolina, Packers, Bears) during his time at each stop. Arguably the best DE of his generation.
Patrick Willis: This is another one I think the HOF committee got right. He retired early, but was dominant while in the league. This should set the precedent for Kuechly next year.
Randy Gradishar (senior): Glad to see an old Buckeye get in the HOF. I think it took so long because he played for Denver in the era before tons of media coverage. The Orange Crush Defense is iconic and he was a beast of a backer.
Steve McMichael (senior): Long overdue. That defense Bears defense was so good. His job was simply to eat up blocks to free up backers, but he did so much more. ESPN did an article that is a must read and damn near brought me to tears about his wait to get in the HOF. Here is the link, give it a read. Seriously, if it doesn't make you well up a little, you have no heart. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id...-class-2024-chicago-bears-als-steve-mcmichael
 
 
underthelights said:
Also, how did Antonio Gates not get in? He and Gonzales were the two best TE for 10+ years.
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I believe it was Gates first time being eligible. If you put Gates in (on his 1st ballot), who do you take out not including the 2 selected from the veterans committee?

Gates will definitely get it, just not this year
 
WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
I believe it was Gates first time being eligible. If you put Gates in (on his 1st ballot), who do you take out not including the 2 selected from the veterans committee?

Gates will definitely get it, just not this year
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Johnson. Gates was more dominant for a longer period of time and was arguably the best at his position multiple years.

…and yes I realize he led the league in receptions and yards two years in a row. Still wasn’t better than Moss, Megatron, or even Reggie Wayne. I might even put DeShaun Jackson ahead of him.
 
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HOF is being diluted with really good players but not the best of the best talent. None of the players mentioned above are in the same league with a Munoz, Rice, or a Bruce Smith just to name a few of the really elite.
 
Stirred not Shaken said:
HOF is being diluted with really good players but not the best of the best talent. None of the players mentioned above are in the same league with a Munoz, Rice, or a Bruce Smith just to name a few of the really elite.
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As the rules change and the seasons lengthen, stats will not be able to be compared across eras as easily as the once were. A lot of guys, like Andre Johnson, got to put up numbers guys like Isaac Curtis, Lynn Swann, Drew Pearson, Cliff Branch, Mel Gray were not. But they were premier WRs in their time.
 
Andre Johnson was one of the best 3 WRs in the league most of his career. He put up what he did in pretty mediocre offenses QB'd by at best Matt Schaub.
 
Crusaders said:
Andre Johnson was one of the best 3 WRs in the league most of his career. He put up what he did in pretty mediocre offenses QB'd by at best Matt Schaub.
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And he did it in an era where WRs didn’t get the shiite beat out of them by headhunting DBs all game long. He can be fairly judged against peers from his era, no doubt, but guys from the past that are still waiting for the call will have stats that look minor league compared to a WR today, but were great in their time.
 
Stirred not Shaken said:
HOF is being diluted with really good players but not the best of the best talent. None of the players mentioned above are in the same league with a Munoz, Rice, or a Bruce Smith just to name a few of the really elite.
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I'm very much against this minimum number of players per year getting in. That's why MLB HOF is the best. You can have years when nobody is elected. And that's fine. When you have the 4 minimum rule you get automatic comparisons. " If this guy got in with these stats, then you gotta put in ( insert favorite player with comparable stats) "
I have no problem with the above players getting in. I also would have no problem if any were left off. None of those guys were elite locks
 
underthelights said:
Johnson. Gates was more dominant for a longer period of time and was arguably the best at his position multiple years.

…and yes I realize he led the league in receptions and yards two years in a row. Still wasn’t better than Moss, Megatron, or even Reggie Wayne. I might even put DeShaun Jackson ahead of him.
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I was with you for the first two. Would let you argue Reggie Wayne but never be convinced. But Desean Jackson?!
 
nupanther said:
I'm very much against this minimum number of players per year getting in. That's why MLB HOF is the best. You can have years when nobody is elected. And that's fine. When you have the 4 minimum rule you get automatic comparisons. " If this guy got in with these stats, then you gotta put in ( insert favorite player with comparable stats) "
I have no problem with the above players getting in. I also would have no problem if any were left off. None of those guys were elite locks
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Would be if they had knowledgeable voters.
 
Desean Jackson was not a better WR than Andre Johnson lol More explosive sure but his route tree was basically Go and variations

Calvin Johnson has a pretty analogous career to Andre Johnson. Great talent on at best mediocre teams (though Stafford is/was better than Schaub).
 
underthelights said:
There was a reason he played for 19 years.

Total impact plays among linebackers in the Hall of Fame from Clay’s era:
1.Rickey Jackson, 213
2.Lawrence Taylor, 195
3.Derrick Thomas, 187.5
4.Clay Matthews, 140.5
This is a good read on his case for being in the Hall of Fame from back in 2021: https://thelandondemand.com/news/2021/feb/05/my-case-clay-matthews-and-pro-football-hall-fame/
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Like I said, love Clay...but at no time in his career was he as dominant as the other LB's mentioned in the article. His longevity is his case for the HOF, but he had no high peak like the others did. Even Chip Banks, who had a much shorter career than Clay, had some peak years where he was considered among the best in the game at that time.
 
cjb5656 said:
Like I said, love Clay...but at no time in his career was he as dominant as the other LB's mentioned in the article. His longevity is his case for the HOF, but he had no high peak like the others did. Even Chip Banks, who had a much shorter career than Clay, had some peak years where he was considered among the best in the game at that time.
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It's wild to me that he only made 4 pro bowls. He was, however, named an all pro twice. Usually, that means you're pretty dominant. I think part of it is also scheme. They asked him to do a lot of things for their defense and he was a 3 down backer. That was a little more common in that era, but as a 4-3 linebacker, it's a bit more impressive what he was asked to do as opposed to a 3-4 outside linebacker that gets to rush on passing downs like, say, an LT.

I agree he's on the fence. I'm just placing the argument for the fun of debate. Plus, I like seeing Browns get in. 19 years for a linebacker is wild.
 
underthelights said:
It's wild to me that he only made 4 pro bowls. He was, however, named an all pro twice. Usually, that means you're pretty dominant. I think part of it is also scheme. They asked him to do a lot of things for their defense and he was a 3 down backer. That was a little more common in that era, but as a 4-3 linebacker, it's a bit more impressive what he was asked to do as opposed to a 3-4 outside linebacker that gets to rush on passing downs like, say, an LT.

I agree he's on the fence. I'm just placing the argument for the fun of debate. Plus, I like seeing Browns get in. 19 years for a linebacker is wild.
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I know Grossi in the article mentions Clay’s coverage ability, but Marty eventually had to assign Chip Banks to the TE and RBs because he didn’t feel Clay was good enough in coverage, so Clay got to rush more and his sack numbers went up. The only bad thing was that it diminished Chip’s pass rush opportunities and he had elite pass rush skills. What a great tandem they were in Marty’s 3-4, though!
 
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