Randy Moss, Ray Lewis lead stellar list of first-year pro football HOF nominees

[edjr 5,590]

 

Star linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher and game-breaking wide receiver Randy Moss are among 11 first-year eligible players for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Also part of the 108 early nominees who are eligible for the first time, having been retired for five years when the class is chosen next February, are cornerback Ronde Barber, wideout Donald Driver, offensive linemen Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk, and Jeff Saturday, and defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Kyle Vanden Bosch.

 

Steve Smith -- the former New York Giants receiver, not the former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens star -- is also eligible for the first time. The Steve Smith of Panthers and Ravens fame retired last year and is not yet eligible.

The roster of nominees consists of 53 offensive players, 38 defensive players, five special teams players and 12 coaches. Modern era nominees will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and, from there, to 15 finalists in January. Corey Dillon, Ben Coates, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison and Ty Law

During Super Bowl week, 48 voters will discuss the finalists, plus senior nominees Robert Brazile and Jerry Kramer and contributors nominee Bobby Beathard. There is no set number for any class of enshrinees, though between four and eight new members will be selected.

Returning finalists from 2017 are receivers Isaac Bruce and Terrell Owens; center Kevin Mawae; tackles Tony Boselli and Joe Jacoby; guard Alan Faneca; safeties John Lynch and Brian Dawkins; cornerback Ty Law; and coach Don Coryell.

 

 

 

Football is so different from baseball. guys play either offense or defense and defense matters, A LOT.

 

Who you got?

 

 

Moss - lock

Ray Lewis - should be locked up

Urlacher - lock

[tanatastic 2,061]

T.O should be a lock too, it's getting silly. He didn't do anything that bad at all.

[edjr 5,590]

T.O should be a lock too, it's getting silly. He didn't do anything that bad at all.

 

 

 

 

[Reality 2,710]

T.O should be a lock too, it's getting silly. He didn't do anything that bad at all.

 

They seem to like focking with WR's regardless.

 

That said, it's a joke that TO isn't in yet.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Damn deep class.

 

Moss, Urlacher, Lewis and Seymour all Locks..... Could prolly be talked into Saturday, Hutchinson and Barber.

[tanatastic 2,061]

 

 

 

 

lol yea some playful theatrics at very worst. He didn't beat up any women, do any drugs etc. He is guilty for entertaining the fans, what jerk.

[edjr 5,590]

lol yea some playful theatrics at very worst. He didn't beat up any women, do any drugs etc. He is guilty for entertaining the fans, what jerk.

 

I think if he had 0 career catches, he should automatically be in for dancing on the dallas star during a game

 

LET T.O. IN!

[Cruzer 1,992]

T.O should be a lock too, it's getting silly. He didn't do anything that bad at all.

Michael Irvin jabbed a pair of scissors 3" deep into E. McIver's neck, over a haircut seat - he literally was minutes away from dying.

 

And they won't let TO in?

[edjr 5,590]

Michael Irvin jabbed a pair of scissors 3" deep into E. McIver's neck, over a haircut seat - he literally was minutes away from dying.

 

And they won't let TO in?

 

if Michael Irvin's exact same career started today, in 2017 instead of 1988.

 

He'd be out of the league by 2020

[tanatastic 2,061]

Michael Irvin jabbed a pair of scissors 3" deep into E. McIver's neck, over a haircut seat - he literally was minutes away from dying.

 

And they won't let TO in?

Christ, just read about it. Insane.

[Cruzer 1,992]

 

if Michael Irvin's exact same career started today, in 2017 instead of 1988.

 

He'd be out of the league by 2020

No doubt... The league as a whole would be different for a lot of teams... What do the Ravens look like? Big Ben? Pfft, forget it.

[Vikings4ever 496]

 

 

Football is so different from baseball. guys play either offense or defense and defense matters, A LOT.

Plus there's a backlog of deserving football HOFers, while the pickings in baseball have been pretty spare.

 

I'll say Moss, Lewis, Manwae, Faneca, and Dawkins or Lynch.

[Mungwater 588]

Did they get the Steve smiths confused?

[edjr 5,590]

Did they get the Steve smiths confused?

 

 

Steve Smith -- the former New York Giants receiver, not the former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens star -- is also eligible for the first time. The Steve Smith of Panthers and Ravens fame retired last year and is not yet eligible.

 

 

[Mungwater 588]

The guy with 2600 yards and 12 TDs... what buffoons

[Hardcore troubadour 12,743]

3rd and Smith!

[Herbivore 911]

Can't remember the rules..do only 3 get in each year? Was think Corey Dillon should have a shot, but Faulk, James, Martin, George, Bettis all fall in his playing days, so maybe not for Corey.

[posty 2,296]

Can't remember the rules..do only 3 get in each year? Was think Corey Dillon should have a shot, but Faulk, James, Martin, George, Bettis all fall in his playing days, so maybe not for Corey.

Four to six I think...

[Bert 1,096]

 

if Michael Irvin's exact same career started today, in 2017 instead of 1988.

 

He'd be out of the league by 2020

The same could be said for the entire "Steel Curtain" defense.

[KSB2424 3,085]

Torry Holt

[edjr 5,590]

Torry Holt

 

 

even though he and Warner helped me to a championship in 2000

 

[listen2me 23 1,549]

Urlacher is a 1st ballot lock? I dont think so.

[tanatastic 2,061]

Urlacher is a 1st ballot lock? I dont think so.

Everyone else does.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,743]

Urlacher is a 1st ballot lock? I dont think so.

Those bears defenses were very good with him. Horrible without. Check out the one year he missed, and then when he came back.

[cbfalcon 824]

Out of respect, everyone but the Freak should be a no. The Mossiah is his own class. 2019 can incorporate the leftovers.

[IGotWorms 3,338]

Urlacher was awesome.

 

Lewis should have to wait for murdering that guy.

 

Randy Moss was great but too much of a headcase to be an actual winner. He should wait too.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Randy Moss was great but too much of a headcase to be an actual winner. He should wait too.

[listen2me 23 1,549]

Everyone else does.

Lewis is a 1st ballot LOCK.

 

Urlacher may get in right away but I dont assume he is locked in like I or you do with Lewis.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Lewis is a 1st ballot LOCK.

 

Urlacher may get in right away but I dont assume he is locked as in like I or you do with Lewis.

If urlacher had the same career in say, Tennessee or tampa, he wouldn't be. Because he was the star middle linebacker for the bears in a huge market, he will.

 

Moss and Owens should absolutely get in. Two of the top five at their position all time. The rest is noise.

[SUXBNME 1,345]

Exactly..

 

WTF is Worms talking about?

[IGotWorms 3,338]

Exactly..

 

WTF is Worms talking about?

 

Never won a Super Bowl. Not even on the vaunted Patriots. (Who won five titles without him.)

 

Because he's a focking crybaby headcase. Great player, but not a winner.

[SUXBNME 1,345]

 

Never won a Super Bowl. Not even on the vaunted Patriots. (Who won five titles without him.)

 

Because he's a focking crybaby headcase. Great player, but not a winner.

OK...Fair enough.

I don't agree with your reasoning for why he shouldn't be in the HOF right away, but at least you have an opinion for why.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,743]

If urlacher had the same career in say, Tennessee or tampa, he wouldn't be. Because he was the star middle linebacker for the bears in a huge market, he will.

 

Moss and Owens should absolutely get in. Two of the top five at their position all time. The rest is noise.

Sigh. Green Bay has plenty of HOFrs. Too many according to some. Is Pittsburgh some cosmopolitan hub? Urlacher was one of the two best players on a defense that was dominant for the better part of a decade. They were lost without him.

[listen2me 23 1,549]

 

Never won a Super Bowl. Not even on the vaunted Patriots. (Who won five titles without him.)

 

Because he's a focking crybaby headcase. Great player, but not a winner.

As a Packers fan I was never big on Randy. But honestly his "off the field issues" or antics on the field are great overblown. What did he do? Hit a woman with his car? Fake moon the crowd? Pretty tame and not even close to TO's antics.

 

So lets take every non SB winner off the ballots from now on? His antics didn't keep any teams from winning SBs. He was a WR and grading them on "winning" is a bit out there.

 

Randy was a top 5 WR of all time hands down no questions asked. Perhaps top 3. Same with TO. When you are THAT good you deserve to be 1st ballot.

[Gepetto 989]

You can vote for 25 semi-finalists, I did, pretty fun.

 

http://www.nfl.com/labs/rr/halloffame/2018

[listen2me 23 1,549]

Sigh. Green Bay has plenty of HOFrs. Too many according to some. Is Pittsburgh some cosmopolitan hub? Urlacher was one of the two best players on a defense that was dominant for the better part of a decade. They were lost without him.

 

Bears had a real good defense for a decade sure. Dominant isn't a word I would use. Not in the same universe as the run Baltimore had on defense during a similar time.

 

In his time with the Bears they had 6 winning seasons. 6 losing seasons. One 8-8 record.

 

Out of his 13 seasons the Bears had top 10 defenses only 5 times. 20th or worse 4 times. Hardly dominant.

 

I'm not sitting here saying Urlacher was not good, don't get me wrong there.

[tanatastic 2,061]

 

Never won a Super Bowl. Not even on the vaunted Patriots. (Who won five titles without him.)

 

Because he's a focking crybaby headcase. Great player, but not a winner.

SB wins are used to judge QBs, not WRs. Wr is a pure stats situatiin. Moss is the 2nd best wr ever and this is not debated by many. Best deep ball wr ever by a mile. Him and Jerry are in a class by themselves. He will be first ballot and outlets are already highlighting this preparing for coverage. Things like "Moss headlines upcoming hof" etc. it's already done, start getting used to it.

[giraldi02 470]

Brian Dawkins is a hall of famer

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Sigh. Green Bay has plenty of HOFrs. Too many according to some. Is Pittsburgh some cosmopolitan hub? Urlacher was one of the two best players on a defense that was dominant for the better part of a decade. They were lost without him.

I agree he should get in. I meant he wouldn't be a first ballot lock.

 

I'm just saying. He got a lot of 'Cred' playing MLB for the monsters of the midway that he wouldn't have gotten in other places.

 

Green Bay and Pitt, while not huge cities, are marquee NFL franchises, and nationwide, have some of the largest fan bases in the league.

 

I'm just saying if he has done the exact same career as an Arizona cardinal or a St. Louis ram, he would not be considered a lock, but a maybe.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Brian Dawkins is a hall of famer

Agreed, 100%.