08-22-2023, 03:07 PM
(08-22-2023, 12:14 PM)ochocincos Wrote: While I'd love to see Chad get in, there are still quite a number of guys ahead of him among WRs.
Jimmy Smith
Anquan Boldin
Torry Holt (I honestly thought he was in already)
Steve Smith
Reggie Wayne
Andre Johnson
Brandon Marshall
Antonio Brown
As much as I hate to put Brown on that list, his 2013-2018 were absolutely monstrous. Had the dude not become a PR nightmare after leaving PIT, I have no doubt he would have gone on to become a Top 10 receiver stat-wise of all time and shoe-in for the HOF.
Great list, thanks.
I'd still put Chad ahead of most of them. Jimmy didn't have much more team success than Chad, and he's too quiet for a show like the HOF. The numbers are comparable, tho. Boldin was the epitome of solid and his longevity speaks for itself, but I don't hear many talk about him outside of draft time when his pedestrian RAS dominates the conversation lol. He also spent most of his time as a WR2. Chad was unquestionably WR1 outside of his time as a rookie and the cup of coffee he had in NE.
I think Steve Smith and Wayne are more Chad's level and they certainly deserve to get in- and they will. Marshall and Brown may get in eventually but they're both pariahs for the moment: Marshall for a career of controversies and playing on a hundred teams, and Brown for too many reasons to name. Marshall's done better to rehabilitate his image than Brown, but Chad has done the best.
Honestly, I know it's not popular but Chad should get in for just... being popular. You could at least make a case for his numbers and talent (as his peers often do, specifically in terms of his separation and routes), while his star power can carry him the rest of the way. JMO.
