Big Willie HOF Finalist

[*pally*]

?NEWS?

The Modern-Era Player Finalists have been selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025, presented by @visualedgeit. #PFHOF25

Full story: https://t.co/vVCKLL6I6a pic.twitter.com/sbV8kmyrVA

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 28, 2024

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

Not that Pro-Bowl and All-Pro teams are the entire story (see Riley, Ken), but here they are nonetheless:

Player, Pos: PB, AP1, AP2, SB
Big Willie, RT: 4, 3, 1, 0
---------------
Eric Allen, CB: 6, 1, 2, 0
Jared Allen, DE: 5, 4, 0, 0
Jahri Evans, G: 5, 4, 1, 1
Antonio Gates, TE: 8, 3, 2, 0
Torry Holt, WR: 7, 1, 1, 1
Luke Kuechly, LB: 7, 5, 2, 0, 1 DPOY
Eli Manning, QB: 4, 0, 0, 2, 2x SB MVP
Steve Smith, WR: 5, 2, 1, 0
Terrell Suggs, DE/OLB: 7, 1, 1, 2, 1 DPOY, 1 DROY
Fred Taylor, RB: 1, 0, 1, 0
Adam Vinatieri, PK: 3, 3, 0, 4
Reggie Wayne, WR: 6, 1, 2, 1
Darren Woodson, S: 5, 3, 0, 3
Marshall Yanda, G/T: 8, 2, 5, 1

I doubt Willie gets in. I think Yanda is ahead of him in terms of OL, and Evans is a dead heat at best.

Suggs and Kuechly would be my top 2 in the class. Yanda 3rd.

Beyond those? Vinatieri (4), Woodson (3), and Manning (2) all have multiple SBs helping them.

Holt, Wayne, Gates, and Smith are all good candidates, but probably only 1 gets in this time. I'd go with Gates or Holt.

Poor Fred Taylor has a case of the Riley's. He deserves to be in, but all those years toiing in Jacksonville meant not so much PB/AP recognition.

My guess: Suggs, Kuechly, Yanda, Manning (whom I would not vote for), Vinatieri (ditto), and one of the receivers/TEs. I'd go with Gates.

[Destro]

Saw it on NFL Network earlier but couldn't find a good link. He really needs to get in as soon as possible. The number of first ballot guys are only going to accelerate of the next few years. OT is not a well represented position and the Bengals HOF contenders got hot when the Bengals did. We may have a cooling off period.

[TecmoBengals]

Another year hoping he makes it...

[*Awful Llama*]

Would love to see it, but if he does get in I fear he'll follow KR's path of sitting on the veteran list for years before they finally acknowledge him. Hope I'm totally wrong about that and he gets in sooner rather than later.

[*pally*]

This may actually be a year where a couple of Offensive linemen get in since there aren't a lot of slam dunks.  I would not be surprised to see both Yanda and Big Willie get in

Next year Marquise Pouncey will be on the ballot and will likely get in on the first ballot.

Geno Atkins also becomes eligible so that would complicate the Bengals nominees as we know the NFL wants to o the minimum if it involves our team

[Destro]

HOF definitely needs to have a super class like they did a number of years ago. Several deserving people are log jammed back and it will vastly accelerate as the internet generation players start becoming eligible.

Edit: And Ken Anderson, too!!!

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

(12-28-2024, 05:37 PM)Destro Wrote: HOF definitely needs to have a super class like they did a number of years ago. Several deserving people are log jammed back and it will vastly accelerate as the internet generation players start becoming eligible.

Edit: And Ken Anderson, too!!!

Kenny got bumped at the SF stage on the Senior ballot. Sterling Sharpe, Maxie Baughan, and Jim Tyrer are the finalists from the Senior ballot.

https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2024/12/5-individuals-reach-finalist-stage-for-pro-football-hall-of-fame%E2%80%99s-class-of-2025/

[Isaac Curtis: The Real #85]

I guess it is a max of 5 for modern era guys. I'd go Kuechly, Suggs, Yanda, Gates, and a homer Big Willie vote. Non-biased? Probably Woodson.

[StoneTheCrow]

About time they stop jerking him around because of the team he played for and induct him.

[QueenCity]

He needs to be in... it's crazy the disrespect they do to Bengals players.

Same thing for the MLB HOF - I can't wait for these old geezers to give up their votes. It's an absolute sham that some players are left out in an era where everyone was abusing steroids. That ERA literally saved baseball regardless of the shot in the a**

[Essex Johnson]

I dont see Willie making it, im thinking suggs, manning, yanda, gates and woodson .

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(12-29-2024, 04:39 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I dont see Willie making it, im thinking suggs, manning, yanda, gates and woodson .

My guess is:
Suggs
J Allen
Kuechly
Gates
and either Vinatieri or Manning (not sure if Vinatieri will get enough anti-K votes to get in 1st ballot or if they'll choose Manning because of his media work and last name)

If I had to choose just 1 that I am most confident in it's Kuechly being a 1st ballot. 8 years, 8 Pro Bowls, 5 1st Team All-Pros, 1x DRoY, 1x DPoY, HoF All-2010s Team... career shortened by injury while still playing at an extremely high level so all of that was being done after his age 28 season. For an added HoF boost, he is now in the media with CBS Sports.

[Sled21]

Tough class.

[Essex Johnson]

(12-29-2024, 05:14 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: My guess is:
Suggs
J Allen
Kuechly
Gates
and either Vinatieri or Manning (not sure if Vinatieri will get enough anti-K votes to get in 1st ballot or if they'll choose Manning because of his media work and last name)

If I had to choose just 1 that I am most confident in it's Kuechly being a 1st ballot. 8 years, 8 Pro Bowls, 5 1st Team All-Pros, 1x DRoY, 1x DPoY, HoF All-2010s Team... career shortened by injury while still playing at an extremely high level so all of that was being done after his age 28 season. For an added HoF boost, he is now in the media with CBS Sports.

 Kuechly will get in, just thinkung not 1st ballot with short career. Manning 2x SB mvp gets him in i think in 1st ballot

[Nicomo Cosca]

(12-29-2024, 06:37 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Tough class.

Yeah, you know it’s a pretty good group when no one is even mentioning any of those WR’s. Tory Holt was a key part of The Greatest Show on Turf, and Steve Smith Sr won a triple crown.

[t3r3e3]

(12-29-2024, 07:18 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote:  Kuechly will get in, just thinkung not 1st ballot with short career. Manning 2x SB mvp gets him in i think in 1st ballot

Manning is surfing off of those Super Bowl MVP’s. His career other than that was pretty average. He was never the best QB in the league or in the uppermost tier of QB’s. He never led the league in yards, passer rating, completion percentage, or TD’s, but did lead the league 3 times in interceptions. I find it hard to believe that he’d get in first ballot, but the voters love them some big market teams and weigh Super Bowl stuff pretty heavily. Personally I don’t think he’s a Hall of Famer at all, is surfing off of the Super Bowls and his last name, plus he benefited from having an absolute unit of a defense.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannEl00.htm

Eli’s stats aren’t appreciably better than the Red Rifle other than playing for longer:

https://stathead.com//football/versus-finder.cgi?player_id2=DaltAn00&player_id1=MannEl00&request=1&utm_campaign=2023_01_wdgt_player_comparison&utm_source=pfr&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_id=MannEl00

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(12-29-2024, 07:18 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote:  Kuechly will get in, just thinkung not 1st ballot with short career. Manning 2x SB mvp gets him in i think in 1st ballot

I still just don't think he should even be a HoFer. If his name wasn't Manning I doubt he would be.

4 Pro Bowls
0 2nd Team All-Pros
0 1st Team All-Pros
0 OPoY
0 MVPs

117-117 regular season record
84.1 QB Rating

Never led the NFL in passing yards, or passing TDs or YPA or QB Rating once... only stat he led the NFL in in a season was INTs 3 times.

Even his SBs his defense allowed 16.5ppg and 12ppg in the two SB runs and neither time ever allowed more than 20 points in a game (including holding the 19-0 1st scoring offense Tom Brady/Randy Moss/Wes Welker Patriots to just 14 points. Somehow Eli gets all the credit for it, though despite leading the NFL in INT that year. His great play was just chucking it up into the air down the field in desparation and hoping his WR won a jumpball.

[t3r3e3]

(12-29-2024, 07:27 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I still just don't think he should even be a HoFer. If his name wasn't Manning I doubt he would be.

4 Pro Bowls
0 2nd Team All-Pros
0 1st Team All-Pros
0 OPoY
0 MVPs

117-117 regular season record
84.1 QB Rating

Never led the NFL in passing yards, or passing TDs or YPA or QB Rating once... only stat he led the NFL in in a season was INTs 3 times.

Even his SBs his defense allowed 16.5ppg and 12ppg in the two SB runs and neither time ever allowed more than 20 points in a game (including holding the 19-0 1st scoring offense Tom Brady/Randy Moss/Wes Welker Patriots to just 14 points. Somehow Eli gets all the credit for it, though despite leading the NFL in INT that year. His great play was just chucking it up into the air down the field in desparation and hoping his WR won a jumpball.

Haha, great minds think alike…