19 Class of 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists announced

[chongli]

The Pro Football Hall of Fame delyaed this show on NFL Network from yesterday to today (January 4) out of respect for Damar Hamlin.

 

[Notes:

 

Semi-finalist and former Buffalo Bill London Fletcher did not make it.

Neither did Henry Ellard, who was in his final year of regular eligibility.

Players who were in their first-year of eligbility who did not make it are OT Jahri Evans and LB James Harrison.]

 

Just announced:

 

KR/PR/WR Devin Hester

LB Patrick Willis

LB Zach Thomas

S Darren Woodson

DB Rhonde Barber

CB Albert Lewis (final year of regular eligibility)

DE Dwight Freeney (first year of eligibility)

DE/LB DeMarcus Ware

DE Jared Allen

WR Andre Johnson

WR Reggie Wayne

WR Torry Holt

OT Willie Anderson

OT Joe Thomas (first year of eligibility) [corrected--thanks to @BRH]

DB Darrell Revis (first year of eligibility)

 

Already Nominated as Finalists:

 

Seniors:

 

CB Ken Riley

DE/DT Joe Klecko

LB Chuck Howley

 

Contributor:

 

Coach Don Coryell

 

The Hall of Fame’s 49-person Selection Committee will select the Class of 2023 in advance of Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz. The class will be announced live on the “NFL Honors” telecast scheduled to air at 9 p.m. ET Feb. 9. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Bylaws for the Selection Committee provide that between four and nine new members will be selected. 

 

The committee will trim down the finalists to ten, then five. These five finalists will be voted on individually, “yes” or “no,” and must receive the same 80% positive vote as the Coach/Contributor and Seniors Finalists to earn election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by chongli

[BRH]

This can’t be Zach Thomas’ first year of eligibility.  Maybe his last?

[benderbender]

[BigDingus]

Joe Thomas & Jared Allen definitely should get in, so should Andre Johnson & Reggie Wayne (they're #11 & #10 all time in receiving yards). Willis & Revis were best at their positions for a long time too.

 

I don't really have strong opinions about the other ones. For some reason I already assumed Darren Woodson would be in the HOF, he was a 1st Team All Pro on a SB winning dynasty after all. 

 

[chongli]

20 hours ago, BRH said:

This can’t be Zach Thomas’ first year of eligibility.  Maybe his last?

 

Haha, thanks for the correction. I meant Joe Thomas, not Zach. Updated!

Edited January 5, 2023 by chongli

[MJS]

This is actually a decent group. A bunch deserve it. This should be a stronger class than the past few years.

 

Revis, Thomas, Woodson, Johnson, and Wayne are all deserving. Freeney, Allen, and Ware have the stats and accolades, so they make sense to get in, but I wonder if they will do three edge rushers in the same class or not.

 

Good group.

[chongli]

26 minutes ago, BigDingus said:

Joe Thomas & Jared Allen definitely should get in, so should Andre Johnson & Reggie Wayne (they're #11 & #10 all time in receiving yards). Willis & Revis were best at their positions for a long time too.

 

I don't really have strong opinions about the other ones. For some reason I already assumed Darren Woodson would be in the HOF, he was a 1st Team All Pro on a SB winning dynasty after all. 

 

 

But you can only choose 5. I count 7! 😄

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by chongli

[Manther]

8 hours ago, BigDingus said:

Joe Thomas & Jared Allen definitely should get in, so should Andre Johnson & Reggie Wayne (they're #11 & #10 all time in receiving yards). Willis & Revis were best at their positions for a long time too.

 

I don't really have strong opinions about the other ones. For some reason I already assumed Darren Woodson would be in the HOF, he was a 1st Team All Pro on a SB winning dynasty after all. 

 

Agree on Joe Thomas and Jared Allen.  Revis agree.  Willis was too short a career at 8 years.  He was top LB for maybe 3 of those years.

 

Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.  Hmmm.  Reggie Wayne I think so and possibly Andre Johnson.

 

If I had to pick I would say Thomas, Allen, Revis, Wayne and not sure on the other this year.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

How is Klecko not in the hall of fame

 

[Greg S]

3 minutes ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

How is Klecko not in the hall of fame

 

 

Don't know. He should have been in a long time ago. 

Edited January 5, 2023 by Greg S

[LabattBlue]

10 minutes ago, Manther said:

Agree on Joe Thomas and Jared Allen.  Revis agree.  Willis was too short a career at 8 years.  He was top LB for maybe 3 of those years.

 

Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.  Hmmm.  Reggie Wayne I think so and possibly Andre Johnson.

 

If I had to pick I would say Thomas, Allen, Revis, Wayne and not sure on the other this year.

Career longevity seems to have gone out the window after Boselli who only played 6 seasons, went in last year or the year before. 

[Spiderweb]

10 hours ago, BRH said:

This can’t be Zach Thomas’ first year of eligibility.  Maybe his last?

He shouldn't be associated with the HOF in any way. He does not belong.

[Mr. WEO]

15 hours ago, BigDingus said:

Joe Thomas & Jared Allen definitely should get in, so should Andre Johnson & Reggie Wayne (they're #11 & #10 all time in receiving yards). Willis & Revis were best at their positions for a long time too.

 

I don't really have strong opinions about the other ones. For some reason I already assumed Darren Woodson would be in the HOF, he was a 1st Team All Pro on a SB winning dynasty after all. 

 

 

Willis wasn't aropund long--played only 71/2 seasons.  Joe Thomas will get in because everyone syas he's the greatest although he neve made an impact in Cleveland's Offensive success.  Zero impact.

 

Revis should walk in right now.  One of the Rams WRs should get in.  Both won't. 

 

Jared Allen should get in.

 

Coryell should have gotten in a million years ago, but the football writers and media representatives are a pretty dumb lot

 

 

[PetermansRedemption]

How many people do they let in each year?

[BigDingus]

16 hours ago, chongli said:

 

But you can only choose 5. I count 7! 😄

 

 

 

Yeah, I honestly wasn't paying attention lol. Just kinda scrolling through the names that stuck out to me. But hey, they can all get in at some point!

 

[chongli]

1 hour ago, PetermansRedemption said:

How many people do they let in each year?

 

The by-laws call for 4-9. The 3 senior finalists and the 1 contributor finalist are pretty much automatically in, because those committees have done the work already. So that means between 0-5 of the modern-era nominees get in, depending if they each get 80% of the vote.

Edited January 5, 2023 by chongli

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I think the following should be voted in:

 

Revis

Thomas

Hester

Coryell

Klecko

 

I would probably vote Allen in as well. 

 

I'm torn on Wayne and Johnson.  They are both in the Hall of the Very Good, just not sure they should be in the HOF.

[frostbitmic]

S - Darren Woodson

CB - Darrell Revis

WR - Torry Holt

OT - Willie Anderson

DE - Jared Allen

 

Coach Don Coryell

Oldie but goodie - Joe Klecko

[BigDingus]

40 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

I'm torn on Wayne and Johnson.  They are both in the Hall of the Very Good, just not sure they should be in the HOF.

 

I dunno, they were both great players imo. 

 

Reggie Wayne (14 seasons): 14,345 yards (#10) / 1,070 receptions (#10) / 82 TD's (#28) / 1 x First-Team All-Pro / 6 x Pro Bowler

Andre Johnson (14 seasons): 14,185 yards (#11) / 1,062 receptions (#11) / 70 TD's (#49) / 2 x First-Team All-Pro / 7 x Pro Bowler

 

You have to remember though, Reggie Wayne had Peyton Manning & Andrew Luck throwing to him his whole career. Andre Johnson had:

 

1. David Carr 

2. Sage Rosenfels

3. Matt Schaub

4. T.J. Yates

5. Case Keenum

6. Ryan Fitzpatrick

7. Old Matt Hassellbeck (Colts)

8. About-to-Retire Andrew Luck (7 games before getting injured)

9. Marcus Mariota

 

And that's only counting guys who started significant number of games, not all the backups like Matt Leinart, Ryan Mallet, Tom Savage, etc... I feel like Andre Johnson could've destroyed so many records if he played on good teams with consistent QB play. One of those "what if?" guys like Eric Moulds.

 

 

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

5 minutes ago, BigDingus said:

 

I dunno, they were both great players imo. 

 

Reggie Wayne (14 seasons): 14,345 yards (#10) / 1,070 receptions (#10) / 82 TD's (#28) / 1 x First-Team All-Pro / 6 x Pro Bowler

Andre Johnson (14 seasons): 14,185 yards (#11) / 1,062 receptions (#11) / 70 TD's (#49) / 2 x First-Team All-Pro / 7 x Pro Bowler

 

You have to remember though, Reggie Wayne had Peyton Manning & Andrew Luck throwing to him his whole career. Andre Johnson had:

 

1. David Carr 

2. Sage Rosenfels

3. Matt Schaub

4. T.J. Yates

5. Case Keenum

6. Ryan Fitzpatrick

7. Old Matt Hassellbeck (Colts)

8. About-to-Retire Andrew Luck (7 games before getting injured)

9. Marcus Mariota

 

And that's only counting guys who started significant number of games, not all the backups like Matt Leinart, Ryan Mallet, Tom Savage, etc... I feel like Andre Johnson could've destroyed so many records if he played on good teams with consistent QB play. One of those "what if?" guys like Eric Moulds.

 

 

 

Good post.  They have the stats.  But were they ever the dominant player at their position?  You could make a similar argument for Moulds who if he played a little longer and had a better QB would be a fringe HOF guy too based on ability.  Wayne wasn't even his team's #1 WR for many years.  Johnson was probably more dominant but at the same time there were guys like Harrison, Moss, Megatron, and TO that were better.

I'd be fine if they voted either or both in the HOF but I wouldn't be outraged if either did not make it.