Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Patrick Willis has retired and will be eligible for the HoF in 2020. Free agents who would join him if not signed might include Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Kevin Williams, and Lance Briggs.

bachslunch wrote:Patrick Willis has retired and will be eligible for the HoF in 2020. Free agents who would join him if not signed might include Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, Kevin Williams, and Lance Briggs.

Williams and Briggs are interesing, though I don't know if voters will recognize the consistency of each. Briggs has better shot. Williams was one of my favorite DTs of the past 20 years. Bryant Young and Williams, talk about textbook.

I keep reading that Willis may have trouble, at least right away. http://www.talkoffamenetwork.com/patric ... -everyone/

Patrick Willis a “slam-dunk” Hall of Famer? Not so fast, everyone
Denver Broncos Historical Archives

(Photos courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos)

By Clark Judge

Talk of Fame Network

I read an article that called Patrick Willis – now the former linebacker of the San Francisco 49ers – a “sure-fire Hall of Famer,” with the author telling us he’s a cinch to make it to Canton because … well, because he just is.

OK, fine. But this just in: He’s not. . . .for rest of article click link

But to me, he's the Stephenson, Sayers type exemption for so-called longevity. The kind Easley deserves.

Wayne . . .I don't know, either. Kind of like Torry Holt . . .to me both are HOVG, not HOF.

I doubt any of these five have any shot at being "first ballot." Willis might have been if he hadn't retired early. But it wouldn't surprise me to see all five elected sooner or later.

Of these, my guess is that Briggs may have the hardest time since he won't likely make an All-decade team and he wasn't a sack compiler. His profile is 2/7/none. Kevin Williams is at 5/6/00s and unless the voters hold PED use against him (something the voters have no record of), I'd guess he gets in after a few years.

Just looking at possible 2020 HoF first time eligibles after cutdowns. Patrick Willis and Troy Polamalu have announced retirement. As of now, looks like Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham may join them. Kevin Williams is signed on with the New Orleans Saints, so he appears to be active for 2015.

Also for players on their last year of HoF regular eligibility with at least some kind of argument, this appears to Deron Cherry's final go-around before he hits the Senior pool.

bachslunch wrote:Just looking at possible 2020 HoF first time eligibles after cutdowns. Patrick Willis and Troy Polamalu have announced retirement. As of now, looks like Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham may join them. Kevin Williams is signed on with the New Orleans Saints, so he appears to be active for 2015.

Also for players on their last year of HoF regular eligibility with at least some kind of argument, this appears to Deron Cherry's final go-around before he hits the Senior pool.

Of those, Polamalu is probably the only one who is a certainty to get in, followed by Freeney. Wayne is going to have to contend with the Mosses and Ochocincos and Harrisons and Owenses and I don't know if his numbers are quite as eye-popping as theirs.

Rupert Patrick wrote:

bachslunch wrote:Just looking at possible 2020 HoF first time eligibles after cutdowns. Patrick Willis and Troy Polamalu have announced retirement. As of now, looks like Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham may join them. Kevin Williams is signed on with the New Orleans Saints, so he appears to be active for 2015.

Also for players on their last year of HoF regular eligibility with at least some kind of argument, this appears to Deron Cherry's final go-around before he hits the Senior pool.

Of those, Polamalu is probably the only one who is a certainty to get in, followed by Freeney. Wayne is going to have to contend with the Mosses and Ochocincos and Harrisons and Owenses and I don't know if his numbers are quite as eye-popping as theirs.

Agreed Polamalu gets elected, and I think most of the rest get in after a good wait.

Reggie Wayne is indeed behind Moss, Owens, and Harrison but currently stands 7th in catches and 8th in yards in his career, which may well be enough. Ochocinco/Johnson won't enter into the discussion since he's currently 32nd in catches and 30th in yards lifetime. The more active WRs who pass Wayne, though (Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald being most likely), the longer he's likely to wait.

John Abraham's honors are 3/5/none as an OLB and probably most importantly he stands 10th in sacks all-time. He'll wait a good while, regardless, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's voted in eventually.

bachslunch wrote:

Rupert Patrick wrote:

bachslunch wrote:Just looking at possible 2020 HoF first time eligibles after cutdowns. Patrick Willis and Troy Polamalu have announced retirement. As of now, looks like Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham may join them. Kevin Williams is signed on with the New Orleans Saints, so he appears to be active for 2015.

Also for players on their last year of HoF regular eligibility with at least some kind of argument, this appears to Deron Cherry's final go-around before he hits the Senior pool.

Of those, Polamalu is probably the only one who is a certainty to get in, followed by Freeney. Wayne is going to have to contend with the Mosses and Ochocincos and Harrisons and Owenses and I don't know if his numbers are quite as eye-popping as theirs.

Agreed Polamalu gets elected, and I think most of the rest get in after a good wait.

Reggie Wayne is indeed behind Moss, Owens, and Harrison but currently stands 7th in catches and 8th in yards in his career, which may well be enough. Ochocinco/Johnson won't enter into the discussion since he's currently 32nd in catches and 30th in yards lifetime. The more active WRs who pass Wayne, though (Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald being most likely), the longer he's likely to wait.

John Abraham's honors are 3/5/none as an OLB and probably most importantly he stands 10th in sacks all-time. He'll wait a good while, regardless, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's voted in eventually.

You are correct about Chad 85, he is more of a HOVG type, but Wayne I think is going to face another WR logjam at Canton similar to the one we have been seeing. I think Moss, Owens and Harrison will all go in pretty easily, and the verdict is still out on Johnson, Boldin and Fitzgerald since their story is still being written, but in 8-10 years all three could be shoo ins or HOVG.

It is odd that the career statistical HOF standards are constantly changing at WR, but you never hear about them changing at QB. Wayne's numbers look good now, but in five years when he becomes eligible, there is no telling how the HOF standards have changed due to the current crop of receivers who are in their prime.