best wide receivers not in the hall of fame

Raider fans want Branch and Ken Stabler and Ray Guy and maybe a couple others in, as well. Irving Fryar and Rison did a lot of the same things as Andre Reed, but the constant team-switching makes it hard, psychologically, to view them that way. He made two Pro Bowls as a returner, in 1988 and '91, and in 2001 became the oldest NFL player (35) to return a punt for a TD. If you're here for another era, check out our previous articles in this series: Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1990s (Brown, Carter, Fryar, Moore, Rison, Smith) NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1980s - Pro Football Hall of Fame Steve Smith - legendary wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers hops on the podcast with Takeo and Steve's former Panther teammate Tutan to talk about Steve's career in the game, where his drive comes from and how his next chapter as an analyst has allowed him to see the game in a whole new light. His three-year yardage and TD totals are the highest for any receiver in the 1970s, including the later years with a 16-game schedule. During those five seasons, Moore ranked 11th, 3rd, 3rd, 6th, and 24th in receiving yards. 7101 yards, 53 tds. All rights reserved. Irving Fryar 1. Jackson's accomplishments he retired with the most receptions and receiving yards of anyone who played his whole career in the NFL were quickly overshadowed by Steve Largent, James Lofton, and Air Coryell. 25. 1960-69: Lance Alworth, Don Maynard Just looking at career numbers, Fryar and Rison both compare well to Irvin. It's natural, I think, to compare him to Ellard. 2. Wonder how they come up with the ones in and the one not. Branch, Carmichael, and Pearson were all very good receivers, and all had great seasons and unbelievable moments. 1955-64: Raymond Berry, Tommy McDonald, Bobby Mitchell His career yards-per-reception rate of 19.2 ranks 10th in history and is the highest of any player whose career began after the AFL-NFL merger. Reaching those round numbers makes his stats look a lot different. Looking just at the 70s, Gray ranks 17th in receptions, 9th in yardage, and 11th in TDs. Duper played from 1982 to 1992. Drew Pearson The 9 best Jets not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Folks appear to have forgotten just how great and groundbreaking those early Jaguars teams were. Newest Colts WR Josh Downs is excited to work with WRs coach Reggie 1992-2005, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars Most Approximate Value (AV) in a receivers best sets of five and seven consecutive seasons, 1960-2019, McCardell and Smith dubbed Thunder and Lightning were a historically potent duo at receiver. Now lets talk seriously about getting Cliff Branch and Sterling Sharpe into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Branch's stat line in the '80s dwarfs Pearson's, by over 1,000 yards 50% more yardage. Smith had more receptions and yards than anyone but Marvin Harrison, with the 4th-most receiving TDs (Harrison, Owens, Moss). 1987-2002, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins Jackson led the league in receiving touchdowns and was a consensus All-Pro. Thats just one more indicator of how high the Hall of Fame bar really is. His Hall of Fame candidacy came up just as the committee was flailing to clear an embarrassing Art Monk-Andre Reed-Tim Brown logjam. Carter, once 2nd all-time in both catches and receiving TDs, is now 4th in both categories. zack howard on Twitter: "Imagine growing up with a hall of fame qb as 501 receptions, 8,685 yards, 67 TD. Also, Matt Ryan is not a Hall of Famer, no matter how hard Atlanta Falcons fans try to pretend that he is. who was recently elected to the Hall of Fame, sits atop the list of when it comes to the highest single-season yardage output, accounting for . This is a Game 7 I will forever remember as the Steph Curry game." These NFL wide receivers, Hopkins, like Edelman, made a little news on Monday when the folks at the MIT Sloan Analytics Conference named Hopkins acquisition by the Arizona Cardinals as the, Smith, like Andre Johnson, becomes Hall of Fame eligible next season. But he was never a guy we thought of as the best at his position. 1945-54: Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch, Dante Lavelli, Pete Pihos Can a team with a dozen HOFers really end up with just two championships? Jerry Rice in the '90s and Jackson in the '70s are the only Modern Era players to lead any decade in every major receiving category. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); After looking over all the stats for these great receivers, Ive come to the conclusion that Lynn Swan should not be in the HOF before quite a few of these other receivers. . It's true that Harrison, Moss, Owens, and Isaac Bruce have caught Brown and Carter on the all-time lists, and it's true that Brown and Carter played at a time when receiving statistics exploded, to unheard-of levels. I was surprised when Carter didn't get elected to Canton in either of his first two years of eligibility. That said, Hopkins may have to wait in line behind another recent Houston Texans receiver and former teammate. These NFL wide receivers do not count toward our list of 10 worthy Hall of Famers. To me, no one from that group left a Hall of Fame legacy. Grays not in the same statistical neighborhood as anyone except Swann, who was perhaps the most graceful and visually stunning receiver in history, a clutch legend and playoff hero, and who is widely regarded as a poor choice for Canton (see Tims comment above). His 2010 season is sort of underrated -- imagine a 33-year-old Hall of Fame wideout coming off a year where he led the league in touchdown receptions and went over 1,000 yards suddenly being . Thereafter, he was out-gained every year by either Jake Reed or Moss. 9:00 AM. Projecting his '82 season to 16 games, Carmichael reaches 618 catches, 9,405 yards, and 81 TDs. The next step for Smith could be Canton, though he appears to have been swept aside in the wave of modern stat-stuffing wideouts who have inflated the statistical requirements for Hall of Fame entry. Both players also have to fight the perception that they were good for a long time without being true standouts. 1945-54: Tom Fears, Elroy Hirsch, Dante Lavelli, Pete Pihos Moore: 670 rec, 9,174 yds, 62 TD. But those are glimpses of greatness. Going by career numbers, Branch has a far stronger case: 501 receptions, 8,685 yards, 67 TD. Branch also led the NFL in yardage once, receiving touchdowns twice, and was named an All-Pro three times in the mid-1970s. NFL News and Rumors: Dalvin Cook to Dolphins, C.J. February 28, 2012 by Brad Oremland Print Story. There really aren't any Hall of Famers whose careers match up chronologically with Harold Jackson's. He made four Pro Bowls and he was All-Pro in 1975. 1990-99: Michael Irvin. He probably shouldn't be in. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s (Hennigan, Powell, Shofner, Otis Taylor) Kansas City Chiefs running back Dante Hall (82) is chased by Oakland Raiders defenders Keyon Nash (42) and David Terrell (35 . HOF Qualifications: FAIR. In this article, I count down the Rams' top five wide receivers of all time. But in looking at the early '90s, I don't think Fryar and Rison are as strong as some of the candidates I'll write about next week: Gary Clark, Henry Ellard, Andre Reed, and Sterling Sharpe. The most by any current Hall of Fame receiver is five (Tommy McDonald). Here's someone who would fit there perfectly. When you're trying to stand out from contemporaries like Brown and Carter, who played forever, that's a real problem. But playing on so many bad Eagles teams delayed his entry into the Hall of Fame. That's a much different rsum, particularly on the touchdowns. Beyond the overall numbers, he led the league at various times in all of those categories, actually led in yardage twice (1969 and 1972). Smith, like Andre Johnson, becomes Hall of Fame eligible next season. 1965-74: Fred Biletnikoff, Bob Hayes, Charley Taylor, Paul Warfield Carmichael begins this exercise in a hole, as the only player on the list who ranked among the top 10 in receiving yardage fewer than three times. Fryar never caught 90 passes in a season, was never first-team All-Pro, only caught double-digit TD passes once. But Fryar was effective for so much longer, I think he did more to help his teams. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns twice, and in . Not counting people like Calvin Johnson because they're not retired.All of the videos belong to another YouTube video/ None of the footage is mineNot Mention. Aggie Football: Chiefs to induct Dante Hall into their Hall of Fame Players at the other stat positions quarterbacks and running backs are elected to the PFHOF with much higher frequency than wideouts. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls and was twice named first-team All-Pro. But in totality, it's . 1968-83, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks Carmichael was one of the best wide receivers of his era. Becoming a wide receiver is almost just an inevitable part of life at that point lmao" Four: Branch, Ellard, Fryar, Hennigan, Howton, Moore, Sharpe, Otis Taylor Branch made four Pro Bowls, was four times first-team All-Pro, and played on three Super Bowl winners. They force some of us to denigrate a player like Edelmans legacy because other folks are either just praising a local hero or advancing a bad-faith or ill-informed talking point. For one thing, Carmichael ranked among the top 10 in receiving TDs eight times, and as a possession receiver, his yardage totals don't fully reflect his value. The only wide receiver from Carmichael's era who had more TD catches was Paul Warfield, who had 85. Branch and Sharpe belong in the Hall of Fame by any standard. 8/16/2011. Hall of Fame QB's son will get NFL chance after signing rookie free But thats a topic for another column. If that whole period had fallen into a single decade, how differently might he be viewed? Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1950s (Hill, Howton, Speedie, Hugh Taylor, Wilson), Cliff Branch Despite his qualifications, hes probably not getting in on the first ballot. You know what, let's just do a chart. Jimmy Smith Made five Pro Bowls, gained 1,000 yards in every full season as a starter, caught 110 passes twice. Smith was occasionally dogged by drug issues, and his four-game suspension in 2003 probably kept him from becoming the only person besides Rice with 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons. Irving Fryar Five-time Pro Bowler and standout punt returner who played 17 seasons and scored 88 total TDs. But you can't really compare Jimmy Smith to Rison, because Rison was basically finished by the time Smith became a starter. It's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction week around the NFL world. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and made three All-Pro teams as a starter (more than Cris Carter and Tim Brown combined). Maybe. He probably doesn't need to be in. By and large, Smith who retired as the seventh-most-prolific pass-catcher ever was at the vanguard of the productive receivers who would follow, not the other way around. He probably shouldn't be in. This doesn't apply to Jackson. Swann, for instance, is generally thought of as a '70s guy. (Henry Ellard, Rod Smith and Isaac Curtis stans: this is your shout out). He helped redefine both offensive expectations and the wide receiver position during that span. When you see wide receivers motion into the slot, hide in the backfield, or haul in a tunnel screen, you are seeing some of the things Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren and his staff made popular in the NFL in an effort to funnel the ball into Sharpes hands. HOF Qualifications: EXCELLENT. All Rights Reserved. From 1998-2000, Carter caught 34 TD passes, more than anyone except Moss, who had 43. Jimmy Smith is a harder case. Finally, the Seniors Committee and the Centennial Committee appear determined to enshrine just about every 1970s receiver, ) to stay in the loop on all things around the NFL. Top 10 Washington Redskins WRs of All Time - lineups.com He was a showboat in Atlanta, but you can get away with that when you're performing at a high level. This doesn't really tell you anything. Picked out of Division I-AA Jackson State by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1992 draft, Smith struggled with medical setbacks a broken leg, an appendectomy even as the Cowboys dynasty was flourishing. 4. 10 Biggest Pro Football Hall of Fame snubs in NHL history. By the end of Rice's 20-year career, he had obliterated every receiving record imaginable. When they needed the key first down, who did they go to? Rison was a great player basically all the same years as Irvin, and if touchdowns are a big deal to you, you could easily regard them as more or less equal. Morgans career was in decline by the time the Patriots got hammered by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Published: Apr. Chiefs announce Dante Hall to be 2023 inductee into team Hall of Fame But what a force at his best. They can't be bumped more than five yards downfield. By the fall of 1994, he had been cut by Dallas and also the Philadelphia Eagles, leading to a year out of football. From recent years, when the passing game has reached levels of unprecedented importance, so far there's just Rice and Irvin. He has also been shunted behind Holt and Wayne in the wide receiver queue and Alan Faneca in the ex-Steelers queue. I immediately lost all respect for your credibility for this page because there is no mention of Andre Reed. But Smith's. He probably shouldn't be in. According to Pro-Football-Reference.coms Approximate Value (AV) metric, Smith had 74 AV in his best run of five consecutive seasons (from 1997 through 2001), which is tied with Lance Alworth, Antonio Brown and Julio Jones for fifth-best since 1960. From 1990-94, Rison was a truly great player. Pearson: 489 rec, 7,822 yds, 48 TD Pro Football Hall of Fame Top 20 - Leading Lifetime Receivers. Rison signed a big free agent contract with the Browns, then publicly cursed at the Cleveland fans. He made five Pro Bowls (one as a returner) and was second-team All-Pro twice (once as a returner). Tyreek's 2K Target; He's Not Playing Around Or Is He? Dante Hall chosen for induction into Chiefs Hall of Fame In 1977, he led the NFL in receiving yardage and was a consensus All-Pro. Carter was a standout. Just play along. In most eras, there are 2-4 wide receivers honored with Hall of Fame recognition. The Pro Football Hall of Fame voters are the same people who select All-Decade Teams. It's about his peak. Cris Carter Eight-time Pro Bowler, set single-season reception record, caught 1,100 passes for 130 TDs. He probably shouldn't be in. Comparing Smith to Keenan McCardell is just silly, which I guess leaves Herman Moore and maybe Rod Smith. I believe only about five of those players deserve induction, but there's a case to be made for all of them. When he's in the zone like that, you try to just get him in his spots, get him the ball and get out of the way. 670 receptions, 9,174 yards, 62 TD. That's good. I know, they won in '83, but that's a different team: Marcus Allen, Howie Long, Mike Haynes the '70s Raiders already have an awful lot of Hall of Famers for a team that only won its own conference twice. Putting numbers in context, how do Moore's best seasons look? "Flash 80" is the best WR of all time in NFL history. Theres another name that should be on here for serious consideration - Isaac Curtis, Bengals 1973-84. Who scored more TDs in the '90s, Michael Irvin or Herman Moore? Let's break this down a little more, looking at both the Hall of Famers and the contenders we've examined. In his 11-year career, Pearson led the Cowboys in receiving TDs only twice (1975-76). Rod Smith, WR, Missouri Southern State (1994) Denver Broncos Smith was signed by the Broncos and went on to be a starting. Edelman, the MVP of Super Bowl LIII and Tom Bradys favorite target for many seasons, deserves a place in the Patriots Ring of Honor (which is gonna get really crowded) and a cherished place in our hearts. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns twice, and in receiving yards in 1974. There are other 70s Bengals who are greater Hall snubs (cough - Ken Anderson, Ken Riley) but Curtis should at least be in this conversation. Sharpe was better than any of them, but the others had long careers and lots of postseason glory. Players active in 2005 who rank closest to a Top 20 ranking: TERRELL OWENS (716), ERIC MOULDS (675), RICKY PROEHL (666), TONY GONZALEZ (648), MUHSIN MUHAMMAD . Herman Moore Remarkably consistent in the mid-'90s, with three straight seasons of more than 100 receptions. *JAWS is an average of a players career and seven-year peak Approximate Value. That means consistency and durability. And that line is inevitably blurry. Antonio Brown: Hes clearly a Hall of Famer, but I dont feel like dealing with his whole thing. Harold Carmichael Four-time Pro Bowler whose size made him a unique threat to defenses. Fourth all-time in both receptions and receiving TDs, Carter joined Jerry Rice as the starting wide receivers on the 1990s NFL All-Decade team. Top Golf Logo. Morgan was one of the greatest deep threats in NFL history. 1,094 receptions, 14,934 yards, 100 TD. A seventh-round draft pick remarkable for his height (6'8"), Carmichael led the Eagles in receiving yardage seven times and played in four Pro Bowls. Finally, the Seniors Committee and the Centennial Committee appear determined to enshrine just about every 1970s receiver except Branch. Why did they change their minds? Branch is almost obscenely overqualified for the Hall of Fame. Now, it's guys like Andre Reed and Cliff Branch. @Neil_Paine, NFL (976 posts) Next Article: Julian Edelman Retires: Looking back at his 12-year career with the Patriots. Chronologically, there's really no one to compare him to. You can easily look at player like Art Monk or the 2 pass on this year TIm Brown and Chris Carter whom at a time or 1 and 2 on record books or right behind Jerry Rice. He didn't live up to his contract in Cleveland, he got a bad reputation, Left Eye burned his house down, and he played for seven teams, eight if you count the Argos. So now that I have my benchmark down, here are the wide receivers that I think only need a couple more seasons to potentially be considered for the HOF. The argument against Brown is that he was consistent rather than exceptional. J.Smith: 862 rec, 12,287 yds, 67 TD Draymond Green, Sports Central / Original Sports Fan Commentary Since 1998, Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1990s, Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1980s, Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s, Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1950s, Risers, Fallers of the 2022-23 NFL Season. Rather than three years finishing second and one tied for first, he's got two seasons alone at the top and another tied for the lead. The way the receiving game is today, I think we're going to see a lot of players string 1,000-yard seasons together, some of them as many as Smith. And if you look at the list of active players, there's really no one else who figures to pass Brown and Carter any time soon. 5. Two: Carmichael. I don't buy that, for either one. Besides, we should compare players to their contemporaries, not guys a decade younger. Also, continue to visit. He displaced Andre Rison (743 receptions for 10,205 yards and 84 TDs). A score of 100 is around the average modern-era inductee. 489 receptions, 7,822 yards, 48 TD. I suspect it is here that Jackson's consistency has worked against him. We continue this week with WRs of the 1970s. Ten Worthy Hall of Fame Receivers (Not Named Julian Edelman) April 15, 2021, 11:20 am ET 38 Our own Mike Tanier wades into the Hall of Fame debate with this list of wide receivers he believes deserve consideration for the Hall of Fame. Well, Branch is 11th on the all-time playoff receptions list (73), fourth in receiving yards (1,289), and he did his damage in an era when the playoffs were shorter and passing was far less prevalent! Julio Jones by the numbers: Where Jones stands among NFL greats and how Eagles great Harold Carmichael finally gets his Hall of Fame enshrinement There's a bevy of top-end defensive players sitting atop the draft board Friday night. 4. Today's wide receivers play 16-game schedules. In his prime, Smith was a receiving machine, easily the most important part of a Jaguars team that won the NFLs seventh-most games from 1996 through Smiths retirement after the 2005 season. 1990-99: Michael Irvin. 1985-94: Jerry Rice Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne: Each was a HOF Finalist last year, so each is on the doorstep of Canton. He literally changed the game as the first of the series of liberalized passing rules which the 1970s would see was called the Isaac Curtis rule. In 1974, Pearson set career-highs in a 14-game season, no less for receptions and receiving yards. And then theres Jimmy Smith, a five-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL with 116 receptions in 1999. . His first 1,000-yard season came in 1991, when Fryar was 29 and playing his eighth year in the NFL. Harrison is in the Hall of Fame, along with a number of Smith's other receiving peers: Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Tim Brown, Cris Carter and, of course, Jerry Rice. But we can certainly compare these players to their peers. Rice had a three-time Super Bowl Champion. Receiving statistics are exploding, and their numbers don't look as glorious now that guys like Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens have played full careers. If you're here for another era, check out our other articles in this series: Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1980s HOF Qualifications: POOR. The committees of the late 1980s and 1990s got a little carried away with making sure every Lombardi Packer and Steel Curtain Steeler who ever buckled a chinstrap got enshrined. In 2000, they chose Carter, not Michael Irvin, to join Rice on the All-90s Team. They play in high-efficiency pass-oriented offenses, as opposed to the exciting but reckless bomb-it-down-the-field passing games of the past, when running was a way of life and throwing a sneaky change of pace or a mark of desperation. Those assessments proved to be true. The Hall of Fame argument in Rison's favor is that he has good career stats for his era, and he was a remarkable player in his prime, with five 1,000-yard seasons and four years of double-digit TDs. Pearson made three Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, and from 1974-79, he was consistently among the top receivers in the NFL. It's difficult to compare players across eras at any position, and this is particularly true in the passing game, because the rules and statistics have changed so much. Swann and Stallworth were legendary postseason performers. Five: Brown, Carter, Clark, Jackson, Pearson, Shofner, Smith, Speedie, Wilson Players at the other stat positions quarterbacks and running backs are elected to the PFHOF with much higher frequency than wideouts. Sports Central is the longest-running independent sports fan publication online, established in 1998 and featured by the BBC, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, and more. To me, those are the Hall of Famers, and Smith is just barely that next group down. Andre Reed is mentioned eight times. They were drafted just one year apart, both were great punt returners early in their careers, both had most of their best seasons in the '90s, both had career numbers that looked exceptional before the explosion of receiving stats in the last decade or so. But you can't compare Smith to the guys who played most of their careers in the 2000s, because Smith was already in his 30s then. Branch played very well in Super Bowls XV and XVIII and won three rings. HOF Qualifications: GOOD. This isn't a guy who caught 60 passes for 800 yards every year for 15 years. 3. Is former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman a Hall of Famer? Hall Of Good (13). What are some wide receivers that are currently in the hall of very During the 1970s, Carmichael ranked 2nd in receptions, tied for 2nd in receiving TDs, and 4th in receiving yardage. Drew Pearson (part of the 2021 class) was a great player, and I grew up worshipping Harold Carmichael (2020 Centennial class), but Branch is more qualified than either of them. Best players available on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft See? What To Do About A Problem Like Dianne Feinstein? Look at that empty 1970s slot in the list of Hall of Fame receivers. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1980s Julio Jones: Hes a Hall of Fame lock. Nuk will also get some juice for having signature seasons while catching passes from Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, and Tom Savage, and having perhaps the best hands of his generation. Just play along. Johnson should eventually be enshrined, but his case exemplifies the folly of any Julian Edelman argument. He shared receiving chores with Keenan McCardell for a team just good enough to reach AFC Championship games, which means his stats were a little low and he never enjoyed any Super Bowl glory. Moore's relatively short prime overlaps precisely with an unprecedented statistical boom for receivers, further exaggerating his already impressive accomplishments. In his final season, Rison became just the seventh player in history with 700 receptions, 10,000 yards, and 80 touchdowns. Late in his career, he was suspended under the NFLs substance-abuse policy; after retiring, he went through even more cycles of rehab, sobriety and relapse, even serving prison time in 2013. The Hall of Fame voters, in recent years, have almost entirely ignored special teams contributions. He has been stuck in Hall of Fame semifinalist purgatory for five years, unable to advance to the finalist stage. During his NFL career, Rison caught touchdown passes from Jack Trudeau (4), Chris Miller (25), Scott Campbell (2), Billy Joe Tolliver (6), Wade Wilson (3), Bobby Hebert (11), Jeff George (9), Vinny Testaverde (1), Eric Zeier (2), Mark Brunell (2), Brett Favre (1), Elvis Grbac (7), and Rich Gannon (11). His receiving TDs ranked 4th, 4th, 11th, 11th, and about 40th (actually a bazillion-way tie for 37th). Compared to the other great receivers of the mid-70s and early 80s, Carmichael: 590 rec, 8,985 yds, 79 TD Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, and Carter are the only players in history with five straight years of double-digit receiving touchdowns. The off-field stuff isn't supposed to factor into HOF voting, but Rison's uneven career and locker room impact are fair game.

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