Now that the Pro Football Hall of Fame has inducted its 2009 class, what about the players in the league right now? Which ones would make the Hall of Fame if they never played another down? Which ones have more work to do?
Here's our take.
LOCKS
-- Tom Brady
Beyond any stats, only one number matters with the Patriots QB: three, as in Super Bowls won. This is a no-brainer.
-- Peyton Manning
No quarterback has had more 4,000-yard passing seasons than Manning (nine). His 45,628 yards are seventh all time. His current QB rating (94.1) is second behind Steve Young. He has been to nine Pro Bowls, won three MVPs and a Super Bowl.
-- LaDainian Tomlinson
Only 30, the Chargers running back is tied for fourth with 141 touchdowns, and his 126 rushing touchdowns are second to Emmitt Smith. He holds the record for touchdowns and rushing touchdowns in a season. Plus, he has rushed for 11,760 yards, more than Hall of Famers O.J. Simpson and John Riggins.
-- Walter Jones
Offensive lineman is the hardest position to define for the hall. Usually, you go by what the players say -- as in Pro Bowl selections. The Seahawks tackle has made nine Pro Bowls, including eight straight from 2001-08. That's a Hall of Famer.
-- Randy Moss
Nine seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards, eight seasons of at least 10 touchdowns. But let's go beyond numbers. How could you not consider him one of the league's best big-play receivers? If you were starting a team over the past 10 years, he would be your first pick at receiver.
-- Tony Gonzalez
If he quit right now, he would go down as perhaps the best tight end ever and the position's all-time leader in receptions (916), yards (10,940), touchdowns (76) and receptions in a season (102). In 12 seasons he has 10 Pro Bowl berths and has been an All-Pro nine times.
-- Ray Lewis
Just like Dick Butkus and Lawrence Taylor, the Ravens linebacker has been the dominant defensive player of his generation. Lewis is a 10-time Pro Bowl pick, six-time All-Pro, two-time defensive player of the year and a Super Bowl MVP.
YOU COULD MAKE A CASE FOR ...
--Kurt Warner
His passer rating (93.8) is third in NFL history, and he has won two league MVPs. But he doesn't have awesome career numbers. Warner's prime reason for being considered is that he has taken two historic losers (Rams and Cardinals) to Super Bowls. If we had a vote, we'd say yes.
-- Ronde Barber
He gets a yes vote from Bucs fans. One of just eight players in NFL history in the 20-sacks, 20-interceptions club, Barber has 11 defensive touchdowns, which is two behind leader Rod Woodson. But his five Pro Bowl selections make him a tweener, as does him being tied for 97th all time in interceptions.
-- Orlando Pace
Again, it's an offensive lineman, and without numbers, it's hard to make a case. He has made seven Pro Bowls, which is more than Hall of Fame linemen Larry Little, Gene Upshaw and Joe DeLamielleure.
-- Adam Vinatieri
Depends on how you feel about kickers. Only one player who was exclusively a kicker is in the hall, Chiefs great Jan Stenerud. We're considering Vinatieri because he has won two Super Bowls with late field goals in the waning seconds. But if we're electing kickers, then our first choice is punter Ray Guy.
-- Donovan McNabb
You don't think Hall of Fame when you think of the Eagles quarterback. But only 2 percent of his 4,303 passing attempts have been intercepted, the lowest percentage in league history. He has the third-best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history, and of active quarterbacks, only Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have better winning percentages.
MORE WORK TO DO
-- Hines Ward: The argument could be made that this Steeler is a better all-around receiver than Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, two Steelers greats who are in the hall. He is a big-play receiver who is among the best blocking receivers the game has seen. But is he among the game's elite?
-- Terrell Owens: A head case, sure, but you can't deny he has had a dominant career. He's a six-time Pro Bowl pick who is tied for sixth all time with 951 catches. If he can string together two more good seasons, his numbers will be too good.
-- Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt: It's hard to think about one without the other. Bruce and Holt were teammates with St. Louis' Greatest Show on Turf from 1999-2008. Bruce is now with the 49ers, Holt with the Jaguars. Neither is a Hall of Famer yet. But Bruce is among the top five all time in receptions, and Holt likely will finish there.
-- Dwight Freeney: The Colts defensive end is 29 and already has 75 sacks in seven seasons. If he can double that sack total, he's got a shot. At this moment, only four players in NFL history have 150 sacks, which didn't become an official statistic until 1982.
Richard Seymour: The Pats defensive end has played in five Pro Bowls and, more impressive, has been named to four All-Pro teams. Some believe he's the best defensive end in the game so you have to give him Hall of Fame consideration.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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