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Guys talk about Zach please
Post the UFO stuff in the Lounge
Post the UFO stuff in the Lounge
Zach Thomas again a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Thread starter Dolph N.Fan
- Start date
Rdksek8⁴
Practice Squad
Man I hope he gets in. He is the most overdue dolphin player I can think of.
He was a better player than a lot of those guys. Respect for Seymour but Zach was a much more impactful player, as an example. Willis was a stud. Boselli didn’t play long enough though he’s deserving - ala Dwight Stephenson. Leroy Butler - good but not HOF IMO. This is a “weak” class - week being relative - Andre Johnson meh, etc. Zach is getting in.
Soft spot for Sam Mills - even smaller than Zach and division III player.
Soft spot for Sam Mills - even smaller than Zach and division III player.
I just looked up Willis as I recall him as a monster but body of work wise he’s not even in Zach’s zip code. 8 picks, 20.5 sacks 5 fumble recoveries. And he only played 8 seasons. No way he gets in over Zach.
Edit - he did force 16 fumbles.
Zach had the same 20.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles but way more picks, TDs and averaged 40 tackles more per season - 148 per year. That’s nuts.
jg772006
FinHeaven VIP
I actually like Zach Thomas's chances this year, more so than his previous 2 years as a finalist.
Lets do this by "position", and do some process of elimination. This is how I see it, and I'm usually pretty good at this and predicting the HOF class every year. Last year I got 7 of 8 correct (I missed on Calvin) ... two years ago, the 20 individual class, I got 13 of 20 correct ... three years ago, I got 6 of 8 correct ... and 4 years ago I got 7 of 8 correct. This is how I see this year going.
WRs - Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt
Andre Johnson WILL NOT be inducted this year. He can be eliminated right away, especially since this is his first time as a finalist, while Reggie and Torry are finalists for the 3rd straight year. Reggie and Andre have a lot of years ahead of them ... this year, I see Holt going in, as he is the last member from the famed "Greatest Show on Turf Rams" that should be inducted. Warner, Faulk, Bruce, Pace, and now Holt I think will complete the team ... not to mention, with Dick Vermeil as the coach finalist this year (he's going in), it would be a lil fitting if Holt and Vermeil go in together to complete the "Greatest Show on Turf Rams" in the Hall. Cliff Branch, as the seniors candidate WR, is a lock to go in, and really doesn't affect this race.
DBs - LeRoy Butler, Ronde Barber
A lot of DBs have been going in over the years, especially at safety (Reed, Polamalu, Lynch, Dawkins, Atwater) ... they might take a break from it this year as Lynch went in last year. Then again ... they might "complete" the 2002 Bucs Defense and put Barber in with his teammates (Sapp, Brooks, Lynch) .... OR .... Butler has waited much longer than Barber, so I don't see Barber going in yet. If a player was to get picked here, Butler gets the nod simply because he's waited longer, and Barber still has a lot of years of eligibility ahead of him.
OL - Tony Boselli, Willie Anderson
Willie Anderson WILL NOT get inducted. Not even close ... I'm actually surprised he is finalist over some OL that I think should be there instead of him (when will Richmond Webb get some respect?). Boselli is the front runner in this group. 6 consecutive years as a finalist, and sooner or later, the committee has to make a choice on him. Put him in, or not and let the seniors committee do it. This might be the year Boselli finally gets in because there are no real slam dunks, and I believe he has waited the longest, and also, has been a finalist the most times on anyone on this list. Boselli is the front runner here.
DL - Jared Allen, Richard Seymour , Bryant Young
Bryant Young wont get in. While a very good player, he never dominated his position during his era. The other two here are the clear front runners. Allen's sack totals and the fact he led the league twice in sacks puts him near the front. Seymour (along with Law, who is in), are really the only Patriots defensive players from the "early portion" of their Pats dynasty that belong in. Seymour as been a finalist every year he's been eligible, as has Allen his first two years on the ballot. One of these two, I believe, is going in this year.
LB - Sam Mills, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas, DeMarcus Ware
All 4 of these LBs should go in at some point ... each one was special and great in there own way. At least one of these guys is going in, and truth be told in all objectivity, DeMarcus Ware is going in this year. His Sacks Total (138.5), led the league in sacks twice, 9 Pro Bowls, 7 1st or 2nd team All-Pro selections, and a SB title ... Ware I think is the only "LOCK" out of all 15 finalists. So, if another LB was to join him in this year, who would join him?
Sam Mills is in his FINAL year of eligibility. If he doesn't get in this year, he goes to the senior ballot. The committee might finally put him in, but I doubt it. I think Mills will go in immediately once he hits the senior ballot ... a shame he hasn't been put in yet. That leaves Thomas and Willis ... and with these two, I'm reminded of something that happened two years ago during the balloting. Two years ago for the class of 2020 when Zach Thomas made his first "finalist" list in his 7th year on the ballot, he BEAT OUT Willis to be a finalist who was in his FIRST YEAR of eligibility. I have a sneaky suspicion, that Thomas is "ahead" of Willis in some voters mind because while both have similar credentials (7 Pro Bowls, 5 1st Team All-Pros, an All Decade Team selection), Zach had longevity in his career ... Willis didn't. What will happen to "Willis against Thomas", I think will be similar to what happened when it was "Thomas against Lewis & Urlacher". I said years ago, that Thomas would not have a chance at the HOF UNTIL Lewis and Urlacher got in first. Luckily they both got in at the same time in 2018, and when that happened ... the HOF door "opened" for Thomas. He became a "semi-finalist" the next year, and a finalist the year after. I think the same thing will happen to Willis ... his "door will open", once Zach goes in first. That's how I see it, and I think the committee sees it.
ST - Devin Hester
Devin was a DYNAMITE player, but with the HOF committee holding "biases" towards special teams players for years and years and years ... I don't see them putting in Hester on his first shot. I cant see that to be honest, but stranger things have happened.
So what does all this mean?
Torry Holt ... Leroy Butler ... Tony Boselli ... Jared Allen ... Richard Seymour ... Demarcus Ware ... (maybe) Devin Hester ... and Zach Thomas I think will be your primary "modern-era" front runners for this years HOF. I think the modern-era HOF class (minus Branch, Vermeil, and McNally who will all get in) is coming somewhere in this group of 8. Out of these 8, will be your group of 5 modern-era HOFers ... if so, Zach has to get by three of these guys some how, and I believe he can. If Zach doesn't get it ... as I say every year, he has PLENTY of time (year 2033) to get in as a modern candidate.
Lets do this by "position", and do some process of elimination. This is how I see it, and I'm usually pretty good at this and predicting the HOF class every year. Last year I got 7 of 8 correct (I missed on Calvin) ... two years ago, the 20 individual class, I got 13 of 20 correct ... three years ago, I got 6 of 8 correct ... and 4 years ago I got 7 of 8 correct. This is how I see this year going.
WRs - Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt
Andre Johnson WILL NOT be inducted this year. He can be eliminated right away, especially since this is his first time as a finalist, while Reggie and Torry are finalists for the 3rd straight year. Reggie and Andre have a lot of years ahead of them ... this year, I see Holt going in, as he is the last member from the famed "Greatest Show on Turf Rams" that should be inducted. Warner, Faulk, Bruce, Pace, and now Holt I think will complete the team ... not to mention, with Dick Vermeil as the coach finalist this year (he's going in), it would be a lil fitting if Holt and Vermeil go in together to complete the "Greatest Show on Turf Rams" in the Hall. Cliff Branch, as the seniors candidate WR, is a lock to go in, and really doesn't affect this race.
DBs - LeRoy Butler, Ronde Barber
A lot of DBs have been going in over the years, especially at safety (Reed, Polamalu, Lynch, Dawkins, Atwater) ... they might take a break from it this year as Lynch went in last year. Then again ... they might "complete" the 2002 Bucs Defense and put Barber in with his teammates (Sapp, Brooks, Lynch) .... OR .... Butler has waited much longer than Barber, so I don't see Barber going in yet. If a player was to get picked here, Butler gets the nod simply because he's waited longer, and Barber still has a lot of years of eligibility ahead of him.
OL - Tony Boselli, Willie Anderson
Willie Anderson WILL NOT get inducted. Not even close ... I'm actually surprised he is finalist over some OL that I think should be there instead of him (when will Richmond Webb get some respect?). Boselli is the front runner in this group. 6 consecutive years as a finalist, and sooner or later, the committee has to make a choice on him. Put him in, or not and let the seniors committee do it. This might be the year Boselli finally gets in because there are no real slam dunks, and I believe he has waited the longest, and also, has been a finalist the most times on anyone on this list. Boselli is the front runner here.
DL - Jared Allen, Richard Seymour , Bryant Young
Bryant Young wont get in. While a very good player, he never dominated his position during his era. The other two here are the clear front runners. Allen's sack totals and the fact he led the league twice in sacks puts him near the front. Seymour (along with Law, who is in), are really the only Patriots defensive players from the "early portion" of their Pats dynasty that belong in. Seymour as been a finalist every year he's been eligible, as has Allen his first two years on the ballot. One of these two, I believe, is going in this year.
LB - Sam Mills, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas, DeMarcus Ware
All 4 of these LBs should go in at some point ... each one was special and great in there own way. At least one of these guys is going in, and truth be told in all objectivity, DeMarcus Ware is going in this year. His Sacks Total (138.5), led the league in sacks twice, 9 Pro Bowls, 7 1st or 2nd team All-Pro selections, and a SB title ... Ware I think is the only "LOCK" out of all 15 finalists. So, if another LB was to join him in this year, who would join him?
Sam Mills is in his FINAL year of eligibility. If he doesn't get in this year, he goes to the senior ballot. The committee might finally put him in, but I doubt it. I think Mills will go in immediately once he hits the senior ballot ... a shame he hasn't been put in yet. That leaves Thomas and Willis ... and with these two, I'm reminded of something that happened two years ago during the balloting. Two years ago for the class of 2020 when Zach Thomas made his first "finalist" list in his 7th year on the ballot, he BEAT OUT Willis to be a finalist who was in his FIRST YEAR of eligibility. I have a sneaky suspicion, that Thomas is "ahead" of Willis in some voters mind because while both have similar credentials (7 Pro Bowls, 5 1st Team All-Pros, an All Decade Team selection), Zach had longevity in his career ... Willis didn't. What will happen to "Willis against Thomas", I think will be similar to what happened when it was "Thomas against Lewis & Urlacher". I said years ago, that Thomas would not have a chance at the HOF UNTIL Lewis and Urlacher got in first. Luckily they both got in at the same time in 2018, and when that happened ... the HOF door "opened" for Thomas. He became a "semi-finalist" the next year, and a finalist the year after. I think the same thing will happen to Willis ... his "door will open", once Zach goes in first. That's how I see it, and I think the committee sees it.
ST - Devin Hester
Devin was a DYNAMITE player, but with the HOF committee holding "biases" towards special teams players for years and years and years ... I don't see them putting in Hester on his first shot. I cant see that to be honest, but stranger things have happened.
So what does all this mean?
Torry Holt ... Leroy Butler ... Tony Boselli ... Jared Allen ... Richard Seymour ... Demarcus Ware ... (maybe) Devin Hester ... and Zach Thomas I think will be your primary "modern-era" front runners for this years HOF. I think the modern-era HOF class (minus Branch, Vermeil, and McNally who will all get in) is coming somewhere in this group of 8. Out of these 8, will be your group of 5 modern-era HOFers ... if so, Zach has to get by three of these guys some how, and I believe he can. If Zach doesn't get it ... as I say every year, he has PLENTY of time (year 2033) to get in as a modern candidate.
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I can’t see Hester or Boselli. Boselli too short a career. Hester a return man. Go Zach go.
Zach was tougher than a fire plug in a fire hydrant
I am sure rooting for Zach. Named our third son after him and one of my all time favourite players. Every time I think of Linebackers on this team, I compare them to what Zach did. I get that the Bakers play a different role and don't necessarily group that type of LB in there but the measuring stick is awfully high as Zach T. is LEGEND!
Rick Cartman
It is what it is
Zach could really use a substantial endorsement like Brady did for JT
I think he has a good shot this year either way though
He's either the 2nd or 3rd best LB of his generation depending how you view him and Urlacher.
I think he has a good shot this year either way though
He's either the 2nd or 3rd best LB of his generation depending how you view him and Urlacher.
I don’t even think willis is a hall of famer let alone gets in before Zach. Atleast that’s how logic should be. Willis was great but don’t think he was any better than Zach and had a much shorter career.
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I believe he has easy gotten those endorsements by three hall of famers, Peyton Manning, Kevin Mawae, and Jimmy Johnson just to name a few. He's been snubbed long enough and was addressed by both Jimmy and Kevin in their acceptance speeches in the Hall. The injustice has been pointed out over the past 2 years and the Hall should take notice in 2022.
Great breakdown although disagree completely about Ware. His sack totals are similar Jason Taylor’s but JT was on a whole other level as a playmaker tallying 11 more forced fumbles, 21 more fumble recoveries, 2 more picks and 2 more tds which is a pretty huge gap. JT got in first ballot which is incredible but without that Brady endorsement I doubt he gets first ballot even with those stats. I just don’t see how Ware gets in first ballot with worse numbers and no huge endorsement. Maybe cause he won a Super Bowl but I’m not sure voters hold that in much reguard for a non qb player.
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Zach is back!
He's like a boomerang!
Seems a tad mean to keep teasing the dude like this?
Maybe he sneaks in this time? It's getting kinda silly...
He's like a boomerang!
Seems a tad mean to keep teasing the dude like this?
Maybe he sneaks in this time? It's getting kinda silly...
Can we get on Peyton Manning, Jimmy Johnson, Kevin Mawee’s social media to start lobbying for Zach. They have been putting it out there since he didn’t make it last year. Maybe if they speak up now someone will listen.