Both years, he caught just two TDs. He led the league in both receptions and receiving yards in 1973. 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. Swann, Bob Hayes and Warfield all had less receptions and Yards, and only Warfield had more TDs. The 1970s Raiders have eight players in the Hall of Fame. Larry Fitzgerald: Also a lock when he retires in the year 2269. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1950s (Hill, Howton, Speedie, Hugh Taylor, Wilson), Cliff Branch Great receivers of the mid-late '70s, played on terrific teams, had a few brilliant seasons but didn't keep it up, mentioned often as Hall of Fame snubs but never enshrined. In that seasons signature win a playoff upset at the heavily favored Denver Broncos Smith had 71 yards and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown. Thats also a big reason why Smith finished fourth among players who started their careers in 1950 or later behind only Rice, Harrison and Owens based on their head-to-head TRY against teammates over their careers (after adjusting for aging effects). 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 Instead of ripping Edelman, however, lets celebrate ten NFL wide receivers of the last 50 years or so who really do deserve Hall of Fame consideration. Between playing in one of the NFLs smallest markets during his career and fighting a tough battle with addiction afterwards both of which likely prevented him from the kind of second act in broadcasting enjoyed by many of his receiving contemporaries most fans dont remember just how great Smith was in his prime. A much different narrative builds around a player who always leads the league in an important stat like that. 2. Smith was inducted into the Jaguars ring of honor known as the Pride of the Jaguars in 2016, and he has appeared at various team events in the years since. When football fans cry "snub", there's a good chance they're talking about a wide receiver. 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. I suspect it is here that Jackson's consistency has worked against him. Moore's other issue is that he played for the Lions at a time when (1) they weren't an elite team, (2) they had kind of a weird offense, (3) he was overshadowed by Barry Sanders. Rison was better, at his best, than Fryar, and that matters quite a lot. 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. The 2023 NFL Draft has wrapped -- but the team-building process continues with the signing of undrafted rookie free agents. More, Subscribe to the Sports Central Feed Follow Sports Central on Twitter, "There is a reason he is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, because he pushes us over the top in moments like this. 1990-99: Michael Irvin. (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. 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. That rule culminated in the 1978 allowance of only one bump of a receiver within the first five yards of the line. It was institutes in 1974 and allowed dbs only one chuck of a receiver after 3 yards and was instigated by the mauling of Curtis by the Pittsburgh secondary in their 1973 playoff matchup with Cincy. 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. He should be in. Obviously, there's more to it than that. Tony Boselli, one of the best left tackles of a generation full of great ones, has been a finalist for five years. He has been stuck in Hall of Fame semifinalist purgatory for five years, unable to advance to the finalist stage. NFL Trade Rumors: Could Dalvin Cook, Austin Ekeler, or DeAndre Hopkins Get Moved This Week? During the 1970s, Jackson led all players in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. Whom you ask why stats or ok not great nothing like carters or Tim brown who enter the league same year and was so far ahead and higher in stats and records even with horrible qbs and team. His Hall of Fame case is profiled in depth in Best Wide Receivers Not in the HOF: 1980s, which is linked above and in my name on this comment. February 14, 2012 by Brad Oremland Print Story. But few are outright forgotten in the way that former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith has been since his retirement in 2006. The positions importance and its statistical benchmarks have evolved significantly over time, particularly as the passing game grew to take over the modern sport since the 1990s, but the Halls selection committee has struggled to apply an evolving standard to candidates resumes. I believe only about five of those players deserve induction, but there's a case to be made for all of them. Hill is no Hall of Famer yet, but it will only take a few more deep playoff runs with Patrick Mahomes to put him over the top. The Best Damn Receiver Who Wont Make The Hall Of Fame, passing game grew to take over the modern sport, remains the Jags all-time franchise leader in AV, Partisan Gerrymandering Is Legal Again In North Carolina. It's useful to me, in thinking about these issues, to break them down by era. Also, continue to visit. At . You know what, let's just do a chart. Brown also holds the rookie record for all-purpose yards (2,317), a record he took from Gale Sayers and has now owned for more than two decades. HOF Qualifications: POOR. But again, heck of a player. Raider fans want Branch and Ken Stabler and Ray Guy and maybe a couple others in, as well. Hall of Fame QB's son will get NFL chance after signing rookie free agent deal. For instance, it might be tempting to write off Smiths lifetime stats 862 receptions, 12,287 yards, 67 TD catches as a product of the modern pass-heavy era. In 1969, Jackson's first year with the team, they ranked 7th in passing yards and tied for 8th in scoring, jumping to 19.9 ppg. 1960-69: Lance Alworth, Don Maynard Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s Cris Carter | Pro Football Hall of Fame - pfhof All Rights Reserved. Hall was named to two . By the fall of 1994, he had been cut by Dallas and also the Philadelphia Eagles, leading to a year out of football. They can't be bumped more than five yards downfield. And that line is inevitably blurry. That shifted with the end of the decade. So its telling that Smith never finished behind McCardell in TRY (whether total or per game) during any of their six seasons together. He caught two touchdowns in Super Bowl XV and could easily have been named the games MVP. There will be about half a dozen who have great seasons like Smith in '99, and about half of those will excel even further, push the records set by superstars like Moss and Owens and Harrison. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls and was twice named first-team All-Pro. If I look down the line at some of the best wide receivers to play in Green Bay, guys like . More, Subscribe to the Sports Central Feed Follow Sports Central on Twitter, "There is a reason he is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, because he pushes us over the top in moments like this. Although Rice played in only five seasons during the decade of the 1980s, he was regarded by many to be on the path to be called the greatest receiver of all-time. 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 Best Sports Transaction of the Year. Tyreek's 2K Target; He's Not Playing Around Or Is He? The wide receiver won three Super Bowls and was selected to five Pro Bowls. Jimmy Smith is a harder case. In 1994, he set the single-season record for receptions (122, since broken), and in three other seasons he led the NFL in receiving TDs. They were both great players, but Ellard was more exceptional. Below, I've organized HOF receivers by the decade in which they most established their greatness. 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. So why isnt he in? Here's how I rank the best non-HOF receivers of the 1990s: 1. 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. Carter last led the Vikings in receiving yards in 1995. He was a showboat in Atlanta, but you can get away with that when you're performing at a high level. Frankly, Smith has one of the weakest cases on this list. To me, those are the Hall of Famers, and Smith is just barely that next group down. Projecting his '82 season to 16 games, Carmichael reaches 618 catches, 9,405 yards, and 81 TDs. 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. All HOFm Positions: QB RB WR TE G T C DT DE ILB OLB DB K P WR HOFm Leaders Bold indicates HOF player See full explanation here Share & Export But he was an effective player for something like 15 years, and he was an impact performer on special teams. Ellard had four seasons among the top four in receiving yards, Fryar none. Next Article: Julian Edelman Retires: Looking back at his 12-year career with the Patriots. Two: Carmichael. 600-700 receptions At least 5 Pro Bowls At least 2 all pros Or 1 all pro and a Superbowl MVP All this just to be considered. Looking at the 1990s as a whole, Moore had more receptions than Andre Reed, more yardage than Henry Ellard, and more touchdowns than Michael Irvin. HOF absurd. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and made three All-Pro teams as a starter (more than Cris Carter and Tim Brown combined). If that whole period had fallen into a single decade, how differently might he be viewed? Becoming a wide receiver is almost just an inevitable part of life at that point lmao" Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne: Each was a HOF Finalist last year, so each is on the doorstep of Canton. Toss that in with popularity and the team your on probably a shoe in. Carter had eight 1,000-yard seasons, six years with double-digit receiving TDs, led the NFL in a major receiving category four times and at one point set the single-season record for receptions. Smith retired when he was still a good player; his final season yielded 70 catches, 1023 yards, and 6 TDs. I know you probably don't think Moore belongs on this list. 30, 2023, 5:11 p.m. Kansas State wide receiver Kade Warner (85) carries the ball as Alabama . Visual Edge IT Logo. His 1995 season ranks among the most impressive statistical seasons of all time: 123 rec, 1686 yds, 14 TD. To keep the statistics from skewing, I used top-five rankings (instead of top-10) for seasons before 1970, when the leagues were 8-16 teams rather than 26-32. According to computer vision, Addison has the third-fastest burst (speed achieved in the first 3 yards traveled) of any receiver in this draft class when . Stroud Could Slide, Bijan Robinson, and More, Ranking the Best NFL Draft Steals of All Time From Tom Brady to Tony Romo. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s 1960-69: Lance Alworth, Don Maynard The expanded 16-game season and increased offensive levels also made Branchs 46-to-60 catch stat lines look like something any receiver could accomplish. 743 receptions, 10,205 yards, 84 TD. He should probably be in. Five: Brown, Carter, Clark, Jackson, Pearson, Shofner, Smith, Speedie, Wilson The Best Wide Receivers in Los Angeles Rams Franchise History Neil Paine was the acting sports editor at FiveThirtyEight. For Minnesota, it was Randy Moss, not Carter. 4. Top Golf Logo. He's also a victim of timing. A member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s, Carter had 10 or more touchdowns in a season six times and led the NFL in . Smith was only the third player with multiple seasons catching 110 or more passes, the first two being Jerry Rice and Cris Carter from 1994-95. Anyway, three All-Pro berths and four 100-yard seasons form the backbone of what is becoming an impressive Hall of Fame rsum for Hopkins. But do all 15 of these receivers belong in the Hall of Fame, plus Edelman and your personal favorite whom I might have omitted? Hall of Fame QB's son will get NFL chance after signing rookie free During that three-year stretch, Branch caught 157 passes for 3,096 yards and 34 TDs. Their stats in the decade are comparable, but Pearson found the postseason glory that eluded Branch until the 1980s, and teammates called him Mr. Harrison is in the Hall of Fame, along with a number of Smiths other receiving peers: Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Tim Brown, Cris Carter and, of course, Jerry Rice. "Imagine growing up with a hall of fame qb as your dad and playing football? Rison played for seven NFL teams. From 1998-2000, Carter caught 34 TD passes, more than anyone except Moss, who had 43. Can a guy be a Hall of Famer even if he was never the best at his own position? He remained a good player for years afterwards, but there are lots of good receivers. But you can't really compare Jimmy Smith to Rison, because Rison was basically finished by the time Smith became a starter. Also, Matt Ryan is not a Hall of Famer, no matter how hard Atlanta Falcons fans try to pretend that he is. In 2000, they chose Carter, not Michael Irvin, to join Rice on the All-90s Team. Now the real work begins., [Related: Our Hall Of Pretty Damn Good Players]. That distinguishes him from almost every receiver in history. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1950s, Tim Brown But Smiths Canton case hasnt gotten much more traction than making the preliminary lists of candidates. How does a guy who didn't stand out in his own era deserve Hall of Fame recognition? 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. Dont scoff because it is so early in his career. But I think the voters have been reluctant to enshrine him partly for the same reason Art Monk had to wait so long. Monk was repeatedly dismissed as a guy who caught 900 eight-yard hooks, and who wasn't the most dangerous receiver on his own team. Branch made four Pro Bowls, was four times first-team All-Pro, and played on three Super Bowl winners. A wide receiver who was the 5th- or 6th-best of his generation is a player I'm okay leaving out of Canton. 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. But since he caught only 11 passes as a rookie in 1974 and was a non-factor in Super Bowl IX, he fits better in the 1975-84 group. 1984-2000, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins Clutch. Ward is a better-than-his-stats guy who made an impact for some great teams, but the Hall of Fame hurdle is so high that he may never clear it. Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, and Carter are the only players in history with five straight years of double-digit receiving touchdowns. Julio Jones by the numbers: Where Jones stands among NFL greats and how Dante Hall to Be Inducted Into Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame But what a force at his best. I love stat geeks, and on some level I'm one of them, so let's review Moore's qualifications. A score of 100 is around the average modern-era inductee. 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. The top 18 players in all-time sacks are either in the Hall of Fame or will be soon except for O'Neal, who ranks No. I was surprised when Carter didn't get elected to Canton in either of his first two years of eligibility. In 1977, he led the NFL in receiving yardage and was a consensus All-Pro. Same era and they too only had three seasons over 1000 yds receiving and Swann never did! Art Monk. 590 receptions, 8,985 yards, 79 TD. 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. It's about his peak. He had three tremendous seasons, yes, but so did all the others, and they were effective players for much longer. HOF Qualifications: POOR. But let's review each player's rsum, beginning this week with receivers of the 1990s. He may be over-qualified, but Sharpe is not the most overqualified receiver on our list. To keep the statistics from skewing, I used top-five rankings (instead of top-10) for seasons before 1970, when the leagues were 8-16 teams rather than 26-32. No current HOF receiver was drafted later than 1988 (Michael Irvin) and no likely HOF receiver was drafted between '88 (Tim Brown, Sterling Sharpe) and '94 (Isaac Bruce). Everyone else on this list has a strong case, though some are stronger than others. If a guy was the best receiver besides Jerry Rice, that's the sort of player I feel is a legitimate snub. 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. Worthy Hall of Fame (HOF) NFL Wide Receivers: The shoo-ins Let's start by running through five obvious cases of overly-qualified receivers who have not yet been enshrined. Moore's problem is two-fold. Moore didn't. 489 receptions, 7,822 yards, 48 TD. Best Wide Receivers Not in the Hall of Fame: 1960s (Hennigan, Powell, Shofner, Otis Taylor) Harold Jackson Five-time Pro Bowler, first player to amass 10,000 receiving yards in the NFL. Is former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman a Hall of Famer? The guys who peaked a little later have a stronger case. Folks appear to have forgotten just how great and groundbreaking those early Jaguars teams were. Harold Carmichael finished his career with 590 receptions and 79 touchdowns. Finally, the Seniors Committee and the Centennial Committee appear determined to enshrine just about every 1970s receiver except Branch. With that being said, here's my list for the top ten wide receivers in Redskins history. 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 . He was voted to the 1970s All-Decade Team as a backup and was second-team All-Pro twice. Looking just at the 70s, Gray ranks 17th in receptions, 9th in yardage, and 11th in TDs. Each NFL team's biggest Hall of Fame snub | Sporting News Super Bowl rings well sure the does matter. He displaced Andre Rison (743 receptions for 10,205 yards and 84 TDs). 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. He was reliable more than explosive, and he was tough like Monk, not graceful like Lance Alworth or Lynn Swann. Published: Apr. It's natural, I think, to compare him to Ellard.
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