2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

Here are the final 15 the voters get to choose from:

Kurt Warner
Junior Seau
Orlando Pace
Jimmy Johnson
Tony Dungy
Marvin Harrison
Tim Brown
Jerome Bettis
Terrell Davis
Morten Andersen
Charles Haley
Kevin Greene
John Lynch
Will Shields
Don Coryell

 

I'm kinda shocked that Warner made the final 15. Also shocked that Johnson made it that far as well.

If I had to guess, the voting will go like this:

First Cut: Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy, Terrell Davis, Morten Andersen, John Lynch
Second Cut: Don Coryell, Charles Haley, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Kurt Warner
Inductees: Junior Seau, Will Shields, Tim Brown, Orlando Pace, Jerome Bettis

 

Are you really surprised about Warner? Why? He'll get in before long. I think he has an outside chance to get in this year.

Johnson does surprise me given his short NFL coaching career.

 

I thought they'd wait until after Favre next year to make him a finalist.

QBs that get this far their first year always go in but I think Warner's got the kind of career that would give enough voters pause that, with some of the other guys that have had to wait, they'd put them in over Warner.

And to be fair, I did predict he'd be one of the 15. I had 14 of the 15. The one I missed was Jimmy Johnson instead of Ty Law.

 

As a reminder, here is who was cut:

Steve Atwater
Isaac Bruce
Roger Craig
Torry Holt
Joe Jacoby
Mike Kenn
Ty Law
John Lynch
Kevin Mawae
Karl Mecklenburg
Darren Woodson

 

Warner's career had some of the highest highs ever recorded, as well as the career numbers, huge performances on the biggest stage and Super Bowl trips with previously downtrodden franchises. He's a really strong candidate, and apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so.

 

I think he is a Hall of Famer but the quarterback choices by the voters have been the highest of standards at any position. If you make it this far, you make it in. They don't deliberate on QBs over time like every other position.

 

Good. I hope he gets in. He's more than deserving.

 

Agreed. I also suspect Harrison has a strong chance.

 

I'd go Warner, Seau, Pace, Harrison, Sheilds

 

I don't get some of those names.

Atwater was one of the baddest hitters around. Roger Craig? Really?

Total yards each of first 7 seasons: 1,152, 1,324, 2,066, 1,454, 1,307, 2,036, 1,527. At one point he was the best back in the league. With baseball (I know, apples to oranges) we always talk about "Was he ever the best at his position?" and we can definitely say Roger Craig was the very best at his position, even if he was best for just one season. But as a complete back he was elite for 4 or 5 years on the trot. Not to mention that it's pro football and the window to be best at your position doesn't stay open very long. Silliness.

Plus this:

 

Roger Craig is one of my all-time favorite players. Dude never stopped churning those legs.