Initial 2013 Football Hall of Fame nominees

127 get the nod. Of course they could just simplify from the start and just take the 10 holdovers from last year and pair them with the first-timers.

2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Nominees

FIRST-YEAR ELIGIBLE
Quarterback — Steve McNair
Running Back — Priest Holmes
Wide Receiver — Keenan McCardell
Offensive Linemen — Larry Allen (G), Tom Nalen (C), Jonathan Ogden (T)
Defensive Linemen — Sam Adams (DT), Warren Sapp (DT), Michael Strahan (DE), Ted Washington (DT/NT), Bryant Young (DE)
Defensive Back — John Lynch (S)
Kicker — Morten Andersen
ADDITIONAL
Quarterbacks — Drew Bledsoe, Randall Cunningham, Ron Jaworski, Neil Lomax, Phil Simms, Danny White (also P)
Running Backs — Jamal Anderson, Ottis Anderson, Tiki Barber, x-Jerome Bettis, Larry Centers, Roger Craig, Stephen Davis, Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Brian Mitchell (also PR/KR), Gerald Riggs, Herschel Walker, Ricky Watters
Wide Receivers — x-Tim Brown (also KR), x-Cris Carter, Gary Clark, Mark Clayton, Henry Ellard (also PR), Keyshawn Johnson, Stanley Morgan, x-Andre Reed, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith
Tight Ends — Todd Christensen, Ben Coates
Offensive Linemen — Tony Boselli (T), Lomas Brown (T), Jim Covert (T), Joe Fields (C), Bill Fralic (G/T), Jeff Hartings (G/C), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), Joe Jacoby (T), Mike Kenn (T), Jim Lachey (T), x-Will Shields (G), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G)
Defensive Linemen — Carl Hairston (DE/DT), x-Charles Haley (DE/LB), Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DE), Joe Klecko (DE/DT/NT), Dexter Manley (DE), Charles Mann (DE), Fred Smerlas (NT)
Linebackers — Cornelius Bennett, x-Kevin Greene (also DE), Ken Harvey, Clay Matthews, Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Darryl Talley
Defensive Backs — Eric Allen (CB), Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Nolan Cromwell (S), Albert Lewis (CB), Dennis Smith (S), Troy Vincent (CB), Everson Walls (CB), x-Aeneas Williams (CB/S), Darren Woodson (S)
Punters/Kickers — Gary Anderson (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)
Special Teams/Position Player — Steve Tasker (also WR)
Coaches — Bill Arnsparger, Doug Blevins, Bud Carson, Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, x-Bill Parcells, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil
Contributors — K.S. (Bud) Adams, Jr., George Anderson, Bobby Beathard, Gil Brandt, C.O. Brocato, Leo Carlin, Jack Kent Cooke, Otho Davis, x-Ed DeBartolo, Jr., Ron Gibbs, Ralph Kohl, Eddie Kotal, Robert Kraft, Art McNally, Art Modell, Bill Polian, Art Rooney, Jr., Steve Sabol, Carl Storck, Paul Tagliabue, Burl Toler, Sr., Jim Tunney, Ron Wolf, George Young

x-2012 finalist

 

If you believe Bayless's books, Brandt was one of the biggest frauds in the Cowboys organization.

 

Herschel Walker and Mike Lynn should go in together for building Dallas' 90s Super Bowl dynasty.

 

It will be interesting to see if or how long Larry Allen has to wait to get in... I think he's the only of the first-timers who has a shot to make it in on the first try. Although, I thought Shields was going to make it in on the first try as well.

I would think Strahan and Sapp will get in eventually. Probably Lynch as well.

I've given up guessing when/if any of the receivers will break through...

Best bets for this year are probably Shields, Bettis and Sabol...

It's almost impossible to guess which year coaches and other contributors get in.

 

Of that list, here's the group I think should get in eventually:

Larry Allen
Jonathan Ogden
Warren Sapp
Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Cris Carter
Andre Reed
Will Shields
Charles Haley
Aeneans Williams
Don Coryell
Bill Cowher
Bill Parcells
Paul Tagliabue
Robert Kraft
Steve Sabol

Of that group, the guys who most deserve to get in this year are Allen, Ogden, Bettis, Carter, Shields, Haley, Parcells and Sabol.

 

I think Jonathan Ogden deserves in before anyone on the ballot. He's an eight-time all-pro (four on the first team) and 11-time Pro Bowler. Moreover, I think of him as the best tackle of the modern blind-side generation, ahead of Orlando Pace, Walter Jones, Willie Roaf and a few others.

 

Why should Bob Kraft be in the Hall of Fame?

 

We've had this debate before, perhaps last year. I think Kraft deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team in Massachusetts when James Orthweim wanted to move them. He helped stabilize the organization as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady dug in. He also reportedly was the lead owner in ending the latest lockout, which you could argue is trivial since the lockout would have ended at some point.

I am not gung-ho about his entry, but I think I would consider voting for him if they started putting in bigger classes as they should. I think the Pro Football Hall of Fame is way too small and Steeler-filled.

 

I'd wait on Kraft. He's only been an owner since 1994 and there are so many deserving choices — players and coaches — who have been waiting. Careers that ended close to a decade ago still haven't been rewarded. Kraft's not going any where for a while. It's not an Art Modell/Bud Adams/Ralph Wilson situation

The team's on-field accomplishments since he took over would be enough, since there was very little success prior. In 18 years they've made the playoffs 13 times, made six Super Bowls and won three. Throw in keeping the team in Mass, building a stadium with his own money, the labor assist and turning the franchise into a model one means he'll get in eventually.

 

I was definitely thinking of Dan Rooney when I put Art Rooney II on my list. How is he already up for induction? He's only 60 and has only been in control for a decade.

 

A noteworthy scandal also happened right under Kraft's nose, maybe even with his complicity.