Bernie: Former Rams may have to wait on Hall of Fame

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

PhxRam

Guest
[www.stltoday.com]

With cornerback Aeneas Williams becoming the latest St. Louis NFL player to be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we ask the natural followup question: Who’s next?

Answer: Here come more of the “The Greatest Show Rams.” Namely, members of the offense that became the first and only team in NFL history to put up 500 points or more for three consecutive seasons (1999-2001.)

In alphabetical order, these four Rams will be first-time eligibles for selection next year: wide receiver Isaac Bruce, wide receiver Torry Holt, offensive tackle Orlando Pace and quarterback Kurt Warner.

I believe all four will eventually be voted into the Hall of Fame. But it may not be as soon as you’d like, or expect.

Why? As a member of the selection committee, please allow me to try to explain. We’ll go deeper into the subject later this year, when the process gets under way in earnest.

But for now, here’s a quick summary:

Warner: Because his NFL journey got off to a late start and he experienced debilitating hand injuries in the middle of his career, Kurt doesn’t have large-bulk numbers. But he won two league MVP awards and was a Super Bowl MVP. He led two sad-sack franchises to three Super Bowl appearances — two in St. Louis and one in Arizona; the 1999 Rams won it behind Warner’s record 414 yards. In 13 NFL postseason games, Warner passed for 39 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 yards and had a passer rating of 102.8. That passer rating ranks third in NFL history among quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 postseason passing attempts. But will the abbreviated longevity work against Kurt? Possibly. Warner has a chance in 2015. If he doesn’t make it then, Brett Favre comes on the ballot in 2016, and that would make it more difficult for Warner to pick up the necessary votes.

Bruce & Holt: They have impressive, worthy numbers and made true impact as the receiving co-stars for one of the most prolific passing games in NFL history. But they face several problems: (1) the committee has a problem separating receivers because so many have astoundingly good numbers; (2) Tim Brown and Marvin Harrison already have been finalists and are still waiting; (3) Randy Moss and Terrell Owens will be coming up soon; (4) Bruce and Holt will take votes from each other as selectors try to determine how to rate them based on their shared time in St. Louis. The same kind of stalemate hurt Pittsburgh’s two excellent receivers, Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. But after a lengthy delay, both eventually were voted in. I’ve heard some Rams fans declare that Bruce is a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer. I must be blunt here and say no, he isn’t. The first-ballot acclamation for wideouts ended with Jerry Rice.

Pace: The Big O will get there; I just don’t know when. He stood among four supreme offensive left tackles in his generation — the other three being Willie Roaf, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones. I rate Pace just a notch below those three, and he may not be voted in as quickly. Ogden and Jones were first-ballot selections; Roaf made it in his second year of eligibility. Pace may not be a first-ballot guy, but I don’t think he’ll languish on the ballot for many years.

========

The latest first-round projection from ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the Rams taking Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson at No. 2 overall, and Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans at No. 13.

On a conference call with reporters Kiper said “The Rams need a tackle _ in fact, they need more than one. And while Robinson doesn’t have the same level of experience as the next two tackles on the board, I think once the (scouting) combine is over, the consensus will be that he’s the player with the highest ceiling at the position. An absolute mauler in the run game, he has plenty of length and athleticism to also become dominant in protection.”

As for Evans, Kiper offered: “We talk about receivers who are competitive at the catch point and can outmuscle defenders for the ball. Well, Evans isn’t just good at the catch point; he makes the catch point out of reach for many defenders due to his long frame and basketball-borne air skills...just throw it high enough.”
 

kurtfaulk

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Sep 7, 2011
Messages
15,967
.

kurt averaged 3 tds per postseason game? insane. his post season performances alone are enough to ensure he goes in first ballot. it would be difficult to find many qbs who were more clutch than kurt in the post season.

pace should go in first ballot. he was great for a very long time and just as good as the tackles mentioned in the article.

bruce and holt will have to wait like all wrs have to. not fair but that's the way it is for wrs, unless your name is jerry rice.

.
 

mr.stlouis

Legend
Joined
Sep 7, 2011
Messages
6,454
Name
Main Hook
Bruce is a first Ballot, for sure. Warner is, too. Pace should be and Holt may have to wait a while.

I'd rather have Clowney if we stay at #2.