What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

potential HoF: Safety position (Atwater, Dawkins, Lynch,...) (1 Viewer)

moleculo

moleculo

Footballguy
Ronnie Lott, Aeneas Williams, Rod Woodson and now Kenny Easley  are the only safeties in the HoF who played more recently than 1980.  37 years of football and only four safeties have been enshrined.  This vacuum is especially bad when you consider that this isn't one position that has been neglected, there are typically two safeties starting for each defense. 

I think it's obviously time that this be addressed.  

Which of the below guys belong, and in what order do you see them?

Brian Dawkins:

  • 1st team, all-2000s team
  •  9x pro-bowl
  • 4x all-pro
  • 13 year career.  37 interceptions, 895 tackles, 26 sacks.  
  • member of 6 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in one superbowl (L)
John Lynch:

  • 2nd team, all-2000s team
  • 9x pro-bowl
  • 2x all-pro
  • 11 year career, 26 interceptions, 736 tackles, 13 sacks.
  • member of 7 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in one superbowl (W)
Steve Atwater:

  • 1st team, all-1990's team
  • 8x pro-bowl
  • 2x all-pro
  • 10 year career, 24 interceptions, 1074 tackles, 5 sacks.
  • member of 4 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 3 superbowls (2W, 1L)
Ed Reed:

  • 1st team, all-2000's team
  • 9x pro-bowls
  • 5x all-pro
  • 11 year career, 64 interceptions, 531 tackles, 6 sacks
  • member of 3 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 1 superbowl (W)
  • 2004 defensive player of the year
Troy Polamalu

  • 1st team, all-2000's team
  • 8x pro-bowls
  • 4x all-pro
  • 12 year career, 32 interceptions, 581 tackles, 12 sacks
  • member of 7 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 3 superbowls (2W, 1L)
  • 2010 defensive player of the year
Darren Sharper

  • 2nd team, all-2000's team
  • 5x pro-bowls
  • 2x all-pro
  • 14 year career, 63 interceptions, 731 tackles, 7.5 sacks
  • member of 2 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 2 superbowls (1W, 1L)
  •  
LeRoy Butler

  • 2nd team, all-1990's team
  • 4x pro-bowls
  • 4x all-pro
  • 12 year career, 38 interceptions, 721 tackles, 20.5 sacks
  • member of 6 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 2 superbowls (1W, 1L)
Carnell Lake

  • 2nd team, all-1990's team
  • 5x pro-bowls
  • 1x all-pro
  • 12 year career, 16 interceptions, 756 tackles, 25 sacks
  • member of 6 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 1 superbowls (L)
Joey Browner

  • 2nd team, all-1980's team
  • 6x pro-bowls
  • 3x all-pro
  • 10 year career, 37 interceptions,  9.5 sacks
  • member of 3 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 0 superbowls 
Deron Cherry

  • 2nd team, all-1980's team
  • 6x pro-bowls
  • 3x all-pro
  • 11 year career, 50 interceptions,  3.5 sacks
  • member of 2 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 0 superbowls 
Nolan Cromwell

  • 2nd team, all-1980's team
  • 4x pro-bowls
  • 3x all-pro
  • 11 year career, 37 interceptions,  2 sacks
  • member of 5 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 1 superbowls (L)
Rodney Harrison:

  • 0 all-decades teams
  •  2x pro-bowl
  • 2x all-pro
  • 15 year career.  34 interceptions, 911 tackles, 30.5 sacks.  
  • member of 5 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring)
  • started in 4 superbowls (2W, 2L)
Charles Woodson:

  • 1st team all-2000's team
  •  9x pro-bowl
  • 3x all-pro
  • 18 year career.  65 interceptions, 983 tackles, 20 sacks.  
  • member of 3 top 5 defenses (yards or scoring) 
  • started in 2 superbowls (1W, 1L)
  • 1998 defensive rookie of the year
  • 2009 defensive player of the year
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't know about the order per se, but based off how good I view them as:

1. Reed, 2nd best safety not in the hall after Johnny Robinson.

2. Dawkins

3. Polamalu

4. Butler, I know I'm driving that bandwagon. Thought he was the 2nd best player on the Packers Super Bowl teams.

5. Cherry, most underrated player of the 80's.

6. Browner

7. Cromwell

Hall of Very Good

8. Lynch

9. Atwater

10. Sharper, though he'll never get in based on his off field issues.

11. Lake, clearly the bottom guy for me. I feel like he was a great jack-of-all-trades type, but not really in the conversation for the HOF. 

I'd add both Charles and Darren Woodson to the HOF list. I'd have Charles between Butler and Cherry, and Darren between Browner and Cromwell. 

 
travdogg said:
I don't know about the order per se, but based off how good I view them as:

1. Reed, 2nd best safety not in the hall after Johnny Robinson.

2. Dawkins

3. Polamalu

4. Butler, I know I'm driving that bandwagon. Thought he was the 2nd best player on the Packers Super Bowl teams.

5. Cherry, most underrated player of the 80's.

6. Browner

7. Cromwell

Hall of Very Good

8. Lynch

9. Atwater

10. Sharper, though he'll never get in based on his off field issues.

11. Lake, clearly the bottom guy for me. I feel like he was a great jack-of-all-trades type, but not really in the conversation for the HOF. 

I'd add both Charles and Darren Woodson to the HOF list. I'd have Charles between Butler and Cherry, and Darren between Browner and Cromwell. 
Click to expand...
:goodposting:

Great post. I like this order, but I would add Rodney Harrison somewhere between Butler and Browner and Darren Woodson below Cromwell. I would then draw the HOVG line after Harrison.

Regarding Charles Woodson, I agree he should and will definitely make the HOF, but it is hard to rank him as a safety given that the majority of his career and his notable seasons came at CB.

moleculo said:
Ronnie Lott, Aeneas Williams, Charles Rod Woodson and now Kenny Easley  are the only safeties in the HoF who played more recently than 1980.  37 years of football and only four safeties have been enshrined.
Click to expand...
I would argue that it is even worse than you suggest, given that Aeneas Williams spent the majority of his career at CB, not S. He made it for his entire career, of course, but IMO his play at CB exceeded his play at S.

IMO Lynch is one of the most overrated players discussed for HOF consideration, and it will be disappointing when he makes it one day over others on this list who are more deserving.

All that said, I am 100% certain that Reed, Polamalu, and Dawkins will make it, and I expect at least a couple of the others will eventually make it via the veteran committee. In the long run, I don't think there will be a major injustice at this position for this period of football.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Rodney Harrison should be in this discussion as well, even though his reputation (much like TO) will keep him from getting in the HOF.

 
Just Win Baby said:
:goodposting:

This post is spot on, though I would draw the line after Cherry or Browner rather than Cromwell (and Darren Woodson would be below that cut line). IMO Lynch is one of the most overrated players discussed for HOF consideration, and it will be disappointing when he makes it one day over others on this list who are more deserving.

Regarding Charles Woodson, I agree he should and will definitely make the HOF, but it is hard to rank him as a safety given that the majority of his career and his notable seasons came at CB.

I would argue that it is even worse than you suggest, given that Aeneas Williams spent the majority of his career at CB, not S. He made it for his entire career, of course, but IMO his play at CB exceeded his play at S.

That said, I am 100% certain that Reed, Polamalu, and Dawkins will make it, and I expect at least a couple of the others will eventually make it via the veteran committee. Unfortunately, Lynch will also almost certainly make it. In the long run, I don't think there will be a major injustice at this position for this period of football.
Click to expand...
Hope you are wrong about Lynch.  He was average.  A stat compiler.

Great post overall.

 
Atwater not getting enough respect in here imho. Besides the tremendous stats he's the definition of a physical safety.

 
I think Reed, Atwater, and Dawkins are deserving of the HOF. Probably in that order. My homer goggles tell me Atwater first, but aside from Rod Woodson Ed Reed is perhaps the best safety I can remember watching most of or his entire career (caught the tail end of Lott).

it's odd the dearth of modern safeties in the HOF.

 
I added Rodney Harrison and Rod Woodson to the above list.  Woodson is debatable though - he spent the vast majority of his career as a CB, so not sure if he really counts.

 
I'm not as big on Harrison. I'd have him between Sharper and Lake, and his cheap shot rep likely hurts him a bit among actual HOF voters. 

Also, by the time they are done, I think both Earl Thomas and Eric Berry will be ahead of most of these guys. 

 
Buffaloes said:
I think Reed, Atwater, and Dawkins are deserving of the HOF. Probably in that order. My homer goggles tell me Atwater first, but aside from Rod Woodson Ed Reed is perhaps the best safety I can remember watching most of or his entire career (caught the tail end of Lott).

it's odd the dearth of modern safeties in the HOF.
Click to expand...
safety was kind of an afterthought until recently, it seems.  kind of changed due to dawkins, which is another reason that he better get in before lynch.

 
travdogg said:
I don't know about the order per se, but based off how good I view them as:

1. Reed, 2nd best safety not in the hall after Johnny Robinson.

2. Dawkins

3. Polamalu

4. Butler, I know I'm driving that bandwagon. Thought he was the 2nd best player on the Packers Super Bowl teams.

5. Cherry, most underrated player of the 80's.

6. Browner

7. Cromwell

Hall of Very Good

8. Lynch

9. Atwater

10. Sharper, though he'll never get in based on his off field issues.

11. Lake, clearly the bottom guy for me. I feel like he was a great jack-of-all-trades type, but not really in the conversation for the HOF. 

I'd add both Charles and Darren Woodson to the HOF list. I'd have Charles between Butler and Cherry, and Darren between Browner and Cromwell. 
Click to expand...
Agree on Butler...so underrated.  

 
I don't think many of the posters having Atlwater that low ever saw him play.  He's as at least as good as Lynch, Dawkins, and Polamalu.  I'd say he's just behind Reed.

Charles Woodson is at a different level, he's easily the best of the group considering his corner play.  Better than Reed, but those are the top two of those listed here.  I'd put Atlwater 3rd. 

 
Doctor Detroit said:
I don't think many of the posters having Atlwater that low ever saw him play.  He's as at least as good as Lynch, Dawkins, and Polamalu. 
Click to expand...
I would put Atwater behind Polamalu and after reflection, probably Dawkins too.  Definitely ahead of Lynch.

For most of his career, Atwater was used as an in-the-box safety - basically as a 4th LB.  That's why you will see his tackle numbers so high.  He was a top 20 tackler in the league for most of his early career:

  • 1989: 12th
  • 1990: 4th
  • 1991: 8th
  • 1992: 8th
  • 1993: 18th
his specialty was laying the big hit.  the Okoye hit is the one that gets all the hype, but IMO the biggest one was the one where he put it all on the line to nearly seal off XXXII.

Speaking of XXXII, a case could be made that Atwater should have been MVP.  6 tackles, 2 passes defended, a sack and a forced fumble.  Besides the key 3rd down hit above, Atwater had another key stop on a 3rd down the previous possession.

Statistically, Atwater didn't have the interceptions of a Reed or even a Dawkins, but he had a hell of a lot more tackles than anyone above.  And, only Polomau and Harrison have the post-season pedigree.  

Atwater segment starts at 2:38

===

my rankings:

  • Reed
  • Polamau
  • Dawkins
  • Atwater
  • Butler
  • Lynch
  • ===HoF line===
  • everyone else
*note: counting Woodson as a CB more than a S

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Scoresman
My 2025 NFL Team Offense Rankings
Replies
2
Views
5K
taylormeetstheismann
taylormeetstheismann
Yogibear
Joe Schmidt passes away at age 92
Replies
1
Views
495
JohnnyU
JohnnyU
JohnnyU
RB Isaiah Davis, Jets
Replies
23
Views
2K
Kiddnets
Kiddnets

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top