Dermonti Dawson (1 Viewer)

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

Many feel he was a better center than Mike Webster, so it makes me wonder why he hasn't been inducted yet. Webster got in after 7 years, Dawson retired in 2000.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Surprised he isn't already in. One of the top 10 centers of all-time (and I might be underselling him.)

 

[pitt100]

What do I know? Art Monk should have been in a long time ago too.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I don't know who you rank above Dawson on a list of all-time great centers. Webster? Dwight Stephenson? Those are the only two that come to my mind that I'd put in the same class in my lifetime. Am I forgetting someone?

 

[GroveDiesel]

Agreed. Ridiculous that he's not in. Offensive lineman don't get much love until they qualify for the Senior Committee.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

7 straight Pro Bowls, at least 5x All-Pro (maybe more, that's all I could turn up with a quick search) and member of the NFL Team of the Decade for the 1990s. He should go.

 

[Normie32r]

Jim Otto

 

[Sidewinder16]

Jim Otto

Chuck Bednarik is a personal favorite.But yes, Dawson should get in.

 

[zamboni]

I actually thought Dawson was in, which makes it that much more ridiculous.

When he was playing, he was often cited as the best center of all time. Perhaps there's some personal grudge going on - don't know.

 

[Tau837]

I actually thought Dawson was in, which makes it that much more ridiculous. When he was playing, he was often cited as the best center of all time. Perhaps there's some personal grudge going on - don't know.

Old post on OLs.

And McDaniel is a possibility, but I have a hard time judging offensive linemen. I know Matthews made 14 Pro Bowls and McDaniel made 12, but what other measures do we have for offensive linemen... just opinions of the voters who hopefully saw them play? I mean, consider these guys:Willie Roaf - 11 Pro BowlsWill Shields - 10 Pro Bowls and countingLarry Allen - 10 Pro Bowls and countingJonathan Ogden - 9 Pro Bowls in a row and countingOrlando Pace - 7 Pro Bowls in a row and countingAlan Faneca - 5 Pro Bowls in a row and countingSteve Hutchinson - 5 Pro Bowls in 5 years in the NFLWalter Jones - 5 Pro Bowls in a row and countingOlin Kreutz - 5 Pro Bowls in a row and countingIt's hard for me to distinguish which of these guys truly deserve to make the HOF. (Clearly it's too early to tell for some of them, just trying to illustrate the difficulty of distinguishing elite OLs from Pro Bowl caliber OLs.)

The top four guys you mention are more than likely to make the HOF. I would say at least three of the other five will also. Some of them will be first ballot. Randall McDaniel is a lock to make the HOF and should be in this year. We are talking about the best players at their position for the length of their career. He more than qualifies.

I wouldn't disagree with you, but why those 4? Is it the Pro Bowls? Or do the Pro Bowls for offensive linemen happen to more accurately represent the best offensive linemen every year, meaning 9+ selections truly reflects dominance? I ask that because people often dismiss Pro Bowl selections for other positions as being overrated due to popularity contests, selections due to injury, etc.Also, why 4? What is the right number of offensive linemen to induct from one era? In the modern era (majority of career played since 1946), there have been only 30 offensive linemen inducted, including none whose careers ended after 1995. So far, only 4 have been inducted whose careers ended in the 1990s, though 9 have been inducted whose careers ended in the 1980s... wide disparity.

The post doesn't mention Dawson. I assume from his All NFL selections that he is the best of his era, and may well be deserving. But using that as the reference point implies either that the best of each era gets in or he was actually better than just the best of his era. And what is an era? etc.I find the subject of discriminating between offensive linemen to be interesting but difficult. For example, if we had to rank all offensive linemen not in the HOF together, as opposed to separating them into different groups for center, guard, and tackle, what would that ranking look like?

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

 

[5-ish Finkle]

7 straight Pro Bowls, at least 5x All-Pro (maybe more, that's all I could turn up with a quick search) and member of the NFL Team of the Decade for the 1990s. He should go.

-Selected to play in seven consecutive Pro Bowls (1993-99)-Named first-team All-Pro six consecutive years (1993-1998)- AFC Olineman of the year in 1993 and 1996-181 starts in 184 games with 170 coming straight.-Member of 1990s team of the Decade.No way he shouldn't be in there yet. It's the "too many Steelers already" vibe, I'm sure.He'll get in eventually.