The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

The 2020 Modern-Era Player Finalists with their positions, years and teams:

•Steve Atwater, Safety – 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets

•Tony Boselli, Tackle – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars

•Isaac Bruce, Wide Receiver – 1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers

•LeRoy Butler, Safety – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers

•Alan Faneca, Guard – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals

•Torry Holt, Wide Receiver – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars

•Steve Hutchinson, Guard – 2001-05 Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2011 Minnesota Vikings, 2012 Tennessee Titans

•Edgerrin James, Running Back – 1999-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-08 Arizona Cardinals, 2009 Seattle Seahawks

•John Lynch, Free Safety – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos

•Sam Mills, Linebacker – 1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers

•Troy Polamalu, Safety – 2003-2014 Pittsburgh Steelers

•Richard Seymour, Defensive End/Defensive Tackle – 2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-2012 Oakland Raiders

•Zach Thomas, Linebacker – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys

•Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts

•Bryant Young, Defensive Tackle – 1994-2007 San Francisco 49ers

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/01/02/zach-thomas-sam-mills-leroy-butler-are-hall-of-fame-finalists-for-first-time/

I am sure Zach will garner the most interest on this site of the list.  I don't think he get in.  My 5 are Bruce, James, Wayne, Seymour &  Polamalu

I still love this quote from Kevin Mawae's HOF enshrinement ....

“Zach Thomas was my nemesis,” Mawae said about three-quarters into his 27-minute Hall of Fame speech. “My first year with the Jets before my first game we played against each other, (Coach) Bill Parcells told me in front of my entire team, ‘If you don’t block Thomas, we won’t win the game,’ and for the next 16 matchups I never forgot that.

“Zach was one of, if not the smartest player I ever faced. He loved the game, had fun when he played and brought the best out of me. When people ask me who’s not in the Hall of Fame and that I think should be here, it’s an easy one for me: number 54 from the Miami Dolphins.”

I'm convinced Hoodie is here to low key troll Dolphins fans all the time.  Thomas deserves to get in over any of your 5 HoF picks, especially Seymour.

My take on Zack: The second best defensive player on a team that accomplished nothing is not HoF material.  You can get in being the best player on a shitty team.  (Jason Taylor) You can get in being the second or third player on a dominant unit.  (multiple players from the Steeler in the 70s) But if you are neither on a dominant unit nor the best player on that unit, than no.

Blah, blah, and blah. The Dolphins defense finished in the top 10 in fewest yards allowed an impressive seven consecutive seasons (1998-2004). Five times during Thomas’ career, the Dolphins were in the top five.

NFL.com writer Adam Rank ranked the 25 semifinalists and put Thomas at number 4, behind only former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, former Broncos safety Steve Atwater and former 49ers inside linebacker Patrick Willis.

This is what Rank wrote about Thomas: “I mentioned this last year, but Thomas has been overlooked for way too long. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro — and made the second team twice, as well. The 2000s were loaded with standout inside linebackers, including Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher. But Thomas fits in nicely with them. Like when Curt Hennig joined the nWo.”

Zach has been a tough choice. He isn't getting in this time and I'm not sure he will  ever.  Tough to know what the voters think.

That's a great quote, but I have to be "that guy" and say Derrick Brooks was a weak outside linebacker, not inside linebacker.

My take on Seymour:  A good, not great defensive lineman with pedestrian numbers on a team that won three Superbowls, giving the illusion he was better than he really was.

Could you please point out where it says that in the HoF voting guidelines (or anywhere else)? Because it sounds like you pulled that out of the southern end of a northbound mule.

So a squad that never made it to a single AFCCG deserves to be better represented in the HoF than one that won 3 out of 4 superbowls.  Sure. 

It is the hall of FAME!

He was a good player on a great team (Seymour) instead of a great player on a good team (Thomas).  Great players should be in the HoF, not good players.

In order to have a great team you need some great players.  3x super bowl champs should have more representation than a team that couldn’t advance deep to a championship game.

JT was the heart and soul of an above average defense that accomplished nothing. ZT played a supporting role in an above average defense that accomplished nothing.

That Dolphins defense was better than any Patriots defense ever.

I'm going to agree with Hoodie on this one.  I don't see Zach making it in to the HOF as the second-best player on an above-average defense.

Let's establish a foundation, first: the JJ/Wanny Dolphins accomplished nothing of significance.  I mean, think of Lovie Smith's Bears teams, and the esteem you have for them.  Now take it down a couple of rungs (from a team that at least made a Super Bowl) and you have the JJ/Wanny Dolphins.  Of current era teams, they would be equivalent to like, Marvin Lewis's Bengals.  Nobody outside of Dolphins fans remembers or cares about those teams.

Now, specifically as to the defense of those teams:  I have some numbers for you.  We all know what they are.

38-3
62-7
27-0
20-3

This is how those teams exited the playoffs.  Of those four losses, only the first was to a champion (or even conference champion).  Those are not the performances of a legendary defense.  Those are repeated humiliations on a national stage, in four consecutive years.  (And yes, I acknowledge that the other side of the ball also played terribly.) Do we even need to discuss the last game of the 2002 season, when the Dolphins had an 11-point lead with 5 minutes remaining and the division on the line?  I think not.

JT had a DPOY.  That means something.  Zach did not.  At no point in his career was Zach considered the best player at his position, and I would argue that for his entire career, he was never considered any better than #3 (behind some combination of Seau, R.Lewis, and Urlacher).

Zach is a great player and one of the all-time greatest Dolphins.  He deserves a spot in the Dolphins Honor Roll right next to his brother-in-law.  But I just don't think he's going to get in to the HOF.

There are going to be some hard luck stories this year - looking over the list, dare I say there's a chance it won't be a full quota picked this time:

I reckon Polamalu will be an automatic selection - Atwater and Lynch should already be in the HOF but I can't see them selecting another safety. Isaac Bruce should get in, and I would love to see Sam Mills added who was an absolute beast with the Saints & Panthers.  After that I'm struggling, ummm, maybe Seymore, then Fanceca or Hutchinson...

Some of the Semifinalists that missed out though, wow I am very surprised!

Carl Banks, Ronde Barber, Steve Tasker, Clay Matthews Jr, Darren Woodson, Patrick Willis - I would put these guys in ahead of most of the others who are still in the race.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/troy-polamalu-headlines-the-2020-hall-of-fame-modern-era-finalists-patrick-willis-among-notable-snubs/

Zach Thomas is a 7 time probowler, 7 time all pro, 5 time first team.  You're fucking crazy if you don't believe he should be in the hall of fame.

Was I right in hearing that there will be a total of 13 players selected? If that's the case then there's almost no way that Zach doesn't make it.

Edit, Ok did a little research and it seems that only 5 of those will be modern era players, the rest will be seniors, coaches or other contributors. Nevermind. I still think Zach has a decent chance of being inducted. Maybe not this year, but I think it will happen at some point.

Never been happier to be wrong.

Congrats to Zach!

I'm happy for Zach.  I never put my chips on the table about the Hall of Fame for him or any of these other guys.  I feel very out of touch with this kinds of conversations.

I do feel that Zach seemed like a hometown favorite but he never got a lot of media play around the country.  I never saw Zach as being a cover athlete for Madden, but Urlacher, for example did seem like that.  And I never considered one to be all that much better than the other, so I thought a lot would be about perception.  In that, I'm happy for him and a bit surprised.  But I loved rooting for this guy.

When HOFers were calling out for him to be elected it really solidified our opinions. Zach was a great player who got little attention outside of the people playing against him and Miami fans. I have to wonder if he was more outgoing on a public level if that would have been different. As it is ... He's a man of little words.

^ I feel like this is true.

Also, it just makes sense to have the greatest players and those other greatest players that were their rivals on the field.  It helps tell the story better.

Should have happened years ago, but better late than never. Congrats Zach. Well deserved. Sorry you had to wait as long as you did.

Zach getting in because Darth Sidious ( Hoodie ) didn’t think he deserved it makes it so much better! ;)