I never, ever hear pundits include Rodney Harrison in list of potential HOF players. This guy is a monster and should be a LOCK for the Hall. I will cite this quote from the Patriots website that about sums it up:
Harrison is entering his 13th NFL season and is in his fourth season with the Patriots after signing with New England as a free agent on March 12, 2003. The Western Illinois product has played in 158 NFL games with 132 starts and is the only player in NFL history to record at least 25 sacks and at least 30 interceptions. Harrison enters the 2006 season with 27.5 sacks and 31 interceptions in his regular-season career. His 27.5 sacks are the highest total by a defensive back in NFL history. Since joining the Patriots, Harrison has started six playoff games, during which he recorded a total of six interceptions as New England won Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX. In each of his two full seasons with the Patriots, Harrison has led the team in tackles, totaling 140 tackles in 2003 and 138 tackles in 2004.
This guy's name should come up every 4 minutes when discussing current players that have a future in the Hall, but I have never heard it once.
There's an article in today's Philadelphia Daily News about Brian Dawkins' potential as an HoF candidate. They point out that there aren't alot of safeties in there. They don't mention Harrison, either.
Certainly, Dawkins and Harrison are both worthy of consideration...
saturn11 wrote: Funny you should mention it, Ninja. There's an article in today's Philadelphia Daily News about Brian Dawkins' potential as an HoF candidate. They point out that there aren't alot of safeties in there. They don't mention Harrison, either. Certainly, Dawkins and Harrison are both worthy of consideration...
Read the parts I bolded. I don't know why Dawkins' would be able to hold a candle to that.
After I wrote that "Certainly, Dawkins and Harrison are both worthy of consideration...[for Canton]", Ninja quipped "Read the parts I bolded. I don't know why Dawkins' would be able to hold a candle to that."
Now I write:
gee, i must've struck a chord, ninja. you can usually tell when someone's cryin. sorry, 'bout that. Glad to see you're willing to discuss this in a grownup fashion
But, *sigh*, if MUST go by the parts you "bolded", then, here are Harrison's and Dawkins' 3 YR. AVERAGES (averaging their career #'s out over three seasons), side by side:
Harrsion wins in tackles, no doubt. But in your beloved sack and Interception categories, Dawkins wins, while also averaging out to be more durable.
As far as the number of Soops your boy has to mine, do you think that Harrison would've been the difference maker if HE was the Bird's starting safety for the past 5 yrs? And since Dawkins doesn't hold a candle to Harrison, would the Pats have NO Soop rings if HE was their starting safety? Be careful how you answer that.
But hey, my point, JetBlackNerdlinger, is NOT that there definitely appears some candle holdin' goin on here, even though there does. My point is that numbers AREN'T the point.
we both know that that place in Canton isn't called the "Hall of Guys With the Best Stats", right?
I was simply suggesting that they'd both be worthy of consideration. Never said anything about who could hold a candle to whom, even though it's clear that they're on the same exceptional level.
I've had the pleasure of seeing both of them play (and a lot of other great safeties, dating back a LONG WAYS). trust me, you'd be hard pressed to do better than either of them.
So relax little boy. I was looking forward to a nice exchange with you about two of the greatest safeties to play in the past decade. Too bad you blew it.
I don't have the respect for Dawkins you do. Maybe the thing that stands out between them is the 6 picks in 6 playoff games for 2 rings. Als othe fact that the secondary was so good with a bunch of no name replacements until he got hurt... then they blew, which is as stong an indication that he is an "all time great" as any other I can offer.
Dawkins does have some nice numbers now that you point them out in that manner, but to me he isn't the player Rodney Harrison was and might still be (he was kinda old to heal fully from an injury that massive).
The knock against Rodney has always been the few Pro Bowl games he has been in, but I don't know if the Pro Bowl is anything more than a popularity contest.
If Dawkins keeps it up and makes the "25-30" numbers Harrison has put up, and he leads a half co.cked defense to a ring, then I would certainly be in favor of his Hall bid as well, until then I am just not seeing how he should be considered until at least Harrison and maybe Lynch are in.
right on, ninj. thanks for the football talk. seriously. harrison's beyond amazing, and coming back from that injury is huge. by pointing out dawk's durability, i didn't mean to slight harrison on that one.
as far as the pro-bowl is concerned, i didn't bring it up for a reason. it only means so much (i mean, $hit, the eagles have seen TRA (now William) Thomas go to the pro-bowl during some of his WORST seasons).
do you think mcGinest is right about last year's pats (rumormill says he claims there weren't enough guys who knew how to win / had the winning mindset on last year's team)?
has the culture in the pat's lockerroom changed that much?
i was pretty impressed w/ their run last year, and i know they've got some problems going into this season, but, by this time, winning is insitutionalized in new england. i just expect the kids to step up and play great like it's their birthright on that team. aside from the branch holdout, what's the general vibe in new england? optimisim? chaos? dread?
I am starting to lose my cool with the Patriots a bit. It is very hard to question a coach that might be in the middle of delivering 6 Super Bowls, or done delivering 3, either way he turned one of the annual NFL jokes into a Dynasty team, and broke however many records. I can't complain really I watched my home team win 21 straight games without a loss, and that is a great run for any football fan.
That said, they have a huge cap space yet they let guys go (including a kicker that could have been franchised for a hill of beans), they continue to let a strong offensive weapon hold out, and we seem to have holes on both sides of the ball. For the 2nd straight year it seems like we are willing to back-slide.
Your an Eagles fan, and I think they did just about everything they could to fix the slap-shod product they put on the field last year, and I am not 100% I can say that about the Patriots. It seems as though we have reached the point where Coach Genius is hearing his own hype. That they can win with no-names on the field. Beating the Eagles with Gay, and Samuel at corner was luck and nothing more. TO wiped Gay of like a booger more times than I care to remember, and the Eagles could have won simply by throwing the ball at TO 75 times.
I think that Pioli and Belichick fully expected players like Biesel and Starks to raise like yeast the way players like Keith Traylor and Mike Vrable had in the past, and that was just not the case. Instead of learning from 05' and signing some guys, Belichick decided to give the "no-name Joe" approach one more shot, and I really REALLY hope it doe not blow up in that emotion free face of his.
If this is the year that Artrell Hawkins and Ellis Hobbs play 5 times above their level (which happens at times in the this system) then we have a real shot at putting a 4th Lombardi in the case, but if not, then are season could be over by week 11.
In other news.... Rodney Harrison for Hall of Fame!!!!!!!!! (gotta spread the virus starting now)
