Patriots HOF Finalists

Who are you voting for?


  • Total voters
    121

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
Off the top of my head, some deserving players from this era (in no particular order):

Wilfork
Welker
Edelman
Gronk
D. McCourty
Hightower
a random QB
Mankins?
Solder (probably a long shot)
Gilmore?
Plus Vrabel

Solder was here 8 years, started for 7, I think he is borderline
Gilmore, if he plays out his contract, will have been here for 5. I think he would need another contract.
Vinatieri is not in yet, since he's not yet retired.
And Gost may have a claim as well.

This list easily takes us into the 2030s.

Edit: and then you have guys like James White, David Andrews, Joe Thuney... if they play in NE a while longer they could all get in.
 
Last edited:

MuppetAsteriskTalk

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 19, 2015
5,399
Ok a tight end, and "the most versatile TE in the draft". Ok.
Matt Light retired a year earlier than Seymour, and there was a bit of backlog when Light was first eligible: McGinest, Faulk, Raymond Clayborn (long overdue) all got in before Light or Seymour. Rodney Harrison snuck in between them. Light was with the Pats for longer (granted, that wasn't Seymour's fault), so I wouldn't call the order of induction a travesty.

Be interesting to see who's next. Besides Vrabel, Wes Welker and Vince Wilfork will be eligible. You also have guys like Deion Branch, Logan Mankins, and Mayo that are at least in the conversation when the backlog thins.
Do people think Mayo gets in? Seems like a stretch to me, but wondering if my POV is off on that.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Off the top of my head, some deserving players from this era (in no particular order):

Wilfork
Welker
Edelman
Gronk
D. McCourty
Hightower
a random QB
Mankins?
Solder (probably a long shot)
Gilmore?
Notable absence who is for sure a Patriot HOF and might get into consideration as the first of his kind to make Canton: Matthew Slater.

I think Solder has no shot, nor should Hightower. But Mankins should be as he is arguably no worse than 3rd best OLineman in Patriot history (after Hannah and maybe Bruce Armstrong).

Welker may have trouble since Edelman and Brown filled the same role while winning Super Bowls. And many may remember his drop more than his stats.

One key thing is that unlike Canton, the Pats HOF is clearly a popularity contest subject to the whims of fan voting: e.g. skill position players, like Faulk, getting in before trench guys like Seymour and Light.
 

Caspir

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
6,886
I vote no on Mayo. He has neither peak nor longevity to warrant it, and no SB rings to bolster.
He was injured mid season, but he was on the team that beat Seattle so he got a ring.

I like Mayo, and maybe he climbs the coaching tree and gets an artificial boost from fan voting if the team is successful?
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
Agree that Mayo should not get in. But Hightower... he's coming up on his 9th season. Some absolutely huge moments. An overall great player. How many seasons did Vrabel play in NE, 8?

Edit: Vrabel vs. Hightower

Vrabel
8 seasons
125 games / 110 starts
11 INT
13 FF
412 tackles / 194 assists
48 sacks

DH
8 seasons
102 games / 99 starts
1 INT
2 FF
314 tackles / 191 assists
25.5 sacks

Vrabel had more of everything, and probably more big moments too, but another year or two from DH and I think he is a Patriot HoF'er.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
Yeah, I don’t understand not nominating Hightower or Welker. Both should and will get in. HT made the big play in the 28-3 game to start the comeback.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Agree that Mayo should not get in. But Hightower... he's coming up on his 9th season. Some absolutely huge moments. An overall great player. How many seasons did Vrabel play in NE, 8?

Edit: Vrabel vs. Hightower

Vrabel
8 seasons
125 games / 110 starts
11 INT
13 FF
412 tackles / 194 assists
48 sacks

DH
8 seasons
102 games / 99 starts
1 INT
2 FF
314 tackles / 191 assists
25.5 sacks

Vrabel had more of everything, and probably more big moments too, but another year or two from DH and I think he is a Patriot HoF'er.
But you're forgetting two key stats for the voting masses:
Receptions:
Vrabel - 9
Hightower - 0

Touchdowns:
Vrabel - 9
Hightower - 0
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,754
Pittsburgh, PA
Off the top of my head, some deserving players from this era (in no particular order):

Wilfork
Welker
Edelman
Gronk
D. McCourty
Hightower
a random QB
Mankins?
Solder (probably a long shot)
Gilmore?
Gostkowski, too. And the others mentioned above, plus Vrabel.

I'd probably vote Parcells over Solder, and Hightower, maybe Gilmore depending on his next year or two, but not the rest. Just depends on when each of them become eligible.

Either way, I agree that Parcells has a decent hill to climb.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
Gostkowski, too. And the others mentioned above, plus Vrabel.

I'd probably vote Parcells over Solder, and Hightower, maybe Gilmore depending on his next year or two, but not the rest. Just depends on when each of them become eligible.

Either way, I agree that Parcells has a decent hill to climb.
And, of course, Adam, whom I left out.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Congrats to big Sey. They picked the right guy. He was an absolute force on the D line, and core part of the early dynasty years. I think Vrabel eventually gets in. Parcells is complicated. I also get the argument that he changed the culture, gave the franchise credibility, etc. Gave entertaining press conferences. And that the ‘95 and ‘96 drafts, however credit for them is being parsed, provided several key members of the early super bowl titles. But as the man himself liked to say, you are what your record says you are. 32-32, with two playoff years and a super bowl loss is decent enough for a rebuild, but nothing spectacular. And the really shitty way he left, including, by most accounts, not being singularly focused on preparing for that super bowl, but rather spending at least some of his time setting up his next gig, tips it against him for me.
Why couldn’t Parcells spend the two weeks prepping for the Super Bowl? Like, what was the exigency for someone who hasn’t won a SB in a long time and had a good chance against a flawed opponent?
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
Why couldn’t Parcells spend the two weeks prepping for the Super Bowl? Like, what was the exigency for someone who hasn’t won a SB in a long time and had a good chance against a flawed opponent?
Flawed may be overstating things. GB was beatable, ish, but IIRC were top 3 in both offense and defense. Saying they were flawed is kind of like saying the 2007 Pats were flawed. All teams have some weaknesses. That GB team was a powerhouse.

Edit: #1 in both points scored and allowed.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Flawed may be overstating things. GB was beatable, ish, but IIRC were top 3 in both offense and defense. Saying they were flawed is kind of like saying the 2007 Pats were flawed. All teams have some weaknesses. That GB team was a powerhouse.

Edit: #1 in both points scored and allowed.
I just meant not an all-time gangbusters 85 Bears or 07 Pats (oops) team we had no chance against where you could kind of sort of maybe see Parcells blowing off any hope of winning. Hell, it was 27-21 in the third before that kickoff return :(.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
37,054
Hingham, MA
I just meant not an all-time gangbusters 85 Bears or 07 Pats (oops) team we had no chance against where you could kind of sort of maybe see Parcells blowing off any hope of winning. Hell, it was 27-21 in the third before that kickoff return :(.
Not sure how it stacks up all time but they outscored opponents by over 15 ppg that season. And yet - the Pats could have won that game.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
Not sure how it stacks up all time but they outscored opponents by over 15 ppg that season. And yet - the Pats could have won that game.
Wikipedia says we were 14 point dogs, which is more than I remembered. I think that’s the same spread as against the Rams in 01, when we seemed like a huge underdog.
 

Soxy

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2008
6,095
That Green Bay team was a monster for a couple seasons. Only reason they were such big favorites against Denver in the next Super Bowl was because they had been so dominant for the past two years. That Denver team was just as stacked as Green Bay and they were 11 point underdogs! Packers were a juggernaut.

Didn't end up lasting (they sputtered through the next season, then lost to the 49ers in the "Owens Owens Owens" playoff game), but they were universally viewed as The Next Great Team that would take the torch from the Cowboys for a bit. Obviously didn't pan out that way.