Saturday, six men were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: defensive linemen Chris Doleman and Cortez Kennedy, offensive tackle Willie Roaf, center Dermontti Dawson, running back Curtis Martin, and cornerback Jack Butler. Meanwhile, former coach Bill Parcells, running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Cris Carter, and defensive end Charles Haley were among the finalists who learned that their busts won’t be bronzed this year.
For those who were left out in 2012, the road to Canton won’t get any smoother in 2013. A bunch of strong Hall of Fame candidates will be eligible next year, including former Ravens left tackle and franchise cornerstone Jonathan Ogden. Also up for possible enshrinement are defensive end Michael Strahan, offensive guard Larry Allen, defensive tackle Warren Sapp, and quarterback Steve McNair, who played two seasons in Baltimore.
Ogden, a towering tackle who might be the best to ever play his position, seems like a shoo-in for the Hall. He has the resume and reputation as a first-ball Hall-of-Famer. Ogden was as a nine-time All-Pro, a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2000s and a Super Bowl champion. One would assume most of the 44 men and women who vote for the Hall of Fame feel the same way -- unless they dock J.O. points for his alleged love of legendary pop sensation Janet Jackson -- but it takes 80 percent of the votes to make it happen.
Cornerback Deion Sanders, tight end Shannon Sharpe and defensive back Rod Woodson are the only former Ravens who are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If selected, Ogden would become the first player drafted by the Ravens to be voted in.
Should Ogden be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in 2013? And does McNair deserve to make it into the Hall of Fame eventually?