Getty Earl Thomas celebrates a big play in Seattle.
The Baltimore Ravens have a great team set to take on the NFL this coming season, and how many true greats there are on the roster could depend on the amount of success the team has overall.
Recently, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell took a closer look at projecting how many players on every roster in the NFL could be future Hall of Famers ticketed for Canton, Ohio. The number? 7 for the Ravens, however not all of them have the same exact chance.
Safety Earl Thomas was the only player in the “likely” category over 70% and Barnwell thinks he remains the biggest favorite on the Baltimore team at this point. Here’s what he wrote:
“He was nearly a lock after making four Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro nods across his first five seasons, but injuries have cost Thomas 20 games over the subsequent four years. Returning to form and earning a seventh Pro Bowl nod in his first season with the Ravens got Thomas back on track. Seymour made it to seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams and hasn’t made it to the Hall of Fame, but Thomas was more conspicuous at safety and was a key member of a legendary defense. I think Thomas is a prohibitive favorite to get in.”
In terms of Jackson, Peters and Tucker, the case is further from a lock, but some pitfalls might exist for these players. Here’s what was written:
“Winning an MVP in Year 2 obviously leaps Jackson into consideration on its own, but it doesn’t seal it. Quarterbacks like Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason and Steve McNair won league MVP without earning enshrinement. Jackson does an incredible job of avoiding hits and getting out of bounds, but there’s naturally going to be questions about whether a quarterback can run the ball 10 times per game in the modern NFL and have a 15-year career as a starter. If he can follow in Patrick Mahomes’ footsteps and win a Super Bowl this year, Jackson will have an impeccable résumé to start his career.
Peters might look better in the long term than he does now. Ten years after he retires, we’re more likely to look at his two first-team All-Pro nods and forget those times he guessed wrong and gave up touchdowns with the Chiefs and Rams. It’s tough to rack up interceptions in the modern NFL, but Peters has 27 since entering the league, nine more than any other player. He has a stronger case than you think.
While Tucker would be the overwhelming choice as the best kicker in football, the Hall has elected just two full-time kickers in its history. Adam Vinatieri will eventually join Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen, but those guys averaged 22 seasons in the league. Tucker is only nine years in, and while he can kick for a long time if he stays healthy, asking anyone in the NFL to do anything for 13 more seasons is risky.”
Finally, in terms of Ingram, Campbell and Stanley, there is more work left to be done. All of them were in the “work to do” category, featuring only a 10% to 39% chance of cracking the hall.
“Ingram wasn’t very good for extended stretches of time until his fourth season in the league in New Orleans, and while he has made three Pro Bowls since, he hasn’t had a top-five season in terms of production or won a Super Bowl. Stanley was a first-team All-Pro last season, which was his first serious recognition as a superstar. He could roll off a string of these nods in the years to come.
Campbell, who turns 34 next month, is probably going to miss out, which is a shame given how good he has been. He made only two Pro Bowls with the Cardinals, which was a farce. The big deal he signed with the Jags and the subsequent 14.5-sack campaign he posted in leading them to the AFC Championship Game turned the tide, as Campbell was a first-team All-Pro and made three consecutive Pro Bowl trips with Jacksonville. Seymour has a better résumé and more Super Bowl rings and hasn’t made it in, but he peaked earlier in his career; if Campbell can stay productive and win a ring or two with the Ravens, it might push him into more significant consideration.”
If the Ravens are able to get a ring, it will obviously help these players with their cases, but for now, plenty do have a good chance of the highest honor in the game.
ESPN Lauds Ravens Roster
Suddenly, the Ravens have built what most consider to be one of the best rosters in the entire NFL. Recently, ESPN ranked the team as having the top roster in the league. In an Insider segment, the site ranked teams 1-32 and the Ravens came in the top spot.
The Bucs’ wild offseason catapulted their roster into the NFL’s top five 👀
Check out the full rankings (E+): t.co/nzSPT3HEwC
The Ravens placed just ahead of some other elite teams, including both from last year’s Super Bowl. It’s another feather in the cap for the team.
Colin Cowherd: Ravens Have NFL’s Best Roster
The Ravens are getting a little love for their work building the team in recent years on multiple fronts. General manager Eric DeCosta got some major respect from Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd. According to Cowherd, the Ravens have the best roster in the NFL at this point in time. Here’s a look at that, and the other teams who place on the list just behind Baltimore.
Discuss.
Perhaps the biggest reason the Ravens are in such good shape is their quarterback Lamar Jackson. Offensively, the team also has some quality pieces such as Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews, and the defense has been beefed up with players who are both young and old this offseason.
This version of the Ravens will have to overcome some disappointment in the playoffs in order to take this throne, but clearly, the talent is there. The most fascinating part will be watching to see if the team can put everything together in the next few years and prove the analysts right.
If they can, plenty of players may one day get their call to Canton.
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