Ten players who played a major chunk of their careers with the Washington Redskins and two off-field contributors were selected as preliminary nominees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the first of a series, here's a look the four of them.
Bobby Beathard, General Manager, 1978-1988—He is listed as an "Administrator", which puts him up against the likes of Gil Brandt and Art Rooney. While he has a solid list of accomplishments—architect of three Super Bowl teams (two with the Redskins, one with the Chargers) with a hand in a few others—there's only one man in the Hall as a GM, Jim Finks. There has been talk of opening up a slot for such contributors, perhaps going with one veterans' committee nominee every few years and having some sort of team architect in the mix instead.
2010 chances—0% Eventual chances—10%
Gary Clark, Wide Receiver, 1985-1992—Clark's primary resume entry is that he was a prime contributor on two Super Bowl champions. Statistically, he is in the same ballpark with Hall of Fame receivers Lance Alworth and Paul Warfield. Alworth played most of his career in the AFL, a league not known for stout defense, and was a star player on one championship team (he won another with Dallas as a role player). Warfield was a key player on the Dolphins' back to back title teams in 1972-1973. Clark's case is diminished by his relatively few appearances in the Pro Bowl (4) and AP All-Pro selections (1) and the fact that he never led the league in any statistical category.
2010 chances—0% Eventual chances—20%
Jack Kent Cooke, Owner, 1974-1997—The criteria for getting in as an owner are rather fuzzy, especially since we're getting to the point where most of the team founders who are going to get in are in. I don't think that owning three Super Bowl winning teams is enough, there has to be some other contribution. While Cooke was respected by other owners he wasn't the kind of mover and shaker within the ranks to warrant Hall consideration.
2010 chances—0% Eventual chances—5%
Russ Grimm, Offensive Lineman, 1981-1991—Of the five offensive linemen chosen to the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team, only Grimm and Jimbo Covert of the Bears are not in the Hall of Fame. Grimm did not pile up as many Pro Bowls (4) or AP All-Pro selections (3) as some others but he was the best player on one of the best—and certainly the most famous—offensive line units in history. He was a force on two Super bowl champions and was a part-time player on a third (1991). He has made the cut to the final ten five times, including last year. Although he isn't clearly the best offensive lineman who has been waiting for a while—Bob Kuechenberg, a six-time Pro Bowler in Miami, has been a finalist eight times without getting in—this could be Grimm's year.
2010 chances—50% Eventual chances—90%
You can let your voice be heard by voting at Fan's Choice, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's official site for Hall discussion among fans.
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