PATRIOTS NEWS Willie McGinest, Leon Gray and Raymond Clayborn named Pats HoF finalists

[RayClay]

Clayborn, Adams and Lenkitis should all be in. Mcginist be patient? Should be a double-up year for the red-jacket fraternity for the next 3 or 4. Willie and RayClay this year

Names coming up: Matt Light, Kevin Faulk, Dan Koppen, Richard Seymour, Steven Neal, Joe Andruzzi.

Past stars: 12 year starter at RT from '65-'77 Tom Neville gets no love. 160 GP with 100 starts. Why? Bleed for this franchise you should get recognized. LB Tom Addison was a mainstay for 8 solid years (60-67) from this beleaguered franchises outset. How come he's not considered?

Old-timers throw me some more please. There should be 2 every year indoctrinated. 1 from the recent dynasty and 1 from the old guard.

I could see Neville and Lenkaitis, and throw Larry Eisenhauer in there to complete the all pro 4 man line.

Seriously though, as deserving as they might have been, that time has passed IMO. Antwine was a huge injustice, a mistake. He was the best tackle in the history of the AFL, if you compare him to the other first teamer, and consider the second team included buck Buchanan a pro football hall of famer.

http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.aspx?story_id=3253

With that done, I'd be quite happy with Clayborn, who should also be in ahead of a few recent inductees and Julius Adams as a vet choice and let it rest. I see no glaring omissions otherwise.

 

[DarrylS]

Agree completely on the sentiment for Julius Adams, during the "dark years" he was the only guy who was really noteworthy and toiled in the trenches.. but interior D lineman often are obscure.

Clayborne should get it... Gray was great, but he moved on... but my bet is McGinnest as we live in a "what have you done for me lately world". Difficult to put off Willie though..

This will be a logjam for the next few years, with all of the "greats" under BB becoming eligible..

 

[OhExaulted1]

I could see Neville and Lenkaitis, and throw Larry Eisenhauer in there to complete the all pro 4 man line.

Seriously though, as deserving as they might have been, that time has passed IMO. Antwine was a huge injustice, a mistake. He was the best tackle in the history of the AFL, if you compare him to the other first teamer, and consider the second team included buck Buchanan a pro football hall of famer.

http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.aspx?story_id=3253

With that done, I'd be quite happy with Clayborn, who should also be in ahead of a few recent inductees and Julius Adams as a vet choice and let it rest. I see no glaring omissions otherwise.

Love the Eisenhauer mention.

I'm on board with beating the drum for Clayborn. I remember him picking off Dan Marino in the 1986 championship game in the Orange Bowl where we excorsized a demon and won there for the first time in like 17 years and advanced to our first SB. We smoked them 31-14 in there house. I was like "Wow"!

Tony Eason (who was not as bad as people try to make him out to be), out-dueled Dan Marino in Miami.

 

[RayClay]

Love the Eisenhauer mention.

I'm on board with beating the drum for Clayborn. I remember him picking off Dan Marino in the 1986 championship game in the Orange Bowl where we excorsized a demon and won there for the first time in like 17 years and advanced to our first SB. We smoked them 31-14 in there house. I was like "Wow"!

Tony Eason (who was not as bad as people try to make him out to be), out-dueled Dan Marino in Miami.

Eason was very talented. One of the best touch passers i've ever seen. he just developed an aversion to playing football, if it meant the possibility of getting hit.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Ray Claiborne gets my vote.
Willie needs to be patient.

that's what was in my mind too, i agree

 

[italian pat patriot]

Eason was very talented. One of the best touch passers i've ever seen. he just developed an aversion to playing football, if it meant the possibility of getting hit.

very well said - no doubt / i totally agree

 

[RayClay]

that's what was in my mind too, i agree

It's tough, because Willie is a big favorite too, but Clayborn should already be in.

 

[jmt57]

From the book Then Belichick Said to Brady... The Best New England Patriots Stories Ever Told, regarding the Squish The Fish game:

"We matched up well with them," New England linebacker Steve Nelson said. "We knew they'd have a hard time stopping us from running the ball and that they'd have a hard time throwing against us."

The defensive key for the Patriots, said Nelson, was cornerback Raymond Clayborn. "Clayborn could match up with their two great receivers, Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. We left him in man coverage against whichever receiver they sent to his side and pushed all the help to Ronnie Lippett, the cornerback on the other side.

"Raymond was unbelievable that day," Nelson said. "He shut down everyone he was up against. I don't think anyone caught a ball on that side of the field all day."​

 

[RayClay]

From the book Then Belichick Said to Brady... The Best New England Patriots Stories Ever Told, regarding the Squish The Fish game:

"We matched up well with them," New England linebacker Steve Nelson said. "We knew they'd have a hard time stopping us from running the ball and that they'd have a hard time throwing against us."

The defensive key for the Patriots, said Nelson, was cornerback Raymond Clayborn. "Clayborn could match up with their two great receivers, Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. We left him in man coverage against whichever receiver they sent to his side and pushed all the help to Ronnie Lippett, the cornerback on the other side.

"Raymond was unbelievable that day," Nelson said. "He shut down everyone he was up against. I don't think anyone caught a ball on that side of the field all day."​

My memory, that stuck out when I decided on a user name, was Clayborn covering this guy man to man, and it might have been Miami, it was a top receiver. The game got out of reach towards the end, so the opposition was chucking it up there, but Clayborn would not give this guy a fraction of an inch, he was bumping him and covering like a second skin all the way up the field, til the receiver just started slapping him, like a child would, out of frustration, but Ray would not give him a chance, even in garbage time.

I seriously think he made some receivers give up, they were so sick of him.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I miss the outlawed bump & run defense.
Sad to see Browner no longer on the Pats.

 

[goheels22002]

No way that defense in 06 lays down with Willie on the field. Yeah the calls/officiating were bogus but McGinnist would of helped will the defense to victory. Probably in 07 too.

You just know there's a pouty Manning face under there.

 

[Nikolai]

McGinest's significant contributions to a Super Bowl dynasty better entitle him to a spot in the Hall compared to Clayborn...in my opinion.

BUT, I'm pulling for Clayborn a bit because there is going to be a cavalcade of BB/Brady era Pats coming up and it would be appropriate to honor the Pats who came before and played well, even if not for Super Bowl teams.

As someone else said; head for Clayborn, heart for McGinest.

I have no idea how I'm going to vote...