By: Jeremy Trottier

The NFL Hall of Fame is one of the most prestigious places you can have your name placed, and is easily the biggest goal for all NFL players aside from potentially a Super Bowl MVP.  NaVorro Bowman is one such player who could make it into the hall, and enshrine his legacy in the NFL forever.  In this article, I will be going over whether or not he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible next year. 

Stats & Accolades

One of the most impressive numbers in Bowman’s career was his tackles, even more so his solo tackles.  In his career of 8 seasons, he racked up 798 tackles, and in this span he only played in 99 games, starting in 84.  This means he averaged just over 8 tackles in every game he played, which is extremely high efficiency.  Other than tackles, he had 5 interceptions, 30 pass deflections, 9 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, 14 sacks, 48 tackles for loss, and 30 QB hits.

In the accolades department, Bowman had 3 pro bowls, 4 first-team all-pro appearances, led the league in tackles in 2015, and was the reason for the NaVorro Bowman Rule.  This allowed officials to review the recovery of a loose ball. 

Should NaVorro make the Hall of Fame?

It is hard to truly make a case for Bowman looking at his production long term, as he did only play 7 seasons healthy, and only 5 of which did he play in all 16 games.  But his efficiency on the field and production when playing is what makes his case debatable, as it did with Calvin Johnson in his 9 seasons.  I would say, as of right now, with his impact made on the team, he should at least be considered for the Hall of Fame, but definitely not first ballot.  He is right on the border of what I tend to consider Hall of Fame level production, so I understand if he makes it in 2023 or onwards, but also if he does not make it at all. 

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By: Andy Davies

Clay Matthews, a player synonymous with the green and gold of Green Bay.

He spent nine of his 10 years in the league with the franchise and is a surety for the Packers’ Hall of Fame. But is he set for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Let’s take a look at whether Clay Matthews is a future Hall of Famer.

The Stats

In his NFL career, Matthews has recorded 519 tackles, 91.5 sacks 200 quarterback hits, 130 tackles for loss, as well as six career interceptions and 17 forced fumbles. He is also a six-time Pro Bowler, 1 time All Pro and a one-time Super Bowl champion.

The former Packers linebacker has not yet officially retired, which means that he would need to wait a little bit longer before the five-year mandatory waiting period begins.

Reasons For And Against His Inclusion

* Started just 9 games

Matthews has six Pro Bowl appearances and in 2010, as can be seen in the above table, only three players recorded more than the 13.5 sacks he posted that season. This is a campaign that ultimately led to his one and only ring.

In Matthews’ career, only twice did he finish inside the top ten for tackles for loss (2010 and 2014). However, that is as good as it got with only two more seasons with double-digit sacks. Despite the 11 in 2014, there were still eleven players who recorded more than him.

Despite being a linebacker, a position that is meant to excel in tackles, he never once finished in the top 100. In fact, four of the ten leaders for career combined tackles are either inside or outside linebackers. 

Even in the 2015 campaign, where he recorded his best ever ranking for combined tackles, only three of the top 20 totals that seasons did not come from linebackers.

Matthews cannot even blame a lack of gametime for poor stats, with only one season where he started less than 10 games.

On the other hand, Matthews did lead the Packers in quarterback pressures and came third in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting as well as setting the Packers record for most sacks by a rookie in a season (10). He became the first Packers to record six sacks in their opening two games in 2010 as well as only being beaten by Troy Polamalu in the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.

In the end, Matthews had a good career but certainly should not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

It is a different story for the Packers’ Hall of Fame. Matthews was part of the last team to win a Super Bowl, an integral cog also. He should be a no-brainer to receive such a honour.

Despite the lack of standouts from the above table, he has had an impact on the NFL in the aforementioned 2009 and 2010 seasons. It is some achievement to only have three players receive votes ahead of you across the 2009 and 2010 season for Defensive Player of the Year. However, it is questionable whether this is enough for Matthews to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams have officially signed linebacker Bobby Wagner to a five-year, $50 million dollar contract. Sean McVay made it loud and clear that the Rams were strongly interested in inking Wagner after he left Seattle. McVay’s wish of landing Wagner came to fruition on Thursday.

The Rams dream team consists of Wagner, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, and Allen Robinson. I fully expect the Rams to elevate their overall performance with Wagner on their squad. With that said, the question is: what exactly should we expect from the Rams defense with Wagner leading them out into battle?

The Rams gave up the second-fewest passing touchdowns last season and they managed to give up the sixth-fewest rushing yards in 2021. Furthermore, the Rams also ranked ninth in PPG allowed last season. Demario Davis is a big reason why the Saints gave up the fourth-fewest rushing yards a season ago and he was the leader behind the Saints defensive unit that allowed the fewest rushing yards per play (3.7) in 2021 (while the Rams impressively allowed 4 rushing yards per carry). Wagner should provide significant improvements for the Rams defense in a similar way that Davis fuels the Saints defense.

The Rams may have featured Donald, Ramsey, and Von Miller last season, but they didn’t have a quality ILB. Troy Reeder led the Rams in tackles last season (91) and the Rams clearly wanted to upgrade at the pivotal MLB spot this offseason. The Rams didn’t re-sign Reeder this offseason, as they aimed to mightily improve their key MLB spot. It’s safe to say that Les Snead’s patience with Wagner has paid off, as he inked the future Hall of Fame LB.

I expect the Rams to unleash the best-run defense in the NFL next season and they should unveil a Top 5 defense in PPG allowed. It will be difficult for the Rams defense to be sexy in the PPG allowed category, as opposing teams will engage in shootouts with the Rams offense. Nonetheless, Wagner will really improve a quality defense and he will make his biggest mark in key games next season.

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