Stop It With This Julian Edelman Hall of Fame Nonsense

Julian Edelman retired from the NFL this week after he was waived by the Patriots. I think most of us saw this coming. And then Gronk had to be the stupid frat boy he is and gave some dumbass nonsense comment about him joining the Bucaneers, which would not surprise me at all. But, if he stays retired, no I do not think he is a hall of fame player.

This question has been floating around sports media since he announced his retirement. Every time I see it I try and find a way to fit him in the hall of fame, but I just cannot bring myself to do it. And this has nothing to do with my distaste for the Patriots. I just think Edelman was on the right team at the right time and is reaping the benefits of being in the perfect situation. No one would even bring him up for the hall of fame if he were on the Rams or Saints or Broncos or Colts and put up the exact same numbers. But since he was on a dynastic team that won a lot, he has wormed his way into the conversation. And he was really only highly effective in one of the Patriots Super Bowl wins. I believe he won one Super Bowl MVP. Every other big game, he was just kind of there. He'd get five to six catches for 60 or 70 yards and maybe a score. He was a slot receiver. Nothing more, nothing less.

People may say he was Tom Brady's security blanket as a reason he should be in the hall, and that is wrong. Just because Tom Brady liked him that does not make him a hall of fame player. I believe Brady has found a new "security blanket" almost every single season he has played. Since Chris Godwin became his security blanket in Tampa are people going to say he is a hall of fame player now? I don't necessarily think so unless he starts to put up amazing stats. No one ever had any of the other Patriots "security blankets" as hall of fame players. People would laugh in your face if you mentioned Danny Amendola as a hall of fame player, but he was a key cog on some of those Patriots teams. Laurence Maroney had two great seasons, opening up the passing game for the Patriots, but no one is putting him in the hall. The O line was a humongous reason why those teams were so good, but no one is calling out those guys for the hall. All of these players had as many, if not more, important moments for the Patriots during their time there.

Then we have other players that are not in the hall of fame that deserve it far more than Julian Edelman. Sterling Sharpe has a ring and much better stats, and he is not in the hall of fame. Mark Duper was the much superior "security blanket" for Dan Marino, yet he remains out of the hall of fame. Torry Holt was, in my opinion, the best receiver of the Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" era but he has not been inducted. Jimmy Smith helped the Jacksonville Jaguars become relevant for the first time ever in the NFL, but he has not made the hall of fame. Henry Ellard was like a fine wine, getting better every year in the NFL, but he is not in the hall. Those are just some of the receivers that had far, far better careers than Edelman, yet they remain to be inducted. When you look at some of the rest of the talent that hasn't made it yet, it is laughable to suggest Edelman get in before some of these guys. Drew Bledsoe is not in the hall of fame. People seem to forget how awesome he was before he got hurt. Randall Cunningham is not in the hall of fame. That is absolutely criminal. London Fletcher was the key cog on the "Greatest Show on Turf '' Rams defense, putting up ridiculous tackling numbers, but he has not made the hall. Edgerrin James was a top flight running back for a good long time, but he isn't in the hall of fame. Ty Law was a shutdown corner, yet no hall for him. Andre Johnson is a receiver from essentially the same time as Edelman, but he was on a mediocre Texans team, and he isn't in the hall of fame conversation, which is stupid. Julius Peppers may be one of the best defensive lineman to ever play, and he is not a hall of famer. Troy Polamalu is one of the most fun and hardest hitting safeties ever, no hall of fame. Champ Bailey was as lockdown as they come, but he is still waiting to get in.

There are a ton more players that I didn't even mention today that are far more deserving. And I am not taking anything away from Julian Edelman. He had an okay career and he has a ton of rings. But, with all of the people I have listed today, and the many more I forgot, no Julian Edelman does not belong in the hall of fame. Not at all. Solid career, but not worthy of the hall.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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That Was One Terrible Super Bowl

The Super Bowl happened last night.

I watched it.

I hated it.

And it ended as I should have expected.

I have been pretty vocal about my dismay for this particular Super Bowl. I was not looking forward to it, but I watched it anyway because, as I have stated, I am a football junkie. But boy oh boy was this game an absolute clunker. I said last Friday that I thought it was going to be a "slog", but this game was horrible. It was so much worse than a slog. The game started off bad, got worse and just grew and grew in its horribleness from there.

For example, Tom Brady's first pass was an interception. No need to worry though, the Rams immediately went three and out, something they would do most of the game. This game set the record for fewest points in a half. It set the record for fewest points ever in fact. Neither team could really ever establish the run. I know that Sony Michel got close, or maybe even eclipsed, 100 yards, but a ton of that came on one long run deep into the fourth quarter. He was also the only person to score a TD in the game by the way. Tom Brady just seemed kind of off all night too. He made a couple of beautiful throws, but he also had some that were way off. His interception was a horrible throw. He skipped a ton of passes. It was rough.

Julian Edelmann played really well, but he was so wide open, how could he not catch the ball. He got the MVP, I think Michel, or someone from their defense deserved it, but Edelmann got it. Rob Gronkowski had a few nice catches, but again, he didn't really do much of anything that jumped off the screen to me.

The Rams were god awful offensively. They could not do anything at all. Jared Goff was atrocious. I know he is still young, but man did he look scared and flustered and out of his element. The Rams O line could not block at all. Goff was under constant pressure. Brandin Cooks was blanketed all game long. None of the other receivers got any separation either. And where in the hell was Todd Gurley? I mean, is he hurt? Did he do something wrong? Did he not feel well? Was he too tired to play? I have no idea why he barely saw the field. I know that CJ Anderson played very well against the Saints, and since he was signed by the Rams. But he is no Todd Gurley. The Rams needed him, and they needed him badly last night. I do not get his almost total absence.

Sean McVay really shit the bed as the head coach last night. He, much like Goff, just seemed in over his head. He too was out of his element. He did not seem ready. He did not seem like the "wunderkind" that he has been praised as sine last season. And to his credit, he is still a very new head coach.

But the monster that is Bill Belichek simply put him in his place last night. That is the thing with the Patriots. They don't care how they win, as long as they win. Belichek did just that. His offense was so god damn ugly, but his defense shut down one of the top offenses in the NFL. As I just stated, the Rams could not move the ball at all. Any time they had any momentum, the Patriots shut it down pretty quickly. Any time Goff had time, he either took a sack, or he missed throws. He had Cooks WIDE OPEN in the third quarter, and the pass was underthrown and lazy. Anderson never got going. The Patriots shut them down.

The Rams defense was also great. They held the Patriots to 13 points. That should have been more than enough for them to win. Sure, Suh and Donald didn't play as great as they usually do, but they still got occasional pressure, causing Brady to make those bad throws. The Rams secondary did an okay job of stopping every Patriots receiver except for Edelmann.

This was just a disaster of a game. I was not, at any single moment, excited to be watching the game. The halftime show was super forgettable. The commercials were fine, but nothing that I will think back on as great.

Some final thoughts, Edelmann got the MVP, as I said, but he is not a Hall of Famer, no matter what Nate Burleson or anyone at The Ringer says. He is a fine player, but he is not a Hall of Famer. The Rams are not ready for primetime, and neither is Sean McVay or Jared Goff. Bill Belichek proved, again, that he is a great head coach. The Patriots need to stop this whole, "no one believed in us" narrative. They are great and no one has ever counted them out. And Todd Gurley deserved to play more. This was a boring game, I'm glad it is over and I hope Roger Goodell leaves as commissioner and the NFL gets back to being fun again. I mean, I like defense, but this game was not about two great defenses, it was just a very, very poorly played football game.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was shocked that the awesome Tony Romo never reminded the audience that Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelmann missed the first four games of the season because of a PED suspension. Wonder why that was left out?

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Ty Ranks the 2016 NFL Teams: Perfectly Cooked Porterhouse Edition

Now, for the final four. I legitimately believe, nor would I be surprised, if any one of these teams won the Super Bowl. Hell, two of the final four may end up playing each other. These teams are the best of the best. They have the best players, the best offenses, the best defenses, they have it all. These the elite.

At number 4, I have the defending Super Bowl champs, the Denver Broncos. The Broncos defense is so incredibly good, but since I've started with offense the whole preview, I'm not going to change now. Sure, Peyton Manning retired, and sure, he is a first ballot hall of famer, but he was the not the reason the Broncos won the Super Bowl. He played very, very poorly last year. They won in spite of him. Now that he is gone, they do have a question at QB. They traded for Mark Sanchez, why would anyone do that, and they have Trevor Simien on the roster, but he wasn't even good enough to be the primary QB at Northwestern, but they did draft a QB, Paxton Lynch. I wasn't high on any of the QB's in this draft, but Lynch is one of the taller ones, he has an okay arm, and he can run. But, the Broncos don't need an all world QB, they just need a game manager. I'm sure Sanchez will start the season as QB 1, but I bet by week 4 or 5, Lynch will be in there. The Broncos running game was supposed to be good last year, but it was non existent. CJ Anderson and Ronnie Tillman were supposed to be a great 1-2 punch, but neither of them did much of anything. They were mediocre last year, but I expect some kind of bounce back. The Broncos do have great receivers. Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are both great, even though Thomas drops a lot of balls, but they don't have a good QB throwing to them. They will get open, but will the QB, whoever it is, get the ball to them. The o line is just fine at pass blocking, but their run blocking needs to get better. Now, where the Broncos shine is defense. They are one of the best defenses in the history of football. They absolutely stifled the Patriots and Panthers on their way to the title last year. Von Miller is probably the best linebacker in football. He is a great pass rusher, run stopper and can cover. He is the total package. They lost Danny Treveathan, but that won't hurt them that much. When Aqib Talib isn't getting into mysterious bar fights, he is a great shut down corner. He plays dirty, but he has found a way to get away with it. Bradley Roby is a ball hawk. If he has a chance at a pick or a fumble recovery, he will get there. He is always in the right place at the right time. DeMarcus Ware is a beast off the edge. He is unblockable, and the best thing for him was getting out of Dallas and going to Denver. And TJ Ward and Chris Harris are exceptional defensive backs. The Broncos defense is loaded, and they will once again carry the to a division title and a deep playoff run. I think they finish 12-4.

At number 3, I have the New England Patriots. I know that Tom Brady is suspended for 4 games, but they won when he got hurt and Matt Cassell was the QB. Jimmy Garrappolo is better than Matt Cassel. He will keep them afloat until Brady gets back, and when he does get back, Brady will be on a mission. Goodell poked the bear, and the rest of the NFL is going to suffer for it. The Patriots don't have much of a running game, which is their Achilles heel. Dion Lewis and Legarrette Blount are fine, but they are not even middle of the field in the NFL. But, the Patriots have receivers all over the field, and they have the best weapon in all of the NFL in Gronk. Yeah, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan are fine. But, Gronk is the man. He catches everything, he is unguardable, he is the best red zone threat in all of the football and he is the biggest and fastest player to ever play his position. They also got Martellus Bennett to pair with him as well. That will be deadly. The Patriots o line needs work, but the speed that Brady gets the ball out of his hand, that neutralizes any deficiencies I think they have. The Patriots defense is serviceable. The can get stops when they need to and they can get pressure. I know Rob Ninkovich just got hurt, but he will be back by October. They did sign Chris Long this offseason. That was a huge, yet very quiet singing. Chris Long is awesome. They still have Malcolm Butler, and he is a very good corner. Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower are still roaming the linebacker duties, and they are both good. The Patriots, as they have been the entire 21st century are good. They may not miss Brady all that much for the first four games, and when he comes back, look out, he will be on a mission to destroy. I say they split the first four games, then win 11 of the next 12 and finish at 13-3.

At number 2, I have the Arizona Cardinals. This is the Cardinals last chance with this team to make a deep run, but they have the talent to do just that on both sides of the ball. Carson Palmer is a very good regular season QB. He puts up big numbers and plays very well, during the regular season. He is a perennial pro bowler and even pops up in the MVP conversation from time to time. But, in the post season, he is a different QB. He looks flustered and makes way too many mistakes. they got whipped in the NFC Championship, and I believe he had 6 turnovers in that game himself. Maybe this is the year he rights the ship. David Johnson proved to be a very good running back last year. He is like a bowling ball. He runs low to the ground, carries tacklers and gains the tough yards. They also have a resurgent Chris Johnson. He looked like his old self at times last year, and that should scare their opponents. The run game in Arizona is solid. Then, they have one of the greatest receivers of all time in Larry Fitzgerald. This guy has done everything and then some for this team. He is the consummate teammate and pro. There is not one bad thing I will say about Larry Fitzgerald, he is great. And if Michael Floyd can stay healthy, they have a great 1-2 punch with him and Fitzgerald. Floyd can stretch the defense with his speed and Fitzgerald does the dirty work. The Cardinals o line is very good. They do an excellent job of pass protecting and they open some huge holes for the run game. Arizona's defense is also very good. They have a great d line, led by Calais Campbell. They can stop the run and sack the QB. They have decent linebackers that are much better run stoppers than cover guys. But they have two of the best secondary players in football in Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson. I personally think Peterson is the best corner in the game. He always guards the other teams best receiver and he usually shuts them down. He is also an excellent return man. Mathieu is a ball hawk and an extremely hard hitter. He loves to tattoo guys, and he will get some pick sixes and fumble returns for TD's. Being a defender, he has a nose for the end zone. I'm a big Tyrann Mathieu fan. Arizona is the cream of the crop in their division, and I say they win it going away with a 13-3 record.

Now for number one. I have the Carolina Panthers as the best team in football this year. They were the best team last year, and they only got better this offseason. They have one of the best QB's and athletes in the NFL in Cam Newton. Newton is huge, he is fast, he is accurate, he has a rocket arm and he makes the right decision always. Cam Newton is rapidly becoming one of the best QB's in the game. He has no flaws, except for his ego, but that is not a big deal. Then, they have good running backs in Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. they are both similar in the fact that they are bigger running backs and that they crush would be tacklers. They are great compliments to Newton. Then, the way they got better this offseason, Kelvin Benjamin returns from injury. He is so big and so fast and has excellent hands. He gives Newton the threat he needs on the outside. But, let us not forget Ted Ginn Jr and Devin Funchess and Cory Brown. All these guys stepped up last year in Benjamin's absence, and they all played pretty well. Then, they have Greg Olsen at tight end. He is so good, so durable and so reliable. The dude just puts up numbers and I think he is Cam Newton's favorite target. He gets a lot of red zone attention. The Panthers o line is the best in the NFL. They protect Newton, they open holes, they do everything and they do it all exceptional. This team is lethal on offense. Then on defense, they have some damn good players. Luke Kuechly is one of the best linebackers in the game. He is a sack and tackling machine and he is a very good cover guy. They also have Thomas Davis out there at linebacker, and he is right there with Kuechly is talent. The d line is great. Kawann Short, Kony Ealy and Star Lotulelei wreak havoc in the backfield. The secondary did lose Josh Norman, but they have guys that can do the job. The ageless wonder Cortland Finnegan is back there. And Leonard Johnson and Tre Boston are good secondary players. They are not Josh Norman, but I don't think the Panthers will be too hurt without him. The Panthers are exceptional and they should have won the Super Bowl last year, they just got outplayed. This team may flirt with perfection again, but I say they finish 14-2 and they will have a fairly easy road back to the Super Bowl.

That is my countdown of all 32 NFL teams. Come back tomorrow when I will pick my Super Bowl winner and award winners. And come back Friday for my college football preview.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He remembers the days of ESPN arguing for Blaine Gabbert over Cam Newton as Carolina's number one pick. Those guys at ESPN sure are smart. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.