Hall of Fame 2013 class

With the retirements of a few marquee players this offseason, many outlets have questioned who the likely odd men out are in the equation. Every season five new inductees are voted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. There are also up to two members inducted via the 'Seniors committee' which, to put it simply, means that players who finished their careers 25 years or more ago aren't forever excluded.

So that's 7 Hall of Famers in total every year. Maximum.

Here's a list of finalists from this year (Bold denotes inducted this year)

Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
Fred Dean – Defensive End – 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-85 San Francisco 49ers
Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
Marshall Goldberg – Back – 1939-1943, 1946-48 Chicago Cardinals
Randy Gradishar – Linebacker – 1974-1983 Denver Broncos
Darrell Green – Cornerback – 1983-2002 Washington Redskins
Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
Ray Guy – Punter – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
Randall McDaniel – Guard – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Art Monk – Wide Receiver – 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles
Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
Emmitt Thomas – Cornerback – 1966-1978 Kansas City Chiefs Andre Tippett – Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots
Gary Zimmerman – Tackle – 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-97 Denver Broncos

A hefty list and one that contains some big names. However, we're not sure of a few things regarding this supossed stud batch of players in 2013. First, let's clarify: Brett Favre and Michael Strahan are locks in their first year of eligibility. Warren Sapp is almost certain to be in there too. He's been one of the most dominant interior DT's ever, and deserves to be mentioned as one of the primary catalysts in the Bucs' championship team.

The other two - Priest Holmes and Steve McNair - are trickier. Holmes had a relatively short career at the top, and despite his success, might struggle for votes. McNair is the real wild card. He was the face of a franchise for nearly 15 years, transcending the Houston and Tennessee Oilers, and eventually the Titans. He undoubtedly has big numbers, but he is missing a ring. Of course, Championships don't mean you're guaranteed anything, but put it this way: Would Strahan or Sapp be considered such locks without their rings? Sure they'd get in, but it's difficult to imagine McNair getting in in 2013.

Incidentally, a lot has been made of people like Ray Guy needing to be inducted - Guy will be eligible as a Senior member by the time Favre et al are up for nomination. In fact, three of the players in last year's list of finalists will have qualified for such entry to Canton by 2013.

Update: As a reader kindly points out, Larry Allen will likely retire, and what about Jonathan Ogden? Both have been rocks on their respective lines for the last decade, and would arguably supercede both Holmes and McNair in any Hall of Fame ballot.