Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Thought this was kind of a neat mental exercise...trying to find the best teams in NFL history which had no Hall of Fame players. My initial purpose was to discuss the fascinating 1970-1975 Bengals teams, but then I realized that halfway through the 1972 season the Bengals traded for Charlie Joiner -- so I guess that discussion will be about the fascinating 1970-1972 week 8 Bengals. So many great players...Mike Reid, Lemar Parrish, Ken Riley, Bill Bergey, Ken Anderson, Tommy Casanova, Isaac Curtis, Essex Johnson, Bob Trumpy, Bob Johnson.

One team that might actually be the best under this criteria is the 1977-79 Denver Broncos. I think its definitely the greatest defense that was devoid of HOFers. Gradishar, Wright, Alzado, Thompson, Chavous, Jackson. A really tough group. The mid-to-late 80's Browns teams came to my mind, but Ozzie Newsome eliminated them from consideration. The Chuck Knox Bills teams of 1980-82 had a nice collection of HOVG-type players.

Others?

The late-90's Jaguars didn't have any Hall of Famers, but they had guys like Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith, Keenan McCardell, Natrone Means, Fred Taylor, Tony Boselli, Tony Brackens, Kevin Hardy, Carnell Lake, and Bryce Paup.

....a defensive co-ordinator that took talent(no hall of famers yet)to championship games with two different teams(bills & broncos); mr. joel collier. take a long hard look at what the bills accomplished on defense in the mid 60's to what the broncos accomplished late 70's. though randy gradishar is deserving(for multiple reasons).

coachtj wrote:....a defensive co-ordinator that took talent(no hall of famers yet)to championship games with two different teams(bills & broncos); mr. joel collier. take a long hard look at what the bills accomplished on defense in the mid 60's to what the broncos accomplished late 70's. though randy gradishar is deserving(for multiple reasons).

Sestak is one that stands out or me on those Bills defenses.

Is it odd... that...
of the five teams mentioned, four have never won a Super Bowl, two were expansion teams, and two were AFL teams?

While not the best, my favorite would be the AAFC Bills teams. Ratterman, Mutryn, Tomasetti, Baldwin, Gibron, etc. Nobody from those teams is close to being inducted into Canton, but they were enjoyable to watch.

1925-26 Pottsville Maroons

I was going to respond with Jim Mora's 1987-1992 New Orleans Saints, then realized Ricky Jackson is in (as is GM Jim Finks).

They went 62-33. Is Jackson their only player from that time period, or am I missing someone?

The 1978-1981 Philadelphia Eagles (but now they finally put Claude Humphrey in the HOF) is another team I did thing. Ron Jaworski, Wilbert Montgomery, Harold Carmichael, Guy Morriss, Stan Walters, Jerry Sisemore, Carl Hairston, Charlie Johnson, Frank LeMaster, Jerry Robinson, John Bunting, Bill Bergey, Randy Logan and Roynell Young, among others, many HOVG players.

Not that they had that great of a run but the early to mid 80s Jets might qualify. Many were picking them to go to the Super Bowl in '86.