Every Saturday in the offseason, one question from Twitter will be selected to expound upon based on a hot topic surrounding the New England Patriots:
pats hof candidate ? https://t.co/WslNkULDUV
— dewayne parks (@dpeezyjr) May 16, 2017
When I look at what makes a Patriots Hall of Famer, there are three things I value: Top performance, length of service and representing the franchise in a Hall of Fame manner. That won't be the same for everyone, but that has been the foundation I've used when going through the nomination process each year.
Sebastian Vollmer (2009-15) will warrant consideration, but my sense is that he will be further down the line of some other recently retired players (and others). Offensive tackle Matt Light is a good example to bring up, as he also played offensive tackle (for a longer period of time) and hasn't cracked the final three in his first two years of eligibility. I believe Light has a stronger Patriots Hall of Fame candidacy than Vollmer and he's a reminder of how challenging it can be to earn induction. Furthermore, offensive tackle Leon Gray has been knocking on the door, as well.
Players are eligible for the Patriots Hall of Fame four years after they retire (Vollmer stated his intentions to do so this week), and this question serves as a reminder that the 2017 inductee should be announced this week as voting wrapped up Monday. The finalists are Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel and Raymond Clayborn.
