Pat Swilling in the HOF? (1 Viewer)

[kfran]

Hmm...Jackson's best year (sacks) was .5 better than a decent year for Swilling in Oakland...

I have to say, I've never seen a fanbase prop up players of their team by putting down other players of their team more than Saints fans.
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Everything about Reggie Bush is somehow related to Pierre Thomas and everything about Swilling is somehow related to Rickey Jackson. I would imagine it was the same way with Deuce vs Rickey Williams and Aaron Brooks vs Jake Delhomme (but I wasn't around here then)..

I have a feeling similar would occur if I asked about Joe Horn. The entire discussion would be about how much better Colston is/was. I'm not saying definitively Swilling should or shouldn't be in. But, some of the people in this thread seem as if they would be upset if he did get in. And I don't understand that.

Seams like you created this monster yourself early on when you said Pat was the best of the four.

I don't think many here are knocking Pat. He was a good player for the Saints... You were the first to say he was the best, and we simply know this isn't true. Rickey was great before our other 3 LBers were Saints. I would love to see all 4 in the HOF, but I'm realistic.

Willie Roaf and Martin Anderson should get in, and the next likely candidate we have hasn't retired yet, and won't for at least another 6 years.

 

[rechargeable]

I loved Swilling too. My favorite of the Dome Patrol.

I don't think he will have any chance as he was not the complete LB that Jackson was.

He was a rush end specialist, and a great one at that.

One of my greatest memories of Swilling was at the dome when he dropped back into coverage, intercepted a pass and took it to the house. Opening game against the Seahawks in '91 I believe.

For the numbers that D put up, they should all get in, that being said, Pat's stint with the Lion's killed his chances.

Swilling made the Pro-Bowl his first season with Detroit with 6.5 sacks and 3 interceptions. He had a 13.5 sack season with Oakland two years later.

It's one thing to believe he isn't worthy of the HOF, but it's another to spew non-sense that he became a non-factor once he left the Saints, or was only a pass rush specialist.

 

[Shawn]

Swilling was a product of Rickey Jackson being on the opposite side. The year after he was traded, the Saints converted Renaldo Turnbull from DE ot OLB and he had thirteen sacks. I think Peter King said it best when he said that if there was no LT, and Rickey had played in a larger market, he would have been as popular as LT was. The HOF is for the top 1% of the top 1%. Swilling fizzled in Detroit, where he was exposed as being just average, and had one decent season in Oakland. Sure, he was good for the Saints, but he'll never even be considered for Canton.

Which proves nothing, other than the fact that the Saints brought their outside linebackers in most passing situations.

The statements that Swilling drew a lot of single blockers because Jackson drew constant double teams is a completely and utterly false.

If anything, Swilling drew more doubleteams than Jackson did. Furthermore, Jackson played on the strongside, so he frequently saw tight end help on his side. Especially in running situations. In passing situations, I'd be willing to argue that Swilling received more attention that Jackson.

I have literally dozens of games on tape from the Dome Patrol era. Most of what has been said about Swilling on this thread is just completely false. I daresay that in his prime, there was almost no player in the NFL that was as feared as an edge rusher, as Pat Swilling. It wasn't just a case of scheme. He was often subject to not only double teams, but triple teams. And he made a lot of great plays against the run. A lot.

As great a player as Jackson was, around 1992 or so, his play dropped off dramatically. He reinvented himself, getting bigger and relying less on speed. As great as Jackson was, he had some down years and

And I actually do think Mills may have a shot at the HOF. I'm not sure it's great, but he was a tremendous playmaker for two different teams. Couple with the fact that he was so undersized, might make him a vote getter.

 

[Saintgadi]

When Pat was traded to Detroit for the pick that got us Willie Roaf, Pat became an average LBer. Ditto when he went to Oakland. He was never the same impact player that he was when he was supported by Jackson, Mills, & V Johnson.

Pat got the numbers (sacks), but our other three LBers were more complete players. That's not a knock, just the truth.

Yeah. And remember who replaced Swilling? Renaldo Turnbull. He had some pretty good years playing on the other side of Rickey Jackson.

I love all 4 members of the Dome Patrol, but if you ask me, it was Rickey Jackson who elevated all the others.