2023 Pre-Season Rank #82, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #82, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #115.  Peak Period: 2019-23

The first three seasons of Kyler Murray’s career were pure excitement.  He won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was a Pro Bowl Selection in the next two.  A dual-threat Quarterback, Murray was must-watch television, but the last two seasons have seen multiple injuries and a perceived bad attitude. 

This is a crossroads season for Murray, who has the skills to be a top-five QB.  

2023 Pre-Season Rank: #50, 2022 Pre Season Rank #61, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #114.  Peak Period: 2017-18/2020-23

After rocketing up this list off the strength of a monstrous 2020, where he was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Xavien Howard continued to have good years, but in 2023, foot issues hampered his speed. After a sub-par season by his prior standards, Miami released him.

He still has not found a team, and off-field issues have played a part in that, but Howard could still offer a lot to an NFL team if 100 percent.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #68, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #77, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #117.  Peak Period: 2018-22

As good as Dalvin Cook was with the Vikings, the elite Running Back is giving way to the elite Wide Receiver, and the Vikings released him after a four-year run of Pro Bowls and over 5,000 Yards.  He joined the New York Jets with high hopes, but he disappointed with only 214 Yards.  Over the summer, Cook finally found a home in Dallas, but he is low on their depth chart.  This could be his last year in the NFL, and this is not a Hall of Fame career, just a very good four-year run in Minnesota.

Today is a special day for those of us who are in tune with the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Canton, Ohio based institution has announced their Finalists for the Senior and Coach sections, and while we love the selections, the choices are not we thought.

The Senior candidate is Cliff Branch, who while we believe is a worthy inductee, is not one we thought, based on what we heard.  Reports indicated that it might be Ken Riley or Randy Gradishar, both of whom are worthy, but Branch is not a usurper in the march to Canton.

Branch is currently ranked #11 on our current list of those to consider for the Hall.  The former Raider was a three-time First Team All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowler, and he also won three Super Bowls.

Vermeil won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams, and was the Coach of the Year that season.  He had a pro record of 120-109.

Based on previous nominations, we expect that both Branch and Vermeil will enter Canton.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our congratulations to both Cliff Branch and Dick Vermeil for achieving this step, and we hope they will both be inducted in 2022.