What is it about the 2000s and brash Wide Receivers?  Perhaps the most obnoxious (depending on your point of view) of them all was Chad Johnson, who was a major star for the Cincinnati Bengals for a decade.  

On the field, “Ocho Cinco” would eclipse the 1,200 Yard mark five years in a row, including one season where he led the NFL in Yards Receiving.  He is a rare member of the 10,000 Yard club and was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times.  Johnson was not just good, he was exciting, and was an ESPN highlight film all on his own.  As good as he was, there are some serious factors that could easily prevent him from going to Canton.

As explosive as he was and as famous as he became, Johnson was one of many great Wide Receivers of his day and was one of many beneficiaries of the rule changes that aided his position.  He did have good career numbers, but there are many that are ahead of him, and with only three All-Pro selections to his credit, he will be behind many of those other Wideouts.  

Johnson was also labeled as a distraction and, even worse, a locker room cancer.  Also, as the world becomes more politically correct, the domestic violence arrest that caused him to be released by the Miami Dolphins does him no favors.

We can say this with one hundred percent certainty.  There is nobody else that we would want to eavesdrop more on a Hall of Fame committee conversation than Chad Johnson.

The 16th Overall Pick in the 2000 Draft, Julian Peterson carved out a good career in the National Football League.  Winning the Left Outside Linebacker job midway through his rookie year with the San Francisco 49ers, Peterson would go to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003, the last season seeing him earn First Team All-Pro accolades.  He later signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 and was a Pro Bowl Selection in all three seasons there.  He would go to Detroit for his final two years, and he accumulated 51.5 Sacks over his career.

Although he became more known for the sexual assault case in 2014 (which alleged that he was a serial rapist), Darren Sharper was known mostly on the gridiron for his defensive skills and for leading the National Football League in Interception Return Yards three times.

Sharper would also lead the NFL in picks twice, return Touchdowns three times, and was a five-time Pro Bowler who helped the New Orleans Saints win their first Super Bowl. Does this eliminate any issues that he had in his personal life? We were curious to find out, but we think we know the answer.