Jimmy Smith was a great Wide Receiver but is he truly one of the elite, or is he just one of many in an inflated offensive age of Football.  The answer to that question will determine whether he will get into to the Hall of Fame.

Many entries on this list discuss the difficulty of comparing offensive statistics from the 1960s and 1970s to today's inflated numbers. This is even more accurate when looking at the stars of the 1950s. Charlie Conerly, the Quarterback of the New York Giants during the 1950s, was on the final ballot multiple times but dropped off seemingly for good after 1980.

Conerly was the Giants QB throughout the 1950s and consistently ranked near the top annually in touchdown passes and quarterback rating. While those numbers would not be considered huge by today's standards, they were more than acceptable for that era. He was a popular player among fans and teammates and showed flashes of brilliance throughout his career.  His overall numbers of 19,486 Passing Yards and a TD-INT ratio of 173-167 and a role in the 1956 NFL Championship is awfully good for his era.

It is likely that had he led the NFL in more offensive categories during his career, he would have had a better shot at enshrinement. Since he was not even chosen as a semi-finalist for the 2020 Centennial Class, it appears that the window for Charlie Conerly to enter Canton may have closed for good.

Len Dawson was one of the great Quarterbacks of the American Football League, but a big reason he was able to do what he did was that Ed Budde helped him stay upright.

For a time when James Brooks was playing it seemed that you would hear his name being called throughout the entire game.  With his incredible versatility, it stands to reason that teams would use him every way they could.