The journey toward Super Bowl LII ended far too prematurely for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending them into offseason mode before we were ready for it. But we are in it now, and are ready to move on, through the Combine, through free agency, through the draft, into OTAs, and beyond.
We have asked and answered a lot of questions over the years and will continue to do so, and at the moment, there seem to be a ton of questions that need answering. A surprise early exit in the postseason will do that to you though, especially when it happens in the way it did.
You can rest assured that we have the questions, and we will be monitoring developments all throughout the offseason process, all the way down to Latrobe. Pending free agents, possible veteran roster cuts, contract extensions, pre-draft visits, pro days, all of it will have its place when the time arises.
Question: Will Alan Faneca be voted in to the Hall of Fame during this class?
It won’t be long now before the Hall of Fame selection committee votes to determine who will make up the 2018 class of inductees. Once again, former Steelers guard Alan Faneca is among the finalists. He has been eligible for a couple of seasons now, but has yet to make it in.
A guard is not the easiest position to make it into the Hall of Fame. While there are other positions that are less favored when it comes to receiving votes, it is one of the more difficult positions to evaluate. Offensive tackles tend to be favored when it comes to the offensive linemen, given their responsibility in facing premiere edge rushers.
According to the Hall of Fame’s website, there are 15 players currently in the Hall of Fame that they recognize as guards. Among them is Mike Munchak, who happens to be the Steelers’ offensive line coach. Faneca has been in training camp with the team working with Munchak and the offensive line for the past couple of years as he ponders a future in the field as a coach.
The former first-round pick went on to have a superb career, earning Pro Bowl nominations nine times in consecutive seasons. He was also named to the All-Pro list eight times, including six times on the first team. Having a Super Bowl ring and helping to spring the longest run in Super Bowl history does not hurt his cause, either.
This will not be an easy class to crack, however, it must be said. Among those who are in their first year of eligibility this season are Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, and Randy Moss. Steve Hutchinson, another guard, is also in his first year of eligibility, and the finalists also include notable center Kevin Mawae.
We will know at the end of tomorrow whether or not Faneca will be slated to be enshrined later this year, or if he will have to wait longer. I do believe that his eventual enshrinement is inevitable.
