The St. Louis Rams announced Wednesday night that Torry Holt will soon sign a one-day contract before announcing his retirement.
Holt's formal exit (he last played in 2009 with the Jaguars) got us thinking about the logjam at wide receiver for Hall of Fame hopefuls. Andre Reed, Cris Carter and Tim Brown were again shut out back in February and now Holt represents a new generation of receivers making their way toward the ballot. This is a group that will eventually include Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Hines Ward and Marvin Harrison.
It's an impressive list that will make the HOF hill even steeper for Reed, Carter and Brown.
You might be surprised just how gaudy Holt's statistics were. From 2000-2009, no receiver in football caught more balls (868) or had more receiving yards (12,594) than Holt. Teaming with Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner as the heart of St. Louis' "Greatest Show On Turf," he earned seven Pro Bowl nods during that stretch.
Though Holt played fewer years than Reed/Carter/Brown, most of his numbers are comparable. Holt differentiated himself by averaging 77.4 yards per game receiving, a figure those three players don't approach.
Bottom line: Holt has a serious case, but will he get sent to the back of the line?
