How does Andre Johnson stack up to HOFer Reed?

The ninth try was a charm for Andre Reed.

The former Bills receiver has been chosen as a Hall of Famer after being eligible for nine years. He was a finalist eight times. 

This -- after Cris Carter got in last year -- is probably a very good sign for Andre Johnson, who continues to play at a very high level after more than a decade.

Reed is the 23rd "modern era" wide receiver to make it into the Hall of Fame. And Johnson might very well join him one day, which would make him the first Texan enshrined.

Here's a look at how Johnson's numbers stack up to Reed's:

Reed: 16 seasons, 951 receptions, 13,198 yards, 87 touchdowns, seven Pro Bowls.

Johnson: 11 season, 927 receptions, 12,661 yards, 61 touchdowns, seven Pro Bowls.

Most of those numbers are already comparable and if Johnson has a few more seasons like the ones he's had recently, he'll crush the receptions and yards. But that's not all that matters. Aside from the obvious touchdown differential, Reed was a part of a team that went to four straight Super Bowls.

Johnson has been to the playoffs just twice and has never made it past the divisional round, which is a knock on him. But then again, he hasn't ever had a very good quarterback or talent around him. Do those two things cancel out?

Those things will be a part of the debate once Johnson is eligible. Should Johnson be punished for playing on an expansion team that hasn't been any good for most of his career? And should Reed be rewarded because he played on a very good team with a pretty darn good quarterback?

Those are the questions the Hall of Fame voters need to answer as they deliberate each year.

And this year, after a full work day of deliberation, the voters left off two other very strong receiver candidates: Tim Brown and Marvin Harrison. Here's a look at their stats:

Brown: 16 seasons, 1,094 receptions, 14,934 yards, 100 touchdowns, nine Pro Bowls.

Harrison: 13 seasons, 1,102 receptions, 14,580 yards, 128 touchdowns, eight Pro Bowls.


(csnhouston.com)