Pro Football Hall of Fame Releases Finalists for 2012 Class

The NFL Hall of Fame finalists for the 2012 season have more of a modern flair to them. On Saturday, the NFL Network announced their list of 15 finalists. Every one of the players played in the 1990s or more recently.

On the list is former coach Bill Parcells and owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. Two more senior finalists will be announced by the Seniors Committee. 

As of now, here's a look at the finalists. 

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The receiver position will be an interesting one to watch. Super Bowl Champions Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin are already enshrined in Canton. Still, players like Carter, Reed and Brown are still out. None of those players won any Super Bowls. When and if those players make the Hall of Fame will be a good story to watch for years to come. 

The offensive linemen voting will also tell us a lot. Dawson, Shields and Roaf all certainly have Hall of Fame resumes built up, but they will not all go this year. 

It's also interesting that no quarterback is a finalist. Actually, the next few years is probably the best time for non quarterbacks to get in. Kurt Warner will certainly be inducted in the 2015 class,with Brett Favre the year after. Beyond that, active names like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees will not be far behind. 

Anywhere between four and seven finalists will be announced the day before Super Bowl XLVI and will be enshrined over the summer.

Predicted Hall of Famers: Dermontti Dawson, Cris Carter, Charles Haley, Bill Parcells, Jerome Bettis.

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