Marques Colston: What Makes a Hall of Famer?

Our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles continues. In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Now I present to you the seventh submission of our writer search.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a representation a career's worth of achievements for NFL players. The speeches are sappy and once stone-faced warriors cry tears of joy during this moment of recognition by their peers. There are two types of players who are able to be enshrined, The Standouts - these players either enter the league and staking their claim or very quickly outshine their peers and The Showmen - these are players who made a big splash during their career, be it a penchant for big plays or creating a media cloud wherever they went. One type is truly deserving and unforgettable; the other just talks so loud, you can't forget him. However, upon further evaluation, there is another type of player, the ones on the fringe. Let's call them the Quiet Storms - throughout their careers, these players produce on a consistent basis and quietly do their job, outside of the spotlight.

The New Orleans Saints current roster is filled with players that Saints fan adore, especially because many from the 2009 Super Bowl Championship team are still on board. We still have our leader in Drew Brees, our locker room leaders in Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma, and many from the supporting cast including Roman Harper, Pierre Thomas, Lance Moore, and Marques Colston. Now, nostalgia and home team endearment will lead many to say that a few of the aforementioned players should eventually land in Canton, but reality says that on Drew is a lock (or is he) and the rest are debatable. Which leads to my point, who would be the next probable Hall of Fame inductee? For those who didn't get my previous reference, I'm referring to the Quiet Storm - Marques Colston. Colston has quietly (pun intended) pieced together a solid career since joining the Saints in 2006. The Quiet Storm has been nothing but a solid contributor and at times, one Brees' favorite targets. Prior to the arrival of Jimmy Graham, Colston always drew extra attention in the red zone due to his 6'4" frame. Though Colston does not possess the blazing speed of Randy Moss, he has displayed the catching ability of Cris Carter. Heading into his eighth year in the league, more of the same ole, same ole is expected of Colston.

As it stands, Colston averages 76 catches, over 1,000 yards receiving, and 8 touchdown catches. The big question here is will his resume be enough to get him into the Hall of Fame when his career ends. Now, there are two receivers currently in the Hall of Fame that represent the two player types that I most like to see get enshrined, the Standout Jerry Rice and the Quiet Storm Cris Carter. The career reception average for both players is 77 for 10 TDs (Rice) and 68 for 8 TDs CC, they also averaged 1144 and 868 receiving yards respectively per season. Clearly over his career, Colston has fallen within this range of productivity to earn place in the Hall of Fame. Of course, he must continue this trend beyond the 10 year mark to truly enter the conversation, but if he does remain at or near this productivity, will his name make the ballot?

Here are the burning questions for me:

Will his stats be over-shadowed by the current stamping of a passing league? Will playing with Drew Brees most of his career be considered a knock on career? Will he need to have a 2nd championship under his belt to truly enter the H.O.F. conversation? Will I care about him entering the H.O.F if he leaves the New Orleans Saints?

These questions and more will be answered As the Hall Turns!