This year's inductees were announced yesterday.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ap/index.html
The rules require that no more than seven players be in a given class. Of those seven, only five can be "modern" players. With that in mind, it's tough to argue against any of the modern players that got in (maybe Derrick Thomas because his career was shortened by his death; but he was dominant for 11 years). But, how does Cris Carter not get in on his first ballot? Without ever playing with a top-notch QB (IIRC), he retired as #2 in every major receiving category in NFL history. If that isn't HOF material, then I'm not sure what is.
The problem for Carter is that there is a rush of sure-fire to likely HOF players coming up in the next few years (Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Jerome Bettis) that will limit spots to players who are supposedly borderline (I reject the notion that Cris Carter is borderline, but apparently the voters don't). It will appalling if Tim Brown--worthy no doubt--gets in but Carter doesn't.
Carter will get in, I won't worry about that.
But yes the rules are just so retarded.