Webb Should Be Next Dolphins Pushed for Hall of Fame

All three of the four offensive tackles on the 1990's NFL All-Decade Team are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with Richmond Webb as the only outsider

Cameron Wake will become a candidate for Pro Football Hall of Fame induction next year, becoming a nominee for the first time since retiring at the end of the 2019 season.

But before the Miami Dolphins franchise puts all their political muscle and influence behind a campaign for the NFL and CFL standout, may I suggest that all of the team’s efforts be put behind righting a wrong.

If there were a former Dolphins player who has a good case to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a modern-era player, it’s Richmond Webb, who was a two-time All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowl selection, and was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.

Why has Webb been so overlooked?

Webb has never been a Hall of Fame semifinalist, which is a crying shame considering he was one of the best offensive linemen in his era, and offensive linemen who have accomplished less during their careers have gained induction into football’s highest of honors.

When the 1990s came to a close, the four tackles on the league’s all-decade team were Willie Roaf, Gary Zimmerman, Tony Boselli and Webb.

Roaf, Zimmerman and Boselli all are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Furthermore, all four tackles from the All-1970s and the All-2000s teams are in the Hall of Fame and the only one from the All-1990s team who isn't in is Joe Jacoby, though he's been a three-time finalist.

Somehow, in his first 17 seasons of modern-era eligibility, Hall of Fame voters have never named Webb a semifinalist.

Consider that he nearly doubled the amount of games Boselli, a 2022 inductee, played and started, and was chosen to two more Pro Bowls, it’s kind of hard to discredit his worthiness.

“I’m genuinely happy for whoever gets in there. If I know you, you’re a good guy and you made it in, I’m happy for you and you’re family. When you’re deserving of it you’re deserving of it," Webb told the All Dolphins Podcast during our recent interview. "Some guys just have to wait longer than others. That’s how I keep peace in my mind because some guys it really does affect them.”

The Dolphins franchise and fans waited 10 years for Zach Thomas to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after his eligibility started once he had been retired for five seasons, but his time finally arrived in 2023.

Now that Thomas is freshly out of the queue, and the franchise can shift its energy and attention to others, Webb should be the name drawing the most support.

Webb spent 11 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Dolphins, and became one of the league’s most reliable blindside blockers.

The biggest knock on Webb isn't his production on the field. It’s the quarterback he played in front of, Dan Marino, who loomed larger than life.

It's always good to talk to the players who propped up #Dolphins legends, and Richmond Webb, a HOF candidate, shared some interesting and revealing stories to the #AllDolphins podcast.

Here's a sampling of one.

FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/uQanVTjIq5 pic.twitter.com/EQctkEFCn9

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) February 20, 2024

Marino's fast release and pocket presence were contributors to why he avoided sacks. And the fact the Dolphins weren’t a big running team plays a role in Webb being overlooked.

“I think something will happen. Sometimes when you try to promote too many people at one time, one will cancel out the other," Webb said. “The thing that gives me peace and comfort is not only my teammates, but a lot of players say I should have been in.”

Three more years for Modern-Era candidacy left

Webb, who retired in 2002 after two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, has three more years of modern era eligibility before he's pushed into the Senior Candidates category of nominees, so that gives him and the Dolphins a short window to drum up support as a Modern-Era Player candidates, joining Joe Thomas, Boselli and Alan Faneca, Jimbo Covert, Winston Hill and Steve Hutchinson and Duke Slater as the offensive lineman inducted to the Hall of Fame since 2000.

Boselli, who was the first Jacksonville Jaguars player inducted into the Hall of Fame, waited 21 years for his time, so maybe Webb's turn will come soon if the Dolphins, with Hall of Fame juice like Marino, Jason Taylor and Thomas, get behind his campaign.