Who are ex-Steelers Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca up against to make the Hall of Fame?

News broke Saturday night that former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the one-time-only Centennial Class in conjunction with the NFL’s 100th anniversary.

But will the Steelers get more representation for the Class of 2020 this summer in Canton, Ohio? Four-time Super Bowl-winning safety Donnie Shell also is under consideration, and when it comes to the traditional five-man modern-era class, the Steelers could end up with more representation.

Safety Troy Polamalu and guard Alan Faneca are among 15 finalists for that honor. The former teammates survived cuts that whittled down an initial 122 nominees to 25 semifinalists.

Steelers fans are familiar with the contributions of Polamalu and Faneca, but what about the 13 men they are up against for one of five coveted spots?

It’s difficult — and subjective — enough to choose, say, a given season’s best player at a particular position. Now, take that over eras.

The best quantitative shot at doing so is pro-football-reference.com’s weighted career approximate value.

Though its formula is complex and the methodology at arriving to it cumbersome to explain, the important thing to know is it is an attempt to put a number on the value of a player at any position. It is imperfect, and the nature of Hall of Fame voting encourages subjectivity anyway, but at least it is a rough guide.

Here is a snapshot of how Faneca and Polamalu stack up against the other finalists for induction, which will be announced Feb. 1. Included are each player’s weighted career approximate value along with other numbers, plus a brief case for and against induction (after the Steelers, in order of WCAV; “Super Bowls” represents number of Super Bowl-winning teams):

Alan Faneca, G, 1998-2010 — Steelers, N.Y. Jets, Arizona

WCAV: 113 (56th all-time)

Seasons: 13

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 9/6/1

Why: Faneca missed two games in his career, made first-team All-Pro six times in a seven-year stretch and arguably was the best guard of the 2000s.

Why not: Guards have perhaps the toughest road to induction of any nonkicker position.

Troy Polamalu, S, 2003-2014 — Steelers

WCAV: 94 (197th)

Seasons: 12

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 8/4/2

Why: Polamalu played safety like no other, helping to revolutionize the position.

Why not: Brian Dawkins (his second year on the ballot) and Ed Reed (first-year) made it the past two years, so perhaps safety needs a year or two off.

Reggie Wayne, WR, 2001-2014 — Indianapolis

WCAV: 117 (44th)

Seasons: 15

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 6/1/1

Why: Wayne ranks 10th all-time in catches and receiving yards and 24th in receiving touchdowns.

Why not: Often voters make first-time eligibles wait, and was he the product of the greatness of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison?

Zach Thomas, LB, 1996-2008 — Miami, Dallas

WCAV: 115 (50th)

Seasons: 13

Pro Bowls/All Pros/Super Bowls: 7/5/0

Why: Thomas is fifth all-time in tackles (since it became a statistic) and is a member of the 2000s all-decade team.

Why not: He never played for a team that advanced to a conference championship game.

Edgerrin James, RB, 1999-2009 — Indianapolis, Arizona, Seattle

WCAV: 114 (51st)

Seasons: 11

Pro Bowls/All-Pros: 4/1/0

Why: By the age of 22, James already had 4,442 yards from scrimmage and 35 touchdowns in two NFL seasons.

Why not: Just one first-team All-Pro and four Pro Bowls suggest he didn’t consistently dominate.

Isaac Bruce, WR, 1994-2009 — L.A./St. Louis Rams, San Francisco

WCAV: 102 (112th)

Seasons: 16

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 4/0/1

Why: He led the NFL in receiving yards in 1996, and that was before teaming with Torry Holt and Kurt Warner.

Why not: Who goes first: Holt or Bruce? There’s a glut of receivers waiting on induction.

Sam Mills, LB, 1986-1997 — New Orleans, Carolina

WCAV: 101 (120th)

Seasons: 12 (plus three in the USFL)

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 5/1/0

Why: Mills had 22 forced fumbles, 11 interceptions and four defensive TDs in addition to being one of the most proficient tacklers of his generation.

Why not: In his 18th year of eligibility, it is clear Mills is not an obvious choice. Shouldn’t Hall of Famers be obvious?

Holt, WR, 1999-2009 — St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville

WCAV: 99 (135th)

Seasons: 11

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 7/1/1

Why: He helped ignite “The Greatest Show on Turf” Rams. Holt led the NFL in receiving yards twice and catches once.

Why not: He ranks below Wayne in all major receiving categories, so can he gain induction before him?

Steve Hutchinson, G, 2001-2012 — Seattle, Minnesota, Tennessee

WCAV: 96 (170th)

Seasons: 12

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 7/5/0

Why: Ten times in 12 seasons, a running back ran for 1,175 or more yards behind Hutchinson.

Why not: His career coincides with fellow guard Faneca, and Faneca might have a slight edge.

Richard Seymour, DL, 2001-2012 — New England, Oakland

WCAV: 90 (239th)

Seasons: 12

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls:7/3/3

Why: The versatile Seymour helped start the Patriots’ dynasty.

Why not: No eye-popping statistics, and he never led the NFL in any notable defensive stat.

LeRoy Butler, S, 1990-2001 — Green Bay

WCAV: 89 (250th)

Seasons: 12

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 4/4/1

Why: Credited with the first “Lambeau Leap,” Butler was the first NFL DB to have 20 sacks and 20 interceptions.

Why not: This is his first time as a finalist in 14 seasons of eligibility, suggesting voters aren’t enamored.

Bryant Young, DT, 1994-2007 — San Francisco

WCAV: 88 (262nd)

Seasons: 14

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 4/1/1

Why: Another all-decade selection (90s), Young is top 50 all-time for sacks and tackles for loss.

Why not: He typically is not viewed as a preeminent performer at his position among his generational peers.

John Lynch, S, 1993-2007 — Tampa Bay, Denver

WCAV: 87 (275th)

Seasons: 15

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 9/2/1

Why: Lynch was one of the top players on a dominant defense over a seven to eight year span.

Why not: Compared to other Hall of Fame safeties, he lacks splash plays.

Steve Atwater, S, 1989-1999 — Denver, N.Y. Jets

WCAV: 78 (425th)

Seasons: 11

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 8/2/2

Why: One the game’s hardest-hitting safeties, Atwater impacted opponents’ passing games.

Why not: Atwater didn’t even make the cut for semifinalist his first seven years of eligibility.

Tony Boselli, OT, 1995-2001 — Jacksonville

WCAV: 66 (746th)

Seasons: 8

Pro Bowls/All-Pros/Super Bowls: 5/3/0

Why: The Jaguars first draft pick, Boselli was a constant in Jacksonville’s quick leap from expansion team to perennial contender.

Why not: His career cut short by injury, seven seasons is not enough for Hall of Fame immortality.

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