NFL offseason thread: FOOTBALL STARTS SUNDAY

[Deejay]

How is Jimmy's blocking? I honestly don't know, I don't pay attention to blocking from TEs all that much.

Pedestrian. The Saints never run though so it doesnt matter.

[Moss]

Witten as a top two TE is laughable.

Gronk #1, Graham #2 by a slight margin because of blocking

then there is a big drop off

[Moss]

god Dez Bryant must feel like a bitch

[Cail]

panthers cut olindo mare and put gettis on PUP
giants put Canty+Beckum on PUP
skins waived rackers

[Gadritan]

panthers cut olindo mare and put gettis on PUPs

Stoked about Mare. Hoping Medlock becomes Kasay v2.0, lefty and all. Yes. I'm excited about a kicker.

Spoiler: show

lolcarolinafans

Gettis on PUP kinda sucks, but I think Murphy is our answer there. He's been great so far.

[Demosthenes11]

lol at people saying gronk needs to improve his blocking. There was only 1 TE with better blocking in the nfl last year, and he caught 17 balls. And just look at the people in front of gronk's yards and TDs last year OH WAIT its nobody in nfl history

[Rhinox]

Larry Johnson had 1 monster season.


GOAT

[Chun Liroy]

Witten as a top two TE is laughable.

Gronk #1, Graham #2 by a slight margin because of blocking

then there is a big drop off

lolok. Look, I'm not arguing whether or not Witten is top in the league, but to say that there's a big drop off after 2 1-season wonders (both of which can be attributed to each having amazing offenses) is ludicrous. Let's not pretend that Witten has shit blocking or something (looking at you demos, Gronk better blocker than witten... lol)

[Chun Liroy]

man i do love romo

He's so dreamy.

[Cleverness]

Back from work, Bregor you can eat a dick for picking Eli right before I was going to.

Wrong thread but I just want that on the record

[Moss]

lolok. Look, I'm not arguing whether or not Witten is top in the league, but to say that there's a big drop off after 2 1-season wonders (both of which can be attributed to each having amazing offenses) is ludicrous. Let's not pretend that Witten has shit blocking or something (looking at you demos, Gronk better blocker than witten... lol)

What did Gronk and Graham do during their "one season wonder" that they can't repeat? I'm not calling them GOATs, just the best right now.

And really? They are only good because of their offenses? They are two of the best athletes ever to play the position and are extremely skilled. There is a distinct separation between those two and the rest of the NFL.

[Chun Liroy]

They are both amazing athletes, but if you think they would repeat their performance on a team like the redskins or bills, idk what to tell you. They would produce, but not record numbers like each of them did, and in this case no one would be entertaining them in the thought of the best TE currently playing.

As far as what can't they repeat? Well for starters they broke an NFL record; each of them. It's a different league (especially for these types of TEs), but to bank of them both breaking the TE receiving record again? I doubt it, and if they did then they are honestly making history. I can't talk too, too much about blocking, but there's certainly more to the game of a TE than receiving stats. This past year were they (receiving side) a step above the rest? Sure, the stats don't lie, but as a whole--including career wise--are they heads and shoulders above the rest? I think we should temper that thought for at least a couple more years.

[Tajin]

Back from work, Bregor you can eat a dick for picking Eli right before I was going to.

Wrong thread but I just want that on the record

Sustained

[Xajii]

What did Gronk and Graham do during their "one season wonder" that they can't repeat? I'm not calling them GOATs, just the best right now.

Confuse defenses, for one. As many have mentioned, the problem with the Patriots and Saints offenses is that they create terrible match-ups. You've got to either put your largest, fastest guy on Graham and let someone like Sproles or Colston be covered by a weaker DB/LB, or you've got to gamble and hope Graham isn't the target on that play. With NE it's even worse because Hernandez is in the mix.

This kind of has to do with your following line about how it's "all the offense". It's not, I agree, but the offense is certainly a huge reason why they perform so well. The "best athletes to every play the position" is an exaggeration at this point because they've both had two season of play.

The development of the stud TE is a fairly new concept in the NFL. Would you really be that surprised to see a matching development on defenses? For example, the Ravens have been urging linebackers to slim down and speed up to handle the pass-happy NFL more readily. I wouldn't be too surprised to see bigger DBs and smaller LBs to accommodate for players like Graham and Gronk.

They are great athletes, and you know what? At least one of the two probably will go down as being one of the best the league has seen. But that's partially because the use of the position is changing.

Also worth keeping in mind the Saints and the Patriots have had pretty strong offensive lines. Would be curious to see how game plans and plays change in general if they enter a period of weakness.

[Bregor]

Back from work, Bregor you can eat a dick for picking Eli right before I was going to.

Wrong thread but I just want that on the record

Heady took JULIO, what do you want? At least you got

[tyven]

What did Gronk and Graham do during their "one season wonder" that they can't repeat? I'm not calling them GOATs, just the best right now.

And really? They are only good because of their offenses? They are two of the best athletes ever to play the position and are extremely skilled. There is a distinct separation between those two and the rest of the NFL.

no chance gronk repeats those numbers, they are just too good. its like expecting chris johnson to have 2k yards every year.

[Headspace]

I think he'll still have the TDs. He is just too big, too strong, his hands are too big.

Yardage is a different story.

[Moss]

They are both amazing athletes, but if you think they would repeat their performance on a team like the redskins or bills, idk what to tell you. They would produce, but not record numbers like each of them did, and in this case no one would be entertaining them in the thought of the best TE currently playing.

orly? I beg to differ.

As far as what can't they repeat? Well for starters they broke an NFL record; each of them. It's a different league (especially for these types of TEs), but to bank of them both breaking the TE receiving record again? I doubt it, and if they did then they are honestly making history. I can't talk too, too much about blocking, but there's certainly more to the game of a TE than receiving stats. This past year were they (receiving side) a step above the rest? Sure, the stats don't lie, but as a whole--including career wise--are they heads and shoulders above the rest? I think we should temper that thought for at least a couple more years.

Well in today's NFL it is mostly about receiving but Gronk is a good blocker and Graham isn't terrible. Also, stop using the word "career." That isn't the argument. As of this moment, they are the top two, hands down.

Confuse defenses, for one. As many have mentioned, the problem with the Patriots and Saints offenses is that they create terrible match-ups. You've got to either put your largest, fastest guy on Graham and let someone like Sproles or Colston be covered by a weaker DB/LB, or you've got to gamble and hope Graham isn't the target on that play. With NE it's even worse because Hernandez is in the mix.

This kind of has to do with your following line about how it's "all the offense". It's not, I agree, but the offense is certainly a huge reason why they perform so well. The "best athletes to every play the position" is an exaggeration at this point because they've both had two season of play.

The development of the stud TE is a fairly new concept in the NFL. Would you really be that surprised to see a matching development on defenses? For example, the Ravens have been urging linebackers to slim down and speed up to handle the pass-happy NFL more readily. I wouldn't be too surprised to see bigger DBs and smaller LBs to accommodate for players like Graham and Gronk.

They are great athletes, and you know what? At least one of the two probably will go down as being one of the best the league has seen. But that's partially because the use of the position is changing.

Also worth keeping in mind the Saints and the Patriots have had pretty strong offensive lines. Would be curious to see how game plans and plays change in general if they enter a period of weakness.

Sure, Sean Payton and Josh McDaniels do a great job of putting them in a position to succeed, but their mere existence is a mismatch. No one has the size/speed/strength/coverage ability combination to cover them. I'm pretty confident they would be recognized as studs on any team.

no chance gronk repeats those numbers, they are just too good. its like expecting chris johnson to have 2k yards every year.

Ok, but is there any reason to think he can't put up the best numbers of any TE again this year? That is what I am getting at. His dominance is not a fluke. Neither is Jimmy Graham's.

[Demosthenes11]

GOAT's gonna GOAT

[Xajii]

Hernandez will have more yds than Gronk this year