What more does Rob Gronkowski need for a Hall of Fame resume?

PatsWickedPissah · Mar 3, 2015

Froob said:
Just needs longevity. Likely goes down as the GOAT tight end.

It pains me deeply to see Patriots fans demeaning Brady and now Gronk as goats.
Didn't they just win a superBowl???

I'm SO confused!

hwc · Mar 3, 2015

Canton? CANTON? Sheesh. Don't talk to me about Canton. We're just trying to win a(nother) SuperBowl....

scott99 · Mar 3, 2015

Joey007 said:
I think you could possibly give him the Gale Sayers type consideration already if he were to be done for good today.

Bingo, was gonna say this, exactly. Gronk is the Gale Sayers of Tight Ends. May have his career cut short by injuries (hopefully not), but while on the field, possibly the greatest TE ever.

patsfan-1982 · Mar 3, 2015

Tom Brady will be 38 when the season starts so its safe to say he will be here after Brady is gone so if he can still have a few good years post Brady his a lock

farn · Mar 4, 2015

Staying healthy is the only consideration.

I love the Gronk. I want the Gronk on the field. I know that if he is healthy, he is going to dominate. Just because he went through an exceptional year that included good health, it doesn't mean I am "over the fear of him going down" by any stretch...

HoFer if he avoids injury. NE much much much better if/when Gronk is good to go. We need that crazy kid.

PatsFanSince74 · Mar 4, 2015

Three more 13--16 game seasons playing like we all know he can play.

goheels22002 · Mar 4, 2015

Compared to Ozzie Newsome, a HOFer, Gronk has a long way to go. Newsome: 662 receptions, 7,980 yards, 47 TDs plus playoffs: 27 receptions, 373 yards, 1 TD.

Gronkowski needs to catch some more passes. 308 receptions for 4,379 yards and 54 TDs is a good start toward the HOF, but not there yet. Add in 37 receptions for 527 yards and 6 TDs in the playoffs, and he's clearly productive, when he plays.

If he stays healthy, he could get there in three seasons. The Brady window is critical here. Gronk's productivity can continue in the 90+ catches/1,000 yards/12 TDs range per season with TFB at the controls. Who knows what that might look like with a lesser QB.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GronRo00.htm

RobertWeathers · Mar 4, 2015

scott99 said:
Bingo, was gonna say this, exactly. Gronk is the Gale Sayers of Tight Ends. May have his career cut short by injuries (hopefully not), but while on the field, possibly the greatest TE ever.

Gronk is not in Sayers' category - yet. Sayers' prime value was not just a RB. He was ridiculous on punt and kick returns as well and led the NFL in all-purpose yardage 3 straight years and rushing twice. It would have been a 3rd but he got hurt.

He was such a transcendent player. Very similar to Gronk I guess. Gronk needs another 2-3 amazing seasons to be in the Sayers/Kofax conversation.

tatepatsfan · Mar 4, 2015

Sustained success.

KamikazeKnight · Mar 4, 2015

I think he's a lock by the time his career is over. He's already made a case for it, and I suspect he's only going to make the case even stronger as time goes by.

Patriot_in_NY · Mar 4, 2015

Depends on how he went out. Walks away - Wouldn't be considered at this point. Forced out of the game by inj.... for other, non-penal issues

........ Probably would be considered and get in. RB and TE are completely different animals as far as consideration is concerned.

Let not forget TD was a awesome back, but did not revolutionize the position. The way Gronk has been used is totally changing the way TE's are looked at and utilized on the field. Huge difference IMO. I think obviously needs more time to cement his legacy, but if (god forbid), something catatrophic happened, I don't think it would be held much against him.

Pats_AZ · Mar 4, 2015

5 more years with 3 of those dominate.

JFK · Mar 4, 2015

Even if he decides to hang up the boots today for good reasons, he still gets in. It will just take him a very long time.

billdog3484 · Mar 4, 2015

Bruins29 said:
HOF TE Shannon Sharpe took 204 games to collect his 62 touchdowns .3 TDs per game
Gronk has played in 65 games and already has 54 TDs. .83 TDs per game

Gronks TD production is almost 3x what Sharpes was and Gronk is a superior blocker.

If Gronk continued playing at half production for the next 7 years he would still be a HOF lock.

If he plays as many games as Gonzales does he would have about 224 TDs which is twice as much as Gonzales. Rice leads the NFL with 208.

All of this when Gronk has missed a good solid season because of injuries. Gronk in his prime and can stay there he has a chance to go down as the greatest football player ever although he would have to keep up this incredible pace for a long time.

I say 7 more years of Gronk and he will probably end up with 140 TD and 11,000 yards and 800 receptions. Gonzales had 15K yds - Sharpe 10K yds) Sharpe has 815 receptions TG 1325

FYI Gronk would have to play 12 more 16 game seasons to match the amount of games TG played. 8o more games for Gronk will put him in the top 5 TDs all time.

It all comes down to heath.

NFL is more of a passing game now so while i think TDs for QBs and Receivers/TE's are important to consider, the rules are now slanted to favor the passing attack. So simply throwing out yardage and TD numbers of a player nowadays vs the past is kind of an unfair comparison.

Bruins29 · Mar 4, 2015

billdog3484 said:
NFL is more of a passing game now so while i think TDs for QBs and Receivers/TE's are important to consider, the rules are now slanted to favor the passing attack. So simply throwing out yardage and TD numbers of a player nowadays vs the past is kind of an unfair comparison.

I agree but what is the threshold for when that factor kicks in?

patsinthesnow · Mar 4, 2015

Gronk/Gonzalez careers/debates will end up resembling those of Moss/Rice.

JarOfMayo51 · Mar 4, 2015

robertweathers said:
Yep. Here is who is in now...

Clearly a top-level Gronk is or better than everyone on that list. Hes just as devastating of a blocker as Casper, better hands than Winslow and not quite, but close to being as smooth as Newsome and Sharpe.

His contemporaries T-Gon and Jason Witten are shoo-ins- and hes better than them.

Gronk's biggest obstacle to being a HoF is his style of play. I can't get the thought out of my mind of Gronk 5 years from now looking like Mark Bavaro and Ben Coates after being tackled.. In so much pain....taking forever to get up...each hit taking a week off their career.

Gronk this past year has made tremendous improvement in his running style and protecting himself. . Hes a lot more aware of his legs and would be tackles, he leans his upper body out in front of him and uses his arm to deflect defenders.

It's great to see, because he's still playing aggressively like a giant, but he's doing it in a more intelligent way that will extend his career quite a bit and reduce chance of injury.

RobertWeathers · Mar 4, 2015

JarOfMayo51 said:
Gronk this past year has made tremendous improvement in his running style and protecting himself. . Hes a lot more aware of his legs and would be tackles, he leans his upper body out in front of him and uses his arm to deflect defenders.

It's great to see, because he's still playing aggressively like a giant, but he's doing it in a more intelligent way that will extend his career quite a bit and reduce chance of injury.

Good points. I have also noticed that.

JarOfMayo51 · Mar 4, 2015

New England Pride said:
He needs to keep assholes like Tj ward and Bernard pollard from diving at his knees/doing mma moves to his ankles.

I have to give a ton of respect to the Seahawks defensive backs, they played physical like men and properly tackled/laid hits on Gronk the way football is suppose to be played... they were hitting him in the torso area, and hitting him hard.. and were successful in bringing him down like that.. they didn't resort to cheap tactics that involve blowing guys knees out just to make a tackle.

Have to tip your hat to them, just go watch the replays of Gronk's catches in that game.. the DBS hit him high and hard.. none of that cowardly bush league crap to cut his knees out

Bruins29 · Mar 4, 2015

JarOfMayo51 said:
none of that cowardly bush league crap to cut his knees out

Which they have to get out of the game somehow.

What more does Rob Gronkowski need for a Hall of Fame resume?

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