Gronk to retire

ChrisR2223 said:

How can you disagree this has hurt us?
I mean it's tough but he's had so much time during his waffling we could of resigned Flowers with that cap.
Gone after Humphries more aggressively or Any receiver.

You do know we now have the weakest group of pass catchers in the NFL now?
There is no arguing that.
I love Gronk and he will go down as one of the best Patriots ever.
This effing blows though.

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LJRomanoff said:

Lack of cap space was not the reason Flowers signed with Detroit.

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patfanken said:

I'm not as high on Smith as some. He ISN'T a Gronk replacement by any means and to think so would be unfair.

He is 6'2 and 242. Those are more FB stats than TE stats, and that is what he'd be better suited to play. More like an HB than TE. Someone you motion to get releases. Someone who wham blocks rather than blocking DE's and OLB's from an inline position.

From his combine numbers, at 4,6 his has decent straight line speed, but he isn't particularly strong, quick or explosive. Daniel Graham was the comparative that I saw the most. I wouldn't hate that. Graham was a very good TE but bigger than Smith (6'4 257) coming out.

I agree that TE needs to be addressed in the draft. I also agree that Fant and Hockenson will be gone long before the Pats pick. So I'd inclined to wait until the 3rd and see who's there, rather than use an earlier pick on a need rather than the best player.

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ChrisR2223 said:

Well I'm saying maybe we would of allocated more money for the position if we didn't think we could use the cap to bring in a good tight end?
So use Gronks cap to pay Flowers

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KontradictioN said:

Smith is more of a Daniel Graham type than a Gronk type and his upside as a receiver is higher than Graham’s coming out of college. His route running is fantastic. The Pats could definitely use him.

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• Needs to add mass and upper-body strength for blocking duties
• Doesn't always block with consistent effort and strain
• Can overstep his landmark as run blocker
• Needs to play faster more consistently
• Rounded routes allow coverage shortcuts to catch point
• Feet are a little heavy getting into breaks, causing delays to open
• Rarely works back to the throw
• Not a natural hands catcher and fights the football
• Slows way down when turning to find football
• Lacks short-area wiggle for quick catch and run

patfanken said:

Interesting that you'd say that. Zureline put that as one of his weaknesses
Weaknesses. Below were the rest of his listed weaknesses.

• Needs to add mass and upper-body strength for blocking duties
• Doesn't always block with consistent effort and strain
• Can overstep his landmark as run blocker
• Needs to play faster more consistently
• Rounded routes allow coverage shortcuts to catch point
• Feet are a little heavy getting into breaks, causing delays to open
• Rarely works back to the throw
• Not a natural hands catcher and fights the football
• Slows way down when turning to find football
• Lacks short-area wiggle for quick catch and run

It should be noted that Zureline had him graded as a 5.9 (instant starter) and had an equally long list of positives. But that wouldn't aid in making my point.

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supafly said:

He could’ve been the greatest ever, had he played another several years. Unfortunately, he missed a lot of time and had to cut his career short due to those injuries.

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Triumph said:

The Steelers hated him

Their fans *****ed about Gronk to no end when ever I visited Pitt

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supafly said:

Here’s something from one of the most well known scouts to ever hold the position. It includes both old school and new.

Gil Brandt's 14 greatest NFL tight ends of all time

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Ice_Ice_Brady said:

Now they can b1tch about OBJ and their new divisional daddies.

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