A discussion among NFL.com panellists.
Is former Patriot Rob Gronkowski the greatest tight end in NFL history?
Quotes below:
Steve Wych: Gronk's prolific career surpasses those of greats Newsome, Gonzalez
I always think of Ozzie Newsome as the G.O.A.T. when it comes to the tight end position. Grace, toughness, durability and production. Tony Gonzalez is right there with him, as well.
As I reflect on Gronk, though, it's so hard to find an argument as to why he
should be considered the best ever at his position. But, what he was able to do as a receiver, at his size, could be reason enough. The short catch and runs. The deep balls. The catch and runs in the middle of the field. Him plowing over defenders en route to the end zone. What tips things in his favor, though, is how he mashed in the running game. Think about some of the great defenders who play defensive end or outside linebacker. That's a premium position, and Gronk handled his. When he was required to protect in the passing game, he was as good as an elite tackle. In the running game, he was dominant. He did all of this while injured much of the time.
Gronk's production, especially in the postseason, is impossible to ignore -- 81 catches for 12 touchdowns? That's crazy. Sure, the
Patriots always were in the playoffs, but that's often when he was at his best -- and that's saying a lot.
So now that Gronk won't be adding any more to his profile and we can talk about his career in the past, I have to say, he's at the top of a great list of tight ends. G.O.A.T. #Gronkspike
Maurice Jones-Drew: No one played the game like Gronkowski, who's head and shoulders above all other TEs
Yes, and it's not close. Don't get me wrong: Tony Gonzalez, whom some view as the best TE of all time, was great. But Gronk is one of the biggest mismatches of all time, and his ability to be a playmaker in the pass and run games has changed the way the position is viewed. Gronk had the attributes of Gonzalez, but he also blocked like a right tackle. When healthy, the former Patriot was superior in every aspect of the position.
Elliot Harrison: Gronkowski was a combination of ALL the great tight ends
It's tough to say at this moment if Gronk is the greatest tight end of all time. John Mackey forever morphed the position. Tony Gonzalez owns all the career numbers. Kellen Winslow dominated. Then there's Mike Ditka, Ozzie Newsome, Shannon Sharpe,
Jason Witten, and
Antonio Gates.
Gronk was a mixture of all of them and did it all at a high level. He was the greatest postseason tight end ever, by far. He hit people like Ditka. He was the top player or among the top every year, like Newsome. He was big in big games, like Sharpe (see Bowl, Super). He was asked to do everything, especially block, like Witten ... except better. He was also a scoring machine, especially early in his career, like Gates. Because of the overall strength of his game, Gronk probably is the greatest true tight end to ever play.
The only drawback, and where Gonzalez surpasses him, was his inability to stay available. Yet, much of Gronk's injury woes were because he played on a physical level and was asked to do more on that front than the former
Chiefs and
Falcons Hall of Famer was. On the other hand, injuries are part of the game, and it's easy to call a guy injury-prone when he is doing so much more than other players at his position. Put another way: In his prime, there was no tight end more valuable than
Rob Gronkowski.
