The Jumping The Gun: Is Tony Gonzalez The Best Falcon Tight End Ever?

by Dave the Falconer on May 17, 2009 8:00 AM EDT in Editorial Comment 22 comments

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

This man stretches better than anyone in Atlanta Falcon history! (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

In our haste to find the newest and most exciting story, we're all a little guilty of jumping the gun. There have been countless examples for the Falcons over the years, ranging from the urge to crush or celebrate Matt Ryan before he ever took a snap to something as simple as declaring a game a must-win.

Asking if Tony Gonzalez will be the best tight end in Atlanta history, though? That's a pole vault over an assault rifle.

Before any Kansas City fans throw me into a slow-cooker and slather me with barbecue sauce, let me say that I acknowledge how great Tony Gonzalez is. He's one of the best of all time at his position, regardless of what happens in Atlanta over the next two to four seasons. That's not what we'll be discussing today.

Instead, we're going to look at the likelihood that Gonzalez will be The Greatest Falcon Tight End Of All Time when he hangs up his cleats or moves on to another team. To me, it's a question that has a miniscule chance of jinxing us and no chance of being answered now. Alge Crumpler and Jim Mitchell are probably two of the finest tight ends to wear the red-and-black, and Gonzalez will have to have some pretty amazing seasons to surpass them on a numbers basis. Sure, he can do it, but I'd rather not make any wagers until I've seen it on the field.

Just in case you're interested in this kind of thing, feel free to debate the merits of this argument. If you're less inclined, it might be fun to recall the Falcon tight ends of the past. If you're even less inclined than that, then just type "Meh" to indicate your apathy.

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Anyone else notice ...

that after he was signed (by the Birds), TG said he would retire as a Chief? Like he left no doubt about it, he is going to go back to KC at some point. Or … did I hear him wrong?

Mitchell would be hard to trump, as he played his entire career for the Falcons, and his contributions spanned a decade. Crump is trumpable IMO.

Reporter: How will you address all of the dropped passes?

Mike Smith: I don’t think that we were as sharp as we have been catching the football. It’s something that is very fixable. It’s VERY fixable.

by FrankyWren on May 17, 2009 11:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Franky, HOF inductees

are generally entered in with the team they made their name with. Tony made his name with the Chiefs and will more than likely enter Canton as a Chief, unless he somehow ascends from greatness to Godliness with the Falcons (which, let’s face it, probably won’t happen since he’s in the waning years of his career).

It’s my understanding that Johnny U is entered as a Baltimore/Indy Colt and Montana is entered as a 49er despite playing with the Chiefs. When Favre makes it in, he’ll probably be a Packer, despite the entire fanbase now loathing him.

"If the Falcons ever manage to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime, I'll french kiss a toilet." - a friend.

by tlozwarlock on May 17, 2009 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OK, I'm confused ...

so when he said, “I will retire as a Chief” … you’re thinking he meant he wanted to go into the HOF as a Chief? Because that is completely understandable. I took it as he would want to go back and play in KC for one or more seasons after his stint w/ the Birds.

Reporter: How will you address all of the dropped passes?

Mike Smith: I don’t think that we were as sharp as we have been catching the football. It’s something that is very fixable. It’s VERY fixable.

by FrankyWren on May 17, 2009 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, when he said that, he meant that

once he’s inducted, he’ll choose to enter as a Chief. It’s his choice to make.

"If the Falcons ever manage to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime, I'll french kiss a toilet." - a friend.

by tlozwarlock on May 17, 2009 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Could be a one-day retirement contract, as well.

Emmitt signed a 1-day contract with the Cowboys just before hanging it up so he could reitre as a Cowboy instead of a Cardinal.

It’s not unheard of.

by hartley on May 22, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Left out his last name, there. Should be "Emmit SMITH"

But that should have been obvious.

by hartley on May 22, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Crumpler and Mitchell

Have a fraction of the yards and touchdowns that Gonzalez does. If Gonzalez players “three or four more years” like he says he will, he could top both those players career records with the Falcons.

by Joel Thorman on May 17, 2009 4:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Three years with a HOF TE

is all that I ask. That’ll probably at least mean a deep playoff run for us and, fingers cross, perhaps a SB visit.

"If the Falcons ever manage to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime, I'll french kiss a toilet." - a friend.

by tlozwarlock on May 17, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Highly highly doubtful

And here’s why…

TG played on a team with absolutely ZERO WR’s and was the only viable option in the passing game. I’m making no qualms about the guys talent or ability and I’m sure he will get his here with Atlanta, but his numbers are inflated just as much as ole Crumps are. Crumpler played on a team with absolutely ZERO WR’s and was the only viaple option in the passing game.

I think TG will be a very valuable asset to this team and we got a great deal on him, but he isn’t going to put up 1K yrd seasons here. Our WR’s can actually catch the ball (finally, after a few years of futility) and he is going to garner more coverage than our TE’s did last year, which will simply free up more space for or WR’s.

This is the main reason why I feel that the “top-flight TE” tag is a myth, and that the need for said TE is highly overrated. Bad passing offenses create better by-the-numbers TE and as such these guys should only be needed by teams with said bad passing offenses. Our is not a bad passing offense and I think we could have held on to that future pick and been just fine with the TE we already had, who by default should take a step forward with a year of experience in our system.

This is all a long way of saying that I am doubtful that TG ends up being the best TE in Falcons history. I do think his talent and ability combined will allow him to be a sucess though. I also don’t see him playing to the same effect as he has over the course of another five years.

"If Woody were Captain of the Titanic, he'd argue the boat sinking speaks to how effectively they put rich people in life boats and lock the poor folks below."
-jrauch commenting at Hoopinion on Woody's (non)logic in his post-game comments

by Jesse28 on May 18, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Top Flight TE a myth?

He will free up space for the WR’s – but the fact that they can catch the ball will help him in turn, too. Defenses will have to pick their poison. I agree he probably won’t be getting 1,000 yards here (I’m thinking 60-700-6).

But I don’t agree that Tony G had ZERO WR’s in his time in KC. Maybe he hasn’t played with a great receiver, but there have been some good ones. The last 2 years Dwayne Bowe has been a very good young option. Before him, Eddie Kennison was solid, if unspectacular, for 5 years. And before that, Derrick Alexander had 3 good seasons. The #2 WR’s opposite these guys may not have been up to snuff, but the #1’s must have been doing something right – they were one of the top offenses for several years in the early 2000’s. And it wasn’t just Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson, either – they were at or near the top of the league in passing yards per game from 2000-2005.

So while his #’s last year were artificially inflated (he was lining up as a WR in the Pistol formation – not as a TE), I think for the most part his #’s are legit. The coaches recognized early that they had a great football player, and designed the offense to get him plenty of touches.

Fun fact: excluding a couple years that a RB had more catches, the last time Tony G wasn’t the leading receiver for KC (by catches, not yards) was 1997 (his rookie year) when the team’s leading receiver was… Andre Rison.

And to keep this on topic – there is no way Tony G ends up as the best TE in Atlanta history (by the #’s). He’d have to play at a high level for 5 more years, and there is very little chance that will happen.

by orang3b on May 19, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meh

I should have worded that differently. If one is the best at their position, then by default they must be the top-flight of said position, so maybe not exactly a myth.

However, TG was still the most talented and most targeted pass catching option on those teams which led to his numbers being inflated. The guys you listed are/were decent, but by their own limitations combined with QB issues, TG has been the most viable option for that offense through the years. You pretty much validate that with your fun fact, so I’m glad we are in agreement.

I’m not saying the guy isn’t amazing and shouldn’t be considered as such, just that typically TE’s with great numbers are on teams with little to no other option in the passing game. Same goes with Crumpler and Gates, and I love Crumpler and wish we had kept him.

Like I said originally, it was just a long way to say that TG is not going to put up one thousand yard seasons on a team with a much better QB and much better WR’s and a much better running game, and he will not be the best TE in Falcon history. All in all, I think we are in agreement.

by Jesse28 on May 19, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Meh.

Someone had to do it…

by BigManChili on May 17, 2009 9:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

2 things to comment on...

1- TG is not the best TE to ever be a falcon because he hasn’t played a down of football for us yet.
2- TG CAN be the greatest falcon te ever, if he plays 4 years with the falcons and has 4 seasons like his last in KC, and if he leads the falcons to a sb title- then I’d be willing to bet he just might go into the HOF as a falcon, why? because he won his championship with atlanta and most likely had more wins in a falcon uniform!! lol
L-Dawg

by ATLsince1972 on May 18, 2009 10:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Remember?

Junior Miller was a pretty good TE for us also….

"If I disagree with you, it's because you are wrong..."

by Tybeaux on May 18, 2009 3:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

True

I just glossed right over Junior. My bad!

by Dave the Falconer on May 19, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I 2nd the meh

i could really care less about his numbers in KC I’m all about the A, with the nucleus of talent then add in TG its SB or bust
Forever I Love Atlanta

by gritzblitz on May 18, 2009 5:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

As soon as TG plays his first down with the Falcs

You may then proclaim him the best TE to ever step foot on the field for the Falcons. No doubt about this.

SuperStar Fred McGriff gives this post his "full endorsahment"!

by Molly Flogger on May 19, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Whoaa Baby

TG…..as aforementioned, was the only viable recieving option for a miserable KC team. Hard to suck when everythings coming ur way. Yeah, guys got game, but best ever??? Show me Tony, we need it.

by LovinJacketsnBirds on May 20, 2009 8:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nobody's mentioned...

that playing with sub-par WRs probably made it more difficult for him in KC. Sure, he was their best target, but you know he must have been getting a lot of attention from defenses – especially when they didn’t have to worry as much about the lackluster WR corps. Just my 2 cents!

by TomQ on May 20, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

great counterpoint

and I agree… seeing Tony Gonzalez at mini-camp and seeing the kind of stuff he’ll do to make the catch really shows that he knows how to make himself open and he is willing to make the agressive catch.

The only thing is… is he is one of the tallest guys on the field and he is able to run toe and toe with just about any LB in the league (and run over just about any CB) so he has a physical advantage over just about anybody he plays against. There was even one play in minicamp where I watched him lock up with a LB like a block, then break the block to cut over the middle and make a catch. The guy is smart and hard to cover.

Overall… I’m just happy to have his presence on the team. Last year, we won some games buy surprise. This year, we’ll win games because no matter how hard you prepare for this offense… you still can’t figure it out. Our QB is really smart and he is going to find the open receiver, regardless of who it happens to be.

know what you believe in and why you believe in it

by MentallyMIA on May 20, 2009 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No Way Tony is Best Tight End for Falcons

Do some people forget about Alge Crumpler?
Sure Tony is probably one of the best Tight Ends of all time but hey, he hasn’t strapped it up for the Falcons for even a pre-season game yet. Lets see him put up two or three pro bowl years before he’s the best in Falcons history.

by fantasy-info on May 21, 2009 12:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs