It's not a secret: the Tony Gonzalez era is nearing an end in Atlanta. It's been an honor and a privilege to watch him suit up as a Falcon. But like it or not, we will need to replace "Gonzo" at some point in the not-so-distant future.

At first glance, one worries about replacing Gonzo's pass catching abilities. At worst, he's the third option in this offense, as Matt Ryan depends heavily on his abilities as a possession receiver. But alas! It appears Gonzo is a pretty awesome pass blocker too.

Over the past three years, he's allowed just 5 pressures, notching 139 pass protects. Admittedly, he isn't asked to pass protect all that much, but his pass blocking efficiency is off the charts. His 97.3 PBE ranks 6th over the past 3 years. When you consider that the TEs who ranked 1-3 aren't currently employed, Gonzo stands out - even at this age - as one of the premier pass blocking TEs in the league.

Discuss!