DC.com: Can Witten Catch Up To Tony Gonzalez?

[CCBoy]

Can Witten Catch Up To Tony Gonzalez?
Posted by jellis

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It's not the first time Tony Gonzalez has given himself one more year to play football, but it sounds the most sincere thus far. In January, Gonzalez signed a contract extension with the Falcons for only one season, 2012.

The former Kansas City tight end explained his intentions during an online chat on Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via PFT).

The NFL's all-time leader in every meaningful tight end statistic, Gonzalez will have 16 seasons under his belt at the conclusion of 2012. Assuming production consistent with his career averages - consistency being his thing - he'll finish with something like 1,226 catches, 14,227 receiving yards and 101 touchdowns.

Could the Cowboys' own Jason Witten, an incredibly consistent tight end in his own right, have a chance to challenge Gonzalez' marks one day?

Witten already ranks second among tight ends in all-time receptions, with 696 through nine seasons, an average of 77.3 catches per year. Assuming his production was stable, Witten would need another seven seasons, giving him 16 total, the same as Gonzalez, to pass the Falcons star....

[LittleD]

Can Witten Catch Up To Tony Gonzalez?
Posted by jellis

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/josh_ellis.cfm?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&userid=8ad9a5ae-68fd-47d1-a7d7-e4c8fcb84090&plckPostId=Blog%3a8ad9a5ae-68fd-47d1-a7d7-e4c8fcb84090Post%3ad4bd6395-b3b9-4e71-908c-b62ebc99ce47&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest



It's not the first time Tony Gonzalez has given himself one more year to play football, but it sounds the most sincere thus far. In January, Gonzalez signed a contract extension with the Falcons for only one season, 2012.

The former Kansas City tight end explained his intentions during an online chat on Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via PFT).

The NFL's all-time leader in every meaningful tight end statistic, Gonzalez will have 16 seasons under his belt at the conclusion of 2012. Assuming production consistent with his career averages - consistency being his thing - he'll finish with something like 1,226 catches, 14,227 receiving yards and 101 touchdowns.

Could the Cowboys' own Jason Witten, an incredibly consistent tight end in his own right, have a chance to challenge Gonzalez' marks one day?

Witten already ranks second among tight ends in all-time receptions, with 696 through nine seasons, an average of 77.3 catches per year. Assuming his production was stable, Witten would need another seven seasons, giving him 16 total, the same as Gonzalez, to pass the Falcons star....

The tight end position is changing rapidly in the NFL... The Gronkowski model is going to be the norm going forward as the "Passing Game NFL" becomes evermore part of the game. The speed tight end adds another weapon to th 4 & 5 receiver threat and I noticed this year that Witten is beginning to slow down compared to other faster tight ends in the game. He might have two or three good years but after that I think his body will not fit the "new" profile being predominent in the game.

[CCBoy]

Projections always change with time. A linebacker with speed, should always be able to handle a tight end off the line of scrimmage. If he can't, then he might well be a safety...but point being, that the physicality will always be worked back into schematic and system changes. As they can still be beat in that manner.

On the defensive side, it still boils down to disrupt function of an offensive play while attacking the plan being used.

It is harder to control a defense, than it is to disrupt an offense...but that's the game.

Predictability has been a major downfall of a decade long feature in a Dallas defense. Even with 'scheme' changes, teams cold still defense them in similar ways and with regularity in executions.

Give me receiving tight ends to defense, and I would then adapt to full time pass coverage and with packages defeat even those tight ends.

Given effective box disruptions, then an umbrella up top is enought to make a real game out of a Patriot type of offense.

But as with outside ends for a 4-3 defense, there runs out of quality parts for those. And with the switch by much of the league to 3-4, there will also run out of parts for an OLB.

The same will hold true for speed types of tight ends that actually are just a slightly slower receiver. If that stereotype builds, it will meet it's challenge. Right now, the Patriots have a functional hold on the type of specialized tight ends. It's defeating aspect will surely rise as well...