Witten doesn't get his cred

[perrykemp]

Yet another article proclaiming the Packer's Jermichael Finley as the best TE in the NFL. This isn't the first time I've seen this lately. I even saw an article essentially calling him the second coming of Kellen Winslow (Sr.. not Jr).

I was very impressed with him last year, however, putting him ahead of Antonio Gates and Witten seems to be awfully premature to me.

What do you guys think about this guy? Is he really all that?




URL: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/187290-the-best-new-tight-end-in-football?eref=fromSI
The best new tight end in football


06:53 AM ET 05.19 | If you think he's better than Antonio Gates, Jermichael Finley thinks you're a genius. [Finley] is going to be the best tight end in football. Not eventually -- now. This season. ... It may sound ludicrous, but Finley is actually better than Gates -- at least athletically. Finley, a third-round pick from Texas, is taller (at 6-5), longer, faster and more agile than the Chargers' Gates, a six-time Pro Bowler. Like Gates, he has uncanny body control and ball-adjustment skills. In his last eight games last season, counting the playoff loss, he had 44 catches for 575 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The New York Times

 

[Dcowboy84]

seems to me whomever wrote this article forgot what it actually means to be a tight end.

he's comparing Finley to Gates all based on athleticism and talking numbers of catches, yards and TDs.

there is a lot more to playing tight end, and i fully admit my Cowboys homerism, but that's what makes Witten the best is that he is great at all aspects of the position.

so many people who write articles like this seem to forget about the blocking aspect of the position and only focus on the receiver piece.

oh well, bottom line is that we know that Witten is a stud and we're blessed to have him on our team.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Finley plays on a pass happy offense so he will always put up big numbers. Unfortunately that is all most people see and judge players by that standard only.

 

[hra8700]

I think with 3 straight all-pro's Witten gets decent cred.

 

[AdamJT13]

I think with 3 straight all-pro's Witten gets decent cred.

He's not even as good as Owen Daniels, according to the 23-year-old kid who wrote that article.

 

[joseephuss]

Bennett is even taller at 6'-7", so he must be the best TE in the league.

Finley is a good receiver, but he does nothing as a blocker. He has 6 career TDs after two years. Gates has had fewer than 6 TDs only once in his career and that occurred during his rookie season. Since then he has never had less than 8 TDs in a season. Finley has not come close to supplanting Gates and does not have the all around skills of Witten.

 

[CATCH17]

I liked him a lot coming out of college.

I was shocked the NFL wasn't as sold on him as I.

 

[Arch Stanton]

DC's of all NFL teams know how good JW is.

 

[pgreptom]

Probably because Witten isn't as fast. Witten is probably the best blocking tight end in the NFL. 6 Pro Bowls speaks for itself... regardless, 523 catches for 5965 yards and 27 touchdowns in 7 years speaks for itself, too. If he grabs a ring, and just has 3-4 more good seasons - he's a lock in hall of famer.

I believe he's only got one all pro, though..

I can't believe he was a Pro Bowl'er 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009..

He's 28. Gosh, to think Witten may be gone in a few years makes me feel weird. I'm so used to him being a main stay in our offense. Hope Bennett comes through..

 

[joseephuss]

I liked him a lot coming out of college.

I was shocked the NFL wasn't as sold on him as I.

He was not that seasoned coming out of UT. He only played 2 seasons of college ball. He was very raw. Still is as a blocker, but the Packers run a wide open system and don't care about blocking.

 

[superpunk]

Every year there is some athletic specimen at TE that is anointed. Witten doesn't bring much WOW factor to the table, (unless you're going WOW how is that guy always open) whereas athletic phenoms like Winslow, Davis, Shockey, excite people one year and let them down the next.

 

[HoleInTheRoof]

I liked him a lot coming out of college.

I was shocked the NFL wasn't as sold on him as I.

NFL GM's probably read your posts, but considered your track record.

Thus, the slide.

:

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Jason Witten doesn't get his cred...if you're stupid.

 

[aikemirv]

Just like any other Cowboy. Emmitt, Aikman, Irvin. They never got the credit they deserved either.

It IS a Cowboy thing - embrace the hate - right!

 

[TellerMorrow34]

It's hogwash.

If you were going to talk about any TE, right now, based on potential and one year of production to be better than Witten and Gates it would be San Fransicos Vernon Davis anyway.

Davis isn't better than Gates and certainly isn't better than Witten so there is no way the kid in Greenbay should even be mentioned in the same paragraph as Witten right now.

 

[Number82]

What kills Witten (in the eye of public opinion) is his lack of touchdowns.

27 in 7 years, that's just under 4 a season. He's had a year of 1 TD if I recall correctly. If you're going on yards and catches, Witten is a beast, but touchdowns and big plays make headlines and Witten doesn't do that.

 

[pgreptom]

What kills Witten (in the eye of public opinion) is his lack of touchdowns.

27 in 7 years, that's just under 4 a season. He's had a year of 1 TD if I recall correctly. If you're going on yards and catches, Witten is a beast, but touchdowns and big plays make headlines and Witten doesn't do that.

I'd take a guy who moves the chains every time and makes great blocks over the guy who gets 6 in the endzone..

Not everyone can move the chains.. have the field presence he has.. and make the great blocks he does.

We have 3 good halfbacks and a decent offensive line. Let's push our way in the endzone.

 

[Number82]

I'd take a guy who moves the chains every time and makes great blocks over the guy who gets 6 in the endzone..

Not everyone can move the chains.. have the field presence he has.. and make the great blocks he does.

We have 3 good halfbacks and a decent offensive line. Let's push our way in the endzone.

I couldn't agree more and to me, Witten is the best TE in the game and arguably in the last 20 years. I'm just saying why the media and other teams fans (and even some of our own) don't give him all the credit he deserves.

 

[CATCH17]

NFL GM's probably read your posts, but considered your track record.

Thus, the slide.

:

If NFL GM's knew my track record I would have an incredible bidding market coming after me.

 

[joseephuss]

I'd take a guy who moves the chains every time and makes great blocks over the guy who gets 6 in the endzone..

Not everyone can move the chains.. have the field presence he has.. and make the great blocks he does.

We have 3 good halfbacks and a decent offensive line. Let's push our way in the endzone.

I would consider taking Gates over Witten. He scores lots of TDs and he also moves the chains. He has proven year in and year out that he can perform at a very high level. That is just considering him, not actually taking him over Witten. There is no other TE in the league that I would even give that type of consideration. Davis and Finley could easily be one year wonders. Finley's year was not even that wonderful and Davis has not done much in the other 3 years he has played.