Gronkowski Retires

[JuggernautJ]

Rob Gronkowski today announced his retirement.

With 5 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pros, 3 Super Bowl Championships and a (pair of, for the same year from different sources) Comeback Player of the Year Award(s) how do you think his career will be evaluated?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... retirement

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... onRo00.htm

With the perspective of history how do you think he will be remembered when compared to other Tight Ends of his (approximate) era like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates?
Is there an innovation for which he will be remembered?
How did he fit into the evolution of the current Tight End/hybrid WR position?

[bachslunch]

Gronk does have a very good postseason honors profile of 5/5/10s?, and he was a comparative rarity for TEs today in that he could also block well. And his last season has elevated his numbers beyond those of Todd Christensen, who he resembled in career totals for some time. His career is a little on the short side, but he managed to stretch it out to nine years, which should be plenty enough.

I think he’s definitely getting in the HoF within a couple years of his first eligible year. I doubt he’s first ballot, but one never knows — he could be, depending on how many other viable first timers there are.

I’m also thinking his retirement may affect the Patriots winning another Super Bowl more than even Tom Brady’s might. He’s a real weapon out on the field when he’s healthy and a lot of the reason Brady was so good the last several years.

[JohnTurney]

I say the "he changed the game" post already.... Maybe he did... he was unique but how did he change the game?
here is what Dan Orlovsky said
https://twitter.com/danorlovsky7/status ... 4891520000

[JohnTurney]

[JohnTurney]

[bachslunch]

I say the "he changed the game" post already.... Maybe he did... he was unique but how did he change the game?
here is what Dan Orlovsky said
https://twitter.com/danorlovsky7/status ... 4891520000

Yeah, as good as Gronk was, I don’t see that he “changed the game.” If anything, he’s a throwback to the 60s-70s kind of TE (like Ditka, Mackey, Casper) who could catch the ball and block decently. You did have to game plan around him, but that’s not the same thing as being innovative.

[JWL]

I am not sure how someone could "change the game" at this point. We are 99 years into the NFL.

[JuggernautJ]

I am not sure how someone could "change the game" at this point. We are 99 years into the NFL.

Unless you're on the Rules Committee:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... lternative

[JohnTurney]

Seems to me that if Gronk changed the game, then there would be other "Gronks" teams copying what he did. But since he was a unique specimen and not many are his size with his speed and strength combination there are no other Gronks. I am sure other teams try to do with their TE what NE did, but how successfull has it been?

When they say "Deacon Jones changed the game" at least you could see Eller, Humphrey and others kind of copying his style, it became the "thing". Perhaps they didn't do it as well either....and due to so many people doing it, the rule was changed in 1975 and 1976 to ban the headslap.

[Rupert Patrick]

Seems to me that if Gronk changed the game, then there would be other "Gronks" teams copying what he did. But since he was a unique specimen and not many are his size with his speed and strength combination there are no other Gronks. I am sure other teams try to do with their TE what NE did, but how successfull has it been?

When they say "Deacon Jones changed the game" at least you could see Eller, Humphrey and others kind of copying his style, it became the "thing". Perhaps they didn't do it as well either....and due to so many people doing it, the rule was changed in 1975 and 1976 to ban the headslap.

About six months back I drew up a list of 14 players who I thought were historically unique, truly great players who were "one of a kind", a player who comes along maybe once or twice in a decade who broke the mold. This was my list:

Bronko Nagurski
Sammy Baugh
Jim Brown
Johnny Unitas
Dick Butkus
Gale Sayers
Joe Namath
Earl Campbell
Lawrence Taylor
Jerry Rice
Bo Jackson
Deion Sanders
Ray Lewis
JJ Watt

I'm not saying these are the 14 greatest players of all time, by any means, but these players are all, great but special, in one way or another, in a way that is difficult to put into words. I guess my question to you John, is does Rob Gronkowski belongs on this list? Was he the kind of guy that watching him, you felt you would never see another player quite like him again? I'm on the fence on this one.