Now begins a new chapter on 4and26sports.com... From this point forward, I will begin listing the best at their position since I was cognizant and watching sports. I am a 20 year old journalism student, who cares more about sports than I do world hunger- trust me, I know what I'm talking about. And to quell the old timers, I will limit the conversation from when I was first aware of what was going on.. say, early 90's.. until now, as to not upset those who would swear by Casper and Winslow Sr. (don't worry, I know about them too... just never seen them in their prime).
Some ground rules: it's not just about statistics. It's about impact on the game, team leadership, and what they meant to the fans. It's the total package. We begin with tight ends:
5. Frank Wycheck
I considered placing Jay Novacek in this spot, but he was never the dominant receiving force on his team. As a defensive coordinator, who would you rather gameplan against: Derrick Mason, Steve McNair and Eddie George, or hall of famers Irvin, Aikman and Smith (not to mention the greatest offensive line of all time))? Wycheck it is. His statsitics are impressive enough (5126 yards, 28 tds), his consistancy is wonderful, and who could forget his instrumental role in the famed Music City Miracle? ... but he's a clear cut below the 1-4 on the list.
4. Ben Coates
Ben Coates, in short, was a monster. Sometimes, he simply seemed too large for the field. He was too big and strong to be guarded by a vast majority of defenders, and along with Curtis Martin, was the main point of attack on the AFC champion and largely successful Bill Parcells/Drew Bledsoe Patriots of the Mid 90s. He dwarfs Wycheck on stats, but is laughably incompetent compared to the top three. However, if in a different circumstance, his 5500+ yards and 50 tds would probably be much larger. Remember he was part of an era where the tight end's stats weren't inflated beyond belief. I'm looking at you, Jason Witten and Dallas Clark.
3. Antonio Gates
Here come the big boys. All of the top three were considered at one point the absolute class of their position. Gates sometimes just looks like he's a pro playing against amateurs. Taking the torch from our number two in the mid 2000's as the premier tight end in the league, this Kent State basketball player-turned- all pro tight end just makes every defender look simply too small and too slow, meaning he's just too big for any corner to guard and just too fast for any linebacker or safety to guard. His stats and accolades back up this selection. 5066 yards and 51 touchdowns in only six years? Go and take a gander how long it took every other tight end to accumulate those stats. His only downfall his the fact that he hasn't been around as long as #2 and #1... but the scary part? He's done all of this and he's still only 29.
2. Tony Gonzalez
Ah, the undeniable master of statistics. He's got the most receiving yards among tight ends (about twice as many as Wycheck, Gates and Coates), the most catches among tight ends and the most touchdowns. He's the complete package. He as a slam dunk hall of famer and another great athlete at the position. He even has that "wow" factor with his amazing grabs, and he was the focal point of the offense. And he's still playing now! But go ask Marty Schottenheimer how the Cheifs did in the playoffs in the 90s. Not to take anything away from him, as he's still one the the best ever, but he's the Dan Marino of tight ends.
1. Shannon Sharpe
And if Tony is the Marino of TE's, say hello to the Joe Montana. He outclasses everyone in his generation at his position in his stats (10060 yards, 62 tds) except the great Tony Gonzalez.. but his trump card is his three Super Bowls.
To clarify, to me, a super bowl ring means nothing on your resume unless you were a focal point of the team earning the ring. For every Desmond Howard, Dexter Jackson and Deion Branch who absolutely earned their ring, there's those who won theirs in spite of their poor performance, like Ben Roethlisberger (Super Bowl XL), Trent Dilfer and Eli Manning.
Shannon Sharpe won three super bowls while being the absolute best receiving threat on his team. He was a destructive force. Sometimes he was so fortunate to make a grab, you had to wonder whether there was a higher power guiding his way (I immediately think of the bobbled grab with the Ravens in the '00 playoffs). He was so good, it seemed unfair. It's a travesty that he is not in the hall of fame. His back to back titles with the Broncos and his third with Baltimore cemented his legacy as the best TE of our time.
And it doesn't hurt that he was entertaining. To put it bluntly, Shannon Sharpe never shut his mouth. He was as boastful as Ochocinco, but unlike Chad, he could back up his mouth. You can still see him today on CBS's pregame show talking for a living. I leave you with my favorite Shannon quote. During a 34-8 beatdown of the New England Patriots in 1996, Sharpe found the nearest sideline camera and picked up a phone in front of it. For all of America to hear, he exclaimed:
"Mr. President, call in the National Guard! Send as many men as you can spare! Because we are killing the Patriots! They need emergency help!"
My StumbleUpon Page