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DB Linden Stephens signed to the practice squad by the Steelers.

RB Mike Boone placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Broncos.

(11-29-2021 07:20 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Wait till next year. We will be Tight End U.

Until we have 5 first round picks at TE in 8 years, we are not, nor should we be, TE U. Iowa has 4 starting TEs in the league, 3 of which are leading their team in yards per game.

Not to mention the rolodex of TEs from Iowa over the years.

James Hudson started at RT for the Browns today and did a solid job. He's getting better with coaching and playing time.

Dolphins place RB Gerrid Doaks on the practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list.

Chiefs promote DT Cortez Broughton from the practice squad to the active roster.

Browns placed T James Hudson III on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Both Travis and Jason made the pro bowl

(12-22-2021 08:46 PM)eroc Wrote:  Both Travis and Jason made the pro bowl

Jason Kelce was selected as a starter.

Does this mean that he's a 1st team All-Pro? If yes, this would give him 4 first-team selections.

For reference: every retired/eligible Center or Guard in NFL history who is a 4-time first-team All Pro is in the Hall of Fame.

(12-23-2021 12:12 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(12-22-2021 08:46 PM)eroc Wrote:  Both Travis and Jason made the pro bowl

Jason Kelce was selected as a starter.

Does this mean that he's a 1st team All-Pro? If yes, this would give him 4 first-team selections.

For reference: every retired/eligible Center or Guard in NFL history who is a 4-time first-team All Pro is in the Hall of Fame.

No, All Pro nods that are recognized for HOF consideration are AP All-Pro, and that isn't determined until after the season. Havent looked at his comparative metrics, but I would venture a guess that he is in a very short list for that. If he does get it, he is all bit assured a HOF spot as you mentioned. It would be VERY hard to not allow a guy in who is the best at his position in the NFL for nearly a half decade.

(12-23-2021 12:19 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(12-23-2021 12:12 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(12-22-2021 08:46 PM)eroc Wrote:  Both Travis and Jason made the pro bowl

Jason Kelce was selected as a starter.

Does this mean that he's a 1st team All-Pro? If yes, this would give him 4 first-team selections.

For reference: every retired/eligible Center or Guard in NFL history who is a 4-time first-team All Pro is in the Hall of Fame.

No, All Pro nods that are recognized for HOF consideration are AP All-Pro, and that isn't determined until after the season. Havent looked at his comparative metrics, but I would venture a guess that he is in a very short list for that. If he does get it, he is all bit assured a HOF spot as you mentioned. It would be VERY hard to not allow a guy in who is the best at his position in the NFL for nearly a half decade.

In addition, he's got the "it" factor.

He spent his whole career with one team.

According to pro-football-reference, he was the best player on a team that won the Super Bowl.

He was close to the most famous player on a team that won the Super Bowl - a real feat for a lineman. (It helped that the QB (Nick Foles) was a career backup, the RB (LeGarrette Blount) was a competent journeyman rather than a superstar, and the leading WR (Nelson Agholor) was Nigerian)

His Mummers speech after the Super Bowl was legendary.

Also, it helps his fame that his brother is a shoe-in Hall of Famer.

Hudson on TJ Watt tonight. It's not pretty.

I know we're not there yet but with Deguara's apparent ascension in production after his injury last season and Whyle's draft prospects UC can begin the new Tight End U talk.

(01-12-2022 12:35 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I know we're not there yet but with Deguara's apparent ascension in production after his injury last season and Whyle's draft prospects UC can begin the new Tight End U talk.

We are nowhere close to that...one good game for Deguara doesn't change it. Iowa and Penn State each lap us like nobody's business, all of our bravado about TEU is one person's production (Brent Celek retired 6 years ago after all)...that aint enough to beat out a school that has 5 starting TEs and one that has 3 starting TEs.

(01-12-2022 12:40 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:35 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I know we're not there yet but with Deguara's apparent ascension in production after his injury last season and Whyle's draft prospects UC can begin the new Tight End U talk.

We are nowhere close to that...one good game for Deguara doesn't change it. Iowa and Penn State each lap us like nobody's business, all of our bravado about TEU is one person's production (Brent Celek retired 6 years ago after all)...that aint enough to beat out a school that has 5 starting TEs and one that has 3 starting TEs.

Notice I said "we're not there yet?" I said we can BEGIN to talk along those lines assuming Whyle will play in the NFL. I would also believe that our inclusion in the B12 coupled with higher talent recruiting would help our tight end profile. Consistency is key.

(01-12-2022 01:08 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:40 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:35 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I know we're not there yet but with Deguara's apparent ascension in production after his injury last season and Whyle's draft prospects UC can begin the new Tight End U talk.

We are nowhere close to that...one good game for Deguara doesn't change it. Iowa and Penn State each lap us like nobody's business, all of our bravado about TEU is one person's production (Brent Celek retired 6 years ago after all)...that aint enough to beat out a school that has 5 starting TEs and one that has 3 starting TEs.

Notice I said "we're not there yet?" I said we can BEGIN to talk along those lines assuming Whyle will play in the NFL. I would also believe that our inclusion in the B12 coupled with higher talent recruiting would help our tight end profile. Consistency is key.

Oh I know, that wasn't an indictment of your comment, sorry if it came off that way...but we're not one player away unless he is also a Hall of Famer. Right now, there is so much ground to make up that people who say UC is TEU just show how little they know about the NFL and its history (not calling you one of those people).

Iowa: George Kittle, Noah Fant, and TJ Hockeson (all starters and Top 10 TEs)
Stanford: Zack Ertz, Austin Hooper, and Dalton Schultz (all starters and Top 15 TEs)
Penn State: Pat Freiermuth and Mike Gesicki (both starters with high upside)
Mississippi: Dalton Knox and Evan Engram (both starters with high upside)

Cincinnati: Travis Kelce, Josiah Deguara (Top 3 TE and a 3rd stringer)

We have a ways to go before we're even a comparison to any of those schools, let along historically. We'd need Deguara to bump up two slots on the depth chart in one year (before his contract runs out) and Whyle to outplay his draft stock by an incredibly significant margin (right now he is barely being rated by most outlets) before we're even in the discussion currently, and that's without those schools sending any other guys into the league too. Is there a chance like you said? Sure...and incredibly small one, but as the venerable Lloyd Christmas said to there being one of out a million..."so you're saying there's a chance!" But the people who are throwing that out there right now are kind of nuts.

(01-12-2022 01:40 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 01:08 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:40 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:35 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I know we're not there yet but with Deguara's apparent ascension in production after his injury last season and Whyle's draft prospects UC can begin the new Tight End U talk.

We are nowhere close to that...one good game for Deguara doesn't change it. Iowa and Penn State each lap us like nobody's business, all of our bravado about TEU is one person's production (Brent Celek retired 6 years ago after all)...that aint enough to beat out a school that has 5 starting TEs and one that has 3 starting TEs.

Notice I said "we're not there yet?" I said we can BEGIN to talk along those lines assuming Whyle will play in the NFL. I would also believe that our inclusion in the B12 coupled with higher talent recruiting would help our tight end profile. Consistency is key.

Oh I know, that wasn't an indictment of your comment, sorry if it came off that way...but we're not one player away unless he is also a Hall of Famer. Right now, there is so much ground to make up that people who say UC is TEU just show how little they know about the NFL and its history (not calling you one of those people).

Iowa: George Kittle, Noah Fant, and TJ Hockeson (all starters and Top 10 TEs)
Stanford: Zack Ertz, Austin Hooper, and Dalton Schultz (all starters and Top 15 TEs)
Penn State: Pat Freiermuth and Mike Gesicki (both starters with high upside)
Mississippi: Dalton Knox and Evan Engram (both starters with high upside)

Cincinnati: Travis Kelce, Josiah Deguara (Top 3 TE and a 3rd stringer)

We have a ways to go before we're even a comparison to any of those schools, let along historically. We'd need Deguara to bump up two slots on the depth chart in one year (before his contract runs out) and Whyle to outplay his draft stock by an incredibly significant margin (right now he is barely being rated by most outlets) before we're even in the discussion currently, and that's without those schools sending any other guys into the league too. Is there a chance like you said? Sure...and incredibly small one, but as the venerable Lloyd Christmas said to there being one of out a million..."so you're saying there's a chance!" But the people who are throwing that out there right now are kind of nuts.

Kelce may go down as the best NFL TE of all time so UC has that going for it.

(01-12-2022 02:12 PM)stpnum4 Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 01:40 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 01:08 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:40 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-12-2022 12:35 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  I know we're not there yet but with Deguara's apparent ascension in production after his injury last season and Whyle's draft prospects UC can begin the new Tight End U talk.

We are nowhere close to that...one good game for Deguara doesn't change it. Iowa and Penn State each lap us like nobody's business, all of our bravado about TEU is one person's production (Brent Celek retired 6 years ago after all)...that aint enough to beat out a school that has 5 starting TEs and one that has 3 starting TEs.

Notice I said "we're not there yet?" I said we can BEGIN to talk along those lines assuming Whyle will play in the NFL. I would also believe that our inclusion in the B12 coupled with higher talent recruiting would help our tight end profile. Consistency is key.

Oh I know, that wasn't an indictment of your comment, sorry if it came off that way...but we're not one player away unless he is also a Hall of Famer. Right now, there is so much ground to make up that people who say UC is TEU just show how little they know about the NFL and its history (not calling you one of those people).

Iowa: George Kittle, Noah Fant, and TJ Hockeson (all starters and Top 10 TEs)
Stanford: Zack Ertz, Austin Hooper, and Dalton Schultz (all starters and Top 15 TEs)
Penn State: Pat Freiermuth and Mike Gesicki (both starters with high upside)
Mississippi: Dalton Knox and Evan Engram (both starters with high upside)

Cincinnati: Travis Kelce, Josiah Deguara (Top 3 TE and a 3rd stringer)

We have a ways to go before we're even a comparison to any of those schools, let along historically. We'd need Deguara to bump up two slots on the depth chart in one year (before his contract runs out) and Whyle to outplay his draft stock by an incredibly significant margin (right now he is barely being rated by most outlets) before we're even in the discussion currently, and that's without those schools sending any other guys into the league too. Is there a chance like you said? Sure...and incredibly small one, but as the venerable Lloyd Christmas said to there being one of out a million..."so you're saying there's a chance!" But the people who are throwing that out there right now are kind of nuts.

Kelce may go down as the best NFL TE of all time so UC has that going for it.

He has a LOOOOOOONG way to go to even be the best TE in KC history.

For the sake of argument, barring injuries Kelce will play several more years and will end up in Canton. He was a 3rd round pick [63 overall] so he wasn't a high round draft choice. Deguara was a 3rd round pick [94 overall] and was injured for the season after week four last year. It's not a reach to think Deguara can become an eventual starter in the NFL as his injury recovery from last year gets further behind him and adjusting to the NFL game improves. We all know Whyle is more athletically gifted than Deguara and if his current draft prospects are low then he will return for another year. Unless he regresses, I can see him as an eventual 3rd round grade or higher and a potential starter in the NFL. So that's three NFL starters [potentially] from a non-power program to boot. Again, we're not there yet but there is no reason to believe we can't continue to recruit and develop NFL quality TE's. We've certainly come a long way since the Brent Celek days.

So I had this exact debate with my roommate once...Gonzalez's stats are amazing because how long he was dominant in the league. Kelce actually has the highest YDs/G of the best TE's in history (70 ypg, Gronk is at 64). But interesting note there, Gronk and Kelce are the same age. Gronk's played in 143 games and Kelce 127....Gonzalez played in 270 games! with 56 ypg, but in a different ERA.

If Kelce plays 5.6 more seasons (17 games each) at 90% his career production than he will pass Gonzalez for total yards.
-6.34 seasons if he finishes with 80% his production
-7.3 seasons if he finishes with 70%
-8.46 seasons if he finishes with 60% (this would also be 143 games, which would make Kelce even with Gonzalez for total games played)

Since Gonzalez pretty much created the role Kelce plays i'd probably give him the edge. Travis has been on an unbelievable run though. 6 straight seasons with 1,000 yards. He's 32 now. Gonzalez retired at 37.

So you'll admit he has 5 more years of keeping the best statistical pace a TE has EVER had to match Gonzalez's output? I'd say 5 years of remaining healthy and effective past your athletic prime isn't going to be easy, regardless of if he has the best QB in the NFL throwing to him or not. Either way, the man is a clear as day future HOF'er and one of the best to ever do it...I just don't think we can call ourselves 'TEU' because we got one guy, regardless of his generational career, who wanted to play ball with his brother. You need a long ass track record to throw that out there, and we don't have it yet.

(12-11-2021 07:20 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(11-29-2021 07:20 PM)doss2 Wrote:  Wait till next year. We will be Tight End U.

Until we have 5 first round picks at TE in 8 years, we are not, nor should we be, TE U. Iowa has 4 starting TEs in the league, 3 of which are leading their team in yards per game.

Not to mention the rolodex of TEs from Iowa over the years.

Iowa has only ever had 3 first round picks at Tight End: Dallas Clark in 2003, TJ Hockenson in 2019, and Noah Fant in 2019.

And Iowa's best NFL tight end by far (Dallas Clark) had about as good of an NFL career as Brent Celek. They've had a lot of Tight Ends drafted, but only 6 were starters for more than 3 years in the NFL, and only three of those played after 1996.

They've been great, no doubt. But there's no need to exaggerate their greatness.