How do you cover Gronk?

[Bengalstripes9]

If we make a run in the post-season, we will have to play the Pats at some point.

Which of our defensive backs do you cover Gronk with?

Also, if you can think up some kind of scheme to cover him, post your ideas on that as well.

I attached a poll to this thread. My vote goes to Leon Hall. He is our most experienced corner, and has done a good job on tight ends in the past. He is undersized, but he has been able to use that to his advantage in the past--being able to cut around tight ends (like Heath Miller for example) and make plays on the ball. Of course in the red zone a perfect pass would be indefensible though.. Also, Halls weakness seems to be that he's lost a step in terms of speed and acceleration with his injuries, but that doesn't really come into play against tight ends as much as against wide-outs. He also excels at route recognition and reading quarterbacks.

Well, that's my two cents, what would you do?

[OrlandoBengal]

You don't even think about doing it with one person.  He is going to get catches, but you can't let him run wild all day.

Anyone else ever think "what if" when it comes to Gronk?  I believe the Bengals took the first tight end off the board that year... Jermaine Gresham...

[Bengalstripes9]

(09-22-2015, 01:28 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: You don't even think about doing it with one person.  He is going to get catches, but you can't let him run wild all day.

Anyone else ever think "what if" when it comes to Gronk?  I believe the Bengals took the first tight end off the board that year... Jermaine Gresham...

Gresham is one of those picks you just want to forget about. At the time, it looked like a good pick. The guy was very athletic, could catch, could block, etc. But he just never really blossomed into the player we thought he'd be; and the mental mistakes got pathetic. Looking back, Gronk was obviously the better pick. We would have gotten ridiculed for taking him over Gresham back then, but in the end, he is way better. Just dominant.

I'd think we can cover their wide-outs with our starting corners in man, and then put Leon Hall and a safety over the top towards Gronk, maybe even a linebacker in zone near Gronk too. But you're right, it's nearly an impossible task to shut him down completely.

[tigershrimp]

Preferably with dirt and daisies.

[jgott32]

(09-22-2015, 01:28 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: You don't even think about doing it with one person.  He is going to get catches, but you can't let him run wild all day.

Anyone else ever think "what if" when it comes to Gronk?  I believe the Bengals took the first tight end off the board that year... Jermaine Gresham...

I don't, bc the year he came out, if I remember correctly, he had a pretty bad back injury. On the flip side JG missed the whole year too with the knee injury.

Also, in that draft were Pitta, Hernandez, Graham

[*Nately120*]

Where is the "You Don't" option? And yes, Gresham will always be the Alex Smith to Gronk's Aaron Rogers. Such is life. Building through the draft...never fails!

[XenoMorph]

With a 6 foot + saftey... that hits hard....

[CJD]

Iloka and Hall are your best bets.

Iloka is big and tall, hits like a truck but isn't immobile.

And Hall has been covering Tight Ends for a long time.

Just never put a linebacker on him...Not even Burfict.

[CJD]

(09-22-2015, 01:28 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: You don't even think about doing it with one person.  He is going to get catches, but you can't let him run wild all day.

Anyone else ever think "what if" when it comes to Gronk?  I believe the Bengals took the first tight end off the board that year... Jermaine Gresham...

I don't blame the Bengals for not drafting Gronk. He had spine or neck issues coming out, I believe and some thought he was one hit away from never playing again.

Gresham was coming off an injury, but he was not in such dire medical concern.

Would it have been nice? Sure, but I think we eventually corrected for it when we drafted Eifert.

[Bengalstripes9]

(09-22-2015, 01:48 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Where is the "You Don't" option?  And yes, Gresham will always be the Alex Smith to Gronk's Aaron Rogers.  Such is life.  Building through the draft...never fails!

I should have asked, "who do you 'attempt' to cover Gronk with". A near impossible task, yes.. But it's one of those tough questions that get's you thinking, and gives me some interesting responses to read over

[J24]

Hit Brady hard and often.

[ItsOdellThurman]

Look at the list of guys Gresham got drafted over.

Demaryius Thomas
Dez Bryant
Rob Gronkowski
Golden Tate
Emmanuel Sanders
Jimmy Graham
Antonio Brown

Ouch.

[*bfine32*]

The popular answer in nobody, but I went with George Iloka. He's 6'4" 225 with corner cover skills. Let George cover him only after whoever we have lined up at SAM knock the shit out of him every play within the first 5 yards.

If folks remember we were pretty much the team that started RGIII's downfall.

[*bengalfan74*]

Iloka and we've got to get some pressure up the middle on Brady.

[Brownshoe]

(09-22-2015, 02:22 PM)ItsOdellThurman Wrote: Look at the list of guys Gresham got drafted over.

Demaryius Thomas
Dez Bryant
Rob Gronkowski
Golden Tate
Emmanuel Sanders
Jimmy Graham
Antonio Brown

Ouch.

In 2010 we could have had the best draft ever. If someone could go back in time our 2010 draft could have been:

1st Gronk
2nd Dunlap
3rd Navarro Bowman
3rd Alterraun Verner
4th Geno Atkins
4th Kam Chancellor
5th Greg Hardy
6th Antonio Brown
7th Victor Cruz

hindsight is 20/20

(Bfine posted something similar a bit back)

[XenoMorph]

(09-22-2015, 03:00 PM)Brownshoe Wrote: In 2010 we could have had the best draft ever. If someone could go back in time our 2010 draft could have been:

1st Gronk
2nd Dunlap
3rd Navarro Bowman
3rd Alterraun Verner
4th Geno Atkins
4th Kam Chancellor
5th Greg Hardy
6th Antonio Brown
7th Victor Cruz

hindsight is 20/20

(Bfine posted something similar a bit back)

No way to know if Gronk on the bengals would have had the Career of Gronk on the patriots.... That was back when we still didnt quiet know how to use a TE..

[Brownshoe]

(09-22-2015, 03:06 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: No way to know if Gronk on the bengals would have had the Career of Gronk on the patriots....   That was back when we still didnt quiet know how to use a TE..

Then replace Gronk with Dez

[GreenCornBengal]

More importantly, who goes man to man with Edelman? That's a tall task as well.

[*jason*]

(09-22-2015, 02:21 PM)J24 Wrote: Hit Brady hard and often.

^^^^  This  is your best bet to slow Gronk...  All of this "Hall and Iloka combo with a LB kinda watching him" isn't going to work.

[thegimp]

Hi lo him with an athletic outside linebacker and a tall safety