(06-21-2019, 09:38 AM)fredtoast Wrote: You guys can talk all you want about how every other NFL player would have been injured just like Eifert, but the fact is he has missed 56 games in 6 seasons and only played 230 snaps over the last two seasons.

If he is not fragile then he is cursed.  No one has ever missed that much time to start his career and gone on to have any success in this league.

How much did Gronk miss? TE in the NFL is a brutal position to play....

(06-21-2019, 01:31 PM)Sled21 Wrote: How much did Gronk miss? TE in the NFL is a brutal position to play....

Gronk looks like an ironman compared to Eifert.

(06-21-2019, 01:33 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Gronk looks like an ironman compared to Eifert.

But he too, was injured a lot, was he not???

…. Never mind, found it....

Quote:When healthy, Rob Gronkowski is considered to be one of the top tight ends in the NFL. The Patriots star has struggled to stay healthy during his nine-year career.

Below, we took a look at Gronkowski's complete injury history.
College - University of Arizona
[b]2009[/b]
• Back Vertebral Disc Hernia, Aug. 15 (Forced Gronkowksi to miss the entire 2009 season.)
NFL - New England Patriots
[b]20[/b][b]12[/b]
• High ankle sprain, Jan. 28 (Suffered during AFC Championship, but played in Super Bowl. Later underwent arthroscopic surgery in February.)
• Inguinal hip pull, Sept. 28
• Arm forearm fracture, Nov. 18 (Missed five games.)
[b]2013[/b]
• Arm forearm fracture, Jan. 13 (Re-fractured arm, necessitating three more surgeries.)
• Back vertebral fracture, May 17 (Underwent surgery while also recovering from broken arm; didn't play until Week 7 the next season.)

• Concussion - Grade 1, Dec. 8

• Torn ACL - Grade 3, Dec. 8
• Torn MCL - Grade 3, Dec. 8 (Gronkowski suffered a concussion, a torn ACL and a torn MCL on the same play.)
[b]2015[/b]
• Knee Strain - Grade 1, Nov. 29 (Missed one game.)
[b]2016[/b]
• Hamstring Pull - Grade 1, Aug. 15 (Missed entire preseason and first two regular-season contests.)
• Chest Lung Bruise, Nov. 13
• Back Vertebral Disc Hernia, Nov. 27 (Missed final five regular-season games, as well playoffs. Had surgery in December.)
[b]2017[/b]
• Leg Thigh Bruise, Oct. 1 (Missed one game.)
[b]2018[/b]
• Concussion - Grade 1, Jan. 21
• Back/Ankle - (Missed three games)

(06-21-2019, 01:31 PM)Sled21 Wrote: How much did Gronk miss? TE in the NFL is a brutal position to play....

Gronk dished out as much punishment as he took. His being in the field made opposing defenses adjust to his presence. Gronk was a Mack truck while Eifert is more of a finesse player.

(06-21-2019, 01:31 PM)Sled21 Wrote: How much did Gronk miss? TE in the NFL is a brutal position to play....

Gronk missed 29 games in 9 seasons.

Eifert has missed 56 in 6.

Jason Witten missed ONE game in 15 seasons.

I think that if you look at his missed time due to specific injuries, ankle and back accounts for about 33 games. Elbow adds 15 more. I may be off by a few here.

My concern last year was that his initial ankle ligament issue and back issues/surgeries would compromise him on the field.

But he showed that he is still has the explosive step and can still cut and create space.

I'm not sure that now with the fracture, if that is still the case. Or if he will need further procedures, once he puts the ankle through stress.

But I'll tell you what, anybody who can withstand the physical and psychological torment of working back from this many devastating injuries, is a tough SOB.

If you were going to put our 4 best receiving threats on the field to start games, by stats, you would use Green, Boyd, Eifert and Uzomah, with Mixon in the backfield.

While Eifert is a TE he can move outside, play in the slot, block and he's got good hands. Uzomah was our 3rd best receiving target last year, followed immediately by Mixon, then Bernard.

That line up would feature good play action possibilities and be able to put 4 receivers in patterns, 5 if Mixon runs a route.

And for those who feel that Marvin was somehow holding these guys back I'd like to point out that he had great success with WRs. Just ask Chad, TJ, Green, Marvin Jones, Sanu, LaFell and Boyd, and he even managed to get decent production out of head case Henry.

(06-21-2019, 11:43 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I remember Jay Gruden trying to "play chess" back when he was the OC. 3rd and 1 or 2 and trying to throw a 15+ yard pass to AJ Green down the sideline and it going incomplete.

I'd much prefer a coach that knows the strengths of the team and caters to those strengths. No need to get cute.

I think that refers to a bad play with a good chess piece (AJ). If he had gone for a 3 yrd play with maybe a lesser piece, high % he would have succeeded. Going with the same pieces have been the doom of the Marvin era, that's why opponents got to the point where they knew our plays before we even got the ball hiked.

Eifert might have a similar stat line to Ross in terms of td to catch ratio.
when Eifert is healthy Andy is at his best.
when Eifert missed games Andy had a tendency to force
more balls to AJ.

(06-21-2019, 02:45 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Gronk missed 29 games in 9 seasons.

Eifert has missed 56 in 6.

Jason Witten missed ONE game in 15 seasons.

And is now back for a 16th season.

(06-21-2019, 08:42 AM)fredtoast Wrote: I am as big of a homer as anyone on this board, but I don't really expect anything from Eifert this year.

When he was healthy he was on of only 3 or 4 truly elite players (Green, Atkins, Whitworth) we have had in recent years, and his presence changed the offense.  But for whatever reason his body just can not withstand the NFL.

You would think out of sheer odds that he was due for a healthy season.  When he is out there, he changes the way teams defend them.  I hope and pray the guy gets a fully healthy season and has a chance to end his career with several really good seasons and someday retires with a legacy other than "can't sstay healhty", because that is certainly his narrative now.  

(07-01-2019, 08:04 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: You would think out of sheer odds that he was due for a healthy season.  When he is out there, he changes the way teams defend them.  I hope and pray the guy gets a fully healthy season and has a chance to end his career with several really good seasons and someday retires with a legacy other than "can't sstay healhty", because that is certainly his narrative now.  

I've had my fingers crossed hoping for just that. You would think the football gods owe him some healthy playing time.

(07-01-2019, 09:20 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I've had my fingers crossed hoping for just that. You would think the football gods owe him some healthy playing time.

Absolutely.  I remember hearing in an interview all the measures he had taken to protect himself from injury, especially with his surgically-repaired back.  Then a freak thing like that happens with his ankle.  His teammates looked really sad (as did he) after he was carted off.  I know you would think they would feel the loss of any teammate, especially to something gruesome like that, but they really seemed to hurt for the guy.