10-29-2021, 12:20 PM
(10-29-2021, 12:10 PM)JaggedJimmyJay Wrote: It’s pretty much invalid to compare a tight end to a wide receiver on the basis of simple passing game metrics. They don’t have the same jobs, and their production doesn’t align even for the very best. The tight end position just doesn’t produce as many yards receiving.
If we’re to to say “Ja’Marr Chase is playing better than Kyle Pitts”, it must be on the basis of something much more solid than that. Is Chase better relative to his own position than Pitts is relative to his own position?
Yes, I think so. I don’t think it’s just some obvious, irrefutable thing though. Pitts is 3rd among TEs in yards and comfortably 1st in yards per catch. Chase is 2nd and 1st respectively among WRs. Chase gets the edge for me on the basis of impact, as his biggest plays have come at extremely opportune times.
But the dialogue in this thread has been really bad. That’s not sandwedge’s fault of course.
I don’t think it has to be that kind of thought exercise. You can just compare them on the position similarities IE. receiving. An elite TE is a better receiver than many receivers even if the average TE isn’t better than the average WR (I don’t actually know the metrics here, just speaking). You’re right, the best TE is usually not going to be better than the best WR. Tight ends just don’t produce the kind of value that a WR does, and that’s fine, but it is still a fair discussion.
At the end of the day, whether PFF intends for this to be the case or not, fans use grades to try to decipher who the best players are. The grades try to give objective information (like most analytical metrics) but are inherently subjective in their design. That’s why I don’t like them. Another example that would be more apples to apples is PFF grading Antonio Brown above Chase when it is pretty clear that Brown hasn’t had as good of a season as Chase. That’s not to say he is bad, but he hasn’t been better. Brown is ranked third, above guys like Chaee, Deebo Samuel, Tyreek Hill and numerous others that are all having objectively better seasons.
