Is enjoying? After his 2002 season, I thought the sky was the limit for Shockey. Unfortunately, he did not live up to the hype the NY media placed on him. He still was an excellent player for a few seasons, but he was placed on a pedestal of being a HOF lock after that rookie season. So who is to blame for Shockey not becoming what Gronkowski is? No as talented? Scheme? Injuries? Shockey's attitude? I just hope BeckhamThey are holding us here for an indefinite time lives up to the hype. He has been placed on the same pedestal that Shockey was placed on. A lot depends on him staying healthy, of course. Also intersting that th Giants have nit had a TE of Shockey's caliber since he was jettisoned to NO. This dispite the fact that h didn't live up to the hype. The Giants need an excellent TE again. I don't think that player is on the roster at the moment.
But yeah, I was thinking that he would bowl over the league after that initial performance.
I also have to wonder if Shockey would thrive in New England's supposedly complex offensive scheme? As much of a partier Gronkowski seems to be, there is no question of his ability to be on the same page as his QB. Is that because of the extra work in the film room, great coaching, or just great recognition skill?
The whole NE offense sometimes seems like it is flipped on its head. WRs running short possession routes over the middle and TEs running deeper routes. Belechick's genius is that he isn't stubborn in what he does. He adapts to the talent as opposed to adapting the talent to his system.
Shockey under Belechick - he would have been great. IMHO
Shockey was on the same tier as Witten talent-wise imo, maybe even slightly more impressive athletically because of how explosive he could be.
But beyond the nonsense, his ball skills just weren't that great imo. He struggled to catch the ball and stay on his feet. It was an infuriating flaw in his game. He left a ton of TDs on the field by not having good balance. Gronk on the otherhand is awesome at coming down with the ball with good balance and running over DBs on the way to another TD.
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The HOF injury always followed him afterwards from what I was told. Over time, his leg injuries accumulated.
In all honesty, I don't remember the injury in that game? Ankle?
Ankle or foot, I forget too.
The whole NE offense sometimes seems like it is flipped on its head. WRs running short possession routes over the middle and TEs running deeper routes. Belechick's genius is that he isn't stubborn in what he does. He adapts to the talent as opposed to adapting the talent to his system.
Shockey under Belechick - he would have been great. IMHO
Yeah, polar opposite scheme. Had Aaron Hernandez not been a psychopath, NE would basically live in two wide-TE and 3-TE sets, whereas TC firmly believed in WRs as playmakers
The whole NE offense sometimes seems like it is flipped on its head. WRs running short possession routes over the middle and TEs running deeper routes. Belechick's genius is that he isn't stubborn in what he does. He adapts to the talent as opposed to adapting the talent to his system.
Shockey under Belechick - he would have been great. IMHO
I'm calling BS
Shockey was on the same tier as Witten talent-wise imo, maybe even slightly more impressive athletically because of how explosive he could be.
Shockey was more talented than Witten everywhere except between the ears.
He was agreat YAC-wise when it was an easy short pass and he could truck a poor DB or outrun a LBer.
I think Witten had better hands and was a better blocker but Shockey was probably more talented overall.
The whole NE offense sometimes seems like it is flipped on its head. WRs running short possession routes over the middle and TEs running deeper routes. Belechick's genius is that he isn't stubborn in what he does. He adapts to the talent as opposed to adapting the talent to his system.
Shockey under Belechick - he would have been great. IMHO
Agreed - which is why the people who were constantly yelling for expensive TEs were off target.
Look, for all everyone's saying about how Shockey was physically cooked, a dope, a party animal - he was still effective when Payton got his hands on him.
And of course, since we're comparing (and I don't believe Shockey was on par with Gronk), it's not as if Gronk doesn't party or is some kind of rocket scientist.
No one expects a TE to do what Gronk is doing. It is ludicrously good. Staggering numbers on the TD's and YPC
1st 6 years:
Shockey 83 games 371 rec 4228 11.4 ypc 27 TD's
Gronk 80 games 380 rec 5555 14.6 ypc 65 TD's
His hands weren't spectacular.
His routes weren't spectacular.
He was an asshole.
He liked to party hard, mouth off, and be the star.
He lifted weights and worked out like an possessed man.
He was constantly injured.
I have no idea what kind of student of the game or teammate he was, but we all heard rumors.
I used to talk him up over Witten early in his career. In reality a guy like Witten is always the better option. Shockey never would have been like Gronkowski.
otherwise we was a talented, selfish, immature player
My nasty comment: "Off the 'roids?"
People talking about his hands on not staying on his feet? He had excellent hands. Could adjust for any ball and snatch it. He dropped a few memorable passes (SF playoff game) but the guy could really catch for a man his size.
Outstanding movement too. He was explosive out of his cuts and consistently got open.
He was a HOF talent. One of the best TE talents of the last 30 years. Not on Gronk's level but he was right there with anybody else.
This is the basis of my comment on his hands not being spectacular. He had good hands. But if he was second in targets every year why weren't his stats out of this world?
His catch percentage in some of his best years would seem to be pedestrian for a guy with such amazing talent (which I believe he had).
Running the right routes and not acting a fool are more important than physical talent.
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When he was #2 in targets every year?
This is the basis of my comment on his hands not being spectacular. He had good hands. But if he was second in targets every year why weren't his stats out of this world?
His catch percentage in some of his best years would seem to be pedestrian for a guy with such amazing talent (which I believe he had).
I think it had to do with not running the right routes, or making the correct reads more than his actual hands.
Shockey was on the same tier as Witten talent-wise imo, maybe even slightly more impressive athletically because of how explosive he could be.
But beyond the nonsense, his ball skills just weren't that great imo. He struggled to catch the ball and stay on his feet. It was an infuriating flaw in his game. He left a ton of TDs on the field by not having good balance. Gronk on the otherhand is awesome at coming down with the ball with good balance and running over DBs on the way to another TD.
Pretty much this ^^^^
On the flipside Beckham might be the best I've ever seen at having his feet set on downfield throws and exploding after those catches.
Jeremy Shockey would've fell down on the Boss/Harrison long catch at the Super Bowl.