What if.......

[Newz]

I think you are totally taking my comments the wrong way... I'm not going to combine a guys stats from two separate years. That just seems foolish to me.

I said I would take Gates because I think he's a better player, he has proven he's a better player, he has proven he can stay healthy and he's the best TE I have ever seen play the game. I think he has 2-3 more great seasons left in him.

I said I would take Vernon Davis (now or for the future) because I think he's almost as talented as Finley, he has proven he can stay healthy and he has put up record stats (TD catches for a TE) with awful QBs.

I find it amusing that saying I would take two TEs over Finley is some sort of attack on him. I don't think saying any player at any position is the third best player at that spot is a slap in the face in the NFL.

I was bringing up his season long stats more to emphasize that he hasn't been able to stay healthy his entire career thus far. I personally place a lot of value on a players ability to stay healthy in the NFL.

I think it's perfectly reasonable to say you would take Finley over those two. He's younger and arguably more talented than either of them... I just disagree. I'm not trying to say he won't be great or that he doesn't have the talent to be the best TE in football.

Man, since we have won the Super Bowl people are more on edge than they normally are. I have had people flip out on me for saying Finley is the third TE I would take in the NFL and Rodgers is the second best QB in football. I never realized that those things were insults... But I guess.

[Bernman]

No, I agree about Rodgers being the second best QB in football. That's supported by the statistics compiled when he's been allowed to be on the field. There was a discernible gap between him and Brady recently.

But in regards to ranking the tight ends, it's silly to factor in injuries, and not combine seasons when Finley has never played a full one in his young career. Injuries are luck. They aren't meritorious. Good for Gates and Davis for staying on the field. It doesn't have anything to do with them actually being better at the tight end position. I have always applied the same standard the last 8 years in my assertions that Favre was massively overrated, when discussing his legacy. So what if he has the most TD's. He's also the leading interception thrower by a wide margin. Judge players for the totality of their impact when they're on the field. It's the only fair way.

[Newz]

You don't think injuries matter at all in the NFL or any sport?

I think Kris Jenkins from the Jets is an absolute monster when he is healthy. At this point I'd take Ryan Pickett over him because I don't trust him to stay on the field.

I think Davis, Gates and Finley are all pretty close to one another in terms of talent and ability to produce when they are on the field... So I'll take the guys who have proven that they can play full seasons in the NFL rather than the one who has been hurt for most of his career.

I don't see how that's not fair.

[LUKE23]

No, I agree about Rodgers being the second best QB in football. That's supported by the statistics compiled when he's been allowed to be on the field. There was a discernible gap between him and Brady recently.

But in regards to ranking the tight ends, it's silly to factor in injuries, and not combine seasons when Finley has never played a full one in his young career. Injuries are luck. They aren't meritorious. Good for Gates and Davis for staying on the field. It doesn't have anything to do with them actually being better at the tight end position. I have always applied the same standard the last 8 years in my assertions that Favre was massively overrated, when discussing his legacy. So what if he has the most TD's. He's also the leading interception thrower by a wide margin. Judge players for the totality of their impact when they're on the field. It's the only fair way.

I agree with that.

[Bernman]

Who you'll take when assembling a team and who is actually better are two different issues.

[Newz]

Who you'll take when assembling a team and who is actually better are two different issues.

Well in terms of talent I'd rank them:

1. Gates
2. Finley
3. Davis

In terms of who I would take next year:

1. Gates
2. Davis
3. Finley

In terms of who I would take long-term:

1. Davis
2. Finley
3. Gates

Those guys are my top three in pretty much all of those scenarios. Like I said, I don't see how it's insulting for Finley for me to put him 1, 2 or 3 in any of those categories that I listed above.

[Bernman]

That's perfectly kosher if you rank him 2nd in terms of ability. I just think he's #1 for the reasons aforementioned. It's close between him and Gates. Finley just makes the job very easy for a quarterback, IMO.

[Newz]

That's perfectly kosher if you rank him 2nd in terms of ability. I just think he's #1 for the reasons aforementioned. It's close between him and Gates. Finley just makes the job very easy for a quarterback, IMO.

I think Finley is an absolutely amazing talent.

If he came out and put up bigger numbers than any other TE next year by a wide margin, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

I was simply saying he'd be third on my list of guys I'd want next year and second in the future because he hasn't proven that he can last a full 16 games yet. You can say and believe injuries are luck based and maybe they are... But I value players who can stay healthy and have proven that they can be healthy.

Like I don't think Justin Harrell is the most unlucky guy ever... I just think the guy is injury prone. Finley obviously isn't that bad (or even close to that bad), I'd just like to see him stay healthy for multiple years in a row.

[Ayt]

I'd take Witten over Davis. Dallas Clark as well.

I'm surprised you rank VD so highly, Newz.

[Newz]

I'd take Witten over Davis. Dallas Clark as well.

I'm surprised you rank VD so highly, Newz.

I think he is a great talent. I liked him coming out of college and he has done nothing to change my mind.

I like Witten and Clark as well. Clark's going to be 32 though and is coming off a pretty serious injury. Witten I would put as number 4 on most of my lists.