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"Past Results Do Not Guarantee Future Performance"
I don't know if Gates is the example you want to go with here. In 2008, Gates had a down year (by his standards- he was still the #4 TE). In 2009, Gates had an amazing season- he set a career high in yards, had the best YPC since he was a little-used rookie, and finished 20th in overall VBD. In 2010, Gates had the best season of his entire career, finishing as TE2 despite missing six games and becoming the second TE in history to top 13 points per game. And he followed that up with a solid 2011, playing 13 games and finishing 7th overall and 4th in PPG. And then last year he finally fell out of the top tier of TEs, but by that point he was a 32-year-old whose quarterback was completely imploding. So, in 2008 people thought that Gates's toe injury from 2007 was no big deal, and he proved them right by putting up a good season, two great seasons, and an historic season before finally succumbing to Father Time at age 32. The toe injury lingered, and Gates missed a little bit of time (10 games in 5 seasons since), but Gates ranks second in fantasy points per game since 2008, behind only Gronkowski. He also ranks 3rd in total fantasy points, just one point behind Jason Witten and 25 points behind Tony Gonzalez. When you count the production you got from your backup, Antonio Gates owners would have scored the most points from the TE position since 2008. Assuming his backup averaged even a paltry 5 points per game in the games he missed, Gates would have produced well over 200 points of VBD since 2008. I'd say that everyone who disregarded his 2007 toe injury has been handsomely rewarded.Interesting side note: I mentioned how Antonio Gates's 2010 season was the second time in history that a TE topped the 13 PPG threshold. Well, Rob Gronkowski has since become the third player to top that mark. And also the fourth player.
Gates is a good comparison for both the good and bad. Gates in 2010 was still just as dominate as Gronk before he was injured, but injuries finally caught up to him. Do I think Gronk has some top TE seasons left? Absolutely.Adam Harstad said:
Are you comparing a toe/foot injury to a forearm injury? I think the foot injury would hinder someone a lot more for the future compared to a forearm. Gronk is also a workout warrior, Gates was never and I think this is why the injuries continued to pile up and he was unable to play through them.cstu said:
Forearm injury, back injury and an overall reckless style of play. The problems with his back are far more serious than his arm. I honestly won't be surprised if he out of the league by 30.
The reason he fell to the Patriots in the 2nd round was because some teams believed he had a degenerative back condition. He is no having his 2nd back surgery in 4 years. I would be just as concerned about recurring back problems as I would knee problems.
Sure, me too. When he gets the diagnosis - I'll have to take another look at things. But, today, he doesn't have it.
Not sure. He'll very likely have two good wings a month before the season starts, however.
So would I. From people I've known back issues tend to get worse over time not better and these people don't have 250 lb. guys trying to knock them down on a weekly basis.
Despite "back issues" being very vauge, I think that's the case with anything chronic, assuming this proves to be. But I only need to know how it will affect him over a 5-7 year span; not the duration of the issue. As I've said - I don't know much about the issue. But I would need a lot more than what I do have to assume he's breaking down and avoid him - he's been one of the best fantasy players in history.
From what I have read on Gronk's new back surgery, it is not serious and it is unrelated to the injury in college.
lol
I went the opposite route with him. I drafted Eifert and am looking to pull another viable option off waivers. Gronkowski is too much of a VBD advantage when healthy. Matter of fact, I am going to send out an offer for him in my other dynasty league right now.
He broke his arm twice, and the second time had complications with an infection. There is some concern there, sure. But the likely outcome is that he won't have issues with it moving forward. So "4 surgeries LOL! He's done!" doesn't seem productive.
did I say he was done?
Nobody suggested that a new surgery is good news. Nobody suggested back surgery in June is good news.
Seems strange that someone set to have back surgery means his stock is rising......................but it is, lol.
TL;DR: "It might be serious. It might not be. But it might be. The Patriots should be worried. I would be."
Alas, I don't think even the Good Doctor can shed much light on this one without some private info about the true nature of the surgery.
Good point. Hopefully we'll have more news mid-June. The one good point - in the otherwise complete waste of article - is that the information we are getting is likely coming from the team/Gronk/Agent, who are all going to be very tight with any potentially bad news.
It is if it means there's no infection in his arm. As I understand it they'd delay the back surgery if there was a complication with the arm.
You may be right but I don't hear about any other players getting 'minor' back surgery.
I think headlines recently read that Romo had minor back surgery (cyst?) and Steven Jackson had back surgery several years ago that his coaches indicated was minor.
What's the actual surgery being performed?
It is guesstimated that they wanted to make 100% sure there was no lingering infection in the arm, as an outbreak in the spine could be even more serious.
Bottom line, even now, anything coming out on this is supposition and speculation. We won't know until we know, so to speak. The Pats won't say anything about it, and they wouldn't let Gronk talk about it either. There are still places saying he could be back for training camp. I think people will report what they want to hear or what they want to report to sell papers.
