Who’s ready for a good laugh?
Green Bay Packers tight end Andrew Quarless considers himself an elite tight end.
Yes, despite all evidence to the contrary, he actually said that.
“I can consider myself the top echelon of tight ends,” Quarless said. “That’s really where I see myself and that’s really where I’m trying to take it. A couple other guys like ‘Gronk’ and a couple guys who are up there. I put myself in that bracket. That’s definitely where I’m training to be.”
That’s right, Quarless is comparing himself to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Why don’t we compare the two, as well? Here are their 2014 stats.
Gronk: 82 catches, 1,124 yards, 12 touchdowns.
Nice.
Quarless: 29 catches, 323 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Uhhhhhhhhh…
How about career numbers?
Gronk: 302 catches, 4,379 yards, 54 touchdowns.
Superb!
Quarless: 85 catches, 909 yards, 6 touchdowns.
Well…
And yes, those two guys have played the exact same number of seasons in the NFL — five.
If Quarless’ career numbers were instead last season’s numbers, then he might have a case for being elite. As it is, he has no case. Andrew Quarless is just a guy. And hell, maybe he’ll have a career year in 2015. It is a contract year, after all. But then he’s only a one-year wonder.
More likely in our minds, Quarless will not have a career year and will find himself playing elsewhere in 2016, if at all.
But the comparison to Gronkowski?
Not today. Probably not ever.
There is a fine line between Optimism and Magical Thinking.
I hope this doesn’t mean we are about to be blessed with a picture of JQ with his junk in a pumpkin.
One other stat that indicates Quarliss is not in the same bracket as Gronk. Quarliss 1.75 mil cap hit this year. Gronk 8.65 mil cap hit this year. Since Quarliss was a free agent last year, it would appear 32 NFL GMs must not have Quarliss as in the same bracket as Gronk.
Gods Gifts!
From his quote he actually said he is training to be an elite TE.
He’s not delusional, he has a goal.
There are an awful lot of verbal checks being floated out of Green Bay this time of year. Barrington, Hayward, Quarless.
Think their asses are going to be able to cash them this fall?
Anyone remember Datone Jones? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Me neither…he talked his ass up last year and did jack shit.
I’m not sure what the right answer is for a player when the media asks where do you see yourself amongst your contemporaries. Certainly, we can’t expect him to say- “I’m just another guy.”
In our offense, with our QB, the tight end does not get a lot of chances to make plays, and I have always been a fan of Quarless since he filled in for J-Mike in 2010 and performed admirably.
However, last season was a big one for Quarless. Though his chances were limited, he did have some key moments- goal line in a back-and-forth game against New Orleans, 3rd and 4 against Seattle in the playoffs- and he failed in those moments.
Altogether, though he started slowly, I would say Richard Rodgers did more with his chances than Quarless did.
I would love for Quarless to show something this season, but I think it would be delusional to expect to see something we haven’t already seen from him. He is what he is, which is a solid NFL player, not a star.
Well put Monty.
That post wasn’t about what a golding digging *unt Olivia Munn is, or how Clay Mathews beard just doesn’t do it for him.
It was from Shawn, about football.