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05	August 2019

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From Hartsock to Hooper Womens Leonard Floyd Jersey , with the team going Gonzo in between."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Library FalcFans Podcast on The FalcoholicContact The FalcoholicFalcons StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Falcons NewsYahoo Falcons Team PageYahoo Falcons ReportYahoo Falcons Depth ChartYahoo Falcons TransactionsYahoo Falcons PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕The evolution of the Falcons TE position, 2008-2018 New,4commentsFrom Hartsock to Hooper, with the team going Gonzo in between. EDTShareTweetShareShareThe evolution of the Falcons TE position, 2008-2018 The Falcons have had franchise greats at quarterback and wide receiver more or less continuously from 2008-2018, and the picture has been pretty similar at running back, with only an injury-marred 2018 and the Steven Jackson years messing that up. It has been a historic run of savviness and good fortune at those positions, I�d say, which makes the positions where that hasn�t happened seem a little...lacking.The good news with tight end is that the Falcons did have a Hall of Famer holding down the position for five seasons in the last decade-plus, and Tony Gonzalez was on hand for some of the better teams of the era. The bad news is that until Austin Hooper hit his stride in 2017 and then really blossomed in 2018, the picture at tight end outside of gonzo has been...bleak. Let�s take a closer look. Falcons TE Evolution YearTE1TE2TE3TE4YearTE1TE2TE3TE4A little background: The Falcons cobbled together a tight end depth chart in Matt Ryan�s rookie season that consisted of blocking TE Ben Hartsock, surprisingly capable receiving option Justin Peelle, and a couple of dudes. That proved to be wholly unsatisfying for the team�s brass, who went out and got Ryan a dream security blanket in Gonzalez. While Gonzo was in town, the Falcons largely elected to back him up with capable role players like Peelle, the immortal Michael Palmer, and a rookie Levine Toilolo. As long as those guys could block Eric Kush Jersey , something Gonzo wasn�t known for, the offense tended to hum along just fine. Gonzalez set every major mark for a tight end playing for the Falcons, he was an integral part of a 13-3 2010 team, playoff squad in 2011, and the so-close-it-hurts 2012 Falcons, and the addition of the 6�8� Toilolo and his imagined red zone ability and blocking acumen figured to set the Falcons up nicely as Gonzalez transitioned out of town in 2013.Of course, 2013 was a disaster for any number of reasons, but simply put the tight end position turned from a relative strength into an active liability pretty quickly. Toilolo was, like fellow Falcons Kroy Biermann, Paul Worrilow, and Harry Douglas, a capable and even terrific role player who did a couple of things very well but was stretched as a starter, and that receiving ability really only materialized in brief spurts along the way. The team�s other additions to the depth chart, like pure blocker Bear Pascoe and lead-footed non-blocker Jacob Tamme, were also useful players but not excellent ones, and as a result the tight end position was somewhere between a major problem and so-so group from late 2013 through 2016.Happily, the arrival of Austin Hooper largely changed that. Hoop went through a pretty quiet rookie year in 2016 as he adjusted to the NFL Stephen Denmark Chicago Bears Jerseys , but he emerged as a rock solid receiver and blocker in 2017 and was one of the league�s better tight ends in 2018. As he�s only 24 years old at the moment, it�s probably reasonable to expect even better (or at least 2018 comparable) seasons ahead of him, which makes tight end a position of relative strength again. The team has done a good job of adding blockers with a little bit of receiving ability (Logan Paulsen and now Luke Stocker come to mind), and Eric Saubert looks like he still has some untapped upside heading into the 2019 season. Hooper�s not Gonzalez as a receiver�no one is or is particularly likely to be, especially not know that Rob Gronkowski has retired�but he�s very good and tight end looks like a capable position grouping once more.The Falcons haven�t really, I�d argue, built toward a cohesive identity at the position until very recently, with Gonzalz serving as a Canton-bound BandAid as they cycled through reserves and tried to figured out ideal roles. Whether tight end will be great in 2019 and beyond depends largely on Hooper and whether Saubert can prove to be the kind of intriguing reserve he looked to be back when he arrived in 2017, but at least the arrow is pointing up.Next up will be tackle, which has...certainly evolved. In football, life in the trenches can truly go unappreciated. For every sack, strip sack, tackle for loss, and other big plays; the big men on the defensive line are doing the dirty work. It�s always a treat when the big nasties get their crack at a big play; yet from my experience and observations, some of the biggest plays aren�t shown in the highlight film. Sean McVay, during one of his interviews prior to the game on Sunday night, had a clip go viral when he named and discussed 11 different players on the Bears� defense. There was one name he left out: Eddie Goldman. And really Chicago Bears Jerseys 2019 , it�s easy to overlook what some consider a lackluster position. Sometimes, its the names not mentioned as frequently, that have the biggest impact. Eddie Goldman is a man who�s the prime example of such a suggestion. He�s not looking for all the honors and fame associated with this stellar defense of the Chicago Bears. Rather, he�s out on the gridiron doing his job: eating blocks and wrecking the offensive line. Few nose tackles in the league excel as much as Goldman in that capacity. Fellow WCG companion Robert Zeglinski pointed out some big statistical nuggets prior to the start of the 2018 regular season. As it stands, the Bears have the 2nd best run defense in the NFL. It comes as no surprise that Goldman�s presence has been a factor this year, particularly since this is the healthiest we have seen him to this point in his career. PFF currently has a grade of an 84 for the young nose tackle, which to their standards is a �good� rating for him. Being the nose tackle in the Bears� base defense is just a tough assignment in general. Traditionally, nose tackles in any 3-4 front will line up directly over the Center, otherwise known as the �0� technique. That is usually where Goldman lines up. However, he�s also lined up as a �shade� or a �1� technique, a �2� technique, and even as a �3� technique linemen when the Bears roll out their nickel package. His versatility has been on display since his rookie season. Simply put, he�s in a position of which demands a player to absorb double, sometimes triple teams. I like calling it �line wrecking� instead of �gap filling;� he�s not the player who�s responsible for making the play in either of the A gaps. Instead, he�s the player that keeps the inside linebackers clean, so they can make the play with their downhill speed. Or, depending on the call Youth Stephen Denmark Jersey , he�s looking to force the play outside for Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd to pounce on. Again, life in the trenches can be overlooked from a statistical standpoint. Here is an example of Goldman contributing to a big play, which came this last Sunday night against the Rams. In this particular play, Fangio phoned what looks like his take on a �tight� call. Goldman appears to be at the �2,� which is head up on the guard. Meanwhile, Akiem Hicks and Roy Robertson-Harris are at the �1� and �5,� respectively. And Leonard Floyd is stacked on Khalil Mack with Mack on the line at the �7� technique. Fangio wants this run forced outside to their strong side, given how tight Goldman, RRH, and Hicks are aligned to their weak side. When the ball is snapped, Goldman engages his man directly. Where someone could jest he got knocked off the line of scrimmage; in reality, Goldman won inside leverage and flowed towards the ball. The linemen essentially formed a wall, preventing Todd Gurley from cutting back against the grain, and allowing the linebackers to flow freely towards the ball. The end result is a huge TFL to start the second half. Goldman did his job. Of course, in the NFL, defenders in the front seven are paid to hit the quarterback. Goldman is a powerful pass rusher, as he doesn�t rely on finesse nor speed to collapse the pocket. He will just run right over you. In all Stephen Denmark Jersey Color Rush , Goldman has recorded the following statistics: 35 total tackles (24 solo)4 TFLs 2 sacks1 fumble recovery1 safetyThe casual fan will likely look at that line and say, �what�s the big deal?� It�s not his individual performance that people should take in, it�s his overall impact on plays. To be a great defensive lineman, as I have learned, is to be selfless. Do your job, so that others can do theirs. Believe me, this defense would not be nearly as good if Goldman wasn�t available. General manager Ryan Pace has made it a point of emphasis to reward his players early for their attributions to the team. Eddie Goldman, Pace�s second ever draft pick, was signed to a nice extension right before the regular season began. The Bears not only have their starting nose tackle locked up for the next 4 years, I�m willing to say that Goldman is playing the best football of his career this season. Being a lineman in football is a dirty job. Somebody�s got to do it. Fortunately for the Bears, they�ve got one of the league�s best in Goldman.