New England Patriots: The ‘Boston TE Party’

Jan 1, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) and tight end Aaron Hernandez (81) watch from the sideline as they take on the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Bill 49-21. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are freaks. We could just leave it at that, because they are that good. Over the past three years they combined for 362 receptions for 4,619 yards and 56 touchdowns. In those three years Hernandez has missed 10 games, while Gronkowski has missed 5. That makes those statistics even more impressive  I think it is safe to say that these two guys are the second and third most talented guys Tom Brady has ever gotten to throw to (Randy Moss is first). The Patriots also locked both of these guys up to long term deals earlier in the year, and makes the Patriots offense very hard to defend as long as they are there.

Between these two players I do think Gronkowski is the more talented one, with his combination of size and athleticism, I definitely think he is better right now. With that being said, I believe that at this rate, Hernandez could possibly be the better player a couple years down the road.

The main reason I say this, is their difference in maturity. Gronkowski is a normal 23 year old, he goes out and party’s, and drinks, and dances (pretty badly). I do not think this is bad at all, he is doing what a normal 23 year old would do, and I really don’t see all the hate going at him for it. However, when you compare him to Hernandez, he doesn’t look too great. Hernandez is the same age as Gronkowski, but he is not seen doing all of the things that ‘Gronk’ does. Hernandez has a baby girl, and he is seen saying how much she means to him, and how much she has changed his life. It was also reported last week that Hernandez would be renting an apartment in California this summer, so he can work with Brady to develop a better chemistry. That really shows me how much Hernandez is willing to work to try and get better on the field. I am not saying that Gronkowski is not a hard worker on the field, because from all the reports and articles I have read, he is just as hard of a worker as Hernandez is. But with that being said, I do not see Gronkowski moving out to California to try and work with Brady over the offseason. Hernandez appears to be the more mature guy at this moment in time, and seems to be more dedicated to getting better at football.

The other reason I believe that Hernandez could possibly be better than Gronkowski eventually, is because of how amazingly talented he is. With all of the attention heaved at Gronkowski, it seems Hernandez slips under everybody’s radar. I am not taking anything away from Gronkowski’s skill set, as I think he is the best tight end in the NFL right now. However, Hernandez is supremely talented as well. He is incredibly quick, and that makes guarding him in man coverage very hard for linebackers and even safety’s. It also makes him very tough to tackle in the open field, which often times leads to breakaway plays and sometimes touchdowns. He also has the ability to split out wide and go up and make plays like an outside receiver does. The two main things that Gronkowski has over Hernandez, are size and blocking ability. Gronkowski also seems to not drop as many passes as Hernandez tends to do. I believe that ‘Gronk’ is the better tight end, but Hernandez is the better receiver today.

I love both of these tight ends and I think that no matter what happens, in a few years they will be the two best tight ends in the NFL. But, with how they each act, I think it is very possible that the better tight end may be Aaron Hernandez and not Rob Gronkowski.