2011 NFL Playoffs – Tight Ends Make a Push for Greatness Among Collectors

Tight ends are never worth anything in this hobby. I have said it over and over again, but it wont change anything about the situation that collectors subscribe to with each new player that comes through the league. This week’s playoff games have obviously made the best case to take the scenario and turn it on its ear, yet I do not see the tight end improving as a collectable option once the games are done. Although guys like Rob Gronkowski, Vernon Davis, and Jimmy Graham are incredible players and vital to the success of their teams, they are not the poster boys of their offense. That falls on the quarterbacks, the running backs, the receivers, the defensive stars and THEN the tight ends. The hierarchy of media coverage is not on their side, and therefore, collectors rarely assign value to their cards.

Great games do help, but these prices are severely temporary I believe:

2010 Topps Chrome Rob Gronkowski Black Refractor Auto /25

2010 Playoff Contenders Jimmy Graham Rookie Ticket Auto

2006 SP Authentic Vernon Davis Rookie Patch Auto

Rob Gronkowski has had the best season a tight end has ever had. Ever, in the history of football. Not only that, he has had more TDs during the playoffs than some number one receivers had all year. Yesterday, on Saturday versus the Broncos, he tacked on three more scores, one being one of the best catches of the entire season. He is like Jerry Rice on Tecmo Bowl, with no answer from many of the teams he faces. When they play to stop him specifically, Welker, Hernandez and Branch take over, and Tom Brady picks the defense apart. Its an amazing thing to watch. That being said, come the beginning of next season, Gronkowski will still struggle to maintain the huge value he has earned this year. This is the plight of the Tight End. Quarterbacks and Running Backs will always usurp the value guys like Gronk should get.

Vernon Davis and Jimmy Graham had the game of their lives right before the nightcap game on Saturday, both of which had the country watching the final seconds of the Niners’ win on the edge of their seats. Jimmy Graham has quickly emerged as the best tight end in the NFC, a position held by Vernon Davis a few times since he was drafted in 2006. Graham, a rookie last year, came into his own with 11 TDs and over 1300 yards during a record season from Drew Brees, and had a crazy 61 yard catch to put the Saints ahead with almost no time left. Alex Smith used Vernon Davis to negate the score and put San Francisco ahead for good, and set up a defensive battle with either NY or Green Bay next week.

Because Davis was drafted the same year as Bush, Leinart and Young, he received about as much attention as anyone else that year. None. Davis’ struggled a bit through his first season and really turned it on the last few years to be the best option they have. Even though he had two amazingly productive seasons, collectors must still have a bad taste in their mouth from 2006’s complete flop. Not only are his cards worth very little, but they are also not going to get more expensive. I would be surprised if this bump earned yesterday fades more quickly than any other. Davis is just not a valuable guy, even though he is worthy of that value.

Look at a guy like Tony Gonzales or Jason Whitten. Whitten is one of the most popular jerseys purchased in the country today. Gonzales is the current “greatest of all time” at his position, and yet, neither auto will net you that much money if pulled:

1997 Tony Gonzalez SP Authentic Auto

2010 Crown Royale Tony Gonzalez Logo Patch Auto

This is just the way things are when it comes to Tight Ends that play well above their pay grade. Dont get me wrong, the NFL will eventually become a league that looks for Gronks and Grahams rather than guys of the past, but I doubt they will ever reach their true potential in terms of value. A player who has equal responsibility of blocking and pass catching on every play will never be popular enough with collectors to really be a factor. Sure doesnt hurt that Gronk and Graham have Brady and Brees to throw them the ball too, right?

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