Why sign him to a big contract?

Because he has a mere 6 TDs, 2250 Yards, and 167 Catches less than what Sharpe had... and if he plays as long as Sharpe did, at least another five years to work on surpassing (demolishing) that...

Dwindling athleticism... :doh!:

I'll take TG at 80% over most TE's in the league.

I understand where Chief2000 is coming from.

Tony's skills haven't dropped much yet, but they will. Every player declines in his 30's - it's a fact of football life.

You know Tony is going to want to be the highest paid TE. He's been a great TE, he can still put up excellent numbers. The question is, is spending all that money on him the best idea since: (a) he's a TE, (b) his skills will be declining, and (c) Herms' ball control offense may downplay the pass attempts and balls going to TG or any TE.

Would the money spent on TE be better spent on other positions - revamping the OL, DT, WR with younger players.

This has been addressed several times already in this thread. Declining in your 30's is not a universal truth in football. For certain positions it is (especially RB's), but for TE's it is certainly not true. Also, look at our offensive line and our quarterback. They do not get worse as they get older. Certain positions in the NFL do, but not everyone, so there is no reason to think TonyG won't still be one of the best tight ends in the league a few years from now.

Since 1998 (won't count '97, since Marty didn't really use him as a go-to guy over that superstar Popson), Tony has basically been the sole reason why we haven't needed to go out and get a "true #1" receiver and why the offense has survived failed experiments with Brock Middl...er... Andre Rison, Johnnie Morton, etc.

Yes, every player eventually declines in his 30's, but the rate of decline depends on the invidual player. Tony has yet to show any true signs of decline (78 for 905 last year, just after a 102 for 1258 season).

He's a TE, but he's not just a TE--he's an important cog in the offensive machine. He's worth the money...

At the price he wants , no way.

Who are all these great Tightends in their 30's ?

I guarantee you they are more role players who are 3rd option.

Not burner types like Shanon or Tony G used to be.

Don't you think Sharpe was the exception to the rule?

I disagree about the OL. Roaf and Shields regressed a bit last year. Green is still playing well, in large part because of the superior OL the last 5 years. When the line was banged up Green didn't look nearly as good.

Again, it's a matter of cost effectiveness. Is it better to have the highest paid TE or investing that money in other positions? I don't know the answer, but having the best TE hasn't won a playoff game yet for KC.

I really don't understand why you think tony has lost anything. He had 78 receptions last season! Also, he has publicly said he doesn't want to break the bank. He just wants to retire a Chief and help us get to the Super Bowl, which means leaving enough money for us to sign other players. I see absolutely no reason at all to worry about TonyG. I'd worry more about how we'll keep LJ.

Sharpe set a standard and I see no reason why Tony can't exceed that. See my above post about the cost of re-signing TonyG.

ROFL

Nice rebuttal. :bravo:

This thread has a high comedic value.

Only thing that will suck about Tony's new contract, when he gets it.

IS idiots like the 49ers and what they paid to Vernon Davis :banghead:

Davis was like the 6th pick obviously he's going to get paid that's just how it is. Do you think they should have not taken Davis that high because of the position he plays?

In all honesty if you look at TE numbers after 30.......Shannon Sharpe is an exception not the rule. Generally the only offensive positions where players continue to play well after 30 are Oline and QB.

Sharpe might be an exception, but why should we think TonyG won't be the same way? Can there only be one exception? He has matched Sharpe throughout his career, and he'll continue to do so.

I think there are some exceptions you should make for players who are 30 when resigning them, even the Eagles who rarely keep old players kept Brian Dawkins. But as a general rule, I think keeping players once they're approaching 30 is a bad idea and more often than not it will burn you.

It's a little different when the guy is one of the best players at his position though.