@the-gipper said:

BUZZZZ  too late.   Other got their hand on that poultry before you.    But we will leave a couple of wings for you. 

Wings are my favorite part.

@icecube said:

Let's not forget who he had throwing him the ball: Matty Ice, a known probowl QB. The projections I see have Hooper at #10 TE in 2020. I concur with that assessment. 2020 season won't end with anyone saying Hooper is the #1 TE in the league. Don't get me wrong, he is an upgrade.  

Let's meet halfway....#4 or 5.    Which is where he was last year. 

@poeticg said:

Combine that with teams going to be forced to reckon with a hungry and healed up Njoku! I still feel the sky is the limit for the Chief! 

Njoku has to show me; all he has displayed so far is "potential." And you know what they say: If you have "potential" pencilled after your name for more than 2 years, without the word "production" you're gonna have the word "potential" written in pen instead of pencil. 

@the-gipper said:

But, as I said, he IS in the picture.    What Metric would you like to use to determine the best?    If you go with the basics:  yards and TDs and catches , then you have this:

Top Ten TEs in yards receiving:

1. Darren Waller   Raiders

2. George Kittle  SFO

3. Zach Ertz  Philly

4. Mark Andrews   Balt.

5.  Hooper

6. Tyler Higbee  Rams 

7 Jared Cook   Saints

8. Hunter Henry  Chargers

9. Dallas Goedert  Philly

10. Greg Olsen....Carolina

If you go by  TDs you have:

1. Andrews   10

2. Jared Cook  9

3.  Ertz,  Hooper,  Kyle Rudolph (Minn)  6 each

7. Kittle,  Henry, Goedert,   Kelce  KC;  Mike Gesicki Miami/Ryan Griffin NYJ and Foster Moreau  Raiders;   5 each.

If you go by straight number of catches you have:

1. Kelce

2. Waller

3.Ertz

4. Kittle

5. Hooper

So....Hooper IS in the Top 5 of each of those categories.  The ONLY other guy to be in the Top 5 of each category is Zach Ertz. 

So, maybe it is NOT so crazy to argue that he may be the #1 TE in the league.

Let's not forget who he had throwing him the ball: Matty Ice, a known probowl QB. The projections I see have Hooper at #10 TE in 2020. I concur with that assessment. 2020 season won't end with anyone saying Hooper is the #1 TE in the league. Don't get me wrong, he is an upgrade.  

@the-gipper said:

But, as I said, he IS in the picture.    What Metric would you like to use to determine the best?    If you go with the basics:  yards and TDs and catches , then you have this:

Top Ten TEs in yards receiving:

1. Darren Waller   Raiders

2. George Kittle  SFO

3. Zach Ertz  Philly

4. Mark Andrews   Balt.

5.  Hooper

6. Tyler Higbee  Rams 

7 Jared Cook   Saints

8. Hunter Henry  Chargers

9. Dallas Goedert  Philly

10. Greg Olsen....Carolina

If you go by  TDs you have:

1. Andrews   10

2. Jared Cook  9

3.  Ertz,  Hooper,  Kyle Rudolph (Minn)  6 each

7. Kittle,  Henry, Goedert,   Kelce  KC;  Mike Gesicki Miami/Ryan Griffin NYJ and Foster Moreau  Raiders;   5 each.

If you go by straight number of catches you have:

1. Kelce

2. Waller

3.Ertz

4. Kittle

5. Hooper

So....Hooper IS in the Top 5 of each of those categories.  The ONLY other guy to be in the Top 5 of each category is Zach Ertz. 

So, maybe it is NOT so crazy to argue that he may be the #1 TE in the league.

Combine that with teams going to be forced to reckon with a hungry and healed up Njoku! I still feel the sky is the limit for the Chief! 

@axe said:

Bucs and Browns fan here. Both are supposedly "loaded". I'm in 'Show Me, Don't tell me" mode with both. 

Well both's Offense are strongest part of their team...

... and that's where the similarity ends.

@dutch-oven said:

This "loaded" team better score a ton of points because I still see a defense that is mediocre at best. 

Yup... like 'cube said, the LBs are suspect.

For me the key is what we do with our Safety trio. If a really good hybrid LB emerges, then we have a shot at being improved as our "LB room" will only have to supply two starters.

Bucs and Browns fan here.

Both are supposedly "loaded"

I'm in "Show Me, Don't tell me" mode with both. 

@icecube said:

Yea, let's not get crazy and say Hooper is the #1 TE. 

But, as I said, he IS in the picture.    What Metric would you like to use to determine the best?    If you go with the basics:  yards and TDs and catches , then you have this:

Top Ten TEs in yards receiving:

1. Darren Waller   Raiders

2. George Kittle  SFO

3. Zach Ertz  Philly

4. Mark Andrews   Balt.

5.  Hooper

6. Tyler Higbee  Rams 

7 Jared Cook   Saints

8. Hunter Henry  Chargers

9. Dallas Goedert  Philly

10. Greg Olsen....Carolina

If you go by  TDs you have:

1. Andrews   10

2. Jared Cook  9

3.  Ertz,  Hooper,  Kyle Rudolph (Minn)  6 each

7. Kittle,  Henry, Goedert,   Kelce  KC;  Mike Gesicki Miami/Ryan Griffin NYJ and Foster Moreau  Raiders;   5 each.

If you go by straight number of catches you have:

1. Kelce

2. Waller

3.Ertz

4. Kittle

5. Hooper

So....Hooper IS in the Top 5 of each of those categories.  The ONLY other guy to be in the Top 5 of each category is Zach Ertz. 

So, maybe it is NOT so crazy to argue that he may be the #1 TE in the league.

@the-gipper said:

Yea, let's not get crazy and say Hooper is the #1 TE. 

@kvoethe said:

People seem to forget that this team is LOADED.  Not only that, but

1. they fixed their biggest weakness by replacing the head coach, upgrading from Kitchens to Stefanski.

We hope, anyway.   Still gotta be proven. 
2. They also fixed their second-biggest weakness by buffing the OL with Conklin and Wills. 

Don't think there is much doubt about that.  
3. Buried in all this good news is that they added the BEST TE in the league in Austin Hooper.  And that is critical to beating the Steelers because a dynamic pass-catching TE slows their pass rush a lot.

Not sure if he is THE best,  the guys in SFO and KC would give him a run for his money.....but I think he may be in the conversation.

Still some major question marks/  some proving to do on the defense.

@dutch-oven said:

The Browns get a new DC every year... nothing really changes, with the exception of that one year with Dick Jauron. 

We'll see. My worries about the defense are more about the general talent on that side of the ball. There's some talent for sure, but their are some big, gaping holes too. 

https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/CLE

I got to admit, LBs not looking great. And Greedy needs to step up. 

@icecube said:

Do you think Woods will make a difference?

The Browns get a new DC every year... nothing really changes, with the exception of that one year with Dick Jauron. 

We'll see. My worries about the defense are more about the general talent on that side of the ball. There's some talent for sure, but their are some big, gaping holes too. 

@dutch-oven said:

This "loaded" team better score a ton of points because I still see a defense that is mediocre at best. 

Do you think Woods will make a difference?

@kvoethe said:

People seem to forget that this team is LOADED.

Substitute "Starting lineup" for "team" and my point is remade.

1. they fixed their biggest weakness by replacing the head coach, upgrading from Kitchens to Stefanski.
2. They also fixed their second-biggest weakness by buffing the OL with Conklin and Wills.  
3. Buried in all this good news is that they added the BEST TE in the league in Austin Hooper.  And that is critical to beating the Steelers because a dynamic pass-catching TE slows their pass rush a lot.

We all saw just how different the same talent performed with Hue compared to Greg.

@ballpeen said:

Hold the other team to fewer points every game.

I win the chicken dinner.

BUZZZZ  too late.   Other got their hand on that poultry before you.    But we will leave a couple of wings for you. 

@icecube said:

Are many teams any different? 

Have to define "many", but yes, more than a couple are very different.

I win the chicken dinner.

@tour2ma said:

More than a given in our case. It's of paramount importance.

Save maybe QB and Safety we don't have the depth to lose any starter without a serious talent fall off.

Are many teams any different?