2nd Round Pick: Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

[Cowboysrock55]

I hope the guy turns into George Kittle, not gonna happen though.

Yeah maybe Dallas Goedert is a better hope.

 

[mcnuttz]

He seems like another Witten...catch the ball and drop at first impact.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

He seems like another Witten...catch the ball and drop at first impact.

A way more athletic version but yes

 

[NoDak]

He seems like another Witten...catch the ball and drop at first impact.

For some reason, people have extrapolated this over the entirety of Wittens career. Witten was never a shifty, YAC guy. But he could run a route like a champ his entire career. And in the early and middle of his career, was a load to bring down. The last few years he lost a lot of that, sure. But I just can't for the life of me figure out why people want to shit on an all timer, while also claiming he was always just a catch and fall TE.

 

[Cotton]

 

[Genghis Khan]

A way more athletic version but yes

A way more athletic version of a hall of fame player?

YES PLEASE

 

[Cowboysrock55]

And in the early and middle of his career, was a load to bring down.

Witten rumbling with no helmet is an unforgettable moment for me. He was one tough bastard to bring down early in his career. He wasn't making anyone miss but he could fight for yards.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

A way more athletic version of a hall of fame player?

YES PLEASE

Yeah, I mean we will kind of have to wait and see. Until he shows more it's still a poor man's version of Witten. Hell it took Witten a year before we really knew what he could become even.

 

[Cotton]

Witten rumbling with no helmet is an unforgettable moment for me. He was one tough bastard to bring down early in his career. He wasn't making anyone miss but he could fight for yards.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Yeah, I mean we will kind of have to wait and see. Until he shows more it's still a poor man's version of Witten. Hell it took Witten a year before we really knew what he could become even.

A "way more athletic Witten" (your sentiment not mine) doesn't sound like a poor man's version.

My point is he's nothing like Witten most likely and some of you are seriously disrespecting the best TE in franchise history.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Witten rumbling with no helmet is an unforgettable moment for me. He was one tough bastard to bring down early in his career. He wasn't making anyone miss but he could fight for yards.

A criticism of a TIGHT END that he "wasn't making anyone miss" is absurd.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Yep, Witten was never shifty, but when he was younger he could really run for a guy that big. He was 10-12 lbs heavier than Schoon with virtually the same 40 time. I went to that camp in 2003 when he was a rookie, and when the TEs were running seam routes I remember thinking that it took him a second to get going, but once he did he could really move.

As NoDak says, some people remember the beat up, million-miles older Witten and act as if he was always that way. It's a lot like with Troy.

 

[Cotton]

It's a lot like with Troy.

Yep, I remember beating on Troy late in his career, too. It was sad.

 

[Simpleton]

Witten was

Yep, Witten was never shifty, but when he was younger he could really run for a guy that big. He was 10-12 lbs heavier than Schoon with virtually the same 40 time. I went to that camp in 2003 when he was a rookie, and when the TEs were running seam routes I remember thinking that it took him a second to get going, but once he did he could really move.

As NoDak says, some people remember the beat up, million-miles older Witten and act as if he was always that way. It's a lot like with Troy.

Yea Witten was much more elusive and able to rack up YAC than what I imagine Schoonmaker will be capable of.

You never know but ultimately a "better blocking Dalton Schultz" seems like his ceiling to me.

 

[bbgun]

As NoDak says

never begin a sentence like that

 

[ravidubey]

Yep, Witten was never shifty, but when he was younger he could really run for a guy that big. He was 10-12 lbs heavier than Schoon with virtually the same 40 time. I went to that camp in 2003 when he was a rookie, and when the TEs were running seam routes I remember thinking that it took him a second to get going, but once he did he could really move.

As NoDak says, some people remember the beat up, million-miles older Witten and act as if he was always that way. It's a lot like with Troy.

He had a strange gait that made covering him tougher because you couldn’t predict subtle change of direction. For someone to be so great for so long, a lot of things had to come together. Willpower, talent, toughness, competitive nature, you could go on and on describing Witten.

Clearly the greatest TE to ever play for our team, and we’ve had some great ones.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

A "way more athletic Witten" (your sentiment not mine) doesn't sound like a poor man's version.

My point is he's nothing like Witten most likely and some of you are seriously disrespecting the best TE in franchise history.

There have been lots of way more athletic TEs than Witten who were never as good as Witten. And when people say similar they are really just referring to the fact that later in his career he caught the ball and immediately went down. But at 260+ pounds as a rookie Witten was a big dude. That size would be considered freaky by today's NFL standards.

 

[boozeman]

Yep, Witten was never shifty, but when he was younger he could really run for a guy that big. He was 10-12 lbs heavier than Schoon with virtually the same 40 time. I went to that camp in 2003 when he was a rookie, and when the TEs were running seam routes I remember thinking that it took him a second to get going, but once he did he could really move.

As NoDak says, some people remember the beat up, million-miles older Witten and act as if he was always that way. It's a lot like with Troy.

People should also remember the 10 receptions for less than 100 yards a game. He did that often and it was a big part of the gameplan to simply get the ball fed to him and he did his job getting open and catching it. YAC was not really an option, both due to the player and the route design.

It is not accurate to say he always caught the ball and fell down, but in five of his seventeen years, he averaged less than 10 yards a reception. His highest average was 11.9 yards a catch in 2011. He could get open in dead zones of coverage like nobody's business.

Witten is like other ex-greats of that era. Romo, Ware, etc. They were all great, but when the glory of a championship isn't there, it tarnishes the legend.

 

[Genghis Khan]

There have been lots of way more athletic TEs than Witten who were never as good as Witten.

Sure, but what you said was "a way more athletic Witten." So Witten, and all that entails, but way more athletic. That's actually a heck of a compliment (although it feels like you meant it in a derogatory way).

I do agree that generally being athletic doesn't mean much on its own.

 

[Genghis Khan]

People should also remember the 10 receptions for less than 100 yards a game. He did that often and it was a big part of the gameplan to simply get the ball fed to him and he did his job getting open and catching it. YAC was not really an option, both due to the player and the route design.

It is not accurate to say he always caught the ball and fell down, but in five of his seventeen years, he averaged less than 10 yards a reception. His highest average was 11.9 yards a catch in 2011. He could get open in dead zones of coverage like nobody's business.

Witten is like other ex-greats of that era. Romo, Ware, etc. They were all great, but when the glory of a championship isn't there, it tarnishes the legend.

He averaged around 11 YPC in 10 of 11 consecutive years. That's plenty for a TE with high catch volume and catch percentage. Throwing in his final 3 seasons to try and paint him other than what he was when he was in his prime is not an accurate depiction.