The Falcons Aquire Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez

[Brett]

The Falcons agreed to acquire Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez from the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, the team announced Thursday.

“Tony brings a new dynamic to the Falcons offense and we are very pleased that we were able to make the trade with Kansas City,” General Manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “His career numbers and records are top notch and he will no doubt be an integral part of our offense.”

The 13-year veteran is the all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (916), touchdowns (76) and receiving yards (10,940). He’s played in 191 career games and missed just two starts since 1998. Gonzalez’s 93 catches (1,058 yards) last season marked the third-highest single-season total of his career. He also added 10 touchdowns, the third time he’s had 10 or more scores in a season.

Those numbers earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl, where he set a game record for career receiving yards with six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Gonzalez, 6-foot-5, 251 lbs., played at the University of California before the Chiefs drafted him with the 13th overall selection in the 1997 NFL Draft.

He’s a six-time All-Pro selection by various media outlets and led the league in receptions in 2004 (102). That’s also the record for most catches in a season by a tight end.

Falcons tight ends combined for 19 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns last season. Gonzalez is expected to provide another offensive weapon for quarterback Matt Ryan.

“Tony’s arrival will make an instant impact not only on the offensive side of the ball, but on the overall team in general,” Ryan said. “I feel privileged to be throwing the ball to a future Hall of Famer and I’m anxious to get on the field to start working with him.”

Gonzalez is a world traveler, taking time to study abroad over the offseason in 2004, 2005 and 2006. He was named the “2004 NFL Good Guy” by the Sporting News and is active in charitable efforts through the Tony Gonzalez Foundation, which he founded in 1998.

“Tony is one of the best tight ends in NFL history and will be a great addition to our team,” said Head Coach Mike Smith. “He will be a leader both on and off the field for our organization.”

[VIP Style]

man we should have left him alone for real. kellen winslow would have been a better pickup. we need young and talented, not someone who is at the tail end of their career.

[americanctm]

Damn no way! Well now i'm happy the falcons passed on ex-philadelphia tight end LJ Smith. What a huge gain for an already studded offense!

[VIP Style]

Damn no way! Well now i'm happy the falcons passed on ex-philadelphia tight end LJ Smith. What a huge gain for an already studded offense!

smith is younger and just as good. he probably would have been a better pickup than tony.

[HyPer50]

smith is younger and just as good. he probably would have been a better pickup than tony.

Just as good?.... Ya.. Tony is one of the best tight ends EVER, LJ Smith = mediocre at best. Anyways, he got over 1000 yards and 10 TD's last year on a shitty offense, with a shitty QB, and while being double teamed. They can't double team him here, if they do they will get killed by Roddy or Turner. Awesome deal, especially since we are giving up nothing in this years draft. Very excited. Our offense is definitely top 5 in the league, now we just need to fix the d...

[Spectic Tank]

man we should have left him alone for real. kellen winslow would have been a better pickup. we need young and talented, not someone who is at the tail end of their career.

smith is younger and just as good. he probably would have been a better pickup than tony.

Do you watch football?

[VIP Style]

hmm what you fail to realize is that even though tony may have put up these nice numbers, when was the last time tony got the chiefs into the playoffs? huh? i thought so. you can put up all these stats and what not, but if your not seeing the playoffs or championship games, does it really mean anything to your team? not really. for example, if a QB has a high rating, but his team still misses the playoffs season in and season out, then his rating doesnt really mean anything if he is not a winner. so LJ probably would have been better because he is a proven winner considering the eagles have been to the playoffs more than the chiefs have with tony.

Do you watch football?

[BanginJimmy]

hmm what you fail to realize is that even though tony may have put up these nice numbers, when was the last time tony got the chiefs into the playoffs?

After all the time you spent defending Vick's NFL play how the hell can you say this? If you knew anything about football you would know that a TE is not a huge difference maker, just a utility player that can really push a team over the top in their passing game. As good as Dallas Clark and Jason Witten are, they would be nothing without great QB play and receivers around them to take the focus off of them.

Look at Gonzales' stats, then look at those Chiefs teams he was on the and QB he had throwing to him. I think those things make his stats even more impressive.

[Spectic Tank]

hmm what you fail to realize is that even though tony may have put up these nice numbers, when was the last time tony got the chiefs into the playoffs? huh? i thought so. you can put up all these stats and what not, but if your not seeing the playoffs or championship games, does it really mean anything to your team? not really. for example, if a QB has a high rating, but his team still misses the playoffs season in and season out, then his rating doesnt really mean anything if he is not a winner. so LJ probably would have been better because he is a proven winner considering the eagles have been to the playoffs more than the chiefs have with tony.

Wow, the hits just keep on coming.

What you fail to realize is that this is a team game.

[atlxpat]

hmm what you fail to realize is that even though tony may have put up these nice numbers, when was the last time tony got the chiefs into the playoffs? huh? i thought so. you can put up all these stats and what not, but if your not seeing the playoffs or championship games, does it really mean anything to your team? not really. for example, if a QB has a high rating, but his team still misses the playoffs season in and season out, then his rating doesnt really mean anything if he is not a winner. so LJ probably would have been better because he is a proven winner considering the eagles have been to the playoffs more than the chiefs have with tony.

Do you listen to yourself when you speak?

[americanctm]

^^ i disagree man. LJ Smith never produced like a top tier Tight End even with McNabb throwin to him. Gonzalez is still a beast and had a GREAT season last year in which he went to the probowl on a shitty Chiefs team

[HypnoToad]

it was a great pick up,he will be great for us with pass catching and blocking.

[LeGeNdaRyLeGeNd]

Yall have to understand that Tony is still producing, but they picked him up for his leadership qualities also. He proved last year that even being old he can have 95 catches while being DOUBLE TEAMED alot. So he will force alot of defense changes on the field which will then open up so much down the field. You have to respect his abilities regardless of his age. So when team prepare they still have to respect the threat he brings. Also he was brought in to help out in key possessions like 3dwn and the playoffs. He is a quality play and the price they paid made it a great deal. He is a proven player so there is nothing to teach him unlike some 2nd rd bust that will take 2yrs+ to evolve.

I am actually excited to see him play. This should allow Atlanta to go deeper in the playoffs.

Atl may still get another TE so that Tony can mentor him until he is done. He still have 3-5 yrs left in the league. 2yrs as a solid starter and 3 as a good back up for 2 TE sets.

[Spectic Tank]

Atlanta struggled in the Redzone last year, I think that's a big reason this deal was done.

[VIP Style]

i agree, his pickup was more because of his image as a person off the field and his leadership qualities.

Yall have to understand that Tony is still producing, but they picked him up for his leadership qualities also. He proved last year that even being old he can have 95 catches while being DOUBLE TEAMED alot. So he will force alot of defense changes on the field which will then open up so much down the field. You have to respect his abilities regardless of his age. So when team prepare they still have to respect the threat he brings. Also he was brought in to help out in key possessions like 3dwn and the playoffs. He is a quality play and the price they paid made it a great deal. He is a proven player so there is nothing to teach him unlike some 2nd rd bust that will take 2yrs+ to evolve.

I am actually excited to see him play. This should allow Atlanta to go deeper in the playoffs.

Atl may still get another TE so that Tony can mentor him until he is done. He still have 3-5 yrs left in the league. 2yrs as a solid starter and 3 as a good back up for 2 TE sets.

[Spectic Tank]

i agree, his pickup was more because of his image as a person off the field and his leadership qualities.

Yea that makes sense

It probably had nothing to do with his 1000+ rec. yards last year, or his 10 TD's, or him being the all-time leading TE in rec. yard. And it probably has nothing to do with his 10 Pro-Bowl appearances either.

[VIP Style]

dude, of course his stats are going to be high, he has been in the league for over 10 years!, i just think atlanta should have went with a younger tight end. we always pick up some older guy (horn, milloy) who are on their way out. we should have leaped at winslow the moment he became available. winslow will have a better season than gonzalez, just watch.

Yea that makes sense

It probably had nothing to do with his 1000+ rec. yards last year, or his 10 TD's, or him being the all-time leading TE in rec. yard. And it probably has nothing to do with his 10 Pro-Bowl appearances either.

[atlxpat]

dude, of course his stats are going to be high, he has been in the league for over 10 years!, i just think atlanta should have went with a younger tight end. we always pick up some older guy (horn, milloy) who are on their way out. we should have leaped at winslow the moment he became available. winslow will have a better season than gonzalez, just watch.

LOL what?

[americanctm]

Ya i'm sure they'll address the Defense tomorrow though....

[Brett]

yeah we came out hard with a new team last season, now that matt has a year under his belt I expect alot more from them this year

[ShooterMcGavin]

tony gonzalez is on his way out, i'd be very surprised if he had pro bowl #s in atl.

[BanginJimmy]

tony gonzalez is on his way out, i'd be very surprised if he had pro bowl #s in atl.

No one is disputing that Gonzales is at the end of his career. He will get them through this year though with great productivity. Then next year with a second or third round pick they can pick up another TE for Gonzales to mentor for another year or 2.

[FlipKing]

Fuck winslow, He's a bitch that cries every game and calls himself a "soldier" NO TE has ever gotten his team into the playoffs by himself. It cant be done. We needed a role player that is an effective dump off for Ryan when White or Jenkins isnt open

[FlipKing]

Exactly. TG is older, but he's exactly what we needed. Not Winslow bitching or an unproven TE.

[atlxpat]

LOL you guys want winslow or LJ smith over gonzalez? you're crazy.
the man has only 1 fumble in his career and hes only missed 2 games.
winslow has character issues and LJ smith is the sultan of dropped passes.
we got him cause we needed a TE NOW, we got a tough schedule this season

[LeGeNdaRyLeGeNd]

Why take a risk on a player like Winslow, when you have a proven player like Gonzalez? Falcons want to win and win now. They dont want to take a risk to develop winslow further and take a risk with Winslow. Instead its more profitable to take Gonzalez and allow him to help develop the tight ends that the falcons have now or draft a decent one next year for him to mentor. Gonzalez has proven that he can play ball and you know he can set into a system and be successful.

You wont be able to see alot of the things that Gonzalez does off the field but i guarantee you he will put up numbers when he is on the field.

[atlxpat]

Why take a risk on a player like Winslow, when you have a proven player like Gonzalez? Falcons want to win and win now. They dont want to take a risk to develop winslow further and take a risk with Winslow. Instead its more profitable to take Gonzalez and allow him to help develop the tight ends that the falcons have now or draft a decent one next year for him to mentor. Gonzalez has proven that he can play ball and you know he can set into a system and be successful.

You wont be able to see alot of the things that Gonzalez does off the field but i guarantee you he will put up numbers when he is on the field.

amen to that