Why can't Heath be our red zone weapon?

[Legacy User]

All I could find is vertical jump...33" to 32" is not a big difference. You are welcome to post other measurables if you can find them. Yes, I'm aware that Heath is older...but even when Heath was Gronk's age he wasn't putting up nearly the same redzone production (and this was years before the knee injury).

Heath's first 4 years = 21 TDs
Gronk's first 4 years = 42 TDs

Gronk literally doubled Heath's TD production in their first 4 years. Heath's health and age are not a factor in this comparison.

You could always call up Bill Cowher, Ken Whisenhunt and Bruce Arians to ask about those four years.

"Why can't Heath be our red zone weapon?" doesn't seem to imply you're worried about his first four years in the league.

No? What the hell was 2012? How quickly we forget!

Heath is no Gronk, but Heath obviously knew what he was doing in 2012 when Haley was using him to light defenses up.

Scheme and pre-knee-blowout Heath.

Obviously. Is Gronk not schemed?

Miller is not going to be the answer moving forward.

Gronkowski is obviously schemed open, but he also has infinitely more athletic ability than Heath at this point. He's able to get himself open against man coverage and make catches when he's covered. Heath can be effectively covered by slow linebackers at this point. Heath's not a mismatch, Gronkowski still is.

[Steelafan77]

All true. Now what have the Steelers great front office done to see that there is a new era mismatch TE in place and being developed behind Heath since he's obviously in the downside of his career?

[955876]

Heath can start running today. He will get to the EZ by Monday. Maybe he will be open wen we get there too.

[Legacy User]

All true. Now what have the Steelers great front office done to see that there is a new era mismatch TE in place and being developed behind Heath since he's obviously in the downside of his career?

Michael Palmer and Rob Branchflower don't do it for you?

[Legacy User]

6'4", 256 lbs. 32" vertical, 4.82 40

Branchflower is Miller is Gronkowski.

[R_S]

The difference between Gronk and Heath is how they are utilized in thier offense. Gronk is hardly if ever held in to block because the Patriot OLine is light years ahead in talent of any Steelers OLine plus it just what they do. The Patriots offensive concept from day 1 with Gronk was get him the ball. Now, does thqat sound like the offensive concept Heath is fortunate to have? I didn't believe so.

I can agree with this, but I'll add to it. Heath got drafted about 5 years too early. The big, athletic, pass catching TE phase hadn't materialized in the NFL yet. Despite what Cody the inbred says, Heath was athletic as fuck at UVA. If he was a rookie coming out of college this year, he might be utilized closer to a Gronkowski.

Another thing, despite measurables, some guys just don't have the natural ability as a football player as others. Plenty of examples of underwear All-Americans.

[Steelcody7]

The difference between Gronk and Heath is how they are utilized in thier offense. Gronk is hardly if ever held in to block because the Patriot OLine is light years ahead in talent of any Steelers OLine plus it just what they do. The Patriots offensive concept from day 1 with Gronk was get him the ball. Now, does thqat sound like the offensive concept Heath is fortunate to have? I didn't believe so.

I can agree with this, but I'll add to it. Heath got drafted about 5 years too early. The big, athletic, pass catching TE phase hadn't materialized in the NFL yet. Despite what Cody the inbred says, Heath was athletic as fuck at UVA. If he was a rookie coming out of college this year, he might be utilized closer to a Gronkowski.

Another thing, despite measurables, some guys just don't have the natural ability as a football player as others. Plenty of examples of underwear All-Americans.

Heath was NEVER as athletic as Gronk.

Surprised a GF choking douche wouldn't relate to one of his kind!

[Legacy User]

So under Whisenhunt/Arians, the Steelers finished 12th or better in scoring for 6 of 8 seasons- this with an offense geared to shorten the game and rest the defense.

Haley's offenses have (so far) never gone above 16th.

Isn't IC just going to rejoin that Ben didn't suck then? But he sucks now? And that explains the difference? Pretty sure that's how this is going to go.

Believe me I get it, I don't absolve Haley from anything. I understand Haley provides the grab bag full of shit. Thats on him

Bens hand is grabbing the shit out of bag and putting it to use, that part is on him.

But they have provided other tools such as strongest run game they've had in almost a decade.

Its a 50/50 proclamation in my book. Ben is involved in all facets of the offense. Its obvious for whatever reason he doesn't have the command over this one he did over Arians. Probably because of 2 years of whining over BA getting axed. Now its time to put his big boy pads on and go to work. Its almost like they get to the point of hitting the panic button every year before his play gets good. That could mean, or at least to me, his preparation isn't up to par.

[Legacy User]

Just to be clear, I'm not claiming that Miller is even in the same solar system with Gronk now. My point was that in the past, Miller was a redzone weapon and in 2012 Haley showed what relieving Miller of blocking duties could result in. The present Miller is my boy and I'm going hate seeing him go. Possibly he is my favorite Steeler. But his prime is gone. One more year on the team is my guess.

[Legacy User]

What makes Heath and Gronkowski so different?

Gronk is a little taller, a little heavier and a little faster. Heath was a 1st rounder. Gronk was a 2nd rounder, mainly due to injury concern.

Heath is in his 10th season and has 41 career TDs. Gronk is in his 5th season and has 45 TDs.

Both have had good QB play their entire careers...so why is Gronk so effective in the red zone and Heath is not?

Has Gronkowski even made it through a single season healthy outside his rookie year?

Heath was the best of a thin, shitty TE class.

And when he was younger and had wheels, he had some big gainers and TD's. Now he's a stopgap until we can get some talent ramped up. No secret there.

[V DUB]

Heath has alway's been a very long strider, that makes it tough to have short area quickness, which is magnified in the RZ, especially inside the 5. While he can & always has been awesome at finding holes in a zone, & reading Ben on extended plays, he's never been a guy that you could line up wide & ask him to beat his man, being the 1st read of Ben's.

Unless it's a serious size mismatch or a hot read, where he gets immediate inside position. All IMO, of course.