gatorbait7391 0 Posted April 18, 2006 Who thinks gates will stay as dominant as usual, or drop down with Rivers. Is he still the first TE drafted, or do you take Gonzo who struggled last year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toofunny 0 Posted April 18, 2006 Who thinks gates will stay as dominant as usual, or drop down with Rivers. Is he still the first TE drafted, or do you take Gonzo who struggled last year. Gonzo might not even be the 2nd TE I'd take. But yes, Gates proved his first year was no fluke. And lets remember, he's still pretty raw. Gates has lots of room to get better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
luckdogg17 0 Posted April 18, 2006 he should definitely be the first te taken in fantasy drafts next year. period. that being said, it wouldn't surprise me if his numbers dropped off a little bit, but even if they do, he should still be the #1 te. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlaHawker 24 Posted April 18, 2006 he should definitely be the first te taken in fantasy drafts next year. period. that being said, it wouldn't surprise me if his numbers dropped off a little bit, but even if they do, he should still be the #1 te. Gates is awesome. Don't let Phillip Rivers scare you from drafting him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scrotch 0 Posted April 18, 2006 Rivers has had almost 3 years to get comfortable in the offense, but Gates is still the number one receiving option on the team, so he should still put elite TE numbers. I expect he'll start out slow, but as Rivers gets better he'll be fine. I would still be wary of Tony Gonzalez though. I would definitely consider having Shockey or Heap as the #2 TE available. A good consistent TE was hard to find last year, but Gates is still head and shoulders above the rest IMO. Having him is a major advantage at the TE spot since no others can even hope to compare Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themorey 1 Posted April 18, 2006 I don't think Gates value will decrease at all with Rivers. If anything his production may go up. Last year Brees was looking for receivers downfield more and that hurt both LT and Gates. With Rivers getting his first real playing time he's going to rely heavily on both LT and Gates. I'm guessing Gates will take a few short passes to the house again and end up with 100-1200-11. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonkbonk 5 Posted April 20, 2006 te's now slip to the 4th round....... nice might get gonzo in the 5th Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mack 1 6 Posted April 20, 2006 I felt the same way about Chad Johnson after Carson Palmer was named the starter in '04. Although Palmer's numbers were very pedestrian, Chad still produced for me as my #1 WR. Bottom line: don't let the inexperience of a QB affect your judgement of a bonafide WR (or TE) stud. A player the caliber of McCardell may struggle for instance, but I don't see any reason why Gates shouldn't be drafted where he would've had Brees stayed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimmySmith 2,782 Posted April 20, 2006 Put me in the corner that feels Gates may do better. Until Rivers gets his feet under him, short passes to Gates are his best friend. He may catch 100 balls this year. I would stay away from the S.D. wrs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hellothere 1 Posted April 20, 2006 he will most likely still be a top 5 te, so that confidence helps you draft him even if he doesn't end up number one at his position. his talent seems to have been validated well last year, but its not only P.Rivers getting a hold of the game on a good level, which will take time, but also chemistry. they need to work together for an extended period before i think we will see the same results as we saw with brees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
