OVERVIEW
In high school, Kelce was a three sport star, but his best sport was always football. He was a three-year letter winner at quarterback, and earned All-Lake Erie League honors after totaling 2,539 yards of total offense and 31 total touchdowns as a senior. Kelce’s uncle Don Blalock played football at Purdue and grandfather Don Blalock played football at Ohio. Travis is the younger brother of former Cincinnati Bearcats and current Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
In his first year on campus, Travis redshirted. In his redshirt freshman year, Kelce participated in 11 games as the tight end. He caught one pass for three yards. Kelce also played some quarterback, strictly in a Wildcat role. He logged eight carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Kelce did not play in 2010, as he was suspended for a violation of team rules. Upon his return in 2011, Kelce caught 13 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior season, Kelce put himself on the NFL prospect map, as he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. He was selected to the All-Big East first team for his play.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Kelce has an ideal tight end frame. Athletic for his size, with great strength, and the ability to stretch the field vertically. Very physical run blocker, generates power from the lower half, and will move defenders off the ball. Plays with leverage. Wide catching radius, can adjust and make the difficult catch. Tough to bring down after the catch. Light feet, and has lined up in numerous different positions.
WEAKNESSES Suspended for an entire season for violating team rules. Only one season of production. Doesn't have blazing speed. Not a tremendously explosive athlete. Doesn't come out of his breaks all that well.
NFL COMPARISON Rob Gronkowski
BOTTOM LINE Kelce has been a tremendous run blocker throughout his career for the Bearcats, but really elevated his game as a receiver in his senior season. He isn't a tremendous athlete, but he does a lot of things very well. It's a deep tight end class, but Kelce's play suggests that he should be highly sought after. [Reply]
Well the fact is, had those goons on the first page actually done any work on Kelce they would've loved the pick and would've seen the ability he has.
Instead it was all just "Oh GOD END OF WORLD KILL MYSELF *EMO CRY*"
And honestly, that first page is why I can't take CP or any Chiefs fan serious when discussing draft or football related things, unless I know them ahead of time and have had insightful football discussions with said person in the past. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Kiimosabi:
I think Graham, Tony G and Gates were all better.
Over a longer period of time, absolutely. I wouldn't trade their careers for Gronks at this point. The big thing is Gronk has been absolutely unable to stay healthy. By the time we get to the playoffs, he's either very limited, or completely out of action.
But when healthy, I've never seen a weapon like him at TE in my life. He's tied for second fastest (with Randy Moss) to 50 TDs among pass-catchers in NFL history. He's just a completely ridiculous weapon.
And he's only 25 years old!
If he can stay healthy, I wouldn't trade him for any pass-catcher in the NFL. Unfortunately, there's NO reason to believe he will stay healthy.
NFL records
Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game: 21 years, 214 days (2010, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)
Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game, playoffs: 22 years, 275 days (2011 playoffs, vs. Denver Broncos)
Most touchdown receptions by a tight end, season: 17 (2011)
Most touchdowns by a tight end, season: 18 (2011)
First tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (2011)
Most receiving yards by a tight end, season: 1,327 (2011)
Most offensive touchdowns in first two seasons: 28 (Tied with Randy Moss)
Consecutive seasons with 10+ touchdowns by a tight end, 3 [Reply]
The draft is a crap shoot. Absolutely no one knows who will pan out and who won't.
I think this board lamented the pick more based on the circumstances rather than Kelce himself. Coming off a 2-14 season we draft a shit stain LT to replace an All-Pro we already had on the roster, then proceed to take a RB when we already had one that was top 5 at least, and a TE after we had just signed a solid starter in Fasano.
It's a lot like the Sherman trade. Ultimately, it appears to have worked out in our favor, but who's to say we couldn't have gone somewhere else that would have filled a more immediate need and been better off in the long run? [Reply]
Originally Posted by ThaVirus:
The draft is a crap shoot. Absolutely no one knows who will pan out and who won't.
I think this board lamented the pick more based on the circumstances rather than Kelce himself. Coming off a 2-14 season we draft a shit stain LT to replace an All-Pro we already had on the roster, then proceed to take a RB when we already had one that was top 5 at least, and a TE after we had just signed a solid starter in Fasano.
It's a lot like the Sherman trade. Ultimately, it appears to have worked out in our favor, but who's to say we couldn't have gone somewhere else that would have filled a more immediate need and been better off in the long run?
That's is some serious spin doctoring right there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Amnorix:
Over a longer period of time, absolutely. I wouldn't trade their careers for Gronks at this point. The big thing is Gronk has been absolutely unable to stay healthy. By the time we get to the playoffs, he's either very limited, or completely out of action.
But when healthy, I've never seen a weapon like him at TE in my life. He's tied for second fastest (with Randy Moss) to 50 TDs among pass-catchers in NFL history. He's just a completely ridiculous weapon.
And he's only 25 years old!
If he can stay healthy, I wouldn't trade him for any pass-catcher in the NFL. Unfortunately, there's NO reason to believe he will stay healthy.
NFL records
Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game: 21 years, 214 days (2010, vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)
Youngest player with 3 touchdown receptions in a game, playoffs: 22 years, 275 days (2011 playoffs, vs. Denver Broncos)
Most touchdown receptions by a tight end, season: 17 (2011)
Most touchdowns by a tight end, season: 18 (2011)
First tight end to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (2011)I
Most receiving yards by a tight end, season: 1,327 (2011)
Most offensive touchdowns in first two seasons: 28 (Tied with Randy Moss)
Consecutive seasons with 10+ touchdowns by a tight end, 3
I do agree, a healthy gronk is probably the most dangerous TE to ever live [Reply]
Originally Posted by Pestilence:
I ****ing hate these bumps. Oh look....you didn't like the pick or thought he wasn't a great player....and look at him now! You're wrong about everything!
Should we bump the thread for every other player that busts and talk shit to the people who thought they were the greatest thing ever?
Nah, its a fair bargain dude... people that want to act like their opinions are always right and love crushing any dissenting opinions with scathing stings and these :-) should be able to take a little bit of it back without getting all butt hurt about it.
Yes, we're ALL wrong about a great many things... but some people insist on slamming everyone else until they're proven wrong beyond a reasonable doubt, this is one of those times where folks are proven wrong without any question. [Reply]
