NFL All-Pro Voting: Rob Gronkowski Has No Business Fighting for His Award

Rob Gronkowski has had a rather odd year, but it has also been one of the best and that is why he should be crowned as the 2011 All-Pro tight end. 

Forget the Pro Bowl, nobody watches that trash anyway. It's all about being the cream of the crop and the best of the best. That is what Rob Gronkowski should be crowned as once The Associated Press releases their All-Pro Team for 2011. 

The great thing about the All-Pro battle at the tight end position is that it is sure to be out with the old and in with the new. There is something to be said for Tony Gonzalez sticking around to have yet another ridiculous year. 

The Falcons tight end has 812 yards on 73 receptions and his seven touchdowns are nothing to dismiss either. Yet, I am confident that it's a two-pony race as Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski vie for the hearts and votes of the Associated Press, the more renowned of All-Pro organizations. 

You have here two alike talents that are versatile in how they play the game. The Saints' Graham has been a blessing for Drew Brees who continues to put up gaudy numbers himself. 

Graham has 80 receptions for 1,101 yards and eight touchdowns, netting 13.8 yards per reception. Once you see Gronkowski's stats, you immediately see where the small but important differences lie. 

Gronkowski has 71 receptions for 1,088 yards. That would be a 15.3 average. The one thing that has me confident the All-Pro nod goes his way is the number 15—that is how many touchdowns he has. 

That leads Graham, the next in line for tight end scores, by almost double. This is because Gronkowski has great elusiveness when it matters. But more than that is the trust. 

In just his second year, Gronkowski has become the key target in the Patriots offense. The fact that Tom Brady trusts him when it matters in the red zone is a sign that the young tight end has arrived. 

There are no sure things in sports, but Gronkowski is as close as it comes when you need a score, and that is why he has the All-Por nod all sewn up. The future may be bright for Gronkowski, but the present is what we will need to measure. It has been nothing short of fantastic for him in 2011. 

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