The Facts: The comparison was almost too easy. It was like OC Dirk Koetter stole it from of those cheap player-comparison generators used during television shows. When asked about Bucs second-year tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Koetter likened him to a familiar future Hall of Famer. "I tell you, if Austin is healthy, he reminds me. ... I coached Tony Gonzalez at the end of his career. Our tight ends coach, Jon Embree, had Tony in Kansas City," Koetter said. "Austin's talented."
Diehards Line:
Talented though he might be, NFL.com correctly suggests Seferian-Jenkins needs to show more than the 21 reception he hauled in as a rookie before being tossed into the same sentences as Gonzalez. "I'm Austin Seferian-Jenkins," Seferian-Jenkins said, dismissing the comparison. "He's Tony Gonzalez. He's the best tight end to ever play the game. ... I just want to be the best version of me." The 6-5 tight end's first job is to stay healthy after missing seven games in 2014 due to injury. The next is learning a new offense that should provide him ample opportunities. As NFL.com summed up: "If he stays on the field, ASJ has the athleticism to put up numbers in Koetter's offense and make that Gonzalez comparison look less outlandish."