Around the perimeter of the Atlanta sports world.
Julio Jones has been drawing praise far and wide since day one of Falcons training camp. Tuesday, Tony Gonzalez joined a list that includes Mike Mayock, Peter King and others in making a mighty proclamation about the rookie receiver:
This kid Julio Jones is the real deal. He's the best incoming receiver I've ever played with. Come to think of it, it's not even close.
Quite a compliment from a future Hall of Famer. Actually, once you look at the list of rookie receivers (the ENTIRE list of rookie receivers) Gonzalez has played with during his career, you'll see it's definitely not hyperbole at all.
Here is the entire list, along with each's career stats. We're quite sure Gonzalez didn't sit and review this list before complimenting his teammate. But he could've without having to change a thing. Yes, sure, fine, Dwayne Bowe was good, too:
Kevin Lockett:
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 1997 | 23 | KAN | 81 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 35.0 | 0 | 35 | 0.1 | 3.9 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 1998 | 24 | KAN | 81 | 13 | 3 | 19 | 281 | 14.8 | 0 | 38 | 1.5 | 21.6 | 281 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| 1999 | 25 | KAN | 81 | 16 | 1 | 34 | 426 | 12.5 | 2 | 39 | 2.1 | 26.6 | 426 | 2 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||
| 2000 | 26 | KAN | PR | 81 | 16 | 2 | 33 | 422 | 12.8 | 2 | 34 | 2.1 | 26.4 | 422 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| 2001 | 27 | WAS | 83 | 16 | 0 | 22 | 293 | 13.3 | 0 | 34 | 1.4 | 18.3 | 293 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2002 | 28 | 2TM | 13 | 4 | 16 | 205 | 12.8 | 4 | 35 | 1.2 | 15.8 | 205 | 4 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| WAS | 83 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 129 | 11.7 | 2 | 26 | 1.8 | 21.5 | 129 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
| JAX | 85 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 2 | 35 | 0.7 | 10.9 | 76 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2003 | 29 | NYJ | 89 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 0 | 23 | 1.7 | 25.3 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| Career | 86 | 10 | 130 | 1738 | 13.4 | 8 | 39 | 1.5 | 20.2 | 1738 | 8 | 7 | 17 | |||||||||||
| 4 yrs | KAN | 54 | 6 | 87 | 1164 | 13.4 | 4 | 39 | 1.6 | 21.6 | 1164 | 4 | 5 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 2 yrs | WAS | 22 | 2 | 33 | 422 | 12.8 | 2 | 34 | 1.5 | 19.2 | 422 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 1 yr | JAX | 7 | 2 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 2 | 35 | 0.7 | 10.9 | 76 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 yr | NYJ | 3 | 0 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 0 | 23 | 1.7 | 25.3 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||
Larry Parker:
| Receiving | Rushing | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | ||||||
| 2000 | 24 | KAN | 80 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 0 | 27 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 | -7.0 | -0.4 | 0.1 | 34 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 25 | KAN | 80 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 199 | 13.3 | 2 | 44 | 1.3 | 16.6 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 205 | 2 | 0 | |
| Career | 38 | 4 | 18 | 240 | 13.3 | 2 | 44 | 0.5 | 6.3 | 4 | -1 | 0 | 7 | -0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 239 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Sylvester Morris:
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2000 | 23 | KAN | WR | 84 | 15 | 14 | 48 | 678 | 14.1 | 3 | 47 | 3.2 | 45.2 | 678 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |||||||
| Career | 15 | 14 | 48 | 678 | 14.1 | 3 | 47 | 3.2 | 45.2 | 678 | 3 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Receiving | Rushing | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | ||||||
| 2001 | 23 | KAN | PR/KR | 20 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 5.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 10 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2002* | 24 | KAN | PR/KR | 82 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 322 | 16.1 | 3 | 75 | 1.3 | 20.1 | 11 | 54 | 0 | 21 | 4.9 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 376 | 3 | 3 |
| 2003*+ | 25 | KAN | PR/KR | 82 | 16 | 2 | 40 | 423 | 10.6 | 1 | 67 | 2.5 | 26.4 | 16 | 73 | 0 | 16 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 496 | 1 | 3 |
| 2004 | 26 | KAN | PR/KR/wr | 82 | 16 | 6 | 25 | 230 | 9.2 | 0 | 22 | 1.6 | 14.4 | 8 | 56 | 0 | 17 | 7.0 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 286 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 | 27 | KAN | PR/KR | 82 | 16 | 2 | 34 | 436 | 12.8 | 3 | 52 | 2.1 | 27.3 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 447 | 3 | 5 |
| 2006 | 28 | KAN | PR/KR | 82 | 15 | 0 | 26 | 204 | 7.8 | 2 | 19 | 1.7 | 13.6 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 215 | 2 | 2 |
| 2007 | 29 | STL | PR/KR | 82 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 27 | 5.4 | 0 | 12 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 6.0 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 45 | 0 | 2 |
| 2008 | 30 | STL | KR | 82 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 105 | 8.8 | 0 | 20 | 1.5 | 13.1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 114 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 112 | 11 | 162 | 1747 | 10.8 | 9 | 75 | 1.4 | 15.6 | 54 | 242 | 0 | 21 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 1989 | 9 | 19 | ||||
| 7 yrs | KAN | 97 | 10 | 145 | 1615 | 11.1 | 9 | 75 | 1.5 | 16.6 | 47 | 215 | 0 | 21 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 1830 | 9 | 17 | |||
| 2 yrs | STL | 15 | 1 | 17 | 132 | 7.8 | 0 | 20 | 1.1 | 8.8 | 7 | 27 | 0 | 10 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 159 | 0 | 2 | |||
Snoop Minnis:
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2001 | 24 | KAN | WR | 81 | 13 | 11 | 33 | 511 | 15.5 | 1 | 56 | 2.5 | 39.3 | 511 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||
| 2002 | 25 | KAN | 81 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Career | 15 | 11 | 34 | 515 | 15.1 | 1 | 56 | 2.3 | 34.3 | 515 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||||
Marc Boerigter:
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2002 | 24 | KAN | 85 | 16 | 2 | 20 | 420 | 21.0 | 8 | 99 | 1.3 | 26.3 | 420 | 8 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||
| 2003 | 25 | KAN | 85 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 158 | 14.4 | 0 | 30 | 0.7 | 10.5 | 158 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2005 | 27 | KAN | 85 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 119 | 14.9 | 0 | 38 | 0.8 | 11.9 | 119 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| Career | 41 | 2 | 39 | 697 | 17.9 | 8 | 99 | 1.0 | 17.0 | 697 | 8 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||||
LaShaun Ward:
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | Rt | Yds | TD | Lng | APYd | AV | ||
| 2003 | 23 | KAN | 84 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 | ||||||
| Career | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||
Richard Smith:
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2004 | 23 | KAN | 18 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 137 | 15.2 | 1 | 48 | 2.3 | 34.3 | 137 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2005 | 24 | KAN | WR | 18 | 12 | 9 | 36 | 533 | 14.8 | 3 | 49 | 3.0 | 44.4 | 533 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||||||
| 2006 | 25 | KAN | WR | 18 | 16 | 15 | 41 | 561 | 13.7 | 1 | 43 | 2.6 | 35.1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 568 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2007 | 26 | KAN | wr | 18 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 298 | 12.4 | 2 | 24 | 1.6 | 19.9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 300 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Career | 47 | 31 | 110 | 1529 | 13.9 | 7 | 49 | 2.3 | 32.5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1538 | 7 | 3 | 14 | ||||
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2004 | 27 | KAN | 81 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 178 | 11.9 | 1 | 30 | 1.1 | 12.7 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 190 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 28 | KAN | 81 | 14 | 3 | 18 | 187 | 10.4 | 0 | 50 | 1.3 | 13.4 | 187 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||
| Career | 28 | 3 | 33 | 365 | 11.1 | 1 | 50 | 1.2 | 13.0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 377 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2006 | 24 | KAN | 80 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 0 | 11 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 25 | KAN | 80 | 16 | 2 | 28 | 313 | 11.2 | 1 | 32 | 1.8 | 19.6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 318 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 26 | KAN | 80 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 46 | 9.2 | 0 | 15 | 1.0 | 9.2 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| Career | 31 | 3 | 36 | 382 | 10.6 | 1 | 32 | 1.2 | 12.3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 387 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | Rt | Yds | TD | Lng | APYd | AV | ||
| 2007 | 27 | KAN | 83 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | ||||||
| Career | 9 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||
Dwayne Bowe (Hey! He's really good):
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2007 | 23 | KAN | WR | 82 | 16 | 15 | 70 | 995 | 14.2 | 5 | 58 | 4.4 | 62.2 | 995 | 5 | 0 | 6 | |||||||
| 2008 | 24 | KAN | WR | 82 | 16 | 16 | 86 | 1022 | 11.9 | 7 | 36 | 5.4 | 63.9 | 1022 | 7 | 0 | 9 | |||||||
| 2009 | 25 | KAN | WR | 82 | 11 | 9 | 47 | 589 | 12.5 | 4 | 41 | 4.3 | 53.5 | 589 | 4 | 1 | 4 | |||||||
| 2010* | 26 | KAN | WR | 82 | 16 | 16 | 72 | 1162 | 16.1 | 15 | 75 | 4.5 | 72.6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1166 | 15 | 1 | 12 |
| Career | 59 | 56 | 275 | 3768 | 13.7 | 31 | 75 | 4.7 | 63.9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 3772 | 31 | 2 | 31 | ||||
| Punt Returns | Kick Returns | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | Rt | Yds | TD | Lng | APYd | AV | ||
| 2008 | 24 | KAN | PR | 14 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 94 | 0 | 32 | 8.5 | 19 | 420 | 0 | 36 | 22.1 | 514 | 0 |
| Career | 8 | 0 | 11 | 94 | 0 | 32 | 8.5 | 19 | 420 | 0 | 36 | 22.1 | 514 | 0 | ||||
| Receiving | Rushing | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rec | Yds | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | ||||||
| 2008 | 23 | KAN | 85 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 83 | 11.9 | 0 | 42 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| Career | 13 | 1 | 7 | 83 | 11.9 | 0 | 42 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||
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