#MCM- Gary Barnidge, TE, Cleveland Browns
-Hoover26 October 19
Gary Barnidge has been, for lack of a better term, a huge surprise. My #MCM this week is a guy that didn’t score a touchdown until his fifth season in the NFL. Yet, he has come bursting on to the scene as a human highlight reel this year. Why is Gary Barnidge this week’s #MCM? Well, dear reader, I’ll tell you why.
Gary has been a statistical monster so far this year. His DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement), which is an assessment of the “performance on plays where this TE caught the ball, compared to a replacement-level TE in the same game situations” (footballoutsiders.com), is second only to Rob Gronkowski. He has managed to rank second in fantasy points for tight ends (per nfl.com scoring), despite playing for one of the most inconsistent and least efficient teams in the NFL. His offensive snap count has ranked sixth for tight ends so far this year, and his target numbers are high. So, opportunity abounds for Barnidge to be a top fantasy player this season.
Aside from his consistently strong numbers, Barnidge has managed to make some of the most impressive catches we have seen in a long while. If you ask me, his strange ankle/leg/thigh catch against the Ravens was on the same level as Odell Beckham Jr.’s one handed catch against Dallas. Maybe not as athletic, or beautiful, or awe-inspiring, but as far as presence of mind goes, Barnidge takes the cake. Gary Barnidge looks to me like someone who could be a pro-bowl player in the coming years. With the ability to block as well as receive, and the speed to burn most linebackers (he ran a 4.61 forty in 2008), Barnidge has everything he needs to be a star. Everything, except a great quarterback to throw him the ball. Josh McCown, Cleveland’s current quarterback, is far from elite. He has had his flashes, but he isn’t a stable reliable player. If Barnidge (who will be a free agent at the end of this year) wants to continue his fantasy greatness, then he needs to play for a team with a strong QB and no other elite receiving tight end (Broncos, anyone?).
Last but certainly not least, is Barnidge’s charity work. Gary Barnidge co-founded American Football Without Borders in 2011, when he was toiling away as a Carolina Panther blocking tight end. AFWB’s mission is to help grow football in “underprivileged countries” around the world.
In closing, Gary Barnidge is this week’s #MCM. Keep an eye on the 30 year old breakout star, pretty soon your man crush will be just as big as mine!
Gary has been a statistical monster so far this year. His DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement), which is an assessment of the “performance on plays where this TE caught the ball, compared to a replacement-level TE in the same game situations” (footballoutsiders.com), is second only to Rob Gronkowski. He has managed to rank second in fantasy points for tight ends (per nfl.com scoring), despite playing for one of the most inconsistent and least efficient teams in the NFL. His offensive snap count has ranked sixth for tight ends so far this year, and his target numbers are high. So, opportunity abounds for Barnidge to be a top fantasy player this season.
Aside from his consistently strong numbers, Barnidge has managed to make some of the most impressive catches we have seen in a long while. If you ask me, his strange ankle/leg/thigh catch against the Ravens was on the same level as Odell Beckham Jr.’s one handed catch against Dallas. Maybe not as athletic, or beautiful, or awe-inspiring, but as far as presence of mind goes, Barnidge takes the cake. Gary Barnidge looks to me like someone who could be a pro-bowl player in the coming years. With the ability to block as well as receive, and the speed to burn most linebackers (he ran a 4.61 forty in 2008), Barnidge has everything he needs to be a star. Everything, except a great quarterback to throw him the ball. Josh McCown, Cleveland’s current quarterback, is far from elite. He has had his flashes, but he isn’t a stable reliable player. If Barnidge (who will be a free agent at the end of this year) wants to continue his fantasy greatness, then he needs to play for a team with a strong QB and no other elite receiving tight end (Broncos, anyone?).
Last but certainly not least, is Barnidge’s charity work. Gary Barnidge co-founded American Football Without Borders in 2011, when he was toiling away as a Carolina Panther blocking tight end. AFWB’s mission is to help grow football in “underprivileged countries” around the world.
In closing, Gary Barnidge is this week’s #MCM. Keep an eye on the 30 year old breakout star, pretty soon your man crush will be just as big as mine!