Crockett Gillmore really thinks the Ravens have better tight ends than the Patriots

Ravens tight end seems to have forgotten about someone named Rob Gronkowski

Brandon Marshall, who once infamously declared Jay Cutler would win MVP, has competition. His outlandish prediction is no longer the most outrageous proclamation in the history of the NFL offseason.

That distinction now belongs to Crockett Gillmore, because on Tuesday, he called the Ravens tight end group "the best group in the NFL."

"This is the best group in the NFL," Gilmore said, per the Baltimore Sun. "I'm not afraid to say it. It's hands down, and there's guys that unfortunately won't be here with the numbers -- it's just you can't keep that many guys. There's going to be some really good, talented guys that can do everything not be here."

Disclaimer: Gillmore plays tight end for the Ravens.

So, by saying that, Gillmore seemed to forget about a certain duo that resides roughly 400 miles to the northeast. That pair has yet to give themselves an official nickname -- "Best Group in the NFL" is already taken, apparently -- but their individual monikers serve as a decent indication of their stature.

Hello, Best Group in the NFL. Please meet Gronk and Martysaurus Rex of the Patriots.

Gronk and Bennett have combined for 88 receiving touchdowns. USATSI

Rob Gronkowski, 27, has caught 380 passes for 5,555 yards, and 65 touchdowns in his career. Martellus Bennett, 29, has caught 348 passes for 3,586 yards, and 23 touchdowns in his career. And that means the pair collectively owns 728 receptions, 9,141 yards, and 88 touchdowns.

Even if you add up the totals of all five of the Ravens tight ends (Gillmore, Maxx Williams, Nick Boyle, Benjamin Watson, and Dennis Pitta) and compare that to the Patriots' top two tight ends, you won't find a major statistical category that says the Ravens' five-man group is better than the Patriots' duo.

I tried:

	Catches	Yards	TDs
Patriots duo	728	9,141	88
Ravens 5-man group	665	7,286	55

So, by a statistical measuring stick, Gillmore is wrong. And if he thinks the Ravens five-man unit gives them more collective power than the Patriots' two tight ends, he's still wrong. For one, five tight-end sets don't even exist. Three tight-end sets often only exist in short-yardage situations. All five tight ends won't even make the final roster, as Gillmore mentioned.

Second, has he witnessed the power of Gronk?

Third, has he seen what Bennett can do?

As I wrote earlier this offseason, Gronk and Bennett give the Patriots so much versatility that it might actually be impossible to stop their offense in the red zone. Those two plays above demonstrate why opposing defense can't guard either of them with just one defender near the goal line. The problem, of course, is that defenses can't double both of them at the same time.

Gronk and Bennett are absolute monsters who can block like linemen and catch like the wideouts. They're the perfect weapon, optimized to overpower defensive backs, designed to run away from linebackers, and capable of blocking linemen.

That's not to say I don't understand why Gillmore said what he said. What's he supposed to say -- that the Ravens tight end group is a decent group with limited experience outside of the ageless Watson and Pitta, who hasn't played since 2014? It's the offseason, which means it's hyperbole season, when all teams think they're winning the Super Bowl and all receivers believe their quarterback is #Elite.

But this is just too much.