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TE Rob Gronkowski (3 Viewers)

Rhythmdoctor said:
I feel like part of the reason Gronk’s receiving productivity has declined is because of his contract that had some incentive bonuses. Possibly a combination of that and ensuring he stays healthy.  So if I’m BB and know that the more he’s involved in the passing game the more likely he is to suffer an injury AND if he hits certain statistical milestones he gets more money.... seems like the perfect recipe and justification to limit his touches. 
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Sounds like a good way to keep a key player motivated.

 
I think Gronk has leg / knee / ankle / movement issues. So blocking is probably easier. It may be physically more exerting but requires less movement to block. IMO, he has been called upon to run fewer routes and they don't mind him being a bulldozer for the backs. Plus if he is drawing some double coverage when he does go out as a receiver, that only takes someone away from the other receiving targets.

 
Yeah, his body is shot from a constant route running standpoint.  Once he gets going 10 yards down the field his body can't take a collision like that.  Blocking is easier for sure.  I'm glad I sent him for all I could a couple weeks ago.  I hope he retires. 

 
Gottabesweet said:
Yeah, his body is shot from a constant route running standpoint.  Once he gets going 10 yards down the field his body can't take a collision like that.  Blocking is easier for sure.  I'm glad I sent him for all I could a couple weeks ago.  I hope he retires. 
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I can't see Gronk continue playing if his main role is a blocker.  Just doesn't seem like something a future HOF TE who has already flirted with retirement will be ok with.

 
ILUVBEER99 said:
I can't see Gronk continue playing if his main role is a blocker.  Just doesn't seem like something a future HOF TE who has already flirted with retirement will be ok with.
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Agree, he was smart with all his money and will be able to go make money elsewhere and live the party life at 29 years old and get out before his body gets worse.

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
I feel like part of the reason Gronk’s receiving productivity has declined is because of his contract that had some incentive bonuses. Possibly a combination of that and ensuring he stays healthy.  So if I’m BB and know that the more he’s involved in the passing game the more likely he is to suffer an injury AND if he hits certain statistical milestones he gets more money.... seems like the perfect recipe and justification to limit his touches. 
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I really doubt it has anything to do with incentives. Pats have never really operated that way. You really think Kraft cares about a few million bucks?

 
IMHO he has slowed but hasn't fallen off a cliff; i think it has been a combination of some injs slowing him down a bit earlier in the yr AND I truly believe they purposely limit his targets to save him for games where they really feel they need him and to try to have him healthy at the end of the yr. They didn't need him much in the last 2 reg season games or yesterday (though he did have early rz target). I do think they will need and will use him quite a bit this week so we shall see. Maybe im whistling past the graveyard but I still think he has enuf to help them and he will. Having said that there is no question injs have slowed him some and it would not surprise me if he retired in the off season.

 
I think he has in fact fallen off the cliff. Good enough to still play in the NFL of course, but not good enough to meet his standards and I don't think he wants to continue to soil his image or put another way to continue to stack seasons together where he looks like a shell of himself so that's how many will remember him.

He thought about retiring last off-season of course and now it seems more clear why that was the case. On my dynasty teams I own(ed) him I've been working for past two months or so on assumption he was very likely to retire. Maybe he sits out a year and returns fresh and reinvigorated at just 31. But at this point, and for last few months for that matter, I would be a lot more surprised if he returned then retired, if I'd not term it shocked to see him come back I'd at least term it very surprised.

 
menobrown said:
I think he has in fact fallen off the cliff. Good enough to still play in the NFL of course, but not good enough to meet his standards and I don't think he wants to continue to soil his image or put another way to continue to stack seasons together where he looks like a shell of himself so that's how many will remember him.

He thought about retiring last off-season of course and now it seems more clear why that was the case. On my dynasty teams I own(ed) him I've been working for past two months or so on assumption he was very likely to retire. Maybe he sits out a year and returns fresh and reinvigorated at just 31. But at this point, and for last few months for that matter, I would be a lot more surprised if he returned then retired, if I'd not term it shocked to see him come back I'd at least term it very surprised.
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How much do you think it sticks in his craw that 89-year old Antonio Gates scored a TD on Sunday and Gronk didn't?  I think he wants the all-time TD record and he will keep playing as long as Brady does.

 
tangfoot said:
I think he wants the all-time TD record.
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Unlikely Gronk sniffs the record for most receiving TD's by a TE at this point unless he finds the fountain of youth or becomes a cyborg. Gates has 116 TD. Gronk has 79 TD. If my math is right (and Gates doesn't score anymore), Gronk would need 38 TD receptions to pass him. Gronk only had 14 receiving TD's over the past 3 seasons combined. If Gronk averaged 6 TD's a year, it would take him 7 more years to break the record. Does anyone see him playing that long?

 
Rob Gronkowski caught 6-of-11 targets for 79 yards in the Patriots' AFC Championship Game victory over the Chiefs.

Coming off a dreadful end to the regular season and quiet Divisional Round performance, Gronk was looking a little more fluid as he made a number of critical grabs. The 79 yards were his fourth most all year. Gronk also seemed to be the victim of a number of uncalled penalties. If anyone could use two weeks to heal up for the Super Bowl, it's the Pats' 29-year-old tight end.

Jan 20 - 11:16 PM
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My theory on Gronk...

I think BB was put off by his ‘rejection’ of the trade that would have sent him to DET.  Richard Seymour was traded prior to his Age 30 season and it wasn’t that he was ‘done’...but BB is about maximizing value.  

If there was any organization that would have had insight into Gronk, it would have been DET and Patricia.

if you flash back to last year, there was a lot of friction that was also inclusive of Brady and Gronk.  In BB’s eyes, no one is bigger than ‘the team’ even TB.  So when Gronk effectively stated ‘Brady is my QB’...I think that rubbed BB...poorly.  And he sought to build an offense for 2018 that minimized Gronk.  And here we are...once again, the Pats heading to the SB.

I think about the acquisition of Josh Gordon.  Was it low risk?  It depends on what is constituted as low risk, but it was clear that BB was not satisfied with the performance of the offense to that point in the season.  Despite Gronk putting up 13/189/1 on 18 targets.

Consider his RZ usage.  In 2018, he put up 3/37/1.  In his two previous ‘fuller seaons’ - 2015 & 2017...he was a monster in this part of the field.  In 2018, the Pats stopped looking his way.  It wasn’t really a case where he wasn’t converting his chances...he wasn’t even getting them.

Was Gronk 100% physically?  I suspect not.  But I also don’t think he fell off a cliff from a physical standpoint.  And I don’t think he’s been 100% for awhile.  But he’s also been a bit of a prima donna when it comes to how the Pats have to somewhat tippy toe around his ailments.

So I think BB wanted to cut bait and when he couldn’t he sought to build an offense, removing Gronk asa centerpiece.  And Brady for all his greatness recognizes (perhaps begrudgingly) that BB is a much larger factor to the success of the Patriots than Gronk.

It’s certainly possible Gronk never plays an NFL down after SB LIII.  But his time with the Patriots will be over IMO for certain.  The question is, whether Gronk feels like 1) he wants to prove he has something left elsewhere and 2) wants to go out on this type of season. If the Pats win the SB...I think it’s a no-brainer.  He’s done.  If the Pats lose...then we’ll see.

 
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TheDirtyWord said:
My theory on Gronk...

I think BB was put off by his ‘rejection’ of the trade that would have sent him to DET.  Richard Seymour was traded prior to his Age 30 season and it wasn’t that he was ‘done’...but BB is about maximizing value.  

If there was any organization that would have had insight into Gronk, it would have been DET and Patricia.

if you flash back to last year, there was a lot of friction that was also inclusive of Brady and Gronk.  In BB’s eyes, no one is bigger than ‘the team’ even TB.  So when Gronk effectively stated ‘Brady is my QB’...I think that rubbed BB...poorly.  And he sought to build an offense for 2018 that minimized Gronk.  And here we are...once again, the Pats heading to the SB.

I think about the acquisition of Josh Gordon.  Was it low risk?  It depends on what is constituted as low risk, but it was clear that BB was not satisfied with the performance of the offense to that point in the season.  Despite Gronk putting up 13/189/1 on 18 targets.

Consider his RZ usage.  In 2018, he put up 3/37/1.  In his two previous ‘fuller seaons’ - 2015 & 2017...he was a monster in this part of the field.  In 2018, the Pats stopped looking his way.  It wasn’t really a case where he wasn’t converting his chances...he wasn’t even getting them.

Was Gronk 100% physically?  I suspect not.  But I also don’t think he fell off a cliff from a physical standpoint.  And I don’t think he’s been 100% for awhile.  But he’s also been a bit of a prima donna when it comes to how the Pats have to somewhat tippy toe around his ailments.

So I think BB wanted to cut bait and when he couldn’t he sought to build an offense, removing Gronk asa centerpiece.  And Brady for all his greatness recognizes (perhaps begrudgingly) that BB is a much larger factor to the success of the Patriots than Gronk.

It’s certainly possible Gronk never plays an NFL down after SB LIII.  But his time with the Patriots will be over IMO for certain.  The question is, whether Gronk feels like 1) he wants to prove he has something left elsewhere and 2) wants to go out on this type of season. If the Pats win the SB...I think it’s a no-brainer.  He’s done.  If the Pats lose...then we’ll see.
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good read. 

 
TheDirtyWord said:
My theory on Gronk...

I think BB was put off by his ‘rejection’ of the trade that would have sent him to DET.  Richard Seymour was traded prior to his Age 30 season and it wasn’t that he was ‘done’...but BB is about maximizing value.  

If there was any organization that would have had insight into Gronk, it would have been DET and Patricia.

if you flash back to last year, there was a lot of friction that was also inclusive of Brady and Gronk.  In BB’s eyes, no one is bigger than ‘the team’ even TB.  So when Gronk effectively stated ‘Brady is my QB’...I think that rubbed BB...poorly.  And he sought to build an offense for 2018 that minimized Gronk.  And here we are...once again, the Pats heading to the SB.

I think about the acquisition of Josh Gordon.  Was it low risk?  It depends on what is constituted as low risk, but it was clear that BB was not satisfied with the performance of the offense to that point in the season.  Despite Gronk putting up 13/189/1 on 18 targets.

Consider his RZ usage.  In 2018, he put up 3/37/1.  In his two previous ‘fuller seaons’ - 2015 & 2017...he was a monster in this part of the field.  In 2018, the Pats stopped looking his way.  It wasn’t really a case where he wasn’t converting his chances...he wasn’t even getting them.

Was Gronk 100% physically?  I suspect not.  But I also don’t think he fell off a cliff from a physical standpoint.  And I don’t think he’s been 100% for awhile.  But he’s also been a bit of a prima donna when it comes to how the Pats have to somewhat tippy toe around his ailments.

So I think BB wanted to cut bait and when he couldn’t he sought to build an offense, removing Gronk asa centerpiece.  And Brady for all his greatness recognizes (perhaps begrudgingly) that BB is a much larger factor to the success of the Patriots than Gronk.

It’s certainly possible Gronk never plays an NFL down after SB LIII.  But his time with the Patriots will be over IMO for certain.  The question is, whether Gronk feels like 1) he wants to prove he has something left elsewhere and 2) wants to go out on this type of season. If the Pats win the SB...I think it’s a no-brainer.  He’s done.  If the Pats lose...then we’ll see.
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Interesting take.  Certainly possible. 

I agree that if NE wins the Super Bowl, Gronk is retiring.  Reports are that he's saved most of his football income and has been living off of endorsement income.  He doesn't need the money.....he'll get it some other way outside of football.  Gronk will go down as probably the most complete TE in NFL history.  Really nothing else to prove.  He's not close to Gates or Gonzalez in catches, yards or TDs, so it not like he's playing for the record books.

If NE loses.....I still think he retires.  He would have to go to a contending team that is just needs a TE to get over the hump.   I can't see Gronk going to a mediocre team.  Maybe if the Saints come calling, Gronk could be persuaded. 

 
The Boston media talking heads have discussed this a lot in recent weeks. The prevailing thought was that Gronk would threaten to retire if NE demanded he take a pay cut. But NE still needs him to be an occasional receiving threat and as a lights out blocker. So the thought process was that Gronk would explore his options and conclude that he couldn't make $10 million doing something else. On the Patriots side, they would not find anyone plug and play to replace him, so they would draft his replacement while keeping Gronk at his contract number and cap hit. In essence, both sides could be happy to have Gronk play out his contract with $10 million in salary and roster bonuses and a $12 million cap hit. That was their take on things, and some of the contributors were former Pats players. I am not so sure I personally agree with any of that, but that's what was being bandied about.

 
fightingillini said:
Interesting take.  Certainly possible. 

I agree that if NE wins the Super Bowl, Gronk is retiring.  Reports are that he's saved most of his football income and has been living off of endorsement income.  He doesn't need the money.....he'll get it some other way outside of football.  Gronk will go down as probably the most complete TE in NFL history.  Really nothing else to prove.  He's not close to Gates or Gonzalez in catches, yards or TDs, so it not like he's playing for the record books.

If NE loses.....I still think he retires.  He would have to go to a contending team that is just needs a TE to get over the hump.   I can't see Gronk going to a mediocre team.  Maybe if the Saints come calling, Gronk could be persuaded. 
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I do think there is an alternative.  Last year he really dragged his feet on the ‘retire’ question.  To the extent it affected his prep for the 2018 season, I don’t know.  But I’d guess that BB wasn’t sitting around Foxboro asking the receptionist ‘has Gronk checked in?’.  BB waits for no one.  He’s got a job to do.

So I think we’ll know much sooner than April this year what Gronk’s intentions are. 

 
I'm going with he'll retire no matter the SB outcome. He'll move to LA, dabble in various things and after a year of giving his body rest return he'll return at age 31 and play for one of the teams in this SB.

 
Rob Gronkowski - TE -  Patriots

Rob Gronkowski candidly spoke about the "grind" and "up and down" nature of the NFL season on Wednesday.

"Just try and imagine getting hit all the time and trying to be where you want to be every day in life. It's tough, it's difficult. ... Abusing your body isn't what your brain wants," Gronkowski said. "I just took 50 collisions, and then like the next day everyone wants you to be up. They want practice full speed, next week they want the game to be full speed, but they don't understand sometimes what players are going through with their bodies, with their minds." Gronk's honest comments about the difficulties of playing in the league are interesting both as an attempt to understand what NFL players go through week to week as well as a glimpse into the mind of a player who is reportedly mulling retirement.

Source: NBC Sports Boston 

Jan 31 - 9:54 AM
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I don't think he retires unless Brady does. 

He's only 30, and I suspect the retire talk is just leverage.  "Trade me to some crap team? Nope, I'll retire."   

It's been previously reported that he would do fake wrestling or acting, but either of those seems like a similar impact on the body and a bit of a long shot. 

The media also goes crazy for any retirement talk of a well known player because it's a feast for the always hungry talking heads.  How many times are they going to ask Brady?  Remember Favre?

He sure doesn't look anything like his previous self though.  I'm more concerned that he just isn't good anymore than he will retire, but obviously those are not mutually exclusive...  And equally problematic for his dynasty value. 

 
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Rob Gronkowski caught 6-of-7 targets for 87 yards in the Patriots' Super Bowl LIII victory over the Rams.

Gronk came up gimpy after taking a low hit in the first half but rallied to make the biggest catch of the game in the fourth quarter, setting the Patriots up at the one-yard line for what would be the game-winning touchdown. After flirting with retirement last offseason, Gronk looked older and slower during his age-29 campaign, often appearing painfully stiff over the middle of the field. Of course, he continued to draw a crowd of defenders, averaged a healthy 14.5 yards per catch and remained an asset as a blocker. Gronk is no longer a freak of nature, but he is still a very useful football player. However, Gronk is once again believed to be considering hanging up his cleats. If he does, it will be as one of the best to ever do it.
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Selfishly, I really hope he plays 1 more season. While he certainly lost a step, he's still one of the best all around TE's in the NFL. 

 
After seeing an interview with a local reporter last night, I really think it’s about the money. Gronk sounded like he was going to retire. But when the reporter asked if NE begged him to come back and B.B. would do anything to keep him, Gronk’s ears perked up and said they would have to talk about it.

 
Yeah, I’m hearing word from a fairly connected source that Gronk will be back next season.  Just throwing that out there.

 
IF Gronkowski plays his reps will be controlled heavily and he will likely see most of his action in high leverage situations. Low end TE1 / Great TE2 in 12T PPR is where Gronk lives now. Perhaps approaching Streaky TE 8 range in PPG? Maybe? 

IMO He’s not really draftable unless he falls far further than he will fall in 95% of leagues. 

 
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Appearing on ESPN's NFL Live Monday, Rob Gronkowski's agent said he is still undecided on playing in 2019.

"I talked to Rob last night and he won’t even tell me," Rosenhaus said. "He hasn’t made a decision yet. ... I honestly don’t know. I’m waiting to see like everybody else." The Patriots surely wanted to know Gronk's intentions by now, but this is one of the biggest decisions he will ever make. As much as anyone else in the NFL, Gronk has earned the right to take his time.

SOURCE: Field Yates on Twitter

Mar 11, 2019, 12:08 PM
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