Rob Gronkowski Traded To TOMpa Bay
The New England Patriots have agreed to send Rob Gronkowski’s one-year, $10 million contract and a seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Gronkowski, who played his entire nine-year career in New England, retired following a nine-catch, game-high 116-yard two-touchdown performance in the Patriots’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
Newly signed Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady likely had much to do with both Gronkowski’s return and trade to the team, the duo won three Super Bowls together in Foxborough.
Gronk will look to build on his Hall of Fame resumé which includes 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and a Patriots’ franchise record 79 touchdowns.
Altogether the four-time first-team All-Pro holds four Patriots’ franchise records and 18 NFL Records, including six post-season records.
Breakdown: After appearing in just 115 of the 144 possible regular season games through the first nine years of his career, there will be plenty of question marks about Gronk’s durability heading into the 2020 season, despite having a full year to recover. He hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2011.
If he stays healthy, however, Gronkowski can no doubt be a force and is an upgrade over both OJ Howard and Cameron Brate.
On the Howard front, there have already been rumors swirling of the Buccaneers desire to find a trade partner for the 25-year-old tight end, which would leave Brate, who had 36 catches for 311 yards and four touchdowns in 2019, as a very capable No. 2.
One of the final glaring needs in Tampa is at running back and the team may not have to look further than the in-state rival Jacksonville Jaguars, who have been shopping former third-overall pick Leonard Fournette. It would cost more than just Howard, but it might be just the right move as the team looks to round out its high-powered offense.
