New England Patriots: 3 midseason concerns for Rob Gronkowski

Not the primary target anymore

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are boys, but that doesn’t mean Brady is necessarily looking his way first.

That has a lot to do with the coverage Gronkowski draws whenever he goes out for a pass, but it also has something to do with Julian Edelman’s return, the reliability of James White and the emergence of Josh Gordon.

With more targets, Brady simply doesn’t need to lock in on Gronkowski like he was early in the season when the 41-year-old quarterback simply had no one to throw to.  This is not entirely bad.  In fact, it could benefit the offense if the big target is not the featured target.

Like in the Kansas City game when Rob Gronkowski averaged 32.3 yards per reception, Brady can get the ball to Gronk when the game really matters.  Approaching 30 and with the amount of abuse his body has taken, dialing back his role a little could be beneficial to Gronk.

He may be frustrated due to the lack of touchdown targets but adjusting his game to be a factor in other areas of the offense may be the route No. 87 need to go.

Of course, these three concerns just make be wiped away come Sunday night when Rob Gronkowski goes off against the Packers.  Or, they can come more into focus if his targets remain low and his production remains on a steady decline.