New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski made life easier for Tom Brady
With Rob Gronkowski officially announcing his retirement, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots offense must move on without the playmaking beast.
In a way, the New England Patriots offense will be okay without the services of Rob Gronkowski. It doesn’t seem so as of day 1 of the great tight end’s post-retirement, but Tom Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will evolve. They always do.
It may take some patience. Actually, a whole lot of patience, but with the way the team has had to cope without Gronkowski over the last few seasons, the Patriots are probably as prepared as ever.
Why?
As Julian Edelman proved during two of the last three Super Bowl appearances, including one without Rob Gronkowski, the slot position is of more value to a quarterback like Brady than a pass-catching, dominant tight end.
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Sure, having him healthy and available was an added plus, but Brady and the Patriots’ offense relied more on the short passing game involving Edelman and a player like James White than they relied on the dominance of Gronk over the past couple of seasons.
With his 6-foot-6, 256-pound frame, Gronkowski was simply a beast on the field. His extreme athleticism and ability to power over defenders gave Brady a security blanket that make him an even more fearless quarterback. It was the greatness of the All-Pro tight end that simply made life easier for Brady.
He was a matchup nightmare. He was a big tight end with speed and tremendous hands who was hard to deny when the football was placed in the right place. He was a luxury for a quarterback who built his career on leading offenses without elite talent. He was one of a kind and made life on the football field much easier for Brady.
With all the touchdowns this duo connected for over the last nine seasons, Rob Gronkowski’s retirement announcement via Instagram on a Sunday afternoon in March was definitely a Gronk spike to Brady’s heart, but more of a celebratory one with a bittersweet taste.
Here is how Tom Brady responded to Gronk’s retirement post, via Boston.com:
"“What an honor and privilege to play with you these past nine years @gronk! You accomplished so much and our team was almost unbeatable when you were on the field! Your fun-loving, inspiring, and positive energy made an impact on everybody you came into contact with! Not just that, but for as great as a player you are, you are a better teammate and person. The NFL was a better place with you in it! But I have no doubt you will be a success in anything you do!!! Love you pal!”"
Life without Rob Gronkowski
As long as Tom Brady has Julian Edelman and James White, he’ll find a way.
However, at his age, the New England Patriots simply need to surround him with more playmakers. They tried by going after Adam Humphries and Jared Cook in free agency, but both players decided to take their services to other teams.
Related Story. Rob Gronkowski made the right decision. light
With the amount of cap space now available now that Rob Gronkowski is off the books, the Patriots can add elite talent via trade and also target a couple of the talented tight ends in this year’s NFL draft similar to what the team did back in 2010 when they drafted both Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
Is there another Randy Moss possibility out there?
If there is, Bill Belichick probably already knows about it and may already have something in the works as far as adding a top-notch receiver to Brady’s dwindling circle of trust. But it is through the draft where the Patriots will find their next great tight end. Whether it is Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson, Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. or some other talented tight end prospect, there will be some big shoes to fill.
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In summary, it will take a trade for a veteran top receiver and adding one or two of the top tight ends in the NFL Draft to give Tom Brady more to work with in 2019. As Rob Gronkowski made life simpler for him when he is on the field, the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback may have to pull some magic out of his pocket at the age of 42.