Some Rob Gronkowski thoughts, etc -

[neuronet]

A little nugget of information from Lombardi's GM Shuffle podcast.

Lombardi says that Gronk has to essentially officially decide to come back before the trade deadline. If he wanted to become active after the deadline he apparently would have to go through waivers first.

Not sure if this came up anywhere so far..

Yikes. Well I'm sure 31 teams would pass on him.

 

[Ivan]

I’ll miss Gronk but they have moved on. There are plenty of ways to win and they will have the formula’s to get it done. A couple more roster moves and they should be good to go.

Time for Numbah 7

 

[Patriot Missile]

Like what the roster looks like so far.

I’m hoping for the law of averages to break the wheel with Harry. Everyone’s hoping for a 500+yard 6 td campaign, but I’m praying for a Rookie sensation season ala Terry Glenn, Anquan Boldin. Don’t anybody squash it. Positive vibes only.

 

[woolster22]

Whats Watson's blocking like these days? He was always incredibly athletic, hands on the better side of average. I felt like he was an able if not always willing blocker when he was here. Maybe age has led him to hone this part pf his craft? Just a thought.

All we need is someone that blocks well, and is capable enough in the passing game to make defenses pay for sleeping on him. Watson, with all the big bodied receivers on the roster, should match up well on most linebackers, age be damned. I'd expect the safety help to be focused on our wr's this year.

Once again, @patfanken delivers us a well thought out take on what many perceive as a head scratcher. Hopefully you reavaluate the decision to move away from your idle thoughts we all have come to enjoy!

 

[Ivan]

Like what the roster looks like so far.

I’m hoping for the law of averages to break the wheel with Harry. Everyone’s hoping for a 500+yard 6 td campaign, but I’m praying for a Rookie sensation season ala Terry Glenn, Anquan Boldin. Don’t anybody squash it. Positive vibes only.

I’m thinking Harry wins OROY.

 

[SBLIII]

Like what the roster looks like so far.

I’m hoping for the law of averages to break the wheel with Harry. Everyone’s hoping for a 500+yard 6 td campaign, but I’m praying for a Rookie sensation season ala Terry Glenn, Anquan Boldin. Don’t anybody squash it. Positive vibes only.

500 TD, 6 TD seems very low. I'm thinking 800-900 yards, 10 TDs

 

[neuronet]

500 TD... seems very low.

Yes that would suck, but ya gotta take what you can get

 

[SBLIII]

Yes that would suck, but ya gotta take what you can get

 

[Uptown]

Report: Gronk's back may halt possible return

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

A little nugget of information from Lombardi's GM Shuffle podcast.

Lombardi says that Gronk has to essentially officially decide to come back before the trade deadline. If he wanted to become active after the deadline he apparently would have to go through waivers first.

Not sure if this came up anywhere so far..

Report: Gronk's back may halt possible return

Both of these mesh my theory about 2018 Gronk, which I posted throughout the season.

I believe Gronk is still about 85% of the same player he was at his peak, and his targets were purposely limited to avoid potential big hits. In addition I noted that he was not used as a red zone target. Why? Because having him jump or lay out for balls makes his back a major target for reinjury, and you can bet teams know where the target is. I have been concerned about his back for quite awhile, more so than age or any other injuries.

He averaged 9.5 yards per target, which is elite and suggests when actually targeted he didn’t lose much. What you didn’t see were leaping or diving catches on the highlight reel. Instead you saw him mauling guys over and blocking like an elite OT, which he seemed to relish as much, if not more, than catching passes. He really is an incredible team guy and selfless.

In the postseason, he took off the gloves and we essentially saw the same guy, minus a little speed (apparently dealing with an Achilles issue too explains this.)

So I believe both of these reports are true. He would like to come back, but for as little contact exposure as possible (shortened season), but protecting his back remains the giant risk.

 

[neuronet]

First stage of grief is denial folks. Gronk is done. Move on as much as it sucks.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

First stage of grief is denial folks. Gronk is done. Move on as much as it sucks.

What if someone told you in 2011 that by 2019 Gronk would be a 29-year old retired HoF shoo-in and Aaron Hernandez a deceased murder convict? That 2-TE beast tandem...what a turn of events.

 

[Lavictoire]

To me you just have to look at 20 years of history. When there is change this team adapts. We had fans of this team screaming in this board last year that the team had horrendous flaws and their best case was one and done. One of the most prescient comments I’ve ever heard from Belichick was early in his tenure when he said something to the effect of they never try to replace players and rebuild to what they had in the past, instead they build the new version. Building a team that includes the GOAT TE and one that doesn’t are 2 very different things. Clearly the gronk years made the TE a key piece while the post gronk years will diminish the role and place focus in other areas.

I think Bill Bellichick's perennial search for another Bavaro ended with Gronk.

 

[stinkypete]

An underrated aspect of the Patriots offseason has been the impact of their big bodied WRs in the blocking game. Harry, Inman and Harris are all strong blockers (though Harris looks like a long-shot to make the roster at this point).

 

[turkeyneck]

An underrated aspect of the Patriots offseason has been the impact of their big bodied WRs in the blocking game. Harry, Inman and Harris are all strong blockers (though Harris looks like a long-shot to make the roster at this point).

This seems to be a key design element for this year - strong downfield blockers for a robust running game.

 

[luuked]

An underrated aspect of the Patriots offseason has been the impact of their big bodied WRs in the blocking game. Harry, Inman and Harris are all strong blockers (though Harris looks like a long-shot to make the roster at this point).

Gotta keep being unpredictable out of various personnel groups now with Gronk gone.

 

[Ring 6]

I think Bill Bellichick's perennial search for another Bavaro ended with Gronk.

Perhaps but it didn’t stop him from winning before gronk and he surely deemphasized the role of the TE in the offense before gronk.

 

[Quest4SevenHomie]

The Pats won a title without Gronk and I'm confident that they can do it again. As long as they have Brady I like their chances.

They still had an elite TE in Martellus Bennett. He wasn't as impactful as Gronk, but he tossed ATL's salad when it mattered most.

 

[Ring 6]

They still had an elite TE in Martellus Bennett. He wasn't as impactful as Gronk, but he tossed ATL's salad when it mattered most.

Bennett was not close to elite.
He had only the 5th most yards vs atl

 

[Wheelssps]

I have a bit of an odd prediction for the season. After enjoying the flexibility of the best TE ever for about the past 10 years, and overall having some very good te’s for bb’s entire time here, I could see the pats utilizing some zero te sets for stretches of games this season.

A 3wr, rb plus devlin package could still allow wrs to split wide creating a light defensive package and a light box, while also still featuring a power run game, albeit without the te wham blocks we’ve been used to. Thosesame coukd also all run routes, letting the offense still morph.

The wrs all being pretty good blockers would help with springing some extra running yardage too.

Having devlin makes a big difference fir this team as other teams get less and less able to defend a power running game.