Gronk to retire

ChrisR2223 said:

Damn I can't believe this.

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I’ve expected all along.

GOAT. Changed the way the position is played and - more impressively - how teams GUARD (or try) the position.

Not surprised, but still sad about it

Dr Pain said:

I think this is a very smart move I would want him to make if he was my son

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Wha? Huh?!?

Aren't you " Dr.Pain"?

He really kind of screwed us by waiting.
He's done so much for the team but this hurts us with his awful timing.

supafly said:

He’ll probably make it to the HOF, but I always crack up when people here claim that he was the greatest TE to ever play the game.

He’s definitely top 5, though. Good luck to him with his future endeavors.

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Who was better?

Please don’t say Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates.

Blocking is too important to either consider Gonzalez or Gates

ChrisR2223 said:

He really kind of screwed us by waiting.
He's done so much for the team but this hurts us with his awful timing.

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You’re not wrong, but earned the right to take his time.

Isn’t it wild Gronk and Ben Watson retired in the same off season?

just wondering what does this mean for patriots salary cap

Alot of us saw this coming. Its a bittersweet moment because I am immensely grateful for what he's done for the Patriots organization over the past 9 years but it absolutely stings to see him go. His body was being torn up and he wasn't himself for most of the season.

KontradictioN said:

You’re not wrong, but earned the right to take his time.

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They may have known when it came to Cook. Curious to see the numbers on his Saints deal, maybe that’s why the Pats were aggressively pursuing him.

ChrisR2223 said:

He really kind of screwed us by waiting.
He's done so much for the team but this hurts us with his awful timing.

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It really forces us to do what we should’ve all along, rebuild the skill positions through the draft. No spending 10 mil per for an Adam humphries.

DropKickFlutie said:

Whoa

Link ?

I think he just falls short of the hof

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He’s a lock. Revolutionized the position. His only negative was injuries but the number of voters who hold that against him won’t be enough to matter.

trueblue81 said:

This is bad news. Disappointed in him that it took so long to say as we could have made plans. But he has been a star and so good luck to him.

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So you think the team made no plans in case he retires and was sitting and waiting ? There was nobody in FA that could have replicated what he does. What we are looking at this offseason is a total reboot of our offense in many ways.

His retirement made it more likely that there will be some kind of substantial trade between now and when the draft finishes. The way Brady and McD run the offense with the extremely heavy emphasis on presnap stuff will make it necessary.

sb1 said:

He’s a lock. Revolutionized the position. His only negative was injuries but the number of voters who hold that against him won’t be enough to matter.

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Don’t take him seriously. He’s a complete moron. Gronk is first ballot.

Best TEs ever:

Sharpe
Gronk
Gonzalez
Gates

I don’t care what order you put them but these are the top four and the only correct answers.

cupofjoe1962 said:

Who was better?

Please don’t say Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates.

Blocking is too important to either consider Gonzalez or Gates

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Here’s something from one of the most well known scouts to ever hold the position. It includes both old school and new.

Gil Brandt's 14 greatest NFL tight ends of all time

I’m in shock. This sucks. I mean, thought it’s been coming for years but now it’s real. Wishing him the best for his long-term health.

Th3Birdman said:

Best TEs ever:

Sharpe
Gronk
Gonzalez
Gates

I don’t care what order you put them but these are the top four and the only correct answers.

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If you want to give more credit to some of the older style blocking TEs, Brandt covers it in his list.

I appreciate what Gronk did for us, he has redefined the tight end position and definitely a Hall of Famer.
I rather see him walk away healthy than be on a wheelchair. He has suffered some big injuries, this sport is violent and can take a toll on your body over time.
You could definitely see this last season he wasn’t the same, but he gave it all and helped us win a Sb.

He will be successful after football, he is a smart guy even when he acts like a goofball 90% of the times.
He has many endorsements and he will be fine.

Now we must move on. We need a solid tight end, mainly for blocking purposes.

ChrisR2223 said:

Damn I can't believe this.

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You just made a thread lamenting the lack of action regarding stars in the offseason. Be careful what you wish for.