Corry on Gronk new deal that could make sense

[long distance]

Joel Corry goes in-depth on possible future 3y extension for Gronk (12.5 apy with insurance structure for both and last 3y an option) that would (in his reasoning) make sense for both sides.

Agent's Take: Gronk's discontent can be solved with a contract that helps both TE, Patriots

this is a good read on what probably IS going on with Pats and Gronk.

Reminder that Gronk has zero gtd money on contract left and an offseason/TC injury could leave him with basically nothing - w vet salaries being guaranteed only in week 1 - so it is not too hard to understand his position beyond just more money talk..

(Id guess it would be more about added incentives to the current deal (and some guarantees now in exchange for some per-game roster bonus))

 

[TheRainMaker]

It's always been about money. He's the 4th highest paid TE in the NFL right now and he knows this.

 

[Sciz]

Perhaps I’ve just gotten cynical this offseason, but that looks like an awful deal for the Patriots. If Gronk has two great seasons, then the Pats will never benefit from those final three team-friendly years because we’ll going through this “soft holdout” again in 2020. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an excessively large peace offering of $8 million and those extra years are close to irrelevant.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Perhaps I’ve just gotten cynical this offseason, but that looks like an awful deal for the Patriots. If Gronk has two great seasons, then the Pats will never benefit from those final three team-friendly years because we’ll going through this “soft holdout” again in 2020. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an excessively large peace offering of $8 million and those extra years are close to irrelevant.

Good point. Could add more non guaranteed money to those extra three years to make them less team-friendly to account for potential salary inflation. Will increase the chance the Patriots don't pick it up of course.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Why not make the option(s) guaranteed based on accomplishments? e.g., if he gets X touchdowns or Y receptions or Z yards in 2019, then the per game bonuses for 2020 become a flat-out roster bonus on the last day of training camp?

 

[long distance]

Why not make the option(s) guaranteed based on accomplishments? e.g., if he gets X touchdowns or Y receptions or Z yards in 2019, then the per game bonuses for 2020 become a flat-out roster bonus on the last day of training camp?

Zero guaranteed money at the moment is the first problem . hence signing bonus.
After that come incentives, insurances on both sides etc. to negotiate.
With his injury history I wouldn't expose myself to anything esp. voluntary until I had some insurance..
I believe both understand that and the workout bonus he is losing now will be “reimbursed“ in a new/reworked contract.
I don't think there is much disagreement up to this point . and Id guess NE are willing to offer guarantees and also add some incentives (in return for some insurance - per game bonus)

The problem starts with renegotiating the value of Gronk and his transcending of TE position..

 

[supafly]

It's always been about money. He's the 4th highest paid TE in the NFL right now and he knows this.

And 18 other skill position players are making more money this year, so the recent splashes in free agency with certain contracts aren’t exactly helping.

I think it’s been fairly obvious since this all started that both Gronk and Brady would likely be in a much better place with some guarantees for their futures. I think that would help them deal with some of their other (supposed) gripes.

 

[Gronk]

I’ll admit some of this worries me...handling the post Brady transition was always going to be difficult, what makes him who he is is the same thing that makes it impossible for him to leave “a year too early instead of a year too late”. They had it almost right with JG, but I certainly don’t think going through a potential trade or cut bait scenario with JG this offseason would be any less tumultuous than what’s already happening (which is mostly random or unsourced speculation).

I think any of Brady’s “guarantees” he may be seeking more likely involve being able to have his job as long as he wants it as opposed to money. But if BB’s position on that has been more difficult than TB might have hoped based on his career, playing to 45 could be less attractive by the day.

In Gronks case I imagine flexibility is also relevant - he wants to be paid, fairly, as the best or at least top 5 of all skill position players in the league, he wants it guaranteed like all those other guys get instead of having it tied to game to game or annual production, and I don’t think that’s an unreasonable demand if that’s what he’s asking. And maybe, in light of recent events/stories/complaints, he also wants some flexibility to get out of NE if TB bails earlier than he might’ve expected. Tough gap to bridge, no easy answers.

Like it or not, and I think that overall the team is still in good shape and can compete at the level we are accustomed to in 2018, there is definitely smoke to the fire of this being the beginning of a potentially ugly period while the franchise figures out what to do next. Easy scenario is winning the title and walking off into the sunset like Jordan or Elway, although we all know the easiest way to do that passed them by with the JG trade, Brady’s commitment to play several more years, and the SB loss to the Eagles. But that all seems to have changed. By 2020, or even 2019, the whole squad could be stripped for parts and QB’d by a stranger we’ve never heard of. Or it could be 12-14 wins with Brady, AFCCG, and 50/50 to win it all. It’s a weird time.

 

[maineman209]

Perhaps I’ve just gotten cynical this offseason, but that looks like an awful deal for the Patriots. If Gronk has two great seasons, then the Pats will never benefit from those final three team-friendly years because we’ll going through this “soft holdout” again in 2020. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an excessively large peace offering of $8 million and those extra years are close to irrelevant.

I think another "soft holdout" situation is what the option bonus structure that begins in 2020 is designed to prevent.

 

[maineman209]

Why not make the option(s) guaranteed based on accomplishments? e.g., if he gets X touchdowns or Y receptions or Z yards in 2019, then the per game bonuses for 2020 become a flat-out roster bonus on the last day of training camp?

It seems to me that those per-game bonuses are to protect the Pats against Gronk getting injured for an extended period during the season, so those would probably need to stay in place as they are. But the Pats could still include some sort of performance incentive based automatic pay raise structure as a separate clause.

 

[maineman209]

Joel Corry goes in-depth on possible future 3y extension for Gronk (12.5 apy with insurance structure for both and last 3y an option) that would (in his reasoning) make sense for both sides.

Agent's Take: Gronk's discontent can be solved with a contract that helps both TE, Patriots

this is a good read on what probably IS going on with Pats and Gronk.

Reminder that Gronk has zero gtd money on contract left and an offseason/TC injury could leave him with basically nothing - w vet salaries being guaranteed only in week 1 - so it is not too hard to understand his position beyond just more money talk..

(Id guess it would be more about added incentives to the current deal (and some guarantees now in exchange for some per-game roster bonus))

Although the sample contract structure that Corry suggests is far more detailed than anything I've posted, he's pretty much saying the same things that I've been posting WRT Gronk's contract for weeks, including the justifications for a "pay raise".

This all just seems like pretty standard contract stuff to me, and I'm no genius.

 

[long distance]

Although the sample contract structure that Corry suggests is far more detailed than anything I've posted, he's pretty much saying the same things that I've been posting WRT Gronk's contract for weeks, including the justifications for a "pay raise".

This all just seems like pretty standard contract stuff to me, and I'm no genius.

One key note there is that no one wants to see what the contract is/was in its entirety. It goes for both sides. Originally this was a pretty good deal for Gronk getting some serious money way ahead of schedule (not even allowed anymore), earning way more for two years he was supposed to stay on “rookie salary“, getting a lot of insurance for highly injury prone player that paid off nicely when he was missing big portions of season/playoffs etc. So the team took quite a big risk to possibly get some reward later - and now instead of reaping the reward for the risk taken . they are supposed to forget about all that and just pay what he is worth now (still on his 3rd back surgery and all)?

Of course this blatant ignorance of entirety reality is happening on both sides throughout the league so you can't really blame any player to play it this way..

 

[DarrylS]

This whole matter is getting way to dramatic for this fan, Gronk is under contract and should stop all his shenanigans, do what he is supposed to do instead of sending cryptic messages via instagram and other social media.. his actions may impact his extracurricular sources of income..

Does he really think he is going to get under BB's skin??? The whole matter has impacted his "brand" and he looks like a petulant child..

I am in favor of a new contract, with provisions for performance ...

 

[maineman209]

cryptic messages

... are inherently subject to a wide range of interpretations. It's all about what the reader decides to project onto a particular message.

For all we know, Gronk's "Be Free" thing wrt Amendola could've been a sarcastic inside joke between good buddies.

It seems to me that there's been an unusual amount of (media-driven) 1+1+1 = "OMFG!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!" surrounding the Patriots this season.

Ignore the noise.

 

[Froob]

It's always been about money. He's the 4th highest paid TE in the NFL right now and he knows this.

He’s also seeing Sammy Watkins get 16 mill. Gronk should easily be worth more than that.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Perhaps I’ve just gotten cynical this offseason, but that looks like an awful deal for the Patriots. If Gronk has two great seasons, then the Pats will never benefit from those final three team-friendly years because we’ll going through this “soft holdout” again in 2020. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an excessively large peace offering of $8 million and those extra years are close to irrelevant.

I agree with those who say that this is not an unusual contract, especially for someone with Gronk's history. In fact, it makes all the sense in the world for both parties.

I disagree that another "soft holdout" is in the making for 2020. I think he is genuinely concerned about his long term health and doubt very much that he will be playing a "final three team-friendly years." I think, at best, that Rob is "two and done" with the game and that even that will be a season by season decision.

 

[Triumph]

He’s also seeing Sammy Watkins get 16 mill. Gronk should easily be worth more than that.

And that is why the Chiefs have 1 playoff win in 24 years. 2019 will be 50 years since the last KC super bowl appearance.

That is also why the 2018 KC defense will be a dumpster fire this season.

 

[Triumph]

Trade Gronk for a 1st round pick. I would not give him more money. As soon as you do, he will be injured.

NE has won super bowls with TEs named Jermaine Wiggins, Christian Fauria and a LB named Vrabel.

Drama free TEs who would be happy with a ring.

Antonio Gates is available at 38 yo, but can still give you 300 - 500 yards and 4 - 5 TDs. Antonio Gates - Los Angeles Chargers - 2018 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com

Mercedes Lewis 33 yo. Not a problem child Marcedes Lewis - Unsigned Free Agent - 2018 Player Profile - Rotoworld.com

Bring Julius Thomas in for a look. Anthony Fasano, Heath Miller. 2018 NFL Free Agent Tracker - Rotoworld.com

 

[varjao]

Reminder that Gronk has zero gtd money on contract left and an offseason/TC injury could leave him with basically nothing - w vet salaries being guaranteed only in week 1 - so it is not too hard to understand his position beyond just more money talk..

People complaining about Gronk should pay attention to this.

Maybe it's not about more money but have some of that in some sort of financial maneuver become guaranteed. We all know he signed his deal a long time ago and it was interesting for him at that time, but that was a long time ago and things have changed. Teams cut players all the time and do not honor the contract when it's interesting for them. Gronk gave everything he had for this team every time he was on the field and put his long term health on jeopardy because of that. Back surgeries are no joke. The team also failed him handling that forearm fracture with a butcher disguised as a doctor and now he carries a huge scar and have who knows what kind of limitation on that arm.

He is a special player and I think it's about respect and he earned that.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He’s also seeing Sammy Watkins get 16 mill. Gronk should easily be worth more than that.

Good point, I didn't even realize that. Players know when they have leverage and this is one of those times where they (Gronk) have leverage. I just looked up his contract and he has two years remaining which is an appropriate time to renegotiate for a new deal. It gives the player and team plenty of time to work something out.

Ditto with Brady, rumor has it he wants a new contract before the season starts.