So, a thread about Gronk seems to have shifted into dueling discussions of pains in the back and lower parts of the anatomy. Hmmm ...
It seems to me that Curran has made some reasonable speculations about the personal side of Gronk's current unhappiness while more or less avoiding turning those speculations into soap opera plot points. And what Curran ponders may well be contributing factors to Gronk's malaise.
However, my guess is that this is mostly about money.
Start with the fact that, while Gronk's cap hits for 2018 and 2019 are ~$11M and $12M, respectively, only $4M of that $23M is guaranteed.
Then, consider that, for three of the past four seasons, Gronk has been in the Top-10 in receiving yards, receiving TDs and 20+ yard receptions, and damn close in YPC. All the rest of those Top-10s have been WRs, nearly all of whom have higher (or even significantly higher) AAV contracts and, more importantly, higher guaranteed money.
While the Pats' organization may or may not be able (or willing) to do anything about any Guererro-related issues (for instance) they can - and perhaps, should - do something about the money side. And, perhaps their addition of incentive bonuses to Gronk's 2017 pay demonstrated some willingness to do so.
It's technically and mathematically possible for the Pats to extend Gronk's current contract for another three seasons (through 2022, when Gronk will be 33). In so doing, they could significantly increase Gronk's guaranteed money and provide him with an AAV that would be in the Top-10 among WRs - while simultaneously reducing his cap hits for 2018 and 2019 by $4M-$5M for each year.
Seems like the smart play to me, and perhaps more technically feasible now than it was at this time in 2017.
Full disclosure:
I do NOT have a degree in English or any other human language. I do, however, shovel s**t for a living - literally. Seriously, I'm a commercial gardener/manure-mover these days. "PhD" has a somewhat different personal meaning to me.
OTOH, I confess that I can still recite portions of the Bard's plays and sonnets from memory (when appropriately lubricated), and I'm infamous for completing the Sunday NYT crossword (in ink) in just one or two extended sessions on the crapper (I haz skillz, as well as occasional constipation). But then, I also cling to the belief that the Aeneid was written as an epic comedy and would love to see it turned into a film with Dax Shepard in the title role, so maybe I'm just an alien life form.