To PUP or not to PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Play being Bill/F.O. and getting clearance from the medical staff...

Do you PUP Gronk and get him back in week 7 or do you take a chance he is fully ready to go and pick him off the PUP by Saturday's deadline?

 

[PP2]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

I would definitely PUP him. Our TE situation is not precarious.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

If he doesn't look like he's going to be ready to practice in six week's time, I PUP him. If he looks like he can practice within six weeks time, I don't PUP him.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

Personally I think its a no brainer to PUP him and get him back in week 7

We need to see how the new offensive players perform and without Gronk this gives them more time to show what they got as well as keep Gronk from an early injury.

Besides other than Cincy and Atlanta this is an easy early schedule...

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

Not a chance - assuming the timeline we've been given is correct. There's a decent chance he could be playing Week 3 or 4 from what's been said. If he's PUPed he can't even practice until Week 7. Admittedly he likely won't need a lot of practice but with how he's seemingly progressing with no setbacks there's no need at all to put him on ice for half the season.

 

[Big-T]

Take him off PUP, teams have to plan for him just in case AND he can have a couple of weeks actually practicing before coming back, if you PUP him it will be over half way through the season before he's fully ready.

 

[Oswlek]

Even if he can't return until week 6 or so, I'd keep him active so the team can get him gradually up to speed on the practice field. If you PUP him, even if he returns immediately, the odds are it'll take until week 9 or so before he is ready for full-time action.

 

[Rob0729]

JPP had the same surgery two weeks before Gronk and he is off the PUP today. All signs point to him being ready to play by week 4. It is a no brainer to take him off of PUP.

IMHO, this is a silly exercise since it seems pretty clear that Gronk will be off the PUP and active by the time the 53 man roster has to be set. It isn't even a question of if the Pats are going to take him off the PUP, but when.

If he is medically cleared to play and in football shape, there is absolutely no reason to PUP him.

 

[borg]

He's GRONK
Some Red Bull, an STD test and he's good to go. Now take your shirts off and let's dance

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

This is even more speculative than most speculative threads. Isn't the question really about (a) how close is he to returning? and (b) is he more likely to risk further injury if he returns too soon?

Obviously the Patriots coaching staff weighs these exact questions as we do, except that they have real life information on those issues, while we merely sit here and try to piece together tiny tidbits and quotes about his progress.

However, I will say this: I believe Rob Gronkowski is one of the three best offensive players in the NFL (outside of QBs). Even if you can just get one or two games out of him (say games 5 and 6), it is worth the roster spot. End of story.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

Personally I think its a no brainer to PUP him and get him back in week 7

If he were to begin practicing for the first time in week 7, which is what PUP allows, I'd think the chances of him actually playing in game 7 would be very low.

Those of you picking PUP need to think of it in terms of getting him back 100% by game 9, or thereabouts.

By the non-PUP route, If he can practice by week 3 or 4 at least, then you may have him playing by game 5 or 6.

 

[Sicilian]

There seems to be a small subset of fans who believe two things:

1) As soon as a player is injured they become so terrified of life without them that they'd rather coddle them like a baby and then toss them into meaningful games.

2) That the NFL is so easy to dominate that the team doesn't need it's best players for as many games as it can possibly have them.

If he's ready to play before week 6, you don't PUP him.

 

[Jackson 2]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

If he were to begin practicing for the first time in week 7, which is what PUP allows, I'd think the chances of him actually playing in game 7 would be very low.

Those of you picking PUP need to think of it in terms of getting him back 100% by game 9, or thereabouts.

By the non-PUP route, If he can practice by week 3 or 4 at least, then you may have him playing by game 5 or 6.

WEEI reported he was on the field today doing strength and conditioning, for what it's worth.

 

[Salva135]

There seems to be a small subset of fans who believe two things:

1) As soon as a player is injured they become so terrified of life without them that they'd rather coddle them like a baby and then toss them into meaningful games.

2) That the NFL is so easy to dominate that the team doesn't need it's best players for as many games as it can possibly have them.

If he's ready to play before week 6, you don't PUP him.

+ 1

I simply don't understand the willingness of some people to see our best non-QB player off the field any longer than necessary. You can't just bubble-wrap Gronk and assume he'll be 100% for the playoffs, he's just as likely to get injured in Week 16 as he is Week 4. If even 50% participation from Gronk is the difference between 4-2 and 5-1 to open the season, you have to play him if he's medically cleared and ready to go.

 

[Gronkandez]

Re: To PUP or not PUP (Gronkowski) ... that is the question

Not a chance - assuming the timeline we've been given is correct. There's a decent chance he could be playing Week 3 or 4 from what's been said. If he's PUPed he can't even practice until Week 7. Admittedly he likely won't need a lot of practice but with how he's seemingly progressing with no setbacks there's no need at all to put him on ice for half the season.

He probably hasn't hit the weights since....I don't even know when. He's been hurt since about early December last year. Maybe he did leg work but then he had back surgery so I doubt he was doing anything for most of June and July. Im sure he could play in week 4 but do we really want to run him out there again at 70% again, only to have him get hurt on the first play again??

PUP him, and get him in Full Beast Mode for Week 7. It's a good point that he can't even practice until post week 6 if he's PUP'd they're already down one roster spot (Tebow) so they can't afford to waste two.

 

[Gronkandez]

There seems to be a small subset of fans who believe two things:

1) As soon as a player is injured they become so terrified of life without them that they'd rather coddle them like a baby and then toss them into meaningful games.
2) That the NFL is so easy to dominate that the team doesn't need it's best players for as many games as it can possibly have them.

If he's ready to play before week 6, you don't PUP him.

Did you watch the Houston playoff game? Do you want to make the same mistake twice? I know I don't.

 

[Big-T]

Did you watch the Houston playoff game? Do you want to make the same mistake twice? I know I don't.

Well why not release him then, the Pats never have to worry about him getting injured again then!

Putting him on PUP would be a dumb decision, coddling him just because of last year is idiotic and he's more likely to get injured going into a game cold week 7 than letting him practice for 3-4 weeks and then playing him.

 

[captain insano]

I pup gronk . no matter how he looks. hes to important to the team to take any chances with him. I want him to be 100 percent and have plenty of time to train and get back in shape before going out on the field again. back injuries are no joke. the more time for the mangled arm to heal the better.

 

[Rob0729]

Did you watch the Houston playoff game? Do you want to make the same mistake twice? I know I don't.

The Houston playoff game was a freak thing. There is no telling if that injury would have happened then or two years from now long after he was completely healed. There is no evidence that he broke his arm because they rushed him back too quick.

 

[Deus Irae]

1.) If you PUP a player, you prevent him from practicing with the team for 6 games.

2.) Patriots first two games, Bills/Jets should be easily winnable even with a shortened roster.

3.) After that, comes a 4 game stretch with

TB
Atl
Cin
NO

and you'd want Gronk available for any/all those games.

4.) That's followed up with the second meeting with the Jets

Given that, it really doesn't make sense to PUP Gronk unless you're 100% certain that he won't be available by some point in weeks 3-6.