We always expect to see some surprises during the NFL offseason, but you have to say that this year’s moves have been a little more shocking than most. We have seen some elite position players change addresses, but it was the Tom Brady move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that trumped them all. We all just assumed that Brady would play out his career in Foxboro, but rumors of a rift started a couple of seasons back and picked up steam over the course of last season. The move that the Buccaneers made proved that they are all in on winning a championship, but today’s news is going to see their Draft odds to win it all move quite dramatically.
Patriot’s Rob Gronkowski Gets Traded To The Buccaneers
It is now being reported, from very reliable sourced, that Tampa Bay has sent a 4th round pick in the draft to the Patriots to acquire the services of Rob Gronkowski and a 7th round pick, which basically means very little in the grand scheme of things. Let’s delve a little deeper into this transaction.
Rating the Gronkowski Trade
Given that Rob Gronkowski is one of the most feared tight ends in the history of the game, you might think that the Patriots got very little in return. The reality, though, is that they were not really in a position of power. Gronkowski was, for all intents and purposes, retired, although the fact that he had yet to file his papers with the league suggested that he might be open to a return.
This all sort of felt inevitable the moment that Brady inked his deal with the Bucs, and with Gronk making it clear that the only way he was coming out of retirement was to sign with Tampa Bay, the Patriots basically figured that it was better to get something out of the move. This is huge for Tampa Bay, but it is one that is not without some risk, which is what we will look at in out next section. Overall, though, you need to look at this as a bit of a win-win scenario.
What are the Buccaneers Getting with Gronkowski?
The simple answer is that they are getting arguably the best tight end in the modern game. Rob has the ability to be a total game changer, which is all the more likely when you consider his relationship with Tom Brady. It’s not all totally positive, though, as there have to be some legitimate concerns for Tampa Bay.
The first major worry is the long-term health of the big man. He has had injury issues throughout his career, although his time off may have given his body more than enough time to recuperate. There is no doubt about him being in shape when he reports to camp, it’s whether or not his body can hold up for the entire season.
Another issue is that this may prove to be a 1-year scenario. Gronkowski is not committing to anything beyond the upcoming season, so Tampa bay may well be looking at this as a rather small window of opportunity, which is also true when you consider Brady’s age. Whether this trade works remains to be seen, but it’s going to be fun to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming season.
