Rob Gronkowski has lost a step, according to Michael Lombardi.
Lombardi, a former NFL executive who worked alongside Bill Belichick with both the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, took a shot at Gronkowski on The Ringer’s “GM Street” podcast Tuesday, insisting the All-Pro tight end isn’t the same player he once was.
“Gronk doesn’t have the same quickness that he once had,” Lombardi said. “The great combination of Gronk and Aaron Hernandez — Aaron Hernandez was quick, Gronk was quick and explosive. Gronk is more of a builder of speed now. People are playing for that, so none of those underneath routes really apply to Gronk. It’s got to be throws up the field. That limits what you do offensively and I think that’s the challenge for New England.”
Gronkowski caught seven passes for 123 yards with a touchdown in the Patriots’ season-opening win over the Houston Texans, but the 29-year-old hasn’t made much of an impact over the last two weeks, totaling just six catches for 66 yards in back-to-back losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions.
Is the lack of production a product of Gronk losing a step, or are teams simply focused on eliminating the five-time Pro Bowl pick given the other deficiencies in New England’s offense? Maybe it’s a combination of both, although it’s hard not to wonder whether Lombardi — a huge Belichick supporter — is defending the Patriots coach against comments made this week by Gronkowski’s brother, Chris.
