Tight end Rob Gronkowski outlasted teammate Wes Welker in the preliminary round of the Madden 13 cover bracket. Now, Gronkowski has another familiar face in the first official round of the challenge.
Coincidentally, Gronkowski has drawn new teammate Brandon Lloyd in the round of 32. Lloyd advanced out of the Rams' preliminary round, which seemed to be a little shortsighted since he was a free agent. Now, the Rams are stuck without a horse in the race.
The first round runs through March 28. The winner of each round is determined by a fan vote. Former Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who is currently with the Chiefs, won last year's challenge, which was the first under the voting format.
Gronkowski is the No. 2 seed on the right side of the bracket, and Lloyd is the 15th seed. That side also includes top-seeded Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan and Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is the top seed on the left side of the bracket, which also includes former UMass wide receiver Victor Cruz.
The winner of the Gronkowski-Lloyd matchup will take on either Vikings defensive end Jared Allen or Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
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