The Detroit Lions made relatively easy work of the New England Patriots on Sunday night, but imagine how bad things could have been if the Patriots’ second-best player was on the other sideline, too.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated Sunday the Patriots and Lions all but agreed to a trade that would send Gronkowski to Motor City. However, the Patriots tight end threatened retirement and the trade fell apart.
Gronkowski suiting up for Detroit likely would have tipped Sunday’s scales more, especially when you consider the Patriots wouldn’t have gotten any players in return for the All-Pro tight end, according to Schefter.
“It would have been a trade involving draft picks,” Schefter said Monday morning on WEEI’s “Kirk and Callahan.” “That was the base of the trade. He was the only player involved in that trade.”
He added: “It would have been a combination of picks and so it didn’t work out for either side. In the end, the Patriots get to keep him.”
Obviously, trading Gronkowski would have earned New England some pretty impressive draft capital. But to get no proven NFL talent in return would have made the Patriots worse in the short term, and the offense already is in dire straits with Gronkowski. Not to mention the fact that Brady is now 41 years old while trying to outrun the sands of time.
For what it’s worth, let’s say Detroit included its 2018 first-round pick (completely hypothetical). They used the No. 20 overall selection on center Frank Ragnow, so it’s not like New England would have been acquiring a top-five or even top-10 pick.
“The truth of the matter is, I think the Patriots are very fortunate they didn’t trade him,” Schefter said. “Because if they traded him, I think one of the issues they’re already dealing with this season is the lack of weapons around Tom Brady. … There just aren’t the number of wide receivers making plays that we’ve seen there in other years, and if you subtract Gronk out of that, who would Tom be throwing the football to?”
It’s a good question, and one the Patriots probably are glad they don’t have to answer considering the problems they’re currently dealing with.
