Has Rob Gronkowski lost a step?
Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi believes so, saying this week on The Ringer’s GM Street podcast that the New England Patriots tight end doesn’t have the same quickness he once had. But Cris Carter isn’t so sure, and the former NFL wide receiver wondered Thursday on FS1’s “First Things First” what video Lombardi watched to arrive at his conclusion.
“I’d like to see the tape that he was looking at. Or I’d like to be sitting on the couch or something with the dip when he could see that on his TV screen,” Carter said. “It’s impossible. If you watch the coverages that Gronk has gotten, it’s impossible to judge how fast he can move because he’s limited off the line of scrimmage.”
Gronkowski had a huge Week 1, catching seven passes for 123 yards with a touchdown in New England’s season-opening win over the Houston Texans. But the All-Pro was held to just six catches for 66 yards over the past two weeks as the Patriots suffered back-to-back losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions, prompting Gronkowski’s brother, Chris, to hint at some frustration from No. 87.
Since Lombardi worked alongside Bill Belichick in New England and with the Cleveland Browns, it’s fair to wonder whether the ex-NFL exec simply is defending the Patriots coach in his criticism of Gronkowski or if he actually saw signs of regression on tape.
Either way, Gronkowski remains the best tight end in the NFL, according to Carter, and it’s possible the five-time Pro Bowl pick will remind everyone of his greatness in the coming weeks once Josh Gordon joins the mix and Julian Edelman returns from a four-game suspension to help Tom Brady and New England’s sputtering offense.
