Is Rob Gronkowski going to return to old form during his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
It seems NFL executives and others around the league have their doubts. Well, at least according to a story published by NFL writer Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal.
Bedard on Tuesday cited a few NFL sources who seem to believe Gronk’s best days are behind him. And the fact that teams don’t fear the tight end like they used to, have many questioning if his $9.25 million cap number will be worth it.
“Was he just beaten down at the end of 2018 and, after a year off, he’ll come back refreshed for one final run?” one AFC general manager told Bedard. “Sure, I guess that’s possible. Tampa better hope so, or they just wasted $9 million. What he showed in 2018 … that’s not worth it.”
More likely than not, Gronkowski is still going to find a way to perform, especially with quarterback Tom Brady throwing him passes. But the production Gronk will be able to put together over a 16-game season is certainly no slam dunk.
That, along with that fact that many are left questioning how his explosiveness will be impacted from time off and his unknown workout routine, make for some big questions.
“It’s one thing for a quarterback or even a receiver or cornerback to do the TB12 stuff … it doesn’t work for the guys who are being hit all the time,” another source to Bedard. “You need that strength, not pliability to deal with that.”
We’re eagerly awaiting to see how he looks.
