Albert Breer expects the Patriots to receive some trade calls from teams regarding TE Rob Gronkowski. Interestingly enough, Breer adds that he spoke to a few teams last week who told him that they were already planning to make calls about Gronkowski’s availability.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Patriots will be receptive to moving Gronkowski in a potential trade.
Over the weekend, Jeff Darlington reported that a source close to Gronkowski is “pretty certain” he’ll return to the Patriots for the 2018 season as long as Tom Brady remains with the team.
Gronkowski has been weighing retirement because of physical and mental fatigue, but Darlington says he’s now more likely to be back. According to Darlington, there is “lingering frustration” between Gronkowski and HC Bill Belichick along with some other members of the organization.
Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal (via TheBigLead.com) spoke with a “Bill Belichick-friendly source” last week who agreed with him that once a player begins to make Belichick contemplate life without him, Belichick starts to warm up to the idea of being without the player.
“He imagines you gone,” Bedard’s source said before adding that the longer Gronkowski goes without saying he’s all in, the chances of him being traded increase.
Bedard added that the one landing spot for Gronkowski that could make the most sense is the 49ers, as it would allow him to be reunited with Jimmy Garoppolo. In fact, Bedard spoke to trusted league sources and it was clear that San Francisco was the “runaway leader” in terms of a speculative landing spot for Gronkowski. Bedard also floats the Rams as a possibility.
Gronkowski, 28, is a former second-round pick of the Patriots back in 2010. He is in the sixth year of his eight-year, $55.23 million contract that included $13.17 million guaranteed.
Gronkowski has outplayed this contract by a mile and was one of the most underpaid players in the NFL. He was set to make base salaries of $4.25 million (2017), $8 million (2018) and $9 million (2019) over the remainder of the contract when he agreed to a restructured contract this summer.
In 2017, Gronkowski appeared in 14 games and caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards receiving and eight touchdowns for the Patriots.
We’ll have more regarding Gronkowski as the news is available.
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