The New England Patriots are a precarious position with All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski having yet to declare if he will return for the 2018 season. It has placed a cloud of uncertainty if the franchise will have their top offensive weapon back in the fold for another potential deep playoff run.
This has also presented the possibility that the Patriots could explore the route of trading the 28-year-old this offseason the longer this continues to drag out into the offseason. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, there are a couple of teams that are preparing to make a run at Gronkowski if he is made available in the trade market.
Last week, we mentioned this in the GamePlan (https://t.co/3cCCQbHsEU), and I'd repeat it — my expectation is the Patriots will be getting trade calls on TE Rob Gronkowski. In fact, a couple teams told me in Orlando that they were planning on making them.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 2, 2018
This could quickly develop into an intriguing situation with the Patriots having a few teams positioning themselves to make a run at acquiring the Pro Bowl tight end. One of these teams could potentially be the Los Angeles Rams, who were suggested as being a potential suitor given their aggressive nature in the trade market this offseason.
The Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick have demonstrated on numerous occasions that they have no fear in moving on from proven talent that includes the likes of Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Chandler Jones, Jamie Collins, Deion Branch, and Mike Vrabel.
Gronkowski is coming off another productive campaign that saw him lead the Patriots with 69 receptions (69), 1,084 receiving yards (1,084), and eight touchdowns that earned him a Pro Bowl selection and a First-Team All-Pro nod. It marked his fourth 1,000 receiving yard season and third in the last four years. If he does elect to return, any team looking to land him will have him under contract for the final two years of his six-year, $54 million extension with $19 million left in both base salary and bonuses.
It is a hefty price tag to pay, but Gronkowski has shown to be worth it with his play on the field that has made him arguably the best tight end in the league that has proven to an all-around asset as both a receiver and blocker. At this point, his situation is something to monitor moving ahead in the offseason as training camp nears closer.
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