Gronk to TB (Tom Brady): A Gronking to Remember

Papelbon's Poutine

Homeland Security
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2005
19,615
Portsmouth, NH
I love TB12 and Gronk and wish nothing but the best for both of them, professionally and personally; they've given more than I could hope for as a fan. But damn if I can't wait for them to spend a year or two outside NE and realize what 31/32 of the NFL organizations labeled as "more fun" or "easier to play for" are like and how accepting they are of that at the end of the day, having come off spending the entire careers under the hoodie.
 

Seels

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
4,948
NH
Lol. I can't blame them for wanting to have fun. And, I genuinely hope they win every game.

But Arians is a garbage coach who has been a garbage coach for two decades. Yea he's a bro.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Where would they have found the money? Brady would have cost them minimum of like $31 million ($25 mil salary + $6 mil cap hit from previous contract) and Gronk would have cost them, what, like $10 million?

Plus...I'm not buying it anyway. Gronk only seemed to suddenly show interest in playing when TB went to TB. Which is fine. He didn't want to play in NE anymore. I can live with that.
 

Bernie Carbohydrate

writes the Semi-Fin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2001
4,047
South Carolina via Dorchestah
Lol. I can't blame them for wanting to have fun. And, I genuinely hope they win every game.

But Arians is a garbage coach who has been a garbage coach for two decades. Yea he's a bro.
This -- I think Brady and Gronk will have some fun times with the Arians pass-first, deep ball, vertical approach, but it won't be so fun when Brady has to wait, wait, dodge a rusher, and wait some more for those fly routes to develop.

I don't want to see either Brady or Gronk hurt, and I'd like to be wrong about this, but the Gronk move smacks of late-era Al Davis management --get something shiny instead of building up the lunch-pail positions. Tampa already had excellent TE depth. If they were going to deal picks and add salary, improving the OL should have been priority one. Their only move to "bolster" the pass blocking has been oft-injured Colts RT Joe Haeg, who seems like a backup at best.

I dunno. As a head coach Arians has fucked up his share of challenges and goes out of his way to call out officials in his press conferences. He seems quotable/ colorful/ freewheeling, but Dour Bill gets you rings, Fun Bruce gets you 7-9.
 

BigSoxFan

Member
SoSH Member
May 31, 2007
47,090
This -- I think Brady and Gronk will have some fun times with the Arians pass-first, deep ball, vertical approach, but it won't be so fun when Brady has to wait, wait, dodge a rusher, and wait some more for those fly routes to develop.

I don't want to see either Brady or Gronk hurt, and I'd like to be wrong about this, but the Gronk move smacks of late-era Al Davis management --get something shiny instead of building up the lunch-pail positions. Tampa already had excellent TE depth. If they were going to deal picks and add salary, improving the OL should have been priority one. Their only move to "bolster" the pass blocking has been oft-injured Colts RT Joe Haeg, who seems like a backup at best.

I dunno. As a head coach Arians has fucked up his share of challenges and goes out of his way to call out officials in his press conferences. He seems quotable/ colorful/ freewheeling, but Dour Bill gets you rings, Fun Bruce gets you 7-9.
Bucs still have #14, 45, 76 to address needs. 2020 looks like good OT draft so they should be ok there. Should be 6 or 7 OT drafted in 1st round based on mocks I’ve seen.
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
Even if the Bucs don’t get one of Wills, Wirfs, Thomas, or Becton they can snag someone in the next wave.
The next wave is: Austin Jackson, Josh Jones, Ezra Cleveland, and Isaiah Wilson. Of those guys Austin Jackson has the highest ceiling, Josh Jones is the closest to being pro-ready with Cleveland being a close second. I think Wilson is a good fit in a gap/power running scheme and would shine in TEN or SEA.
 

SeoulSoxFan

I Want to Hit the World with Rocket Punch
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jun 27, 2006
22,089
A Scud Away from Hell
Todd Bowles gives the Bucs a much greater chance at playoff success than Gronk, me thinks.

I don't know why but I don't feel a bit of regret, sadness, whatever regarding Gronk joining the Bucs.
 

pappymojo

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 28, 2010
6,667
I don't miss the allegations of a scandal for every stupid thing.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/23/tom-bradys-accidental-trespass-creates-other-potential-problems/
It doesn’t matter, under NFL rules. As one source explained it to PFT, players cannot meet with coaches at any time prior to the start of the offseason program. Meetings outside the building are even more problematic, because in many cases those meetings can happen without detection.


“Totally illegal,” the source said. “They should be fined. Plus, I bet those duffel bags had footballs in them.”
 

luckiestman

Son of the Harpy
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
32,620
Lol. I can't blame them for wanting to have fun. And, I genuinely hope they win every game.

But Arians is a garbage coach who has been a garbage coach for two decades. Yea he's a bro.
Arians is a garbage coach compared to who? He had success in Pitt and Arizona.

Everyone will look bad compared to Belichick with Brady.
 

Seels

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
4,948
NH
Pittsburgh fans roasted him for years. Arizona? What did he do that was noteworthy there?

Arians has been very fortunate to go to teams as they got good, and bail on them right before the bottom fell out. Nothing he has done has been remarkable. Being better than Ken Wisenhunt and Chuch Pagano shouldn't get him bonus points, and the fact that he has 2 CotY trophies is one of the bigger farces in history. Now, undoubtedly, he'll have success in Tampa for a year or three, then the young players will price out, Brady will retire, and Arians will leave, not ever having to coach up a single player.

I don't have anything against him. I just don't think he's better than average. Like a worse but luckier version of Pete Carrol.
 

streeter88

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 2, 2006
1,807
Melbourne, Australia
I don't miss the allegations of a scandal for every stupid thing.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/23/tom-bradys-accidental-trespass-creates-other-potential-problems/
It doesn’t matter, under NFL rules. As one source explained it to PFT, players cannot meet with coaches at any time prior to the start of the offseason program. Meetings outside the building are even more problematic, because in many cases those meetings can happen without detection.


“Totally illegal,” the source said. “They should be fined. Plus, I bet those duffel bags had footballs in them.”
Bet that comedian feels like a heel now... getting his new QB in trouble already.

TB needs to lose a draft pick for this lol.
 

Pandemonium67

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
5,575
Lesterland
No, he'll get suspended for life after picking up the Pollarder, airplane spinning him, and launching him like a nuclear discus clear out of the stadium.

Then it's back to the WWE.
 

Section30

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 2, 2010
1,260
Portland OR
I don't get the no contact rule. Why would they want players to not be able to learn the playbook? How does it help the NFL to have more unprepared players? If there is football but in a shortened season wouldn't you want teams to be ready to go right out of the box?
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
I don't get the no contact rule. Why would they want players to not be able to learn the playbook? How does it help the NFL to have more unprepared players? If there is football but in a shortened season wouldn't you want teams to be ready to go right out of the box?
It was negotiated in the last CBA. Players felt they were pressured to go to "optional" team meetings during the offseason. So the CBA specified the offseason activities that teams can host for players, both optional (OTA's) and mandatory (mini-camp).

Yeah, but complaining about the meeting between Brady and Leftwich is making a mountain out of a molehill.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakeoestriecher/2020/06/03/rob-gronkowski-had-major-heat-prior-to-wwe-release/#2b7c686739e9
According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingNews.co), Gronkowski wasn’t exactly well-liked backstage following an incident at WrestleMania in which he was hesitant about doing a dive spot:
“It was noted [by Fightful Select] that those in the company that they spoke with ‘even those with a reputation of being easy, helpful, and good to work with, all had negative things to say about working with Gronk after his WrestleMania fiasco.’ Per the report, there was heat on Gronkowski after his hesitation to do his scheduled spot that put the WrestleMania filming two hours behind schedule. It was mentioned that one top name called Gronk ‘a...clown who we are so much better off without’.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,278
AZ
So, WWE shits on people after they leave?

It’s a weird story. It sounds like unnamed people are angry at Gronk for being exactly what the entire world knew was the persona that made him attractive to WWE In the first place.

Gronk’s abbreviated retirement likely will make it harder for him to get another gig when he retires again for real, but I guess he has 12 million reasons and counting not to care.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,096
In the kerfuffle between Gronk and WWE, being on Team Gronk is the easiest no-brainer decision one can make.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,671
It was a jump off a platform, maybe 10 feet in the air, onto a huge group of people. It's something that is done in wrestling all the time and is pretty safe, but I can understand why a non-wrestler would be hesitant to do it.

Outsiders who come into wrestling generally have a hard time gaining the approval of the wrestlers. A guy like Gronk comes in, gets paid a ton of money and promoted hard by the company, does a little bit of work and then leaves. It didn't help that Gronk's charisma did not translate at all to pro wrestling and his segments were almost all terrible.
 

Caspir

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
6,886
You mean the guy worth like $100m who has his body held together by tape wasn't going to free fall off a platform? Huh, crazy. I still think he gets injured this year, and I'm sad to feel that way. He just seems so big, yet so fragile because of the beatings referees allowed him to take with no penalty.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
You mean the guy worth like $100m who has his body held together by tape wasn't going to free fall off a platform? Huh, crazy. I still think he gets injured this year, and I'm sad to feel that way. He just seems so big, yet so fragile because of the beatings referees allowed him to take with no penalty.
He also refuses to go down when, at times, he probably should.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
You mean the guy worth like $100m who has his body held together by tape wasn't going to free fall off a platform? Huh, crazy
Yes, but I would have to think these things were covered when he signed contract.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Article here on cbssports.com regarding where to rank Gronk if he's actually done with football.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/could-rob-gronkowski-be-following-in-larry-fitzgeralds-footsteps-measuring-gronks-greatness-if-te-retires/

They really focus on receptions, which is obviously a huge part of the job as a TE, and it's really the only measurable part. Looking at that first, here are basically the top receiving TEs in NFL history:

Gronk: 143 g, 621 rec, 9,286 yds, 15.0 y/c, 92 td
Gonzalez: 270 g, 1,325 rec, 15,127 yds, 11.4 y/c, 111 td
Witten: 271 g, 1,228 rec, 13,046 yds, 10.6 y/c, 74 td
Gates: 236 g, 955 rec, 11,841 yds, 12.4 y/c, 116 td

So from a pure volume standpoint, Gronk is well short of these other guys. Now from a rate standpoint, here's what we're looking at (per 16 game averages):

Gronk: 69.5 rec, 1,039.0 yds, 15.0 y/c, 10.3 td
Gonzalez: 78.5 rec, 896.4 yds, 11.4 y/c, 6.6 td
Witten: 72.5 rec, 770.2 yds, 10.6 y/c, 4.4 td
Gates: 64.7 rec, 802.8 yds, 12.4 y/c, 7.9 td

So from a rate standpoint, Gronk surpasses them considerably. But obviously being on the field matters a TON, so these other guys do get credit for being on the field a LOT more than Gronk. Longer careers, fewer games lost to injury, etc. But if you add in blocking, well, we know that Gates, Witten, and Gonzalez were basically huge receivers, and not much at all in the blocking game. But Gronk was probably the best blocking TE we've ever seen. If that's a bridge too far, at least we can say he was one of the best ever to block at the position. We have all seen him throw defensive linemen around, never mind when he gets his mitts on smaller players.

The other guys have more individual awards in terms of pro bowls, etc.

Gronk: 5x pro bowl, 4x all pro
Gonzalez: 14x pro bowl, 6x all pro
Witten: 11x pro bowl, 2x all pro
Gates: 8x pro bowl, 3x all pro

But Gronk, unlike those guys, also has four SB championships (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020), even though he wasn't on the field much for the 2016 season and didn't play in the playoffs.

So putting it all together, maybe - maybe - Gronk didn't have the full career that these other guys did, but it's a little like the Pedro Martinez argument... other guys had better careers than Pedro, but when you measure these guys against each other, at the peak of their powers, there has never, ever been a pitcher better than Pedro, and there has also never, ever been a tight end better than Gronk.
 

BrazilianSoxFan

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2006
3,751
Brasil
I don't know if I'm able to call him the best blocking TE of all time, but that is just because we don't hear about blocking-only TE. But he definitely is the best at blocking among the elite receivers.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
He's obviously brilliant at the game. And he's really well-spoken in speeches and on social media and in interviews. Seems like he *should* be good at this. BUT....it ain't that easy to be good at, believe it or not. So I'll be curious to see how he does.