2020 Gronk Watch: Gronkmania

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DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
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Sep 9, 2008
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I don’t believe the Patriots are going to keep him, but why couldn’t they theoretically trade someone else to create cap room and keep Gronk? I don’t understand why people think they have zero leverage, or maybe I don’t understand the cap.
Right. The leverage right now is with Gronk. Because he can threaten to unretire at any point which would cause the Patriots to have to cut him. The way for the Patriots to neutralize that leverage would be to immediately create $8.25 million in additional cap space, because at that point they can simply tell Gronk -- go ahead and unretire and you'll be a Patriot and if we want our cap space back later we'll cut you in a few months if we don't get the trade we want. It costs the Patriots nothing because whatever space they create today will carry over to next year anyway if they cut him.

Most probably what is really going on here is that the Patriots have a way to immediately clear up $8.25 million in cap space and they have told that to Gronk's agent (or his dad? or whatever), which is as good as actually doing it. At that point, Gronk becomes their ally and he basically tells them go ahead and get your best deal and I'll wait to submit the paperwork. That's probably what's happening here, but the Patriots do need to have plan B ready to go to get that $8.25 million very quickly if they need it to keep the leverage situation in equipoise.
 

Average Reds

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Of course, one could say "If the choice for Bucs is to get HOF TE for OJ Howard or the 45th pick you do it."
Its brinksmanship for sure, but it does seem as if Gronk (and by extension, Tampa Bay) holds the trump card, which is the threat to unretire and gain his release.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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That cannot be true. I thought all team facilities are closed and that no medical reports or physicals can be completed. So how could they complete an exam in Tampa?
They can get 3rd party doctors to do it, doesn’t have to be in the team facility. Brady took one before signing.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Why wouldn’t Tampa wait until he unretired amdeffectively force the Pats to release him? Who else would trade for his rights if he unretired, as there’s no indication that Gronk would play for any other team?
 

Caspir

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I feel like fuck Gronk since if he wanted to come back he could’ve said so and Brady stays. He just doesn’t want to play here, so to me this not a good look.

He probably realized being a WWE gimmick had a short shelf life so I don’t begrudge the choice to come back. He just looks like an asshole to me, personally.

edit and I don’t mean fuck him as a person. Just the decision. Gronk is still Gronk. It’s clear there’s been serious issues for a while though. Edelman is still seemingly all in but for how long when he sees his BFF’s link up down south.
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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Nope. That's where I am.

In theory, even getting a 6th round pick for him is good, because otherwise he stays retired. But we should definitely start higher.
I'd rather he stay retired than get a 6th for him. Unless the pick is #199 perhaps
 

kelpapa

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Glad we got something of value, but it's really going to suck watching Gronk catch TDs from TB next year.
 

Melrose Diner

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I feel like fuck Gronk since if he wanted to come back he could’ve said so and Brady stays. He just doesn’t want to play here, so to me this not a good look.

He probably realized being a WWE gimmick had a short shelf life so I don’t begrudge the choice to come back. He just looks like an asshole to me, personally.

edit and I don’t mean fuck him as a person. Just the decision. Gronk is still Gronk. It’s clear there’s been serious issues for a while though. Edelman is still seemingly all in but for how long when he sees his BFF’s link up down south.
You think Gronk retiring was the reason Brady left? That feels like a stretch.
 
Apr 24, 2019
1,278
I’m with the crowd pushing for Gronk for the 45. I don’t think it’s crazy to expect that, given his talent, his “draw,” and what a game changer he STILL is. Then again, BB shrugged and offered Jimmy G for a 2nd that SF fell over themselves to say yes to in ten minutes, so maybe the “6th rounder/late round pick swap” guys are on target. Feels like in the early years BB used to do better, be more aggressive when it came to extracting VALUE out of trades. Ok fingers crossed hoping for a 2nd, and will be even more psyched to root for the Bucs unless they’re playing the Pats.
 

moondog80

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Sep 20, 2005
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It's a 4th rounder we didn't have for a player that was not going to play. It's found money. Especially since Gronk could un-retire and force release.
By that logic we should be happy with a 7th rounder.
 

21st Century Sox

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Can't compare to other trades....Gronk has zero value to Pats, he is not on the roster. So Pats have zero value if they don't do a trade. Can't compare it to deals that if you do NOT move a player, you keep his production...
 

PseuFighter

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Dec 22, 2003
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I assume that if there is no season contract years don't toll so they still have Gronk for a year.
Interesting. I'm not sure how the NFL is planning to do this if it happens (relative to MLB that is counting a year of service if no season).
 

Ferm Sheller

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This may allow the Pats the chance to turn a lowly 7th round pick into the Kicker of their choice.

EDIT: Because you have to think they're taking a K whether they make this trade or not.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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Cap relief and a 4 but that isn’t good
There's no cap relief. He wasn't on our cap.

How is it not good?

No trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 7th rounder
Trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 4th rounder
 

Oppo

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Apr 5, 2009
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Rooting for no sports this year just to gloat about trading Betts and Gronk and then not even playing.
 

BaseballJones

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Wow crazy turn of events. Since Gronk was retired, getting a fourth rounder for him is like basically finding money in the couch. Of course it would have been nice to get more but this works.
 

moondog80

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Sep 20, 2005
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How much can you expect for a 30 yr old TE with a long injury history, who didn't want to play in NE, and has been doing weed every day for the past year.
Who is also the best at his position ever.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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There's no cap relief. He wasn't on our cap.

How is it not good?

No trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 7th rounder
Trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 4th rounder
You forgot:
No trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 7th rounder, and no hurt feelings
Trade Gronk not playing for NE and a 4th rounder, and hurt feelings
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Dec 19, 2009
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I don't have time to go through every one he's ever made BUT has BB ever made a trade where it wasn't a player for picks or picks for a player? Has there ever been a player-for-player (picks included or not) trade? If not, I don't know why anyone expected one.

Also, their cap situation still blows and they probably can't bring Howard in without moving someone else first. Or maybe Bill just doesn't want him.

WWE is going to have to send a ref to every game if he doesn't drop the 24/7 Championship prior to training camp, because every tackle will be a pinning predicament and there could be several title changes over the course of one game.
 

moondog80

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Sep 20, 2005
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There's no cap relief. He wasn't on our cap.

How is it not good?

No trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 7th rounder
Trade: Gronk not playing for NE and a 4th rounder
So then why did Tampa offer a 4th rounder? Why not a 6th rounder?
 

moondog80

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Sep 20, 2005
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As was Jim Brown, but no one's trading for him.
You're right. Comparing 2020 Jim Brown to 2020 Gronk is a great analogy.

Gronk was still very good last time we saw him, and he's had a full year to heal up.
 
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