Rob Gronkowski

East Notes: Galette, Tyrod, Patriots, Jets

February 4th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Junior Galette seems confident he will be back in Washington in 2017, but Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link) clarifies the pass-rusher’s standing. Since the Redskins placed Galette on the NFI list after his torn Achilles last summer, the Redskins still retain his rights, Jones reports. However, the sides are planning to rework his deal, per Jones.

Galette re-signed in Washington on a one-year deal worth $4MM in March of 2016. Spending the season on the NFI list meant Galette did not accrue a season toward free agency, so he remains on his previous Redskins contract. Washington did not place Galette on its NFI list in 2015 since Galette suffered the injury during training camp. He has not played for the Redskins despite signing two deals, but the former Saints edge threat said earlier this week a new contract is in the works. Set to turn 29 in March, Galette will have to rebuild his stock.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

Tyrod Taylor wants to stay with the Bills, the quarterback said during Super Bowl week radio interview on WGR 550 (via Nick Shook of NFL.com) but acknowledges it’s a “sitting and waiting” game now. Having signed a deal that becomes a long-term commitment if he’s still on the Bills’ roster by March 11, Taylor wanting to stay in Buffalo is natural. This offseason, the run-based quarterback’s status has shuffled from being likely gone to a candidate to stay after the hire of Taylor fan Rick Dennison as OC. Doug Whaley indicated his sports hernia injury won’t have any bearing on whether or not he stays. Of course, Taylor not being able to pass a physical by March 11 would ensure it.
Rob Gronkowski wants to play at least six more years, which is where the tight end places fellow Patriots icon Tom Brady‘s timeline at as well. “I don’t really think about it. Every single day I’m with Brady, and he’s talking about how he’s going to play six more years,” Gronkowski told the crowd (via Phil Perry of NESN.com). “So, like, in my mind, how can I stop playing before Brady? I came into the league like 50 years after him. I plan on playing as long as I possibly can.” This gels with a previous Brady proclamation his goal is to play until he’s 45. Brady will be 40 next season, his 18th in the league should he return. The 27-year-old Gronkowski is under contract for three more years but has become a major injury risk.
A Tony Romo-to-Denver scenario could leave a team like the Jets as a landing spot for 2016 starter Trevor Siemian, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. However, due to Siemian’s rookie deal, Cimini notes the Broncos would have the leverage in a trade discussion, and he doesn’t see the Jets giving up a second-rounder for the once-surprising starter. Cimini also notes the Jets had a middle-round grade on Paxton Lynch, adding the Broncos — who obviously held the Memphis product in higher regard — aren’t going to trade him no matter what happens with Romo. The Jets have only Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg under contract for 2017.

Fallout From Rob Gronkowski Injury

December 4th, 2016 at 12:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Rob Gronkowski was placed on IR yesterday, thereby ending his season and casting some doubt on his playing career. Gronk underwent successful back surgery on Friday, but that was his third operation to repair a herniated disc. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes, “Gronkowski herniated his L5-S1 disc while in college in 2009, his L4-5 disc in 2012, and the latest discectomy is almost certainly a reherniation of the L5-S1 disc, given the tingly feeling he experienced through his back and legs.”

The injury is not expected to be career-ending, but assuming Gronkowski does continue playing, he may have to battle through pain for the remainder of his career. At a certain point, he will need to determine how much of an impact taking the field will have on his post-football life, and that determination can only come after difficult conversations with his family, agent, and teammates.

Gronkowski is under contract through the 2019 season at a relative bargain. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes, Gronkowski had some leverage to demand a new contract this past offseason, and despite rumblings that he was unhappy with his current deal–along with some contract talks between the club and agent Drew Rosenhaus–he ultimately did not hold out or exert any sort of pressure on the New England front office. Now, of course, he has no leverage, and although he is scheduled to be paid $19MM over the last two years of his deal, that payout includes no guaranteed money. So while there is no reason for the Pats to move on from Gronk before they give him a chance to reestablish himself in 2017, his long-term future with the club is uncertain.

The Patriots have never considered trading Gronkowski, and his health situation precludes both trade discussions and contract talks for the time being. He potentially could have played in six to eight weeks, but he would not have been himself for a few months, and it made more sense for him to focus on rehab and assure himself, to the extent possible, that he will be ready to go in 2017.

Patriots Place Rob Gronkowski On IR

December 3rd, 2016 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

No miraculous late-January or Super Bowl LI return for Rob Gronkowski will be in the cards this season. The Patriots placed their superstar tight end on IR, ending his seventh NFL season, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

New England moved running back D.J. Foster back to the active roster, per Yates (Twitter link). The team already used its IR-return slot on third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

This doesn’t come as a shock after the joint statement released by the Patriots and the tight end’s family pointed to the 27-year-old perennial All-Pro being shelved for the season after back surgery. Gronkowski aggravated his perpetual back issue against the Jets last weekend, and the consequences give the Patriots a higher degree of difficulty in their hopes at a second Super Bowl title in three years.

It’s been another injury-marred season for Gronkowski, who has missed time due to hamstring, chest and now back maladies. Gronk played in eight games this season but only saw extensive action in six of those contests. He’ll wind up missing eight games in 2016, upping his career total of game-day absences to 24. The three-time All-Pro had missed just two games combined over the past two seasons.

Gronkowski will finish with the highest yards-per-reception figure of his career to date, having posted a 21.6 number here — a small sample size, obviously, but one that’s 5.3 higher than his previous career-best mark of 16.3 during 2015. This will also be just the second season the league’s consensus top tight end will finish with fewer than 10 touchdowns. He scored three times this season.

The Patriots advanced to Super Bowl XLVI with an ailing Gronkowski, who sprained his ankle in that year’s AFC championship game, but fell short the following two years after a broken forearm and tears of his ACL and MCL either limited or removed Gronk in the following two seasons’ AFC playoff brackets. His health the past two seasons helped New England to its fourth Super Bowl title, in 2014, or brought the team to the precipice of a title defense. Gronkowski’s dominant finish in the most recent AFC championship game nearly forced overtime in a narrow loss to the Broncos.

Tom Brady‘s numbers decline sharply without Gronkowski available. With Gronkowski since his 2010 arrival, Brady’s completed 65 percent of his passes and boasts a 103.5 quarterback rating. In the 17 games in that span Brady’s played without his potential Hall of Fame tight end his completion percentage drops to 57 percent, with his rating plummeting to 84.4. So, this could shake up the AFC playoff picture. Of course, New England employs a better backup tight end than it did previously, which should soften the blow.

Martellus Bennett will now have a prime chance to score a big free agency payday in ascending to the Patriots’ No. 1 tight end role. New England did not have a similar answer in previous years when Gronk went down.

Jason Fitzgerald On Gronk, Romo, Giants, Chiefs

December 3rd, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Ben Levine

Who will be the top unrestricted free agents this offseason? Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com throws out several names that may not be tagged by their current teams (via Twitter): Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short, Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

The cap guru answered a number of additional questions last night on Twitter. We collected some of the highlights, which you can find below…

Considering his $7MM cap hit and low salary in 2017, Fitzgerald can’t envision the Patriots trading tight end Rob Gronkowski. We learned earlier this week that the 27-year-old needs back surgery, which should keep him out for the rest of the regular season.
Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram could ask for Ryan Kerrigan-money during free agency, according to Fitzgerald. The Redskins linebacker inked a five-year, $57.5MM extension with the team back in 2015.
Fitzgerald imagines that Chiefs safety Eric Berry still wants to be among the highest-paid defenders in the league, but he notes that the 27-year-old hasn’t received the buzz that often accompanies top free agents. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald could see the Chiefs spending to retain defensive tackle Dontari Poe, but he’s uncertain about defensive end Jaye Howard‘s future in Kansas City.
Fitzgerald believes the Cowboys should take whatever they can get for quarterback Tony Romo, with the writer referring to the conditional fourth-round pick sent from the Jets to the Packers in the Brett Favre trade. However, even if the team does trade the veteran signal-caller, Fitzgerald says the team’s cap situation will likely prevent them from being major players in free agency.
The Giants signed defensive end Olivier Vernon to a five-year, $85MM deal back in March, and Fitzgerald believes teammate Jason Pierre-Paul is likely to make even more money when he reaches free agency this winter. Ultimately, Fitzgerald predicts that the organization will franchise their star defender.

Extra Points: Gronk, Cowboys, Draft, Lions

December 1st, 2016 at 8:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Patriots and the family of Rob Gronkowski confirmed in a statement Thursday that the tight end will undergo back surgery Friday. The hope earlier Thursday was that Gronkowski would return during the playoffs, but that’s now in doubt. “We do not expect that he will be able to play for the remainder of the 2016 season, but will await the results of tomorrow’s surgery before making a final determination,” said the two parties (Twitter link).

Rob Gronkowski To Have Back Surgery

December 1st, 2016 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski needs back surgery, according to a source who spoke with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). The surgery is expected to keep Gronk out for eight weeks, which means that he will be out for the remainder of the regular season.

Gronkowski, who has already missed a good chunk of the year to different injuries, suffered a ruptured or herniated disk against Seattle. Between his hamstring, punctured lung, and bad back, Gronk will finish the year with just eight games played and six starts. His 25 catches, 540 yards, and three touchdowns all represent career lows.

Without Gronkowski, the Patriots will lean even more heavily on Martellus Bennett. Behind them is the recently-acquired Matt Lengel, who is more of a blocking tight end. New England could look to add a third tight end to hold them over while Gronkowski is out.

It’s worth noting that the Patriots have already used their IR-DTR slot on reserve quarterback Jacoby Brissett. So, even if Gronk can beat the two month timetable he has been given, he cannot be placed on IR and returned to the active roster.

AFC Notes: Browns, Bengals, Pats, Titans

November 27th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After Cleveland fell to 0-12 with a loss to the Giants on Sunday, Browns head coach Hue Jackson had a meeting with his bosses and showed up 40 minutes late to his press conference. Jackson then assured reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, that his job is secure. “Let me go on record saying I have full support of Jimmy and Dee (Haslam) and Sashi (Brown) and his crew,” stated Jackson. “We’re not apart or splintered or whatever term you guys want to use. There’s none of that going on.” Jackson, who’s in his first year with the rebuilding Browns, was fighting back tears and said “being 0-12 is probably the hardest thing ever.”

East Notes: Forte, Gronk, Pats, Fins, Eagles

November 23rd, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before signing a three-year, $12MM deal with the Jets in free agency last March, running back Matt Forte also drew interest from the AFC East rival Patriots, he told Connor Hughes of NJ.com Wednesday. The Pats’ attempt to woo him came too late, however. “My agent told me they called. I asked if they talked about anything, and he said they just wanted me to come for a visit,” said Forte. “I said I’m already here about to sign, so, I didn’t feel like that would be right.”

Forte has been productive in his age-30 season (911 total yards, eight touchdowns), but the 3-7 Jets are out of playoff contention and the 8-2 Patriots are the division’s top team. Statistically, New England’s No. 1 back, bargain signing LeGarrette Blount, is having a better season on the ground than Forte. Blount has piled up 802 rushing yards (compared to Forte’s 732) to go with a slightly superior per-carry average (4.0 to 3.9) and 12 scores.

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is not expected to play Sunday against Forte’s Jets, per Dianna Russini of ESPN (Twitter link). Gronkowski suffered a perforated lung Nov. 13 in a loss to the Seahawks and missed the Patriots’ win over the 49ers last week as a result. The all-world weapon has sat out a total of three games this year, but New England hasn’t yet lost without him.
Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor admitted he’s fighting a “mental battle,” and head coach Doug Pederson won’t commit to playing him Monday against Green Bay, writes Tim McManus of ESPN.com. A reduced role for Agholor is a “real possibility,” Pederson said Wednesday, adding that Agholor has seen a sports psychologist recently. “Every team has them and I think it’s good, whether they’re going through stuff or not, to keep talking through some issues,” stated Pederson. Agholor hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status on the field since going 20th overall in the 2015 draft. Plus, as of late October, he was under league investigation for an offseason rape accusation that didn’t lead to charges.
Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan practiced Wednesday for the first time in almost two years and “felt good,” but whether he’ll play this season is up in the air. “I don’t know,” Jordan told Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. “It’s kind of hard to tell. It’s my health, man. It’s my body. If my body tells me I’m not ready to go out there and perform with the best athletes, I’m not going to put myself out there. The way everything’s been going, it’s been going well. I’ve got high hopes for myself to go out and compete before the season ends.” Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in the 2013 draft, has missed 32 of 58 regular-season games – 22 because of various suspensions – and has been out all of this year after undergoing two knee surgeries in the summer.
The Eagles signed special teamers Donnie Jones (punter), Chris Maragos (safety) and Jon Dorenbos (long snapper) to contract extensions last week. Details on the deals Jones and Maragos inked are now out, via Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links): Jones’ three-year pact is worth $5.5MM ($1MM fully guaranteed) and maxes out at $5.8MM with Pro Bowl incentives. Maragos’ extension, also for three years, is worth $6MM ($2.25MM fully guaranteed) and carries a $6.3MM max with Pro Bowl incentives.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rob Gronkowski Won’t Play Sunday Vs. 49ers

November 18th, 2016 at 6:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots will be without one of the primary offensive weapons on Sunday, as tight end Rob Gronkowski wasn’t on the plane that took the Pats from New England to the Bay Area, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link) had reported earlier in the day that Gronkowski didn’t participate in Friday’s practice and was unlikely to suit up against the 49ers.

Reports have differed as to what exactly will keep Gronkowski out of Sunday’s matchup — while initial reports indicated that Gronkowski suffered a punctured lung, subsequent information has revealed that the All Pro tight end may only be dealing with a chest injury. Either way, the ailment is serious enough to prevent Gronkowski from making the cross country trip, but New England will still be a heavy favorite against a San Francisco team that has only managed a single victory.

With Gronkowski out, the Patriots could instead feature their run game on Sunday, especially given that they’re facing a Niners club that ranks 31st in run defense DVOA. Veteran tight end Martellus Bennett will be the direct replacement for Gronkowski, and figures to see a few more targets than he normally would. On the season, Bennett has hauled 38 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns.

Rob Gronkowski To Miss Time?

November 14th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Following the Patriots’ loss to the Seahawks last night, Rob Gronkowski acknowledged that the tackle he took from safety Earl Thomas was one of the hardest hits he ever received. Well, that second-quarter play could cost Gronk some playing time.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Gronkowski suffered “what is believed” to be a punctured lung during the team’s loss and could miss “just one game.” The wording makes it sound like the tight end could miss more than a week, although that’s my speculation.

It is worth noting that Gronkowski stayed in the contest for the rest of the game. And, if it really is a punctured lung, then it’s hard to imagine that Gronk would have been able to play through it. The Patriots are set to travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers this weekend, and Dr. David J. Chao tweets that Gronk may not be allowed to fly with the injured lung. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Gronkowski has a “chest injury” and not a punctured lung. Schefter notes that the injury is “not overly serious.” We should have more clarity on Gronkowski’s situation tomorrow.

Either way, it should be a relief for the Patriots that their star tight end isn’t expected to be sidelined for very long. Despite missing the team’s first two games of the season, Gronkowski has still managed to haul in 25 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns. The former second-round pick certainly isn’t a stranger to injuries, as Gronkowski has missed 18 regular season games during his seven-year career.

Gronk wasn’t shy when describing the hit he received from Thomas:

“Yeah, that was a big hit for sure; probably one of the hardest I’ve got hit in my career for sure,” he said (via Will Brinson of CBSSports.com). “(It was) by a good player; a good fast player who’s like a missile.”

“It was a good, clean hit; nothing against it. I just took it and it just knocked the wind out of me a little bit, that’s all. If you’ve ever gotten the wind knocked out of you, you know what that feels like. Just down for about a minute or two, it’s a little tough to breath, but once it comes back, you’re good.”

Fortunately for the Patriots, if Gronkowski does miss time, the team has a solid insurance policy in offseason addition Martellus Bennett. The 29-year-old has been productive during his first season in New England, compiling 38 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns.

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