Rob Gronkowski

AFC Notes: Gronk, Broncos, Raiders

October 6th, 2016 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Appearing on CSNNE (video link), Albert Breer of TheMMQB said that he wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Patriots decided to eventually trade tight end Rob Gronkowski. When healthy, Gronkowski is a game-changing force who can terrorize any defense. However, he has had trouble staying healthy and he can sometimes be a high-maintenance player. In the past, Breer notes that those types of players have not lasted long in New England.

Here’s more from the AFC:

It appeared earlier this week that Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian would miss at least one game because of an AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder, but he could start Sunday against Atlanta, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Siemian resumed throwing on a limited basis during individual and seven-on-seven drills Thursday. That encouraged head coach Gary Kubiak, who called Siemian’s progress a “big step forward,” though he cautioned that the team will have to gauge the 24-year-old’s soreness on Friday. If Siemian is unable to play, rookie Paxton Lynch will make his first career start. The first-rounder from Memphis debuted in relief of Siemian in the Broncos’ 27-7 win in Tampa Bay last Sunday, completing 14-of-24 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.
While the NFL is reviewing a June incident in which Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib shot himself in the leg, potential punishment from the league probably isn’t imminent, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Talib will play Sunday, and the league is unlikely to make a decision on his status by the Broncos’ game next Thursday in San Diego. The 30-year-old has already intercepted three passes, already equaling his 2015 total, and will match up against Falcons superstar receiver Julio Jones on Sunday.
The Raiders worked out tight end Rob Housler, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The team has since promoted UDFA Ryan O’Malley to the 53-man roster, so Housler probably won’t be signing with Oakland at this time. The Raiders lost Lee Smith to injury earlier this week and he is likely done for the year after going on IR.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Rob Gronkowski’s Hamstring Still “Not Right”

October 4th, 2016 at 9:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rob Gronkowski hasn’t gotten off to a fast start in 2015, and it’s clear that he’s still affected by injury as the Patriots reach the quarter mark of the season. A source told Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link) that Gronkowski’s hamstring is “not right,” and also expressed concern that the star tight end’s injury “has not come along like they thought it would.”

Gronkowski missed the first two games of the season, but was activated in advance of New England’s Week 3 contest against the Texans. However, as Garafolo notes, Gronk has been mostly used a blocker (a task at which he excels) rather than as a receiver. He’s only been targeted three times, and he’s managed just one catch for 11 yards.

Those numbers are a far cry for Gronkowski’s usual All Pro production level, but the Patriots have also been dealing with a fluctuating quarterback position, starting Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett while Tom Brady has been suspended. Brady, of course, will return this week against the Browns, perhaps enabling Gronk to return to his usual form.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots To Activate Rob Gronkowski

September 22nd, 2016 at 4:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are set to activate tight end Rob Gronkowski for tonight’s game against the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Gronk has yet to take the field this season.

Gronkowski has been dealing with a hamstring injury for much of the offseason but he’s coming back just in the nick of time for New England. Tonight, the Pats are without Tom Brady (suspended) and Jimmy Garoppolo (injured), leaving third-stringer Jacoby Brissett under center. Inexperienced quarterbacks often look to their tight ends as security blankets, and there is no better offensive tight end in the NFL than Gronkowski.

In 2015, Gronk caught 72 passes for 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns across 15 regular season games. For yet another season, Gronkowski established himself as one of the most lethal tight ends in the game today. For his efforts, Gronk earned his third First-Team All-Pro selection and his fourth Pro Bowl nod.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Gronk, Rodgers, Sproles, Bills

September 9th, 2016 at 8:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, did not accompany the Patriots on their trip to Arizona on Friday, reports Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). That means Gronkowski will not play Sunday against the Cardinals, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). Gronkowski’s absence will leave New England’s offense without its two best players (quarterback Tom Brady is suspended) as the Jimmy Garoppolo-led club goes on the road to face one of the NFL’s premier teams.

More from around the league as the first Sunday of the regular season draws closer:

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 32, would like his playing career to last until at least age 40, he told Pete Dougherty of USA Today. “I think it’s more realistic now than it was when I first started playing,” the eight-year veteran said of achieving his goal. “The way the (practice) schedule is now, training camp, the research on nutrition. I think it is possible to play and play well into your 40s.” Only three QBs – Packers legend Brett Favre, Hall of Famer Warren Moon and Vinny Testaverde – have started at least 10 games in their 40s since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, notes Dougherty. Aside from Rodgers, fellow current signal-callers Brady and Drew Brees have also expressed a desire to last that long. As a 39-year-old (40 next August), Brady looks like a shoo-in to accomplish that goal.
The Eagles’ Darren Sproles will act as more of a receiver than a running back this year, writes Paul Domowitch of Philly.com. Sproles led all running backs in receptions (232) from 2011-13 as a member of the Saints, but he wasn’t as involved in the Eagles’ passing game under now-former head coach Chip Kelly the previous two seasons. Sproles still caught 95 balls, including 55 last year, while combining for 140 carries. As a runner, he’s unlikely to approach last year’s 83-attempt mark in new head coach Doug Pederson‘s offense, per Domowitch, with Ryan Mathews and Kenjon Barner set to receive the bulk of the work. For his part, Sproles is content with taking on more of a pass-catching role. “They’re playing to my strengths,” he said. “I really like this offense.”
Brian Fettner, the agent for the Bills‘ Seantrel Henderson, explained Friday why he and his client dropped their appeal of the right tackle’s four-game suspension for marijuana use. Fettner stated (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter): “Merciful or not, there is no medical exception that the NFL will accept. It doesn’t matter that Seantrel is battling Crohn’s disease, and has had his intestines outside his body. It doesn’t matter how you take it, if you digest the cannabis, that’s it. And they don’t care. So you can appeal and lose, and push it back, or you can get it over with. Per the negotiated letter of law, it seems like a futile appeal. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time. We want Seantrel back as soon as possible.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Patriots Notes: Hightower, Ninkovich, Gronk, QBs

August 14th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Dont’a Hightower is set to be a free agent following the season, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss has noticed a notable change in the linebacker’s “approach with the media.” This sentiment was confirmed in an interview with WEEI, where he made it clear that the contract situation wouldn’t be a distraction.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m here for the year,” Hightower said (via Reiss). “I’m not worried about it. Anything that is going to be done with that will be dealt with [agent] Pat Dye. Until then, I will just control what I can control in between these white lines.”

When asked how he deals with the distraction, Hightower said he tries to “avoid the media as much as possible; that’s the No. 1 thing.”

As the linebacker seeks a lucrative extension, let’s take a look at some other notes out of New England…

Agent Drew Rosenhaus attended the Patriots preseason opener, only 11 days after having attended the team’s training camp. Reiss wonders is his presence was in regard to clients Rob Gronkowski and Jabaal Sheard, who could both be in line for lucrative contract extensions.
Reiss notes that the Patriots dealt linebacker Jonathan Bostic to the Lions earlier this offseason in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick. Bostic suffered a serious leg injury this week, and if the linebacker ends up missing the season, the Patriots presumably won’t end up receiving the pick.
Coach Bill Belichick isn’t anticipating the addition of a veteran quarterback, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “We’ve talked about it but we’re where we’re at,” Belichick said. “We are where we’re at right now.” With Tom Brady set to miss the first four games of the season, the Patriots will be rolling forward with a pair of quarterbacks: fill-in starter Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Jacoby Brissett.
After having torn his tricep earlier this week, defensive end Rob Ninkovich was back at practice today, tweets Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Gronk, Revis

August 5th, 2016 at 9:41am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots star Rob Gronkowski wants a new deal, but he’s nowhere close to the point where the team would be obligated to give him an extension. What should the Pats do in order to keep their star tight end happy? Joel Corry of CBSSports.com suggests a compromise in which the Patriots would give Gronk $3-$5MM as an additional roster bonus on the first day of the 2017 league year, since they can afford to absorb a salary increase next year. The team could also include incentives for Gronk if he finishes in the top three among tight ends in key categories and/or add two years to his deal so that it runs through the 2021 season. On the flipside, the Patriots know that they would be setting a dangerous precedent going forward.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

From a fiscal standpoint, Darrelle Revis‘ five-year, $70MM deal ($39MM fully guaranteed) doesn’t seem like a great deal for the Jets at this juncture. As Revis ages, many have speculated that the Jets could try to shift him to safety, though he has rejected that idea in the past. This week, however, the veteran acknowledged that a position switch could be in the cards for him down the line. “There will probably be conversations in the future about maybe moving my position to safety,” Revis conceded Thursday, according to Connor Hughes of NJ.com. “But as of right now, I still feel I can play at a high level, and play the cornerback position at a high level.”
Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan is many steps away from seeing the field, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. Putting substance abuse issues aside, Jordan has been away from the game for more than a year and is looking to return from knee surgery. Also, despite boasts about his conditioning, Salguero says that he doesn’t look to be in especially great shape when looking at him. Because he has so far to go and because the team has many other options at DE, Salguero wouldn’t be surprised to see the team keep him on the NFI list or move him to the regular season PUP list to give him extra time.
On Thursday, we learned that the Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor are discussing a two-year deal as opposed to the type of long-term pact that the QB was initially seeking.

Contract Notes: A. Brown, Peterson, Gronk

July 31st, 2016 at 11:33am CST by Rory Parks

Steelers star wideout Antonio Brown has two years left on the five-year, $41MM deal he signed in January 2012, and Pittsburgh typically does not negotiate new deals with non-quarterbacks who have more than one year left on their contracts (although the club did give Brown himself that five-year pact after Brown’s second season in the league). The Steelers may be willing to make an exception to their usual standard operating procedure given how valuable Brown is to the team, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, they may have to.

Per Rapoport (Twitter links), Brown is currently monitoring DeAndre Hopkins‘ holdout in Houston, thereby implying that Brown may be willing to do the same thing in Pittsburgh. Rapoport adds that contract talks have moved much more slowly than Brown would like, and that the situation “bears watching.”

Now for some more contract notes on the league’s biggest stars:

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports weighs in on the Brown dilemma, writing that contract talks are not just moving slowly, there have been no contract talks at all between Brown and the Steelers. La Canfora says he would be surprised if a deal for the kind of money Brown is seeking gets done until after this season.
Appearing on the Steelers Radio Network, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert discussed Brown’s contract situation. “We don’t renegotiate contracts with more than one year remaining with the exception of quarterbacks. Antonio’s under contract,” Colbert said (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Twitter). “He’s a great player. You can’t say enough good things about him. But he’s a professional. He respects the process, as do we. We’ll see where things end up.”
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that Rob Gronkowski‘s agents, Drew and Jason Rosenhaus, are at Patriots‘ camp today. Garafolo’s sources indicate that they are working with New England on a new deal for the star tight end, but that nothing is imminent at the moment. Gronk, who signed a six-year, $54MM contract after the 2011 season, is under club control through 2019, his age-30 season, but he is significantly underpaid considering the going market rate for his position and his value to his team.
Adrian Peterson has two years left on his current contract, and as Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune observes, the structure of Peterson’s deal will force the Vikings to take some sort of action after the 2016 season. Peterson is due a $6MM roster bonus in early March 2017 and would carry a gigantic $18MM figure if his contract is not addressed. No matter how good Peterson is, Scoggins writes that such a cap number would be untenable for a running back who will be 32 next season. Although the team is trying to build a more diverse offense for Teddy Bridgewater, Peterson is still likely to be among the league’s rushing leaders, but even if he is, Scoggins sees a restructure at season’s end as the most likely outcome.

AFC East Notes: Fitz, Gronk, Gilmore, Darby

June 13th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

There still isn’t movement on a potential deal between the Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and it doesn’t seem like things will change heading into minicamp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Talks could be at a stalemate given that New York reportedly isn’t comfortable offering Fitzpatrick a one-year deal worth $12MM, while Fitzpatrick himself is content to wait out the club in the hopes of landing a better deal. Still, it’s hard to buy that Gang Green will be comfortable entering the season with Geno Smith as their starter, and with so few clubs around the NFL looking for quarterback help, the Jets seem like the best option for Fitzpatrick at this point in the offseason.

Here’s more from the AFC East…

Rob Gronkowski was present at the Patriots‘ workout today after not attending last week’s sessions, tweets Rapoport. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, New England was simply being cautious by holding Gronk out of last week’s workout, as the tight end is dealing with an undisclosed injury (but one that doesn’t figure to be a long-term ailment).
Though no extension between the Bills and Stephon Gilmore is on the verge of being signed, the star cornerback is expected to report to minicamp this week, news that Rapoport confirms (via Twitter). Gilmore himself tweeted that he’s only attending camp to prevent being fined, and Rapoport says that Gilmore’s presence probably won’t do much to help contract talks along.
Fellow Bills cornerback Ronald Darby can’t be extended for two more years, but he’s aware of how much defensive back salaries are rising, writes Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News. The Bills, in some respects, think Darby is a better player than Gilmore, which could be one reason they’re reluctant to extend Gilmore. With a Darby deal to worry about down the road, signing Gilmore now might not be the right call.
The Bills are working out former Maryland offensive lineman Andrew Zeller, reports Josh Reed of WIVB (Twitter link). Zeller, who made 12 starts at guard for the Terrapins last season, was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent, but was waived last week.
The Bills agreed to terms with former Rex Ryan pupil, signing ex-Jets defensive end Leger Douzable to a contract earlier today. Douzable, 30, will work as a five-technique in Buffalo’s 3-4 scheme.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Gronkowski, Bills

June 2nd, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

This offseason, tight end Jordan Cameron took a pay cut in order to remain with the Dolphins. Cameron confessed that it “doesn’t feel good” to take a step back in salary, but he also admits that he didn’t do enough last year (link via ESPN.com’s James Walker).

Cameron, 28 in August, caught 80 passes and scored seven times during his Pro Bowl season in 2013, but he was slowed by injuries in 2014 during his final year in Cleveland, and posted modest numbers in his first season in Miami. Playing and starting all 16 games, Cameron recorded 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Now in his contract year, Cameron will look to restore his value before testing the open market.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

Even though we’ve seen some of the league’s top tight ends get new deals this offseason, Patriots star Rob Gronkowski has not missed a day of workouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Gronkowski is significantly underpaid when compared with the going market rate for his position, but it’s possible that New England will convert some of his incentives into a signing bonus this summer in order to keep him happy and focused. Gronk stands as the fifth-highest paid tight end on a per-season average with a salary of $9MM/year. In that regard, he is out-earned by Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed, and Julius Thomas. Gronkowski signed a six-year, $54MM extension with the Patriots in June of 2012 that should keep him from reaching the open market until after the 2019 season.
In March, Richie Incognito signed a three-year, $15.75MM deal to remain with the Bills. When the Bills first brought the lineman in, he was considered damaged goods following the bullying scandal in Miami. Now, head coach Rex Ryan says he couldn’t be happier to have him in the fold. “He was looked at as a bully, and that’s almost as bad a thing as you can be in today’s culture. But I didn’t believe he was that person and now I know he’s not. He got a second chance and the guy’s making the most of it. I wish I had a whole bunch of Richie Incognitos, and I can tell you I’m super happy I have one,” Ryan said (via Don Banks of SI.com).
After spending the bulk of 2015 on the Bills‘ practice squad, wide receiver Dezmin Lewis is poised to push for a 53-man roster spot, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com writes.
Earlier today, we learned that the Jets are not inclined to offer Ryan Fitzpatrick a one-year, $12MM deal. We also rounded up some more items on the Jets, including some thoughts on Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation.

AFC Rumors: Luck, Raiders, Taylor, Gilmore

May 8th, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Andrew Luck currently attached to a $16.155MM salary due to the Colts exercising their quarterback’s fifth-year option in 2014, the negotiation’s for Luck’s second contract will be the most interesting in the league this summer. In surveying almost 10 NFL personnel sources, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said the consensus for Luck’s per-year total is between $23-$25MM.

Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers are the league’s only $22MM-AAV players, but it’s expected Indianapolis’ 26-year-old passer will surpass this mark and set a new standard for NFL salaries. Jim Irsay has already boasted about the number this contract will produce, and the owner remains committed to finishing this extension before the season starts.

Considering the supply-and-demand issue affecting the quarterback market right now, Fowler notes Luck has the leverage in this negotiation despite coming off his worst season as a pro.

Here’s the latest from around the AFC.

Rookie UDFA linebacker Curt Maggitt chose the Colts over other suitors because of their need at the position and a rapport with outside linebackers coach Brad White at the Combine, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star reports. The former Tennessee ‘backer has veterans nearing the end in front of him in Robert Mathis and Trent Cole, along with Erik Walden and seventh-round rookie Trevor Bates. Maggitt finished the 2014 season with 11 sacks for the Vols, but injury issues limited him to two games last season.
Not exactly known as a savvy drafting organization at the dawn of this decade, the Raiders were apparently ahead of the curve on the player who may be the best offensive talent in the game today. An Oakland scout called Rob Gronkowski the “best all-around player” in that draft class, as a Reddit user, /u/Mattyuh, obtained the Raiders’ 2010 draft binder (h/t USAToday.com). The Raiders, who don’t have anyone left from a draft that included Rolando McClain, Lamarr Houston and Jared Veldheer, took McClain in the first round but saw the then-injury-prone Arizona tight end go to the Patriots at No. 42 — two spots before their selected Houston. The Raiders’ scouting reports on Dez Bryant, Earl Thomas and Demaryius Thomas are also included in this interesting unearthing.
After signing Cordy Glenn to a long-term deal earlier this week, Tyrod Taylor and Stephon Gilmore are next in the Bills‘ extension queue. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News writes that the Bills want to sign their bargain-buy quarterback and standout corner to keep them in Buffalo. Glenn’s extension brought his cap number down to $6.2MM for 2016, leaving the Bills with more than $13.7MM in cap space. The No. 10 pick in 2012, Gilmore’s $11.08MM salary for ’16 is considerably higher than Taylor’s ($3.13MM cap hold). Taylor, who Carucci thinks should hold out for Brock Osweiler money ($18MM AAV) in the forthcoming negotiations, will be a free agent after this season.
Although the Bills‘ financial attention is now on new deals for Gilmore and Taylor, they would look to add help at wide receiver more than any other position in the late stages of free agency, Carucci writes. Percy Harvin‘s retirement and the Patriots signing Chris Hogan to an offer sheet that went unmatched leave the Bills thin behind Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. Marquise Goodwin may miss some of training camp should he qualify for the Rio Summer Olympic Games in the long jump — the top three long jumpers at the U.S. Trials advance — and the Bills only drafted Kolby Listenbee in the sixth round. Beyond the obvious veterans available — Marques Colston, Roddy White — James Jones and Jason Avant loom as slightly younger veteran alternatives.

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