Recently, the Patriots were reported to have started shopping wide receiver Danny Amendola. Amendola, 28, has been injury prone his whole career, including his earlier years with the Rams, so it’s clear New England is looking to get some value for Amendola. Which leads me to another injury prone receiver for the Patriots; Rob Gronkowski.
At his best (and healthiest), the 24-year-old tight end for the Patriots has been nothing short of spectacular. In his first two seasons in the NFL, Gronkowski made 132 receptions for 27 touchdowns, amassed for a combined 1,873 yards, and achieved an average of 13.9 yards per catch.
Even in seasons cut short by injuries, Gronkowski was responsible for helping New England get crucial wins down the stretch in 2012 and 2013. There’s little doubt that Gronk has all the talent in the world as a tight end.
At his worst, Gronkowski has been knocked out of the NFL for numerous injuries. And when I say “numerous injuries”, I mean “this seems to happen 24/7/365.” In his last two seasons, Gronkowski only played 18 out of 32 games in the regular season, and hasn’t even played in the playoffs since 2011.
In two years, Gronkowski has had six surgeries (four on his forearm, one on his knee and one on his back). That’s not good when you’re among the highest level of tight ends in the game.
The Patriots can’t release Gronkowski either. Since he signed a six-year extension including a lot of guaranteed money with the club after the 2011 Super Bowl run, New England is stuck with him for a while. Thus, it is in the team’s best interests to keep him healthy so the extension doesn’t go to waste.
The problem? Other tight ends won’t be able to fully prove themselves next year if Rob Gronkowski goes down with another injury next year. This isn’t just a problem on the tight end front, as New England’s wide receivers and defense also have these issues.
Despite losing Gronkowski, among others, for a significant part of the season, QB Tom Brady still proved his greatness, throwing for 4,343 yards and 25 TD’s. In addition, he helped lead the Patriots to a 12-4 record and the AFC Championship Game. Impressive when you consider Brady had little to no weapons healthy for the season.
Signing Gronkowski to a six-year extension (as of now) was bad for the Patriots. Unless Gronkowski proves himself and stays healthy in 2014, I don’t see the team keeping him for too long. Brady can’t be the only guy stepping up for New England, his receivers need to lay low on the injuries and the defense (26th in the NFL) is an issue that needs to be fixed in the offseason. So 2014 is a statement season for Gronk.
I stress that if Gronkowski is healthy for 2014 (his arms in particular) because he has proven his worth in the NFL before. (And no, his offseason partying has nothing to do with him being healthy. That’s his business and not ours.)
The Patriots ranked seventh in the NFL in total offense in 2013, but with receivers going down more often than not, could the offense stay at that high of a level for long? Will Tom Brady be able to step up to the challenge again if his receivers are exiting the game with injuries? If all this happens, will the Patriots still make the playoffs?
That’s why Gronkowski has to come back strong next year, he is a huge boost to the franchise when healthy. Coach Bill Belichick has to make sure Gronkowski is ready to prove himself come 2014. Otherwise New England will overpay him and we could see a legendary career cut short.
And believe me, no one would want that kind of talent to die early.
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(Stats via espn.com)
