Bruce Arians Opens Up On Gronkowski Signing
August 21st, 2020
New light was shed on the trade that sent Rob Gronkowski to the Buccaneers.
The Bucs, of course, didn’t need a tight end coming off a season in which they didn’t feature tight ends but still were third in the NFL in scoring and total yards. And the Bucs also had investments in two talented pass catching tight ends.
But in came a salesman named Tommy, head coach Bruce Arians explained to The Rich Eisen Show yesterday.
Rich Eisen: “Is that how you got Gronk, Bruce? Is that how it worked, where [Tom Brady] is like, ‘I kind of like Gronk here.’ And you’re like, ‘Well, guess what, we’ll get you Rob Gronkowski.’
Bruce Arians: Well, basically, yeah. He sold me on the fact [Gronkowski] wanted to play again. I thought he was happy in retirement. “[Brady] said, ‘No,’ he wants to play and he’s in great shape.” You know I called a game in New England [for CBS] my year off and Gronk didn’t look like himself; he had braces everywhere and he was struggling to get down the field. You know, he got here, he looks eight years younger, all-healed up and running around and looks fantastic. But yeah, Tommy sold me on him and then we got the deal done.
Joe is glad the Bucs made this deal, and it’s interesting to hear Arians talk about how it went down. It’s unclear where Bucs general manager Jason Licht is in all this?
Joe sure hopes Matt Gay is on the money early this season, for the Bucs’ sake and for Gay’s. Brady’s 14-year teammate and close friend, kicker Stephen Gostkowski, has not retired and has been rehabbing the hip he injured last October with the intent to return to the NFL.
August 21st, 2020 at 8:41 am
How did this turn into a kicker article?
It’s not.
Brady recommends a close friend he thinks can help and the team trusts him and jumps to trade.
Another close Brady friend kicks and is on the street. So if Gay misses a few early, Joe suspects Brady would tell Arians he should really look at his buddy.–Joe
August 21st, 2020 at 8:47 am
Great!
Now let’s all hope Tom Brady can continue to sell Arians on USING Gronk ?
August 21st, 2020 at 9:07 am
Joe doesn’t know where Licht stands on this…….TBBF does….Licht stands aside like he has on most everything these last two years.
August 21st, 2020 at 9:23 am
I agree, if Matt Gay doesn’t live up to expectations, sign Stephen Gostkowski. Problem is – we have no money left under the cap to sign anyone except for league minimum players.
August 21st, 2020 at 9:26 am
of course BA wanted to make the deal….lol…
OJ was trash last year and brate was up and down banged up…..it was a no brainer….
Gay may have an advantage this year with little to no fans in the stadium…
GO BUCS!!!!
August 21st, 2020 at 9:29 am
It’s glaringly evident the Glazer’s philosophy in the HC/GM role is for the GM to serve at the behest of the HC – its been this way for a while now –
remember Gruden’s hand picked guy…or Lovie’s basement study…or weapons for Winston….
BA says jump, JL says, how high?
August 21st, 2020 at 9:31 am
TBBF
i agree about licht…lol…
he seemed just as surprised about signing brady and gronk as the fans….lol..
GO BUCS!!!!
August 21st, 2020 at 9:45 am
Sounds more like Brady said jump and ole befuddled stale biscuit said how high!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is no power structure when gm and head coach are in desperation and panicked about clinging to there jobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 21st, 2020 at 9:48 am
Just go for 2 after every td and save Gay for the long fg’s.. haha
August 21st, 2020 at 9:52 am
@TB12, could ya tell your new boss im available?
August 21st, 2020 at 9:59 am
“Blah, blah, blah…..blah, blah, blah…….blah, blah, blah”, said El Buco Dicko.
August 21st, 2020 at 10:02 am
@vic Robertson
Are you any good at secretly deflating footballs and cheating?????? If so, you might be qualified!!!!!!!!!!! And like the mob, you can’t be a rat!!!!!!!! Total loyalty to the crime!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 21st, 2020 at 10:03 am
How sad is El Buco’s life he arrives in every thread with the same shtick.
August 21st, 2020 at 10:11 am
SC Bucs Fan – and it doesn’t even make sense. I get the deflate gate and all that, but what does that have to do with Gronk. We got him, he looks great. Probably wouldn’t have been here if not for Brady’s recommendation. End of story!
August 21st, 2020 at 10:12 am
Hey, if gronk is all healed up he should be great.
I’m sure licht checked him out medically.
August 21st, 2020 at 10:14 am
BTW, I just ignore realisto
August 21st, 2020 at 10:23 am
The Bucs will never develop a kicker if they do not invest the time to do so. That may require having two on the roster at the same time. They’ve done it before, and it resulted in the Bucs having a good kicker.
I can’t give a good reason for feeling this, but I think Matt Gay is going to be good. Certainly worth the 3 year investment of time to see how he works out. I’ve read that he’s been working very hard this off season…so he obviously has the drive to succeed.
August 21st, 2020 at 10:24 am
realisto is realisto because his other names keep getting kicked out.
August 21st, 2020 at 10:25 am
El Buco Realisto
“There is no power structure when gm and head coach are in desperation and panicked about clinging to there jobs”
Realist I see no indication that Arians was/is panicked or clinging to his job….then again in your little world…
August 21st, 2020 at 10:30 am
Yup it’s 2020, what 12 years since the curse of Matt Bryant? And my number 1 concern on this team is Matt Gay, he lost 2 games last year for us, and the 37 yarder against the giants is pathetic. The last 2 games of the year were atrocious kicking. Tell me why every year our kicker seemingly has a meltdown for a couple games, not a bad game either, it’s a full on I forgot how to kick! I mean is he being paid to shave points? It sounds crazy, but year after year? I mean at some point you start to wonder. Im hoping somehow Brady maga the kicker better too, just like Joe’s scenario with gostkowski. This has got to end this year, right?
August 21st, 2020 at 11:27 am
NFL Football 101:
Correct me if I am wrong. This is the way things are here within the Buccaneers organization.
The scouting staff works with the coaching staff to arrive at final recommendations regarding player personnel. BA and JL collaborate on important decisions just as happened with the previous head coaches. Licht and his staff do the final negotiations and signings. In the end Licht manages and Arains coaches.
Licht makes the final decisions on what he is responsible for. That is why we hang past draft failures such as Robert Aguayo and Vernon Hargreaves III on him for example.
Tom Brady and Steve Gronkoski both wanted to come here to play for the Bucs. BA wanted them and JL got behind the effort. BA reached out to each as part of the negotiation process.
August 22nd, 2020 at 12:01 am
Brady will blow a major gasket if Gay shanks a game winning 40 yd. Geez, BA/JL better get ready for blowback…and keep Gost on speed dial.
August 22nd, 2020 at 12:13 pm
The Bucs have an excellent kicker on the roster right now, Elliot Frye. That guy was absolute money kicking for Spurrier and Orlando in that other pro league. He never missed a kick and Orlando was in 1st place because of him.
Frye will fit in nicely under the cap. I’ve said that Gay was a head case from Day 1.