Is Gronk Good With Role?
September 24th, 2020
Wonders about Gronk.
It seems those outside Tampa who work behind a microphone for a living (and often a camera) think there are brewing tensions in the Bucs’ locker room.
And one such tension, at least from a former NFL punter, could be coming from Bucs tight end, foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski.
Gronk came out of retirement to play with the Bucs and reunite with his old pal, park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring Bucs quarterback Tom Brady. But Pat McAfee, the former Pro Bowl Colts punter who also was Bucco Bruce Arians’ emergency QB in Indianapolis, wonders if there may be trouble in paradise.
For example, Gronk’s buddy has only targeted Gronk four times in two games. After rattling the cages of national media Monday saying his offense isn’t built to throw to tight ends, Arians was asked yesterday about Gronk’s limited impact.
“We haven’t had that many red zone opportunities and I don’t see him running 40 yards past people anymore,” Arians said of Gronk. “If we get him press coverage, hopefully he can. We brought him in to just play tight end. If that means no catches, it means no catches. If it means 10 catches, it means 10 catches because he’s open and that’s where the ball goes.”
McAfee, speaking on his popular show earlier this week, wondered if Gronk is having second thoughts about coming out of retirement or at least playing for the Bucs.
“He has not been a focal point of the offense,” McAfee said. “And everyone knows when you watched the New England Patriots, when Rob Gronkowski was on the field, there was a chance he was either going to pancake somebody on the run, or he was going to make a ridiculous catch and the nimble Clydesdale was going to make a play after he got the ball.
“He said he was healthy, his back was healthy, he was rejuvenated. He loves the game again because he was worn out up in New England. Is Rob Gronkowski buying in that his role is going to be much different than at any other time in his NFL career when he is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?”
McAfee added Gronk likely won’t say anything or gripe to anyone so long as the Bucs are winning. You know, winning is the greatest perfume? But what happens if the Bucs are losing?
Look, Joe thinks Arians nailed it when he said if Gronk gets open, then he will get catches. As Joe asked yesterday, does anyone really believe Brady won’t throw Gronk the ball if he is open and others are covered? Brady doesn’t seem like a guy who will force passes.
Joe believes the biggest issue is what many warned Bucs fans about Gronk: It’s not easy getting on the NFL bike again after you stayed away for a year.
Joe believes Gronk’s biggest issue now is rust.
September 24th, 2020 at 3:27 am
If we could turn him in and get your mony back…but that won’t happen, now is the time to deal with this before it turns into a so called cancer….cut his a$$…AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN BREATHE!! HENNY AND HOG…get yo-self some!!!”
September 24th, 2020 at 4:40 am
gronk is growing “secretly furious”
September 24th, 2020 at 4:46 am
Two games. Two games in which he’s been as advertised as a blocker.
September 24th, 2020 at 5:03 am
BigHog the GM: Would’ve given $30 million a year to a QB who is third string on his current team. I’m thankful BigHog isn’t the Bucs GM.
September 24th, 2020 at 5:30 am
Fake news. He’s being paid. He’s in Florida. He’s working with one of his best friends. And the season is 2 weeks old.
Why is anyone listening to an ex punter’s thoughts on anything?
September 24th, 2020 at 6:38 am
Gronk didn’t look fast in practice but still has great hands and blocks well. When teams stop looking at Gronk as a threat in the pass catching, the Bucs should make the defense pay by throwing the ball to him. Give it some time.
September 24th, 2020 at 6:49 am
Gronk was a waste of 10 mil qe already had howard and brate
September 24th, 2020 at 6:50 am
Y’all so over dramatic that’s what the media does to the brain. Go watch some film gronk has gotten open ball just went elsewhere.
September 24th, 2020 at 6:59 am
Haven’t two of Brady’s three INTs been when he was in trouble and forced the ball to Gronk?
He is still his security blanket but maybe not good enough to bail him out anymore.
September 24th, 2020 at 7:28 am
Give it some time…..one breakout game for Gronk and we’re off to the races.
I hope.
September 24th, 2020 at 8:05 am
Who is the only man to consistently hold Michael Jordan to under 20ppg?
Dean Smith…
Who is the only man to shut down future HOFer Gronk?
Bruce Arians…
September 24th, 2020 at 8:18 am
I listened to McAfee’s broadcast. Like a lot of them, these are drama queens out to create controversy that’s not there. The WR group is led by two of the best in the league, and two ore that Brady loves and who are very much on the rise. Save the Gronk controversy for the Real Housewives of Ybor City.
September 24th, 2020 at 8:28 am
I posted this last night but Gronk in 2018 through the first two games had 5 targets, 2 rec, and 24 yards.
Currently through two games with bucs he has 4 targets, 2 Rec, 11 yards and a bad drop.
He will be used more as the season progresses and he’s a monster in the post season!
September 24th, 2020 at 8:53 am
still early in the season….GRONKs time will come….
GO BUCS!!!!
September 24th, 2020 at 9:37 am
He got some seperation and was targeted, but got interfered with. Kinda reminded me of how Evans was targeted but got interfered with on several occasions the first game. Teams don’t want to get beat by these guys so would rather hold them than let them make a play on them.
September 24th, 2020 at 9:38 am
Dean Smith, one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history?
1981-82: Jordan averaged 13.5 points, UNC averaged 66.7 ppg (won National Championship, team also had James Worthy and Sam Perkins)
1982-83: MJ 20.0, UNC 80.7
1983-84: MJ 19.6, UNC 80.1
The shot clock wasn’t introduced to NCAA basketball until 1985-86. Outmatched teams sometimes ran “stalls”, lowering scores. Jordan also didn’t have the 3-point line in his college career, which also started in 1985-86.
September 24th, 2020 at 9:56 am
Tension is brewing?
After 2 only games?
Really?
Really?
September 24th, 2020 at 10:02 am
Well..I hate to say it but gronk DOES look like an absolute SHELL of himself, he is much slower/less athletic. Even that dropped pass up the seam that was called for a flag (which wasn’t interference at all frankly) that was kind of embarrassing and ungronk-like. Right now I’m happy if he just seals off the edge so Brady has added protection or opens up a crease for fournette. OJ Howard us the one that needs to step it up
September 24th, 2020 at 10:04 am
I think everybody has the Gronk signing all wrong. He wasn’t added to catch passes, he was added to protect his best friend from a rookie RT, and an inconsistent LT. Ever think Gronk is just fine mixing it up on the edge, and leveling guys in the run game? Maybe he doesn’t want to run down the field anymore having safeties taking out his knees. Gronk is Tom’s body guard wing man, and he’s fine with that role.
September 24th, 2020 at 10:20 am
After 2 games, and I know it’s ONLY 2 games, I feel like the Bucs are paying $10 million for a blocking te. BA’S offense doesn’t utilize te’s for their catching ability. I was hoping he would bend the offense a little to use gronk as a pass catching te but I would be shocked if he does.
I wouldn’t call him a cancer. He’s doing what is asked of him and that’s all you can ask for at this point. I mean, it’s not like he has 35 turnovers that lead to 121 points for the opposite team.
THANK GOD THE CANCER IS GONE AND WE CAN FINALLY BREATHE AGAIN!!!
September 24th, 2020 at 10:21 am
Hodad nailed it.
September 24th, 2020 at 10:22 am
Filet mignon and crown, come get you some!!!
September 24th, 2020 at 10:35 am
I have seen Gronk get very open, and not get thrown the ball.
I think the reason is because in Arians Offense, the Tight End is seldom the primary receiver.
As far as Gronk not being happy ? Well, he has 10 million reasons to be happy!
September 24th, 2020 at 10:45 am
In NE gronk was Bradys primary weapon, here he’s 4th on the list. He will get his, just not yet
September 24th, 2020 at 11:00 am
hodad
i agree….
and i’ll add that he’s also here to show OJ the ropes and light a fire under him…
GO BUCS!!!!
September 24th, 2020 at 11:04 am
Dude, gronk didn’t come here to not catch passes – that is patently mfing absurd. Of COURSE he likes to block, always has. Obvious statement is obvious chief. They have sent gronk on 3 seams, looked poor on all of em, and then the playaction in redzone that Brady overthrew that was also gronks fault. There also the bubble screen that he looked slow on, they are designing plays specifically for him. You are being disingenuous
September 24th, 2020 at 11:23 am
Brady already forced the ball to Gronk twice and got two picks out of it.
September 24th, 2020 at 11:38 am
Last week it was BA and Brady. This week it’s BA and Gronk.
This is filler news for Thursdays and Friday.
Just stop.
September 24th, 2020 at 11:47 am
Joe In Michigan: he would not be here if the Hog was in charge!!! He is not worth 10 million…and yes without hesitation I would have signed Mr. 5000, maybe not for 30million but a cool 20million would have gotten it done…remember Mr 5000 when things start falling apart!!….not that I want it to fall apart, but this is the BUCS!!!
September 24th, 2020 at 12:07 pm
No preseason and two.freakin.games.
WTF is wrong with people?
Fake News Personified.
September 24th, 2020 at 12:10 pm
Boy, the talking heads sure do want that drama, don’t they?!
Another nothing-burger.
He’ll get his.
September 24th, 2020 at 12:12 pm
I get that there’s only one ball and we have like 3 or 4 guys who could be a focal point offensively – but it seems a bit ridiculous that there’s nothing Byron or Bruce even seem want to do to get their $16+ million TE group more involved. They could have secured, idk like, a decent LT for that kind of cash.
September 24th, 2020 at 12:46 pm
I think his legs are gone and he was a huge waste of $9 million dollars.
September 24th, 2020 at 1:19 pm
Alls that matters is that Gronk aint a diva and wont complain unless we are losing.
Alls i can ask is why didnt Gronk make the play we needed on a critical drive on Sunday? He lost us a critical first down. I can promise you Gronk wont be complaining about passes if he is dropping important ones.
I expect to see Gronk play better reciever this week
September 24th, 2020 at 3:41 pm
BigHog: Can you be happy with the Bucs team of 2020? Me, if I couldn’t be happy with the Bucs, I’d find other interests such as stamp collecting, long walks on the beach, or collecting Big Uns magazines.
September 24th, 2020 at 4:06 pm
Gronkowski already earned his $10 million when he deftly recovered that onside kick. He made it look easy but it wasn’t. Anyone else had a 50/50 chance to make that play. Gronkowski knows that he will catch lots of passes as the season rolls along, many for touchdowns. But I agree that Brady needs to stop forcing him the ball because it has led to 2 picks already.
September 24th, 2020 at 5:11 pm
Remember when we needed just one more piece…a stud RB and magically Fournette becomes available but we’ve wasted so much salary cap on TB12 and Gronk we were unable to afford him.
Oh but wait…we DID pick him up. The Bucs didn’t have to mortgage the future with draft picks and long term deals. It’s all good!!!
September 24th, 2020 at 7:47 pm
these national media people are just nitpicking. i dont care who gets touchdowns or catches. i care about the team and gronk seems like a team players so this is plain dumb. as long as bucs are winning, NOBODY will be unhappy. players, coaches, and fans.
September 24th, 2020 at 8:16 pm
Gronk has not looked good at all in the passing game, but he is doing well with his blocking. 10 million is an awful lot for a blocking tight end, but if Gronk ends up being a bust and we still make the playoffs, I’m cool with that.