Rob Gronkowski Fawning Over Joe Burrow Puts Spotlight On Jason Licht
February 9th, 2022
“Yes Mr. Glazer, I promise to talk to Deshaun Watson’s agent at the combine.”
So yesterday Joe brought word that Hall of Fame tight end and Bucs free agent Rob Gronkowski said he would like to play with Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow.
To Joe, these quotes — provided a guy groomed in the School of Belicheat Misdirection was actually serious — reinforce the notion that Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht must develop a plan within the next two or three weeks (if he doesn’t already have one) for how the Bucs will solve the quarterback void left by Tom Brady’s retirement (if he retires).
It is unreasonable to think that Chris Godwin and Playoff Lenny and Ryan Jensen and Gronk will all return if the Bucs plan to go with untested Kyle Trask or a rookie quarterback. If the Bucs bring in a respected veteran, that might keep the rest of the offensive gang together.
Godwin and Gronk and Jensen and Playoff Lenny have options. All but Godwin may be looking at their final contract. Do they want to spend their final years playing for a guy (Trask or a rookie) who might not last until 2023?
(If the Bucs struggle with an unproven quarterback and Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians decides to hang it up, good luck recruiting a top-shelf coaching candidate with a struggling young quarterback.)
Joe can just hear Gronk’s agent, oily Drew Rosenhaus, telling Gronk next month, “Hey Gronk, baby, I’ve got Mike Brown and Brandon Beane texting me all day. They want you. You’ve got two of the best quarterbacks in the league you can play for. You’re not going back to Tampa, my man. I mean, do you really want to catch passes from Malik Willis?”
Bring in a proven veteran who’s been to the playoffs and these guys might stick around.
February 9th, 2022 at 5:45 am
Draft McBride or Ferguson of wisconsin.
February 9th, 2022 at 6:08 am
This is what happens when you make a short term contract with missionary soldiers. When a better deal bounty comes along they’re off to their next adventure. By nature, a missionary soldier has loyalty only to himself.
We had a need and he fulfilled it to the best of his aging ability. And at times he was great, but rarely what he once was in his younger body. None of us are, except for that Brady fellow.
See ya, Gronk. Thanks for the memories …
February 9th, 2022 at 6:15 am
JA – The term is mercenary soldiers, not missionary soldiers.
February 9th, 2022 at 6:23 am
Unfortunately, we probably need Gronk more than he needs the Bucs – especially if we go with Gabbert or Trask. Consider our TE room
OJ Howard – Gone. Need to draft a day 3 TE (7th rd)
Cam Brate – Still good, but overpaid, aging and production decreasing. Trade him if possible and use the pick on his replacement.
Cody McElroy – Unproven
Must keep Gronk for at least a year and rebuild the TE room or the cupboard will soon be bare.
February 9th, 2022 at 6:33 am
Hey now! Malik Willis looks like a fantastic prospect. 😛
February 9th, 2022 at 7:06 am
So the Bucs are crap again and no one wants to play here? That’s the vibe I’m getting from these articles.
February 9th, 2022 at 7:19 am
He won’t be worth the price it will take to bring him back.
February 9th, 2022 at 7:21 am
Just read a tweet about this. Thought it was fake news. Guess not.
February 9th, 2022 at 7:45 am
Missionary? Like Gronk is wearing a short sleeve dress shirt and tie and knocking on doors with a bible in hand?
February 9th, 2022 at 7:47 am
This is exactly why we need to go with Trask…..bringing in a proven vet will kill the possibility of Brady coming back…….as long as there is a possibility, we could get some players back…..besides who the QB now is BS….they are coming for the money and if we spend the money on a QB, we can’t afford them.
February 9th, 2022 at 7:51 am
Bucs Guy,
You’re absolutely right. Just trying to keep the errors found here in full flow.
Good catch!
February 9th, 2022 at 7:58 am
Gronk was part of the “Brady Package”…and likely has little to no interest in re-signing in Tampa without his buddy Brady. He doesn’t exactly come cheap anyhow. Like a previous poster said…we thank him for his outstanding efforts/service while making 3 great catches in the Super Bowl…2 for tds aka tuddies and one the play before Lenny running in untouched to basically seal the deal. He’s a cool character and many of us wish we had his life no doubt.
February 9th, 2022 at 8:00 am
Lars…I see what you did there and appreciate your “position”. I believe the word is mercenary but I’m barely GED certified.
February 9th, 2022 at 8:26 am
The real chatter will pick up at the combine….that’s where we’ll know if we’ve got a replacement for Brady.
February 9th, 2022 at 8:39 am
Draft a qb at 27 no matter what someone will fall
February 9th, 2022 at 8:50 am
Joe don’t know why you never mention Gabbert as the guy who will most likely be starting for the Bucs. BA loves Blaine Gabbert, called him the most under rated QB in the league. Said if he had gotten to play the last two years he would’ve opened eyes all around the league. Clyde Christian said he’s super smart, well liked, hard worker very talented. He’s had 3 years throwing to Evans, and Godwin. He knows this system, and has been helping with the game plans the last two years. Follow the bread crumbs Joe, Gabbert is going to get his chance.
February 9th, 2022 at 9:04 am
Hodad, I used to call my wife the most beautiful woman in the world, until I met my mistress…
February 9th, 2022 at 9:47 am
Exaggerate much
February 9th, 2022 at 10:53 am
I personally am cool with some current and several former NFL players and honestly 75% of them want to play where they can make the most money, get the most playing time and have the most fun off the field. Winning matters to all players but it rarely trumps money
February 9th, 2022 at 10:54 am
It’s the money. Sure Gronk wants a great QB, what receiving TE doesn’t? Despite the dumb jock persona, Gronk is very careful with his money. He invests his earnings, and only spends his endorsement money. I think the wants to continue playing if the price is right.
Tampa Bay doesn’t have much cap space and has many younger free agents that will be priorities. Cincinnati has a ton of cap space, and a TE like Gronk is still an outstanding receiver and outstanding at protecting the QB, which is something Cinci lacks. The announcement is a business move by Gronk.
February 9th, 2022 at 11:06 am
@”…If the Bucs bring in a respected veteran, that might keep the rest of the offensive gang together….”
————————–
Bring “Americas QB” JW, maybe they would like him…..
Now TRASK is the problem for keeping the offense together….
wow is getting “better and better” everyday, like pre-TB12.
February 9th, 2022 at 11:32 am
Who is available that compares to Joe Burrow?? Where is all this cap money coming from?? Which other key free agents now can’t be signed?? We are rebuilding folks, the proof is in the math.
Played right, within a year we are back on the horse!
February 9th, 2022 at 11:42 am
Oh no…Malik Willis??? We just finally removed the image of a QB hanging on to the ball and running around aimlessly. We don’t need another dose of that.
February 9th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Gronks going back to Belicheat and Mac Jones.
February 9th, 2022 at 1:22 pm
Jensen and Godwin were here with Jameis. Look at the free agent draft pool for QBs I don’t see a lot top notch veteran’s unless Joe likes Scam Newton
I don’t see a lot of teams shopping their QBs except for Houston. And what owner in their right mind is going to give up the farm for a player thatay not play for another year or two. Lets just sign who we sign and go from there. You keep talking about BA and JL getting us a vet QB and Brady called them he fell into their lap or they were going to sign Jameis. According to AB Brady was the recruiter for him and others not BA or JL.
February 9th, 2022 at 1:25 pm
This team is in win now mode. There is no way in hell they are going to turn the reigns over to a rookie, or a Kyle Trask. Jensen stays because he chose to be here before this team had any talent, and has made a name for himself here. Lenny stays because we havent had a decent rushing attack since the early days of the muscle hamster. Godwin stays because he plays the featured position in BA’s offense, and playing next to ME13 sets him up for success. The next signal caller needs take advantage of the mismatches like Brady did, while managing the turnovers better than Jameis. Gronk is a beast, but with no Brady, an extra year under his belt, and a history of injuries that we were lucky to avoid, his better days are behind him.
February 9th, 2022 at 2:55 pm
I think it’s fair to question the value of a guy like Gronk minus Brady. Think Drew Brees/Jimmy Graham. Every bit of Gronks success has been with Brady and their ability to improvise a lot together on the field. I think Gronk retires or moves on. Been great having the guy, but it doesn’t seem worth it without Brady here to maximize what he might have left in the tank.
So sad OJ turned out to be a bust. And with so many other FAs to try and bring back I say TE is a position where Licht should get younger and cheaper.
February 9th, 2022 at 3:11 pm
Thank you for the two years of exciting TE play (well really more like 1.5 since the post-retirement rust was evident early in that first season with the Bucs). Good luck at your next NFL stop (Cincy???). At least that’s what I’d say if I were Jason Licht. Gronk is a future HOF first ballot player, but sans Brady (who’s familiarity on the field with Gronk almost seems like a Vulcan mind meld between the two) and the effects of age and injuries I personally wouldn’t chase him too aggressively with the Glazer bucks. That is in no way an insult to Gronk but rather the reality of a great player in the twilight of his pro career and a team with a lot of free agents and limited coin to go around.
February 9th, 2022 at 3:38 pm
I think you’re missing a big opportunity if you skip over Trask. He put up monster numbers in his final season of college (very similar to burrow). Burrow clearly had the better weapons with 2 first round rookies who broke the rookie receiving yards record in back to back seasons. Trask did just as well with less, even with potentially a HOF TE on his team. I say you swing for the fences and try and get Rodgers or Wilson and if you can’t pull it off then you run with Trask. I don’t think this is a Super Bowl team with gabbert or any other lower tier free agent qbs at that point. Might as well save the cap on some of our more expensive free agents and build for another run, hopefully in a few years.
February 9th, 2022 at 9:00 pm
“Bring in a proven veteran (QB) who’s been to the playoffs and these guys might stick around.”
The problem with that line of thinking is that if the Bucs pay to bring in a “proven” QB – there won’t be any $ left to sign these expensive free agents.
February 10th, 2022 at 11:01 am
Make a move for watson. Houston wants him out of the conference. Rodgers will be traded out of the NFC. Too wide open in NFC not to go for it. Bucs and Florida is still a destination for NFL players. Just give them a reason.