As if Tom Brady joining Tampa Bay wasn’t enough, he’ll now be joined by one of his greatest targets. Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick have been traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
Gronkowski, who retired last year, will be re-joining the league on his one-year, $10 million contract. Tampa Bay continues its near stellar offseason while the Patriots continue to let go of pieces that have made them successful for so long.
Impact on Tampa Bay
It’s safe to say that Tampa Bay’s offense is fiery on paper. In what is now the toughest division in the NFC, the Buccaneers have surrounded Tom Brady with high-level talent. Their offensive core now includes Ronald Jones II, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate, and now Gronkowski. That now goes hand in hand with the 14th overall pick in the draft which the team managed to hold onto.
Tampa Bay is certainly all-in this season with their eyes on a Super Bowl title. With Jameis Winston behind center, Tampa Bay was the third-ranked offense in the NFL at 397.9 total yards per game. Adding an All-Pro player who’s arguably the greatest player of all-time at his position only makes things that much scarier. That’s in addition to two top-13 wide receivers in terms of yardage.
As mentioned previously, one key thing to note here is Tampa Bay’s first-round pick. In my eyes, a J.K Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor, or Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the way to go if you really want to complete this team. Although Ronald Jones II is a solid running back, adding young talent doesn’t do the team any harm.
Same Old Gronk?
The biggest impact to see here is obviously the addition of a once-top offensive talent. One can argue that Gronkowski is only a shell of his former self. Last time we saw him, he was a Super Bowl champion. After, he became an entertainer in WWE. Gronkowski says he’s ready and he feels great which gives us the indication that he may pick up where he left off.
Running backs Le’Veon Bell and Melvin Gordon II as well as tight end Jason Witten, are all productive players who took extended breaks from the gridiron for various reasons. None of them returned to be the player that they once were. Looking at those players, who’s to say Gronkowski won’t see a decline in his play either?
Are the Buccaneers NFC Favorites?
No, they’re not. In fact, it’s not far-fetched to say that Tampa Bay isn’t even the favorite in their division. We all understand the offensive talent that surrounds the team, and, to many, the quarterback position was the problem with it. However, you can’t overshadow the New Orleans Saints who have retained talent and continue to be one of the league’s best receivers. That’s not to mention their addition of WR Emmanuel Sanders from the defending NFC Champion 49ers.
Defense matters, and the numbers don’t lie. The Saints have a statistically better defense than Tampa Bay, giving up 333.1 yards per game to the Bucs’ 343.9. We’re also only talking about the hardest division in the league. In addition to the Saints, Tampa Bay will have to match up against an Atlanta Falcons team led by former MVP Matt Ryan and an offense loaded with first-round talent.
On paper, the Saints’ and Falcons’ offenses are debatably better than the Bucs’. In addition, they have to worry about the defending NFC Champions who, no matter how many times Jimmy Garoppolo throws the ball, can beat you in many ways. At this time, no, the Buccaneers aren’t the favorite in the NFC. And, on that note, they shouldn’t even be number two.
The Pressure is On
Tom Brady has a short window to win a championship with Tampa Bay, hence why they are bolstering the offense as much as possible. However, the pressure doesn’t only fall on him but the entire franchise. It’s now or never for this Buccaneers team who will simply return to mediocrity once Brady departs. Knowing that Brady is only their franchise quarterback for two or three years, that puts the most pressure on the Bucs over any other team in the league.
The biggest question with this trade is can Gronkowski return to be his normal, full self. Despite being bothered by multiple injuries in the past, Gronk is ready to return. But, as mentioned previously, there are other NFC teams that have a more complete and championship-ready team than Tampa Bay does.