New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski picked as player to disappoint
New England Patriots tight end, Rob Gronkowski, was selected as the most likely player to disappoint in 2018.
The New England Patriots have a crazier offseason than they are used to having. The team had a lot more uncertainty surrounding it this offseason than there normally is in New England. One player at the middle of that was tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Following the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, rumors surfaced about Gronkowski’s future. Given his extensive injury history, there were rumors about whether or not Gronkowski would play this season.
More fuel was added to the fire when Gronkowski skipped parts of the Patriots offseason plan. However, those fires were put out once the mandatory parts of the offseason program began. Gronkowski did not skip those, which was a relief for the organization and their fans.
There has been some animosity between Gronkowski and the team in recent months. He has been looking for a new contract, which the two sides have reportedly been working on. The team also explored trading Gronkowski, but he remained in New England and will be there at least for the 2018 season.
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That is great news for New England. Gronkowski is the most dominant tight end in the NFL when healthy. The things he is able to do on a football field are possible for very few, if any, other players.
However, some people aren’t as high on Gronkowksi heading into the 2018 season. Over at Bleacher Report, an article was put together selecting players who will disappoint in 2018. Each team had one player chosen. The choice for New England was Gronkowski.
Here is what they had to say about their selection.
"That said, between his injury history, the potential end of his career and the Patriots’ possible interest in moving on without him, one wonders if we’ll ever see the best of Gronkowski again. When he’s been on and healthy, he’s quite possibly the best receiving tight end in NFL history, but there are a lot of complications ahead of this season."
There is no doubt that Gronkowski can still perform. He recorded 69 receptions for 1,084 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Those are dominant numbers, but health is a major question mark for Gronkowski.
Gronkowski hasn’t played in all 16 regular season games since 2011, his second in the league. In 2016, he played in only eight games, and he isn’t getting any younger and the injuries are piling up.
New England is known for getting rid of players a year early instead of a year late. Given the issues between the team and Gronkowski this year, could this be the last season he is with New England?
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Only time will tell. Hopefully, he can prove the people at Bleacher Report wrong and not be a disappointment this season.