Gronkowski Weighs In, Patriots Won't Be Signing Dez Bryant
Although there turned out to be no truth to the rumors, talk of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski being traded lit up social media on Saturday. Now Gronkowski himself has weighed in on the situation, and he isn’t too happy about all of the rumors.
- Dez Bryant is still available, but the Patriots are one team that likely won’t be signing him, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss writes “I don’t see the Patriots signing Dez Bryant” even “in the wake of Julian Edelman appealing his four-game suspension.” Although the Patriots have a history of taking chances on veteran receivers, Reiss notes the Patriots have plenty of in-house options to help replace Edelman.
Tom Brady didn't do enough to quell drama?
In a recent opinion piece, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe makes the case that Tom Brady didn’t hold up his end of the bargain in trying to quell concerns about drama within the Patriots organization. Volin argues that coach Bill Belichick and Rob Gronkowski both did their best to assure the media and the public that all was good in New England, but that Brady raised more questions than he answered during his brief media availability.
Volin writes that the Patriots’ goal when Gronkowski and Brady finally returned to the team was to “show a united front, and squash all of the drama”, but that Brady failed to do so. According to Volin, Belichick did a “superb job” and Gronkowski did a “great job of explaining himself too”, but that Brady seemed like “he wants the drama to linger, to let it be known that he’s still upset with Belichick and the organization.”
Whatever is going on with the Patriots, it seems to be a saga with no end in sight. The issues likely won’t be put to rest for good until the team take the field in 2018 and shows they can still play at a championship level even with all the off-field distractions.
Poll: Which AFC East Team Had The Best Offseason?
Over the past week, we’ve asked you which team had the best offseason from the AFC North, NFC West, and AFC West. Today we’ll take a look at the offseasons of teams from another active division, the AFC East.
The Jets started things off by making a bold move to acquire their quarterback of the future when they traded up to get the third overall pick from the Colts. They ended up selecting Sam Darnold, and also signed Teddy Bridgewater to complete their quarterback room that will return only Josh McCown from last year. They released Bryce Petty and traded Christian Hackenberg, giving up on both of their former draft picks. They signed cornerback Trumaine Johnson to a huge contract in free agency, and also picked up kicker Cairo Santos and running back Isaiah Crowell. They cut longtime headache defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson and signed Terrelle Pryor to bolster last year’s woeful receiving corp. They fired offensive coordinator John Morton and replaced him with Jeremy Bates. The Jets shocked everyone last year with how competitive they were able to be, and will look to build on that progress in 2018.
The Bills also had a bold draft strategy. They too traded up for their quarterback of the future, taking Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick. They took linebacker Tremaine Edmunds later in the first to be the quarterback of their defense. They lost guard Richie Incognito to retirement, and were mostly quiet in free agency aside from signing Star Lotulelei to a five-year deal. They did add A.J. McCarron to compete with Allen to be the starting quarterback, and fired offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, replacing him with Brian Daboll. The biggest move they made however, was trading their starting quarterback from the past three seasons, Tyrod Taylor, to the Browns. The Bills ended the longest active playoff drought in major professional sports this past season, and will look to build on that progress with a first-time starter under center in 2018.
The Patriots had a relatively quiet offseason in terms of transactions. They did trade wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Rams for a first round pick, but didn’t make many moves in free agency. The real story of the Patriots’ offseason was all the drama surrounding Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, and Rob Gronkowski. They took two players from Georgia with their two first round picks, offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel. The Patriots will return mostly the same roster from last year’s AFC-winning team, and will hope Brady can continue to play at an MVP level as he gets another year older.
The Dolphins mostly stayed pat like the Patriots, presumably due to their dire cap situation. After lots of speculation they would look to add a quarterback in the first round to replace Ryan Tannehill, they ultimately selected Minkah Fitzpatrick with the 11th overall pick. Their offseason was mostly defined by the players they got rid of, like Ndamukong Suh, Julius Thomas, Mike Pouncey, and Lawrence Timmons. They did sign receivers Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson, and veteran running back Frank Gore. The Dolphins had a disappointing season last year after Tannehill re-tore his ACL, and the team’s success in 2018 will be nearly entirely dependent on his health.
Which team do you think had the best offseason in the AFC East? Vote in PFR’s poll below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Which AFC East Team Had The Best Offseason?
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New York Jets 43% (592)
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Buffalo Bills 24% (332)
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New England Patriots 16% (222)
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Miami Dolphins 16% (218)
Total votes: 1,364
Antonio Garica Discusses 2017 Season, Release
Last offseason, Patriots third-round offensive lineman Antonio Garcia was expected to play a role for the 2017 squad. A year later, the Troy product is rostered by one of New England’s division rivals, the Jets.
Garcia ended up missing his entire rookie campaign after blood clots were found in his lungs. The Patriots ultimately cut the lineman earlier this offseason, and he quickly caught on with the New York, where he’s been taking backup left tackle snaps during OTAs. The 24-year-old denied reports claiming he had lost nearly 40 pounds, and he didn’t sound particularly surprised by the Patriots’ decision to let him go.
- Rumors were flying around Twitter and New England yesterday regarding a potential Rob Gronkowski trade. Those rumblings ultimately proved to be unfounded, with one Patriots reporter saying there was “zero truth” to any of the reports.
Latest On Rob Gronkowski Trade Rumors
On Friday morning, Twitter became flooded with rumors of a potential Rob Gronkowski trade. However, it appears that Patriots fans can breathe easy. There is “zero truth” to rumblings of the Patriots trading Gronkowski, a source tells Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston (on Twitter). 
[On This Date In 2012: Gronkowski, Patriots Agree To Record-Setting Six-Year Extension]
At Pro Football Rumors, we typically do not go out of our way to address rumors from unsubstantiated sources, but the word of a potential Gronkowski trade has dominated the Twittersphere for several hours. Given the Patriots’ history of embracing the next-man-up mentality, a trade of the most dominant tight end in the game would be a surprise, but hardly an impossibility.
Gronkowski stayed away for much of the Patriots’ voluntary offseason team activities this year in an apparent effort to have his contract reworked. His arrival in Foxboro this week seemed to signal that a resolution was on the horizon, but the two sides have yet to hammer out a revised deal. Gronkowski’s brief flirtation with retirement this offseason could also be a signal that the “Patriot Way” has grown tiresome for him.
One source who has been with the Patriots for years told Curran (Twitter link) the team’s treatment of Gronk at the start of 2017 was similar to how other players have been treated before being dealt. Of course, that doesn’t mean a whole lot in and of itself, and the tight end was not traded last year.
So, for now, we can put the Gronkowski trade rumors to rest. While major trades are more commonplace than ever in the NFL and Bill Belichick‘s methodology remains unpredictable, there’s no reason to believe that Gronkowski will be in another uniform in 2018.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Rowe, Jets
The Patriots‘ final roster could include a sixth cornerback, as Doug Kyed of NESN.com writes. Right now, he expects the Pats to roll into the season with Stephon Gilmore, Duke Dawson, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty, and Eric Rowe as their top five cornerbacks.
However, J.C. Jackson is also making a strong case and has been getting more reps in the starting defense than Rowe this offseason. Keion Crossen and Ryan Lewis have also looked sharp and Cyrus Jones‘ return ability should keep him in the conversation. The only corner who seems to be out of the conversation is Jomal Wiltz, an Iowa State product who spent last year on New England’s taxi squad.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- New Jets safety J.J. Wilcox can earn up to $1.25MM on his one-year contract, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The deal includes $210K fully guaranteed, which may be more than what he had on the table with the Niners. In the wake of Rontez Miles‘ torn meniscus, Wilcox appears to be in line for an important role behind starting safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
- On Thursday, we learned that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season, pending an appeal. Here’s a look at some of the potential fallout from the news.
- Six years ago today, Rob Gronkowski inked a record-setting deal with the Patriots.
This Date In Transactions History: Rob Gronkowski
Six years ago, Rob Gronkowski inked the most lucrative deal for a tight end in NFL history. The Patriots tacked another six years on to the two remaining seasons of his rookie contract at $54MM, locking him down through the 2019 campaign. 
The deal made plenty of sense for both sides at the time. The pact included $13MM fully guaranteed and $18MM guaranteed for injury, which provided the 23-year-old with financial security early in his career. Through his first two NFL seasons, the former second-round pick made less than $2.5MM in total.
Meanwhile, the Patriots locked down a tight end coming off of a First-Team All-Pro selection. Although he impressed as a rookie, Gronk took his game to a new level in 2011 as he caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns with a catch percentage of 72.6%. Even today, those numbers stand as Gronk’s career bests.
A broken forearm sidelined Gronkowski for five games in 2012. Shortly after returning, he re-aggravated the injury in the Pats’ first playoff game and missed out on the AFC Championship game. In the offseason, the forearm became infected, forcing the tight end to undergo the third and fourth surgeries of his career. In June of 2013, he had back surgery. Then, in a late-season contest against the Browns, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. Gronk was undoubtedly grateful for his injury guarantees at that time.
There were more ailments to come, including a less serious knee injury in 2015 and a pulmonary contusion in 2016, but Gronkowski continued to be one of the very best at his position. Meanwhile, the salary cap continued to grow and the tight end market advanced. Over time, Gronk’s record-setting deal started to look more and more team-friendly. In 2014, Jimmy Graham signed a deal that made him the league’s highest-paid tight end with an average annual average value of $10MM and $16.5MM in full guarantees.
Eventually, something had to give. Prior to the 2017 season, the Pats tweaked Gronk’s deal to incentivize his performance while protecting the team against another injury-marred season. The deal gave him a base salary of $5.25MM with incentive packages at three different tiers:
- A total salary of $10.75MM with either 90% play time or 80 catches or 1,200 receiving yards or an All-Pro nomination.
- A total salary $8.75MM with 80% play time or 70 catches or 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns.
- A total salary of $6.75MM with 70% play time or 60 receptions or 800 receiving yards or ten touchdowns.
With 1,084 yards (off of 69 receptions with eight touchdowns), Gronkowski satisfied the middle tier requirement. However, thanks to his First-Team All-Pro selection, the tight end maxed out his 2017 package.
Gronk still has two years to go on the deal he inked in 2012 and the Patriots will probably have to sweeten the pot for him again. The tight end has decided that acting and/or pro wrestling can wait, but his absence from early-season OTAs likely signals his desire for an improved contract. In the coming weeks, it’s likely that Gronkowski will receive yet another upgrade to separate him even further from the rest of the tight end pack.
Reactions To Julian Edelman’s Pending Suspension
We learned earlier today that Patriots wideout Julian Edelman was facing a four-game ban for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy. Naturally, some football pundits turned their eyes to trainer Alex Guerrero, who has worked with several Patriots players, including Edelman and Tom Brady.
After the news broke, Guerrero told NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran that he had nothing to do with the alleged performance-enhancing drugs.
“I’ve known Julian since his rookie year and he is a phenomenal athlete who takes his training seriously – it’s disappointing to hear today’s news,” Guerrero said (Twitter links). “Elite athletes sometimes work with multiple coaches and health professionals as part of their training.
Here at our facility, we take a natural, holistic, appropriate and, above all, legal approach to training and recovery for all of our clients. And anyone who would suggest otherwise is irresponsible, and just plain wrong.”
Here’s some more notes and opinions regarding Edelman:
- Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe writes that Edelman’s suspension gives Bill Belichick “more ammunition” against Guerrero. Last season, the Patriots head coach banned the trainer from Gillette Stadium, despite the fact that Guerrero had long been associated with Brady. The writer ultimately questions Guerrero’s credibility, noting that “Belichick stripping Guerrero of sideline privileges is at the root of Tom vs. Bill.”
- Meanwhile, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has a more optimistic viewpoint on Edelman’s suspension. The wideout tore his ACL last preseason, forcing him to miss the entire 2017 campaign. Volin notes that it can be difficult for a 32-year-old wideout to come back from such an injury, and the extra month’s rest could help keep Edelman fresh throughout the year.
- Volin also has specifics on how much money Edelman is set to sacrifice. The receiver will lose $470K in salary, $31K in roster bonuses, and $392K of his signing bonus, totaling $987K. The wideout also has another $500K in performance incentives that will now be tougher to reach.
Latest On Patriots QB Tom Brady
On Thursday, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spoke to the press about his relationship with the team and his absence from OTAs. Though he was reluctant to delve deep into his absence from voluntary OTAs, Brady did say that his relationship with the club continues to be in a good place (video link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe). 
[RELATED: Julian Edelman Suspended By NFL]
Brady reiterated that he was away from the club for “personal reasons.” When asked if those personal reasons include friction with coach Bill Belichick, Brady claimed there are no issues on that front, despite all of the rumors to the contrary.
“Not at all,” Brady said. “[Our relationship] is great, we’ve always had a great relationship. I’ve been here for a long time and I love this team, I love this organization, and I love playing quarterback for him. I loved it last year and I’m having a lot of fun now, so that’s obviously what’s most important to me.”
Meanwhile, Brady was non-committal when asked whether he’ll take part in the Patriots’ next set of OTAs. It’s safe to assume that Brady will be on hand for mandatory minicamp later this summer, though he could be putting pressure on the team to revise his contract between now and then.
Last year, Brady led the league with 4,577 passing yards and completed 66.3% of his throws. The Pats went 13-3 in the regular season under Brady’s command and defeated a tough Jaguars team in the AFC title game before falling short against the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
NFL Suspends Patriots WR Julian Edelman
Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing substances policy, league sources tell Field Yates and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The suspension is now under appeal. 
Edelman, 32, missed all of the 2017 season with a torn ACL. Barring a successful appeal, he’ll have to wait a bit longer to make his return to the field.
Winning an appeal for a PED suspension is tough, but it’s not unprecedented. In 2012, cornerback Richard Sherman made his case and had his four-game ban overturned.
Over the past four seasons, Edelman has averaged 133 targets, 89 receptions, 956 yards, and five touchdowns per year. He was a major part of the Super Bowl-winning squad in 2016, hauling in 98 catches for a career-high 1,106 yards. He was also a force in the postseason, collecting another 21 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown during the Patriots’ three-game run.
The good news for the Patriots is they have a number of options at wide receiver beyond Edelman. The team figures to lean on Chris Hogan, Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, and Phillip Dorsett more heavily to start the year while return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson could also see some snaps on offense. Edelman’s ban could improve the odds of others such as sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios, Malcolm Mitchell, and Riley McCarron as they push to make the final cut. Still, this is a definite setback for the Patriots, who already saw Danny Amendola sign with the rival Dolphins.
Edelman is under contract with the club for one more year, per the terms of the two-year, $11MM extension he signed in 2017. If the suspension holds up, he’ll lose out on more than $470K in base pay while missing games against the Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Dolphins.