The New England Patriots are spending a lot on their tight ends to get Rob Gronkowski-like results.
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Rob Gronkowski is one of the greatest tight ends of all time. Roped in by the New England Patriots back in 2010, Gronk ended up playing for them for 9 years.
The supremely talented TE also played a crucial role in guiding them to three Super Bowl titles. Without a doubt, during his stint with the Patriots, Gronk achieved what many can only aspire for.
So when he decided to retire from the sport back in 2019, many thought that he would be satisfied with what he has been able to achieve. However, Rob still had a lot left in him.
He decided to un-retire, went to the Buccaneers where his good friend Tom Brady was waiting for him and then ended up lifting the Lombardi yet again in 2021.
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Patriots are spending a lot to get Rob Gronkowski-like performances from their TEs
When Tom left the Patriots, there was a lot of chatter around how the franchise is now destined to struggle as replacing Tom is not an easy task. However, another factor that has really sucked the air out of the New England-based franchise in the recent past is the absence of a tight end who could churn out performances like Rob Gronkowski.
The New England Patriots are spending a fortune on tight ends in order to recreate the Gronkowski magic but the strategy is yet to pay off.
The patriots have Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith as the two main TEs in the unit. Currently, the team is spending $23,381,000 against the cap on them which is almost 37% more than the second highest team, the Miami Dolphins.
To make matters worse, the Patriots have received just the 5 catches for 53 yards this year from their TEs. Needless to say, the numbers can and should get better.
At the same time, one can’t shy away from the fact that the season has just started and there is still a long way to go. Moreover, after losing badly to the Dolphins in their season opener, the Patriots were able to script a comeback in their second game.
They defeated the Steelers in an intense clash and it would have definitely given them a lot of confidence. It will be interesting to see how the team performs in the coming games.
