Category: NFL

Patriots Sign Austin Seferian-Jenkins Off the Scrap Heap. Mehhhhh.

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On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN first reported that the Pats would be signing the 26-year-old tight end to a one-year deal. Ho-freakin’-hum.

Now, toadies throughout Pats Nation will fall for the inevitable Belichick tire-pumping and be sure to let everyone know what a “steal” this is for the team. One article I read went so far as to say ASJ was “easily” the best tight end remaining on the market, and that he could “fill the void” created by Gronk’s retirement.

OK. Hold up. While he indeed might’ve been the best tight end left available on the market as of today, that’s really not all that impressive. Considering that Jermaine Gresham and a 38-year-old Antonio Gates (who, even if he comes back, will obviously not sign with anyone besides the Chargers) are the only other current free-agent tight ends worth a lick, big whoop. Also, he could not even sniff Gronk’s jock strap. So just stop. Please.

The media will also be sure to tell you how he’s a former first-round pick with freakish athleticism who has only been held back from reaching his full potential by unfortunate injuries.

Again, shades of grey there. Yes, I remember how much he was being talked about when he came out of Washington five years ago. I bought into the hype, too. And while the injuries started pretty much right away – he was only able to play in 15 games over his first two seasons in Tampa Bay – he did average over 16 yards per catch in 2015, which is a pretty solid mark for any player, let alone a tight end. But ever since, he has continued to regress and pile up more injuries.

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The kid was pretty solid during his college days. I’ll give him that.

UHHH, HEY, MATTES! HE HAD 50 CATCHES FOR THE JETS IN 2017! AND HE DID IT IN ONLY 13 GAMES. WHAT ABOUT THAT??!!

Again, biiiig whoop. He also averaged a measly 7.1 yards per catch that season and was only able to start 10 games. OH, and then last season in Jacksonville, he bumped his YPC up a whole yard and couldn’t even make it past October before ending up on the shelf…again. (By the way, he was also supposed to be a HUGE signing for the Jags last offseason, too. And…yeah.)

Look, I know I’m coming pretty hard at the guy here, and I’m not saying he’s entirely devoid of skill. He’s shown flashes, and maybe it really has been an unfortunate slate of injuries that has stunted his growth so far. Maybe playing with Tom Brady instead of guys like Josh McCown, a young Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Blake Bortles will help a bit, too. And with the dearth of talent at the position currently on the roster, I’m not upset at taking a flyer on him. Sure. Why not?

But for now, color me “slightly intrigued.” That’s it. This team still needs some serious help at tight end. ASJ is not the answer to replace Gronk. Sorry. He’s just not.

BREAKING: Patriots Bringing Back Stephen Gostkowski on Two Year Deal

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A mere couple hours after rumors began swirling that the 49ers were allegedly interested in signing the 35-year-old – who has been on the market a tad longer this offseason than initially expected – the Patriots beat them to the punch and re-signed their longtime kicker to a two-year deal this afternoon:

I really am surprised that it took this long, and at some point last week I honestly started to believe that maybe Gostkowski would be playing elsewhere in 2019 after 13 seasons and three Super Bowl victories with the Patriots.

Look, I know I’ve been a bit critical of Gostkowski in the past, especially coming off of what was one of his more down seasons in recent memory. He’s also missed some pretty big kicks in his career – including the 2015 AFC Championship and in three straight Super Bowls – and he doesn’t always seem to have the ice needed in his veins in the biggest moments.

But, to be fair, the dude is still one of the league’s best, and I am really happy with the move. Even saying he’s coming off a “down” year is a bit unfair, as he still hit over 84 percent of his attempts last season and has hit at least 91 percent of them in four of his last six seasons. Especially given how horrendous the state of kicking is nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find more guys than you can count on one hand who can still match up with Gostkowski. He also did hit two pretty big kicks in this past Super Bowl, which ended up being won by a mere 10 points.

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Terms of the deal itself have still yet to be disclosed, but it’s obviously not going to be a huge hit in the pocket for the team. Regardless, in an offseason which saw a lot of familiar faces depart – players and coaches alike – this is a very welcomed signing.

Welcome back, No. 3.

In a Post Gronk World, Patriots Sign 285 Pound German Tight End Jakob Johnson

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Yahoo – The New England Patriots have a new tight end from Germany. The Patriots have added Jakob Johnson to their organization as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. According to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, “if Johnson doesn’t make the Patriots 53-man roster, he’ll be granted an extra 11th spot on the team’s practice squad, but not eligible to be promoted.”

Johnson played tight end for the Stuttgart Scorpions in Germany last season. He tallied 43 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to 12 tackles for the Scorpions in 2018. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds.

Johnson played college football at the University of Tennessee from 2014 to 2017. He showed some impressive versatility with the Volunteers, playing tight end, defensive line and offensive line. We know Patriots head coach Bill Belichick values players who can fill multiple roles/positions.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch, indeed.

In what I will from here on out refer to as a Post Gronk world, the Patriots are suddenly thin as a triscuit at tight end. Maybe they saw the success the Celtics have had importing Daniel Theis AKA The Daniel Wall from the Deutschland. The Patriots have had some success dipping into Germany before though, most notably when they signed Sebastian Vollmer completely out of nowhere and the guy went on to become a stud. Unrelated, but should be noted, Seabass is now dabbling as sports commentator and is also chiseled from marble.

Rough life for Sebastian these days.

So a closer look at Jakob Johnson, who is the prime hybrid prototype that Belichick loves so much, having played TE, DL, and OL at Tennessee. He is definitely not Gronk though. In fact he’s more like an extra lineman because he only caught 3 passes for 23 yards in 17 games over parts of 4 seasons at Tennessee. He also recorded 14 tackles in that same time. So not a lot of catches, but he did make the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times!

Last season he went over to Germany to play for his hometown Stuttgart Scorpions where he Balled. Out. Johnson had 43 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns so its not like the kid can’t catch, it seems like they just didn’t utilize him much as a receiver in college. Hey, Belichick turned a college wrestler into a 3x Super Bowl champ offensive lineman in Stephen Neal so I have faith Bill can make something of this kid too.

This has been your NFL Euro Offseason Report.

Reassessing the Patriots Biggest Needs Three Weeks Into the Offseason

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In just three weeks since the offseason and new NFL league year began, the Patriots have already lost each of the following from last year’s squad:

  • Their starting left tackle (Trent Brown)
  • Their top defensive lineman (Trey Flowers)
  • Their starting tight end (Rob Gronkowski)
  • Their top kick returner (Cordarrelle Patterson)

OH, and they could potentially lose their kicker, too, as Stephen Gostkowski still remains a free agent.

Now, it might be a bit misleading to say they “lost” each of these players; many presumed that guys like Brown and Flowers would be too pricey for the Pats to keep, and the team was likely preparing to move on from them anyway. However, the news of Gronk’s retirement certainly wasn’t ideal, and we know the team already swung and missed on multiple free agents or guys on the trade block so far as well (e.g. Antonio Brown, Adam Humphries, Cole Beasley, etc.).

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MAN, this dude would’ve looked good rockin’ the Flying Elvis.

Look, I’ve been a die-hard Pats fan for almost two decades now, and Bill always finds a way to build a competitive roster, no matter what. But this offseason saw the team take some pretty big hits, and besides Julian Edelman and a solid running game, the team’s offense is pretty barren.

The thing is, after Gronk’s retirement and a few contract restructurings, the team now has about $23 million available in cap space after having just pennies a few weeks ago. (Which, like, WTF??!!! We couldn’t have figured all this out BEFORE free agency began, guys??!! SERIOUSLY??!!) At this point, I bet they’re saving up the dough for all the extra draft picks they’ll have this year or future re-signings, as there really isn’t anything noteworthy left on the market. (Maybe we could go after Michael Crabtree or Ndamukong Suh?? Ehhhh.)

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Love ya, bud, but you couldn’t have said something in February???

While it’s always a futile effort to try and predict anything Belichick will ultimately do, here is at least a quick ranking of the team’s biggest remaining needs this offseason:

1.  Tight End

OK. This one seems almost too easy. After losing arguably the greatest tight end to ever play the game, it should be pretty obvious that attempting to replace him would be at the top of the team’s priority list. Some, though, might say that trying to find a replacement for Gronk perhaps shouldn’t be the main focus; he’s a generational talent, and rarely has a team ever had someone so dominant and game-changing at the position. Rather than trying to replicate what they had with him, maybe they should focus on improving other areas of the offense, as they’ll never again find another Robert James Gronkowski.

Sure. I get that. But the team’s current options at the position are pretty bleak. At the moment, the team has Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Matt LaCosse, and something named Ryan Izzo (?) as its only tight ends on the roster. While Hollister has shown flashes of talent when given the chance, he can’t seem to shake the injury bug and has really only proven his worth in preseason action. Anderson is a decent piece with some potential; I liked some of what I saw from him during his time with the Texans. (No really, though. I think I’ve even started him in fantasy once or twice.) And apparently the team likes LaCosse, as they made a point to sign him as a free agent this offseason. (I literally know ZILCH about Izzo. Moving on…)

Again, while they’ll never find another Gronk, the position has always been a huge part of the team’s offense. Not only have over 20 percent of the team’s total targets gone to guys playing tight end over the past five seasons, but the running game has also relied upon some great blocking from the position, too. For as much as people think of Gronk as a receiver, he was also one the game’s elite blockers, regardless of position. The team also cut Dwayne Allen this offseason, who was another great guy to have up front. Especially with the investment the team has made in the future of its rushing attack, in addition to the lackluster receiving group, something else really needs to be added here this offseason.

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Iowa’s Noah Fant is an almost too perfect fit for the team and would be a steal at the end of the first round…if he makes it to that point. (OH, and look he even wears Gronk’s number. Hmmm…)

2.  Wide Receiver

WOW, MATTES! Way to go out on a limb. 

I know, I know. Even the most casual Patriots fan knows the team needs some serious help at receiver. But it still doesn’t change the fact it’s one of their top needs, SO BACK OFF.

Anyway, while Edelman is still playing at the top of his game, the only other somewhat reliable receiver the team has right now is Phillip Dorsett. Josh Gordon is still under contract, and he was terrific during his time on the field last season. But, while he could potentially play for the team in 2019, who the hell really knows what’s going to end up happening with that guy? The team also recently signed journeyman Bruce Ellington as well as a guy with some sneaky potential in Maurice Harris. But, in reality, Edelman and Dorsett are the team’s top receivers for 2019 so far. Yikes.

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Looks like Jules is going to have to be THE man again in 2019.

Fortunately, there is a lot of talent at wide receiver (and tight end) in this year’s draft, so the team could choose to pounce on someone in the early rounds. But, Belichick’s never really been too successful going that route, and I’d still like to see them bring in another veteran guy on a cheap flyer (again, Crabtree??) or via trade. Brady is in desperate need of some more weapons.

3.  Linebacker

Here is a position that is being overlooked by Patriots fans this offseason. I don’t think people realize how weak the team was at times over the middle of the defense in 2018. And, to be honest, if we didn’t have such a stellar secondary to clean up the mistakes of those in front of them, it could’ve been worse.

While some might think I get on Kyle Van Noy too much, I want everyone to know that I do realize his value as a pass-rusher/edge defender. He stepped up big time, especially in the playoffs, and he is a key piece on D. I’m not denying that. However, neither he nor Dont’a Hightower (who continues to look older and older with each passing snap) could cover a blind paraplegic stuck in molasses if their life depended on it. Not only did the team give up the ninth-most receiving yards to the running back position last season, but in the playoffs both of these guys also allowed almost SEVENTY PERCENT of the targets thrown their way to be completed. WOOF.

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Van Noy giveth, and Van Noy taketh away.

And there’s also the fact that Van Noy and Hightower are literally the only two linebackers who played significant snaps last season. Elandon Roberts has been all but forgotten. And while I am intrigued by second-year man Ja’Whuan Bentley – who showed a lot of promise before losing most of last season due to injury – we still need another guy, specifically one with some speed. Regardless of how you feel about anyone in the team’s current linebacking corps, there’s no doubt that the depth here is super thin.

(BOLD PREDICTION: Jamie Collins, an above-average coverage guy and former Belichick special project, ends up coming back to Foxborough on a cheap deal.)

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Round 2, anyone???

4.  Offensive Tackle

Again, here’s what seems like another pretty obvious choice, but I’m not highlighting the position solely due to the loss of Trent Brown. After all, the team did spend a first-round pick on a guy last year, Isaiah Wynn, whom is expected to take over and slide right into the left tackle spot this season. And they still have a steady-but-declining Marcus Cannon on the right side as well. Pretty much, the starters are set.

But behind that, there’s really not much. After losing swing tackle Cameron Fleming to Dallas in free agency before last season, the Pats then lost LaAdrian Waddle as a free agent to Buffalo this offseason. Waddle, while not a stud by any means, is a guy who played in 30 games (starting seven of them) for the team since 2016, filling in at both tackle spots whenever needed. (He wasn’t spectacular, but he was a solid, reliable guy who knew the system nonetheless.) So, in reality, the team is down two of its top four tackles from last season.

They did just go out and sign some guy named Cedrick Lang this week – who was drafted in 2016 and has yet to see an NFL snap – and there’s some who really believe in third-year man Cole Croston. Still, though, I’d like to see another solid tackle added within the first couple rounds this April, especially in a draft that is so deep at the position.

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I don’t know anything about this Lang guy. But I guess a 26-year-old, 6’7″, 300-pounder is never a bad thing to have.

To me, these are the areas in which the team could see the biggest issues in 2019 if not addressed right away. While a lot of people may also bring up positions like the defensive line or quarterback, I feel as though the team already has enough at both of these spots to get them by for now. (The draft is also LOADED at pass-rusher, so we can feel pretty safe assuming we’ll get at least one or two of ’em.)

What do you think, Pats Nation? Do you agree with my rankings? Is there another position I overlooked entirely? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

The AAF Has Officially Folded. We Hardly Knew Ye

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SI – The Alliance of American Football will suspend football operations on Tuesday, reports ProFootballTalk. The league is just eight weeks into its inaugural season.

SI’s Albert Breer reported AAF team officials have a conference call with the league office at 1 p.m. ET. Breer reported there’s a perception inside the league that AAF majority owner Tom Dundon bought a bought a stake in the league for the gambling app being developed with one source saying, “Dundon got the technology he wanted and he’s now minus one rather large headache.” SI’s Conor Orr reported league heads were stunned and still working on a solution.

According to ProFootballTalk, the league is not folding yet but it is heading that way.

The writing has been on the wall for a while now as I’ve already written a few blogs over the past month about the AAF nearly going out of business and it’s barely Month 3 of the league’s lifespan. Welp, that’ll do it for the AAF apparently, who is heading the way of the dinosaur.

I won’t rehash the same things I said in my last blog on this, but here’s what I had to say on a league not having a plan to make it through even one season:

“Who is running these leagues? Obviously we’ve seen football leagues come and go over the past 20 years as the NFL has maintained its stranglehold on consumers’ attention without even lifting a finger. Most of these leagues fail because its just morons running the business side of things it would seem.

In marketing they say the average person needs to see an ad or a brand message seven times before it sticks. Now apply that to the AAF. How many AAF games do you think the average sports fan has watched? One? Maybe two? The AAF *had* to be prepared for slow adoption, otherwise it was a stupid business venture.”

But then there’s that tidbit from Bert Breer’s report that Tom Dundon, the Carolina Hurricanes owner that invested $250M to save the league last month, has basically sold the league not for its football but for it’s technological IP.

If thats true that is wild and I can imagine the other owners are bullshit. Those other owners probably feel swindled for paying to build up this football league only to have an investor come in and sell the whole thing for parts. But hey thats what happens when you sell majority ownership to a billionaire; you give up control. It’s fascinating just because I’ve never heard of anything like it. For all of its failings, the AAF was at least trying out innovative things, like the makings of a gambling app apparently.

Then on the other side of the Football Leagues Competing With the NFL coin is Vince McMahon who smells blood in the water now.

“Vince McMahon, who plans to give the XFL another shot next year, has sold $272 million worth of WWE stock, and company filings say that money will primarily go toward the XFL..McMahon has said he’s ready to spend $500 million over the first three years of the XFL to get the league off the ground, suggesting that even if the league struggles to gain traction at first, he’ll stick with it rather than pulling the plug after one season”

Vince seems to be pretty confident, cocky some would say, that he has fixed the issues that plagued the XFL the first time around. Despite the fact that a very similar concept just failed spectacularly, Vince has doubled down and is apparently ready to pour $500 million into the XFL.

Who knows if the XFL will be any more successful than the AAF, but I’ll tell you one thing, Vince will not fail because of a lack of marketing and promotion. Thats his bread and butter so don’t be surprised to see mass media promotions and gigantic billboards featuring Johnny Football, maybe Colin Kaepernick and whatever other fringe NFL players with a big name that they can find. Either way, this whole 2-3 year drama of new football leagues popping up and dying off will be a fascinating case study of monopolies in American business as the NFL crushes these competitors without even lifting a finger.

Speaking of Manziel, he’s the voice of reason and restraint here today, which was refreshing to see. My man is once again a free agent and as I’ve said before, it’s probably XFL or bust for his football career at this point.

The AAF is Once Again in Danger of Going Out of Business

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Update: They finally did go out of business. 

 

ESPN – The majority owner of the Alliance of American Football told USA Today Sports that league is in danger of folding without help from the National Football League Players Association. Tom Dundon, who became the AAF’s chairman last month, told USA Today Sports in a recent interview that the NFLPA is not cooperating with the AAF by refusing to allow the first-year league to use young NFL players.

“If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can’t be a development league,” Dundon told USA Today Sports. “We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league.”

Dundon said he expects to make a decision about the league’s future over the next two days…The eight-team AAF, billed as a development league, kicked off the weekend following the Super Bowl. The league is seven games into its 10-game regular season.

What kind of business model pumps its own tires as much as the AAF did prior to launching only to make it barely 2 months before nearly going out of business TWICE? In case you forgot, they almost couldn’t make payroll in Week 2 of the first season. Who is running these leagues? Obviously we’ve seen football leagues come and go over the past 20 years as the NFL has maintained its stranglehold on consumers’ attention without even lifting a finger. Most of these leagues fail because its just morons running the business side of things it would seem.

In marketing they say the average person needs to see an ad or a brand message seven times before it sticks. Now apply that to the AAF. How many AAF games do you think the average sports fan has watched? One? Maybe two? The AAF *had* to be prepared for slow adoption, otherwise it was a stupid business venture.

First off, if the AAF’s thinly veiled expectation was for the NFL to welcome them with open arms and create yet another item on their budget sheet then they were sorely mistaken. Sure the NFL needs a minor league system….but they already have one.

It’s college College Football.

Does College Football’s love of wishbone offenses, pistol offenses, air raid offenses, shotgun only offenses, and run pass option offenses prepare players for the NFL? Well five years ago I would have said no, but now…um yea it kind of does. So many coaches are taking College Football offensive plays, concepts, and entire schemes and running them as is in the NFL now. Belichick does it, so does Andy Reid, Matt Nagy, Doug Pederson and Sean Payton.

So if the AAF was hoping to be a way of preparing young players for the standard operating procedure in the NFL, well then they’re fucked because the market has shifted.

To just expect this league full of no name players would be a mega hit from Day 1 is so shortsighted it’s almost funny. Did anyone in that league go to business school? Isn’t Bill Polian supposed to be one of the smartest football execs ever? Yet somehow they don’t have a plan to make it through even one full season without fears of going out of business?

I was texting back and forth with Mattes about this story and he summarized his opinion succinctly, if not spitefully, after getting roasted by AAF Reddit for somehow not believing in this league:

“As Dashboard Confessional once said: I AM VINDICATED.” – Mattes

Real talk though, this is not a good turn of events for my guy Johnny Manziel. After flaming out in two different football leagues, it would be some shit luck for the third one to just straight go out of business. Looks like it’s XFL or bust baby.

 

Jerod Mayo Coming Back to New England as Patriots Linebackers Coach

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I love everything about this.

On Tuesday, former Patriots stud linebacker Jerod Mayo announced, via Instagram, that he would be joining Bill Belichick’s defensive staff, serving as linebackers coach under new defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.

This one kind of came out of nowhere. I hadn’t heard any rumors connecting the former All-Pro to the Pats before this, but to be honest it almost makes too much sense. Mayo was the consummate pro during his eight seasons with the team. Not only did he serve as one of the league’s better defenders – for at least the first half of his career before injuries took a toll – but he was also just a selfless, brilliant leader, both on the field and off.

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After being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Mayo burst onto the scene as one of the league’s top all-around linebackers, averaging over 130 tackles per year through his first five seasons. In fact, he was absolutely incredible in 2010, when he registered 175 total tackles (with two sacks and three fumble recoveries to boot), earning First-Team All-Pro honors. And though the team lost the only Super Bowl he was able to play in (2011), he still was one of the main reasons they were even there in the first place. Mayo was finally able to get his ring in 2014, after the team beat the Seahawks, even though he could not play in the actual Super Bowl due to the fact he was on I.R. at the time.

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He really was one of the game’s best for a couple years.

Sadly, such injuries began to really take their toll in the latter half of his career, and he was only able to play in 28 out of a total 51 games over his last three campaigns. He ultimately decided to retire after the 2015 season, at only 29 years old.

So while he may not have had the longest career in the world, there are very few players who have garnered more respect and adoration during their time in a Patriots uniform than Mayo. Everyone from former players to sportswriters to Belichick himself have shown no reservation in their praise for him and the type of person he was during his time in Foxborough. There’s no doubt that he’ll be an asset to this staff.

Especially during an offseason where we’ve seen such turnover, in terms of both players and coaches alike, this is a very refreshing piece of news. (And who knows? Maybe he can actually teach our linebackers how to cover someone!)

Congrats, Jerod! Welcome back!

With Ryan Fitzpatrick Joining His Third AFC East Team, I Have Found the Perfect Group Halloween Costume

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I remember seeing this idea a few years back when Jaromir Jagr was playing for the Bruins en route to finishing his NHL career having played for 9 teams over 24 years.

Well I would say we’ve officially reached that point with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Everyone’s favorite gigantic bearded, wedding ring wearing, smart as hell, bridge quarterback will join his 8th NFL team in Miami this season. It also will mark him playing for 3/4ths of the AFC East. So who knows, maybe if he kicks around for a couple of more years he could complete the rounds and be a veteran backup QB to the next great Patriots signal caller? We can only hope.

So if 7 of my other friends want to create the greatest Halloween costume of the season, the Ryan Fitzpatrick group costume is the way to go boys.

Gronk Calls It Quits

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 AP – The New England Patriots’ gentle giant has decided to hang up his cleats.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said Sunday that he is retiring from the NFL after nine seasons.

Gronkowski announced his decision via a post on Instagram , saying that a few months shy of his 30th birthday “it’s time to move forward and move forward with a big smile.”

“It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far,” Gronkowski wrote in his post. “I will be retiring from the game of football today.”

The Sunday Scaries never hit harder than on the first Sunday of the NCAA tournament. Gronk announcing his retirement today certainly doesn’t help with that, but I won’t hold it against him.

For a while, Patriots fans debated who was the second best player of the Bill Belichick Era. There’s no debate any more. It’s Rob Gronkowski and it’s not even close.  There have been a lot of players who have exemplified the Patriot Way in Foxboro. Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown and Julian Edelman immediately come to mind. Few players, though, were the unstoppable force on the field that Rob Gronkowski was.

Gronkowski retires with 79 receiving touchdowns, fourth most among active players. His three Super Bowl rings are more than the three men in front of him on that list combined (0).

With that in mind, it’s hard to blame Gronkowski for choosing to hang ’em up now. It sounded like this was a real possibility a year ago. Instead of retiring at that time, though, Gronk came back and earned his third ring. Instead or retiring after one of the most puzzling defeats of all time, Gronk can retire as a Super Bowl champ. With Brady and Belichick the Patriots are always in the hunt, but retiring on top is never a given. Choosing to step away now, Gronkowski can be sure there’s no bitterness left over from how it all ended. And with a bright future after football, he can be sure to step away without yet another injury or surgery.

We’ll have more on this over the next few days but for now, on behalf of all Patriots fans, thanks, Gronk.

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Will the Patriots Draft Bran Stark errr Hunter Renfrow After His Prophetic Vision?

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I loved Renfrow in college. While he might not be a household name, if you’re even somewhat of a college football fan you’ve seen him make huge plays for Clemson in national championship after national championship.

Renfrow gets in and out of his cuts and through traffic in a way Patriots fans have become so accustomed to over the past 12 years with Julian Edelman and Wes Welker. Plus he’s got the scrappy attitude that Bill Belichick loves as a walk on at Clemson who was a 5th year senior that became a team captain. The guy might not have the pure God given talent like other receivers that’ll get drafted before him do, but hey Chad Jackson was a physical specimen and he flamed out pretty quick. Our best receiver was a goddamn quarterback at Kent State so if anyone will take a flyer on him its the Pats. Doesn’t hurt that they currently only have two wide receivers with any real experience on the roster too.

Roll the tape!