New England Patriots: Rob Gronkowski retirement alters draft plans

The New England Patriots cannot say that they’ve had their best offseason to this point and not all of it is entirely their fault.

They already lost top pass rusher Trey Flowers to free agency. The same goes for starting left tackle Trent Brown. Not the best start. Still, there was no reason to think they couldn’t overcome such losses. However, things have since taken a far more difficult turn. The day that Patriots fans have long feared arrived when superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski announced via Instagram that he would be retiring from the NFL.

It isn’t a huge surprise. There isn’t anything left for Gronk to accomplish in the NFL. He has three rings and made millions upon millions of dollars. His body has taken a major beating over the years and there’s little doubt he’d like to maintain decent mobility the rest of his life. Thus he walks away with what will likely be a first-ballot entry into Canton. Not to mention dozens of media opportunities in the years to come.

Patriots must learn how to win without Gronkowski again

One person who has likely been dreading Gronk’s exit the most is Tom Brady. The stud tight end was a huge reason the all-time great was able to extend his career at its peak for so long. The Patriots don’t have anybody else on the offensive side of the ball even remotely capable of demanding the attention and respect the tight end did. His clutch catch in the Super Bowl despite not quite being the same player proves that.

New England has always adjusted their offense well in the past, but with Brady continuing to show his age that is proving more difficult each year. Not having the threat of Gronkowski and the matchups he can create will now allow defenses to increase their focus on other Patriots threats like Julian Edelman and Sony Michel. Thus making Brady’s job harder.

Don’t be surprised if Bill Belichick and the front office move quickly in the next month to fill that void as best they can. They do have three picks in the first two rounds and this is a reportedly strong class at tight end.