Rob Gronkowski joining Tom Brady, dealt to Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are acquiring tight end Rob Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick from the New England Patriots for a fourth-round pick, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

What It Means:

The deal is pending a physical. The Patriots still own the rights of Gronkowski, who told the team he would prefer to play with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers if he comes out of retirement. The Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders orchestrated a similar deal in 2017 following Marshawn Lynch's one-year hiatus. Gronkowski turned 31 in May and appeared to have lost a step the last time he was on the field in 2018, but it's hard to imagine the future first-ballot Hall of Famer not making a positive impact. The Buccaneers now have a crowded tight end room with Gronkowski, O.J. Howard, and Cameron Brate, though it was reported last week that Howard is on the trade block.

Gronk averaged 8.3 FanDuel points (TE8) and 52.5 yards with 3 touchdowns in 13 games in 2018. It was the first time he scored fewer than 8 touchdowns in a season he played more than eight games. His 9.5 yards per target was a five-year low and he finished with a career-low in numberFire's advanced per-target receiving metric.