Detroit Lions: Was Rob Gronkowski the missing piece?

There are many who believe the Detroit Lions blundered by not acquiring Rob Gronkowski this offseason but was it really a mistake?

The Detroit Lions have filled several holes on their roster this offseason, but there are two positions that have the local fan base and media up in arms; tight end and the defensive line.

And not necessarily in that order.

The concerns at both of these positions are the lack of household names and quality depth. The lack of a big name is never necessarily a concern unless the position doesn’t produce. After all, if we have a defensive lineman who get 15 sacks this year or a tight end that pulls in 50 catches and scores eight or more touchdowns, does anyone really care what his name is?

All that matters is the ability to produce and contribute to what Lions fans everywhere hope will be a successful season.

The depth issue, on the other hand, is always a legitimate concern. For example; last season the Lions were short of quality depth on both the offensive line and the defensive line. Both units were ravaged by injuries and it showed up on the field.

The offensive line was unable to open holes for anyone and couldn’t protect Matthew Stafford to save his life. Meanwhile, the defensive line was spotty at best rushing enemy passers and couldn’t stop opposing running backs.

So the concerns are certainly understood.

This leads us to the subject of the Lions having passed on a possible opportunity to acquire tight end Rob Gronkowski in a trade with New England before the draft.

The subject has arisen again in the local media about whether Rob Gronkowski was indeed the answer to the Lions tight end concerns, but the question still remains; would the cost of acquiring him have really been worth it?