Detroit Lions: Was Rob Gronkowski the missing piece?

Rob Gronkowski is clearly one of the best tight ends, if not the best, in the NFL today. His size, ability to make plays and big game experience are all things the Lions would have coveted, I’m sure. Not to mention that general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia both are very familiar with his work as a couple of former members of the Patriots organization.

Both Quinn and Patricia knew the decision to release former first-round pick, Eric Ebron, just before the advent of free agency left them thin at the position. Then Darren Fells signed with the Browns, meaning the lone returning tight end who the Lions see as a contributor is Michael Roberts who only caught four passes as a rookie last year.

This left Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia searching for a solution.

That was pretty much when the Patriots came calling with an opportunity for the Lions to acquire the ‘Gronk’ and solve all their problems at tight end.

Yet despite the obvious knowledge that Rob Gronkowski is one of the best at his position in the game, Quinn and Patricia decided to pass on the chance add the big play-maker.

Now we will probably never know for a certainty what the Patriots were asking for in return, but we will go with the premise that it was a first-round pick in next years draft. Using this as the barometer, let’s decide whether the Lions should have taken the ‘Gronk’ and ran or if passing was in the best interest of the team.

Let’s start with what the Lions would have received in Rob Gronkowski. As I have already mentioned, ‘Gronk’ is an exceptional player, but that needs to be prefaced with the fact that he needs to be on the field first.

Football is a game of collisions and it’s understandable that sometimes players aren’t available on gameday because of the size and speed of athletes colliding on the field. Suffice it to say injuries happen. But they seem to be fairly chronic for Gronkowski.

He hasn’t played a full season since 2011 and while three of those seasons he has missed only one or two games, the other three he has missed five, nine and eight. We also need to consider he is now 29 years old which isn’t ancient for football, but it isn’t young either.

Plain and simple he is damaged goods like any player in the NFL is at that age.