Detroit Lions: Was Rob Gronkowski the missing piece?

Another thing to consider is that he immediately started talking about retiring after the Super Bowl, which could easily have been a ploy to renegotiate his contract, but does anybody want to trade a first-round pick for just one or two season’s of a player who is, like or not, trending towards the downside of his career?

The argument has been made that Bob Quinn has proven his abilities to find talent in the draft, but even so, if we trust in him why would we deprive the Lions of a first round pick?

Let’s also ask the other question; while Gronkowski could certainly get the Lions closer to the Super Bowl, is he the final piece to put them over the top?

I would suspect that unless this years ‘run-oriented’ draft fails, next year we will see a defense heavy draft to get a few more weapons for Matt Patricia to help slow down the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.

More from SideLion Report

• Top 5 revenge games on the Detroit Lions 2023 schedule
• Lions center Frank Ragnow optimistic about continuing to play through toe injury
• Detroit Lions 2023 preseason schedule: Dates, times and opponents
• A new contract extension projection for Lions quarterback Jared Goff
• 4 wide receivers the Detroit Lions could still look to acquire this offseason

Both of those teams will be able to score and rather then suffer the same fate as past teams that have tried to rely on winning shoot-outs and found themselves watching the Super Bowl from home, Matt Patricia understands how important defense is.

The final point is this; while the Lions do not have anything close to  ‘Gronk’ on their team, Luke Willson who everyone keeps referring to as a ‘blocking tight end’ came into the NFL as a receiving tight end. The fact that he had to play behind Zach Miller who was solid at the position when Willson joined the Seahawks as a rookie, then later Jimmy Graham who was considered to be one of the top tight ends in the league, had less to say about his abilities as much as it did about unfortunate timing.

Yes, Willson is a solid blocker, but not because that’s what he does, it’s because he worked hard to become a good blocker. Willson is still a better receiver than he is a blocker, which is more of a testament to reliable hands than his blocking ability.

As for Michael Roberts, he has a lot of upside and while he won’t be a finished product this year, the one-two punch with Willson will only help him in his development.

Is the tight end position a concern? Of course, it is, but I certainly don’t believe it will be the Lions downfall and even if Willson and Roberts combined for a ‘career season’, I don’t believe that will get them over the hump into the Super Bowl.

Great tight ends are a luxury most teams don’t have and many have won it all without a great one.

So in the end, is Gronkowski the answer? No. At least not for the price of a first-round pick. Would he make the Lions better on offense? Yes, but he isn’t the piece the Lions need to get over the hump.

Next: Detroit Lions - 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time

With that being the case, keep the first round pick and add a young player that can help them as soon as he arrives and will only trend upward instead of being fleeced by the Patriots who would only make that trade if they felt it was decidedly in their favor.