TE Rob Gronkowski – 6-6, 257 – 31 years old – 10th season

Most thought the ship had truly sailed on Rob Gronkowski’s career when the nine-year veteran called it quits before the 2019 season, so his decision to return and request a trade to play with Brady in Tampa Bay took the entire league by surprise.

On paper, the fit couldn’t be more fantastic. Only O.J. Howard has a higher yards per target for a tight end in the entire NFL over the past three seasons, and Gronkowski’s career 15 yards per catch is the highest of any tight end in the past 35 years. For a vertical-based offense like Arians’, the fit should be absolutely perfect for Gronkowski.

“Let’s assume Gronkowski is still Gronkowski,” Cosell said. “Obviously none of us know that, but for the sake of this discussion we’ll go there because otherwise it’s just speculation. Clearly Gronkowski is a player who can be very good in-line and, throughout his career, he’s been very good as the boundary ‘X’ on the backside of trips. That gives you a lot of versatility and multiplicity in your pass game. And Arians has already done that.

“There were a lot of games this year where O.J. Howard was the boundary X tight end, whether he was flexed or in-line, and that would be on the backside of trips. You’ll see that for sure, because it gives you a predictable defensive look and that’s really what you’re trying to get. Brady is as good as there has ever been about knowing where to go with the ball before the ball is even snapped. That’s what you’re trying to do with all your personnel and your formation looks. You can do that with Gronk and you can do that with Howard and Brate, they’re both very athletic guys. So I think that will absolutely be a part of their offense for sure.”

While some will wonder about the fit of Brady with Evans or Brady with Arians, no one will worry about the connection between Brady and Gronk, and they shouldn’t be overly concerned about the deployment of the big tight end in Arians’ offense either. The common thought that Arians hasn’t run a tight end-inclusive offense is only true to the extent that he hasn’t been on a lot of teams with talented tight ends before – and that there are only a handful of tight ends around the league worth featuring in an offense. Now, Arians might have a couple of them.

“I think back to the Super Bowl when New England beat Seattle on the (Malcolm) Butler interception,” Cosell said. “Gronk caught a touchdown in that game where they split him out wide right, I think he was the single receiver, and he beat K.J. Wright for a touchdown. That’s not an arm strength throw, that’s a fade ball. Brady can make that throw in his sleep. So you’ll see that kind of stuff.”

“But you’ll also see Gronk in-line. I mean, how many times have we seen Gronk run those quick, shallow crossers and catch the ball off that quick-bang play action? Or quick seam balls, or even deeper seam balls? Those aren’t arm strength throws either, those are more of those firm touch throws. Brady is comfortable with those throws and Gronk is comfortable running those routes, that’s what he’s done throughout his whole career.”

Gronkowski is probably the best vertical tight end in NFL history, now playing in an offense that isolates their tight ends, asks them to get vertical on the outside and down the seams and will have the flexibility to find favorable matchups for them out of 12 personnel or simply due to the other weapons that defenses will have to account for. There may not be a more perfect situation for Gronkowski to return to form across the entire NFL.

The only question mark with Gronkowski is whether he can still play at an elite level or not. In 2017 he was the best tight end in football. In 2018 he wasn’t fully healthy, and he was still really good. What can he be in 2020 after a year away from the game? I don’t think the scheme or the quarterback play will do anything but aid Gronkowski’s ability to produce this season. We just have to see how quickly he re-adapts to the NFL game.