Rob Gronkowski is making his return to the gridiron and will keep his number 87! Yesterday before 3:00 PM CST news broke, the Patriots and the Buccaneers were in discussion about tight end Rob Gronkowski. The transaction, which was very reminiscent of 2018. When the Raiders and Seahawks traded fifth and sixth-round picks for running back Marshawn Lynch. The Gronk deal only took a matter of minutes and by 3:27 PM CST Gronkowski was declared a Buccaneer.

This transaction brings the WWE 24/7 Champion out of retirement and sends a seventh-round pick to Tampa for one of Tampa’s two fourth-round picks. Most of the work has already been completed, with Gronkowski already passing a physical for Tampa Bay, prior to the news. Gronkowski who sat out during the 2019 season looks to be refreshed and poised to start new. The former Masked Singer White Tiger looks to take his newly refreshed body to Tampa Bay to win one more championship with the G.O.A.T.

We will need to temper our expectations with this exciting news as Gronkowski did not play in 2019 and has not played a full 16 game regular season since 2011. The Pro Bowl Tight End will be on everyone’s fantasy radar and looks to be taken pretty quickly in drafts. I will break down some interesting facts and together we will see what Gronk’s fantasy impact will be in 2020.

Career Stats:

• 2010 – 42/59 receptions, 546 yards, 10 TD’s, 71.2 catch %, 112.6 Fantasy Points
• 2011 – 90/124 receptions, 1,327 yards, 17 TD’s, 72.6 catch %, 240.9 Fantasy Points
• 2012 – 55/79 receptions, 790 yards, 11 TD’s, 69.6 catch %, 143 Fantasy Points
• 2013 – 39/66 receptions, 592 yards, 4 TD’s, 59.1 catch %, 82.2 Fantasy Points
• 2014 – 82/131 receptions, 1,124 yards, 12 TD’s, 62.6 catch %, 184 Fantasy Points
• 2015 – 72/120 receptions, 1,176 yards, 11 TD’s, 60 catch %, 183.6 Fantasy Points
• 2016 – 25/38 receptions, 540 yards, 3 TD’s, 65.8 catch %, 72 Fantasy Points
• 2017 – 69/105 receptions, 1,084 yards, 8 TD’s, 65.7 catch %, 158.4 Fantasy Points
• 2018 – 47/72 receptions, 682 yards, 3 TD’s 65.3 catch %, 84.2 Fantasy Points

Analysis:

Last season when Brady was targeting a tight end 10+ yards downfield he completed 8 passes. In 2018 Brady connected with Gronk 22 times in the same category. The Gronk and Brady connection is unreal and they should have a huge year. During Gronk’s bigger seasons he broke 1,000 yards four times and averaged 78.25 catches which bodes well for him in his new downfield offense. The coaching staff of the Buccaneers has stated multiple times they want to utilize the tight end position and get them the ball. Early projections from ESPN have Gronk’s stat line at 52 receptions, 699 yards, and 5 TD’s while others say the touchdown mark is low and expect around 8 for Gronk.

Conclusion:

I have bigger expectations for Gronk, if he can play the entire regular season that is, I believe in the new offense Gronk’s stat line will be 87 receptions for 920 yards and 12 Touchdowns. This will put Gronk in the upper elite level of Tight Ends. Look to draft Gronk very close to Kittle and Kelce with some probably favoring the former Pats tight end.

Share your thoughts with me in the comment section below or by tweeting me @AggieKappaSig. See Belly Up Fantasy Sports and Belly Up Sports for other great articles. Read my other breakdowns and analysis of the Texans, Jaguars, Titans, and Colts. Also check out my pre-draft Top 12 Rankings for Redraft PPR Leagues by position: QB, RB, WR, and, TE. Thanks and Gig ‘Em!