No one knows what Rob Gronkowski will look like when he steps on to an NFL field later this year for the first time since Super Bowl LIII.
The future Hall of Fame tight end was traded in April from the New England Patriots to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he'll reunite with former teammate and new Bucs quarterback Tom Brady.
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Gronkowski didn't play last season after retiring in March of 2018. Maybe spending a year away from pro football reinvigorated Gronk and allowed his body to heal a bit after nine seasons of playing a hard-nosed style. But Gronkowski also struggled a bit in his final season with the Patriots. He missed three games and wasn't the same dominant force we had been accustomed to watching.
Buccaneers fans do have reason to be optimistic about Gronkowski, though. Tampa Bay running back Dare Ogunbowale has participated in the recent workouts led by Brady that include several Bucs players, and he's been impressed with Gronkowski during these sessions.
“I’m just going to say he looks good,” Ogunbowale told The Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio. “He looks real good. He looks fast. He looks explosive. I’m excited to see him play once he gets pads on for sure. But he looks really good."
Gronkowski is just one part of what should be a high-scoring Bucs offense in 2020. The Buccaneers have great depth at tight end with Gronk, Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard on the depth chart. They also have arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
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"We got a lot of weapons," Ogunbowale said. "A lot of great players. A lot of smart players, which is fun to be around, too, because I'm just constantly learning football. But we got some really good guys in this offense."
Gronkowski doesn't even have to put up elite stats to make a positive impact on the Buccaneers offense. If he's a reliable target in the red zone and consistently draws double teams -- and thus creating favorable matchups for the Bucs' other skill position players -- Tampa Bay's offense will be an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses to defend.