Rob Gronkowski's arrival in Tampa Bay makes an already talented Buccaneers offense even more difficult to defend.
Despite taking a year off from football, Gronkowski should still be a feared player for opposing defenses. Few players, especially at tight end, have his combination of athleticism, physical strength and football IQ. He's been a matchup nightmare throughout his career and should continue to be that in 2020.
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Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum recently explained on ESPN's "Get Up!" how Gronkowski can make a genuine impact on the Buccaneers offense without putting up the monster stats he had for so many years with the New England Patriots.
"It's not going to be quantity, it's going to be quality," Tannenbaum said. "Nothing is more frustrating than hearing all week, 'Gronk in the red zone, Gronk in the red zone, we're going to double team him,' and then he still scores a touchdown.
"I don't think he'll play as much (as he used to), but he'll be there for the impactful plays. The other thing to remember is he'll create production for others because he will at least get double teamed. So when we hear about (wide receivers) Mike Evans and Chris Godwin having incredible production, that goes back to Rob Gronkowski. He's going to be impactful. It just might not be on the stat sheet."
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The Buccaneers can afford to take their time with Gronkowski and bring him up to speed at a pace that works best for him. The reason they have this luxury is their depth at tight end is fantastic.
"Tampa Bay's done a good job -- Cam Brate, O.J. Howard -- those are really good NFL tight ends," Tannenbaum explained. "This is going to be a long season. We've talked about the pandemic and how that's going to impact rosters, and I think they will bring (Gronkowski) along slowly. It looked like he lost a bunch of weight being away from the game. They practice on grass , they play on grass, the weather is great. I think over the course of the season they can ramp him up. Again, if he's out there, the last thing a safety wants to see is a guy this big in the red zone. Even if it's 15 plays, those could be difference-making plays."
Fair or not, expectations will be high for Gronkowski entering the upcoming season. Oddsmakers also see a bounce-back year for the future Hall of Fame tight end, who currently has the second-best odds to win the league's Comeback Player of the Year Award.