Rob Gronkowski Too Good for TE Money: Patriots Need to Pay Up

Patriots training camp has been one big party boat for Rob Gronkowski so far. 

When Gronkowski is not making circus catches, he’s celebrating his teammates’ catches, or pumping up the crowd or delivering one-liners to the press pool. It rained hammers and nails at the start and end of Sunday’s practice, but instead of getting the rainy day blues, Gronk became the rowdiest dude in the mosh pit. He threw footballs into the crowd after touchdowns, high-fived fans and nearly smothered Bryce Williams with affection when the third-string tight end delivered a highlight of his own.

I wasn’t there for Gronkaroo 2016, mind you. I was standing along the Eagles sideline, where it was more fun reading gushing, giddy Tweets from my colleagues than watching Zach Ertz drop passes from Sam Bradford.

Gronk back shoulder fade, ball underthrown, he still jumps and makes low fingertip catch for TD, whips ball into crowd, mobbed by teammates

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) July 31, 2016

Patriots fans may be arriving in Foxboro by the thousands this year as Deflategate protesters with Garoppolo butterflies, but Gronkowski’s soaking, steamy tent revival is turning their fear and rage into hope and joy.

The Rosenhaus brothers have also appeared at Patriots camp. The team opened up contract extension talks with Gronkowski’s super-agents, according to Mike Garofalo of NFL.com. New England likes to lock up its core players before negotiations get awkward and contentious; the awkwardness and contentiousness are reserved for Patriots press conferences.

The Pats love Gronkowski, and they need him to compete this year and for the rest of Brady’s extended twilight years. But they absolutely cannot afford to make Gronkowski the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.

(This is where the columnist dramatically pauses to fool readers who don’t see a dramatic twist headed toward them like a wobbly pass from a third-string quarterback. Trust me, it works: read the comment thread!)

They need to make Gronkowski the highest-paid receiver of any kind in the NFL.

Gronkowski is entering the fifth year of a $54-million extension he signed in 2012. It was a hefty deal at the time, still the largest gross contract on the tight end market, but the market has passed it by. Gronkowski is scheduled to make $2.25 million in base salary this year, plus some bonuses. There are big paydays of $8 million and $9 million scheduled for 2018 and 2019, respectively, but Gronkowski shouldn’t have to wait for 2018 to get paid when the Patriots need him to get Jimmy Garoppolo comfortable at the grown-up table and lead them to another championship now.

Tight ends such as Julius Thomas, Jordan Reed, Travis Kelce and Ertz now make as much or more than Gronkowski on a per-year basis. If Gronkowski is content with making a little more than them for the next few years, so be it. But he is worth a lot more. He knows it, the Rosenhaus brothers know it and the Patriots should be willing to capitulate the point.

Gronkowski cannot be pigeonholed as a mere tight end. He’s an NFL A-lister in a category with J.J. Watt, Von Miller, Adrian Peterson and a few other non-quarterbacks who are as valuable as quarterbacks. Players like these deserve contracts that transcend the pay structure at their positions.

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