Rob Gronkowski ready for Patriots offseason workouts
By Bryan Holmes
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski ended last season on injured reserve with a back injury, but proclaims himself healthy after a WrestleMania stunt.
On Sunday night at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Rob Gronkowski gave half of Patriots Nation a heart attack when he barreled through wrestler Jinder Mahal. Gronkowski was healthy enough to participate in WrestleMania 33 and according to an interview with ESPN he is “good to go.” Further Gronkowski says that he will be “…ready to roll when (the) offseason program starts.”
As if the combination of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were not enough to make the other teams in the AFC East feel like they were fighting an insurmountable battle, the return of Gronkowski to the Patriots will bring back another dimension to the legendary offense. Last year the Patriots might not have missed Gronkowski as much due to the presence of Martellus Bennett. But after his exodus to Green Bay in free agency this offseason, it was vital that New England got Gronkowski healthy.
Gronkowski’s return for Patriots workouts could have implications for the defensive side of the ball for Belichick’s team as well. New England signed big-name free-agent Stephon Gilmore from the Buffalo Bills this offseason to complement Malcolm Butler. Having Gilmore and Butler deal with guarding Gronkowski along with Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, and the many other threats that the New England Patriots boast can only mean good things when it comes to their preparation later in the season with other teams.
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If Gronkowski can stay healthy for the entire season one would have to think that the Patriots will once again be the favorite to win the Super Bowl in 2018.