5 potential trade destinations for Rob Gronkowski

2. San Francisco 49ers

Bedard mentioned the 49ers as a potential landing spot for Gronkowski, which would bring a fairly quick reunion with Jimmy Garoppolo. The added element of making things “right” with the Patriots, after only giving up a second-round pick in what’s seen as a fleecing to get Garoppolo, seems incredibly overblown though.

San Francisco has a promising young tight end in George Kittle, and a serviceable veteran behind him in Garrett Celek. But Gronkowsk is a clear and obvious upgrade for virtually all of the other 31 teams, and the 49ers have plenty of room to take on his salary.

Sending Gronkowski to an NFC team, similar to what they did with Garoppolo, might be the most palatable move for New England. Having recently done business with the 49ers may make trade talks more likely too, and bring a smoother process than may occur with other teams.

The 49ers-Patriots deal for Garoppolo came out of nowhere ahead of the trade deadline last season. A Gronkowski trade would not quite be the same. But the 49ers could see the ninth overall pick in April’s draft as a worthy price to pay, and the Patriots would have to pay attention to an offer centered around that pick.