10 greatest New England Patriots of all time

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: A detail as Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots communicates a play at the line of scrimmage in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

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ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 03: Rob Gronkowski #87 of the New England Patriots makes a catch against Samson Ebukam #50 of the Los Angeles Rams in the second half during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

7. TE Rob Gronkowski

He was basically a force of nature and now back in the NFL. Call him a combination between one-time New York Giants’ tight end Mark Bavaro and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. And whether he’s been on or off the field, that devil-may-care personality is basically impossible to ignore.

In 2010, Bill Belichick used a second-round draft choice on University of Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski. The numbers are simply mind-boggling. The five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro amassed 521 receptions in 115 regular-season contests, good for 79 touchdown grabs. “Gronk” was also impressive as a blocker.

In just 16 postseason games, he racked up 81 catches for 1,163 yards and a dozen scores. During the 2018 NFL championship run, he came up with his share of clutch grabs – most notably in the team’s overtime win at Kansas City in the AFC title games as well as in the 13-3 victory over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII.

After announcing his retirement following the 2018 season, Gronkowski was back in the news earlier this year as he decided to resume his football career and wound up being dealt to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be reunited with Tom Brady (via Nick Shook of NFL.com).

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