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Patriots reportedly trading Rob Gronkowski to Bucs in draft pick swap

Author Matt Dolloff
FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 24: Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots reacts after catching a touchdown pass during the second quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com

In a matter of minutes, reports on Rob Gronkowski’s return to football cascaded upon the sports world. And now it’s official: the Patriots are trading Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so he can play with Tom Brady once again.

The deal is in place, per

Trade, pending physical: Patriots are trading TE Rob Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick to the Buccaneers for a fourth-round pick, source tells ESPN.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 21, 2020" rel="noopener">Adam Schefter and others: Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick to the Bucs for a fourth-round pick. Moving up three rounds is certainly good value in and of itself, but underwhelming for anyone hoping the deal involved picks from the first two days of the draft.

Schefter

Two years ago before the draft, the Patriots agreed to trade Rob Gronkowski to the Lions, but Gronk informed them he’d opt for retirement over playing with a QB other than Tom Brady. Now after a year of retirement, Gronk hoping for a pre-draft trade to reunite with his former QB.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 21, 2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reminded his followers of two years ago, when the Patriots nearly traded Gronkowski to the Lions before the draft. But the tight end told them he wouldn’t play unless Brady was his quarterback.

The Bucs have two selections in the fourth round, Nos. 117 and 139. The Pats also have two sevenths (230 and 241), so it’s unclear how far up the draft board they moved.

Gronkowski’s time as a Patriot is officially over after 10 Hall of Fame-caliber active seasons. And the even bigger story is the reunion with Brady, which adds to an already-explosive offense in Tampa Bay.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at [email protected].

Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.

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