Free agent for Buccaneers to sign if the unthinkable happens
By Rob Leeds
As hard as it would be for the Buccaneers to prepare for a life without Rob Gronkowski, it might be worth knowing who is at least out there.
While we would all like to hold out hope that Gronk is coming back to the Buccaneers to compete for one last Super Bowl with Tom Brady, at what point do we start looking towards the future?
How long will Gronk actually get? It makes sense to give him some time and space to make a decision (the Bucs have already done this and then some), but when do you cut your losses and start focusing on the things you can control as a team?
We aren’t sure when that point it. But it is still nice to know what should happen if the unthinkable transpires.
In a post-Grok Tampa, there aren’t a ton of options that jump off the page with the same level of excitement, but Eric Ebron is far from a bad option on the free agent market.
The first thing the Bucs would need to focus on in a replacement for Gronk is experience. A young tight end just won’t be able to perform at the required level on this offense, so the new guys don’t cut it in year one. Also, there is better than Cameron Brate out there on the market for cheap.
Ebron is better than Brate and would add another talented pass-catcher to the group surrounding Tom Brady.
Ebron is coming off a tough 2021 season, but there is a ton of upside there as an athletic pass-catcher that was able to put together a great few seasons between his recent years with the Colts and Steelers.
The Bucs wouldn’t have to break the bank to bring in a guy that can easily handle four or five targets per game with high efficiency, and Brady would also get one of the best red zone threats at the position.
Ebron definitely isn’t a Gronk, but he could serve as a decent replacement if the Buccaneers decide to keep a couple of trustworthy tight ends for Brady’s sake.
It isn’t the easiest thing to accept, but it is still nice to know that there are still some options out there to give the Bucs some room to work.
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