Tag Archives: New England Patriots

Rob Gronkowski

WWE, Injuries Could Send Rob Gronkowski Into Early Retirement

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New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski dropped a bit of a bombshell on the sports media world a couple of weeks ago. Following a tough loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, the man known as “Gronk” admitted he wasn’t entirely sure about his future.

As in, the 28-year old may not be coming back to play in 2018.

Since Gronkowski suggested his future could be in limbo, the Rob Gronkowski retirement rumors have picked up some steam. Several reports have blended together to make the future look rather bleak for New England getting their top receiving threat back on the roster come next season.

Serious Thought

Per reports, “injuries have taken a toll” on Gronkowski, who is one of the most physically dominant players in NFL history, but has endured a litany of injuries. Those injuries have often forced Gronkowski to miss time, play hurt or even required offseason surgey. It’s easy to see the impact, too, with Gronkowski missing 26 games in his career due to several ailments.

The biggest problems Gronkowski has dealt with are a chronic back issue, a broken arm and a torn ACL. In addition, Gronkowski is understandably facing the constant risk of concussions in such a high contact sport.

While everyone seemed to take Gronkowski for his word initially, many likely chalked his pessimism up to losing one of the biggest games of his pro career. Gronkowski was reportedly thinking about his future before the game even started, however, with some reports suggesting he’d been pondering retirement “for some time”.

When questioned about his future immediately following New England’s Super Bowl 52 defeat, Gronkowski seemed borderline annoyed that word had gotten out about his plans.

Other Ventures

On top of Gronkowski’s injury history, it’s arguable that one of the best tight ends in pro history has already accomplished everything he’s wanted to in the sport of football. Gronkowski already has played in and won multiple Super Bowls, he’s put up staggering stats and by all accounts has cemented himself as possible the greatest tight end ever and he hasn’t even hit age 30.

There is another chapter looming in Gronkowski’s life, too. There have been whispers that Gronkowski has serious interest in media projects that could take him out to Hollywood, while the WWE may try to lure him away from the NFL, as well:

It remains to be seen what Gronkowski will actually do. He’s not even 29 years old yet and if he is thinking about leaving football for other ventures, those are things that will probably still be available to him in a few years. Gronkowski could still add to his impressive numbers and chase down more titles, but he’s young and has the world at his feet. It’s not crazy to think he’s ready to move on and let someone else take a beating every Sunday.

Gronkowski has the personality and fame to be just as famous – if not more so – without putting his body at risk. The fact that he has so many tantalizing options on the table may stir up further interest in the wager some NFL betting sites have right now regarding his future.

Betting Impact

Bettors might not be able to make money by wagering on Gronk’s impact on New England in 2018, but if they guess correctly and bet accordingly, they might be able to make some cash if he ends up retiring. Due to the mounting evidence, that’s something bettors may want to consider, and also something Patriots fans will want to brace for.

That’s especially true for New England. The Pats remain the favorites to win Super Bowl 53 (+550 at Bovada), but how far could those odds tumble if their best passing weapon calls it quits?

It’s easy to go either way on that one. For one, this is probably the best tight end the league has ever seen. That’s an elite red-zone target that Tom Brady won’t have at his disposal any longer. Then again, New England did win Super Bowl 51 with him on injured reserve.

This actually could be a bettor’s dream, too. New England already offers amazing betting value at these odds. Rob Gronkowski retiring could drop them even further and potentially make the Patriots the most attractive bet on the board.

There is a lot of time between now and the start of the 2018 NFL season and it’s likely that Gronkowski will take most of it to decide his future. Whatever happens, however, the Patriots could be impacted by his decision and sports bettors need to be ready to take advantage of it, one way or another.

Patriots Extend Star Wide Receiver Julian Edelman

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The New England Patriots keep finding ways to get better. After winning Super Bowl 51 and adding numerous upgrades at various positions during the offseason, the Patriots got better from within on Thursday, when news broke of an extension agreement with star wide receiver, Julian Edelman.

New England had been working to lock up Edelman, 31, who has proven to be one of the best slot wide receivers in the NFL. The two sides finally hammered out a long-term contract extension, which per ESPN‘s Adam Schefter will keep him with the team through the 2019 NFL season:

Rich Get Richer

The Pats stormed back from a 28-3 hole to win their fifth NFL title last season, so no matter what they do going into 2017, they’ll feel like they’re ahead of the pack. That’s easier to say after the team sprung a big trade to land former New Orleans Saints speedster Brandin Cooks, while handing Edelman an extension guarantees Tom Brady will have a loaded passing attack for the next few years.

Edelman merely beefs up a huge strength for New England, as their wide receiving corps has gotten so loaded that solid veteran slot man Danny Amendola is on the roster bubble heading into training camp. Regardless of what happens with Amendola, the Pats remain stacked at wide receiver and keeping one of the best in the business at working the slot makes sure they won’t experience a dip at the position.

New England rewards players that live up to the hype and can return solid value and Edelman has been doing that for years. The converted Kent State quarterback racked up 98 receptions in a full 16-game season in 2016 and has topped 92+ receptions three different times since being drafted in 2009. Edelman will undoubtedly eye a fourth run at 92+ catches and will also hope to stay healthy after missing nine total games between the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Team to Beat?

New England extending Julian Edelman is just par for the course for what looks to be the best team in the NFL going into 2017. The Patriots went 14-2 and won Super Bowl 51 last year and nothing they’ve done since then suggests they can’t do something similar in 2017. Vegas certainly seems to agree, as the Pats enter the new season with the best chance (+375 odds at Bovada) to win it all again.

Locking up Edelman doesn’t add anything extra to New England’s 2017 Super Bowl hopes, but it does take away the potential distraction of contract talks. It also helps keep the Patriots in the conversation for title talks beyond this year. For Edelman, it’s appreciation for a job well done and security as he hopes to close out his playing career with the only franchise he’s ever known.

2017 Super Bowl Odds: Why We’re Headed For a Patriots vs. Giants Rematch

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The race for the 2017 Super Bowl isn’t yet officially on, but with just two weeks remaining in the 2016 NFL regular season, it certainly is getting close. For all we’ve learned through the first 15 weeks of action, it’s crazy how much is still left up in the air to be decided.

We know that the NFC and AFC are probably running through Dallas and New England, respectively. The Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders are viable threats on either side, but at best, they’re likely the #2 seeds in their respective conferences.

Several divisions have yet to be figured out, however, and that bleeds into a still muddy wild card round. The Cowboys haven’t even officially secured the NFC East, as they got swept by the 10-4 Giants, who still have mild hopes of storming the castle. The Raiders and Chiefs have yet to decide the AFC West, too, while the NFC North, NFC South, AFC North and AFC South are all very much up for grabs. We know Seattle is in as NFC West champs and the Patriots are in as the AFC East winners, but beyond that, these last two weeks of pro football action could be pretty intense.

Even more, the seeding past the divisions could be dicey. As things currently stand, the Dolphins, Steelers, Texans and Chiefs join the AFC side, while the Falcons, Lions, Packers and Giants look to be in on the NFC side. However, given how up in the air everything still is, teams like the Ravens, Titans and Broncos have very realistic hopes of sneaking inside the AFC playoff race. For the NFC, the Buccaneers still have a clear path to the playoffs, while the Redskins are arguably the next team to look at that could mount a realistic run into postseason play.

2017 Super Bowl Odds

The best teams in the league that look locked in naturally have the top Super Bowl odds. Let’s take a look at every team that top gambling sites like Bovada are still giving life as we head into week 16:

  • Patriots +220
  • Cowboys +500
  • Seahawks +550
  • Steelers +1000
  • Raiders +1200
  • Packers +1200
  • Chiefs +1600
  • Falcons +1600
  • Giants +1600
  • Lions +2500
  • Ravens +5000
  • Texans +5000
  • Colts +5000
  • Titans +5000
  • Buccaneers +6600
  • Broncos +6600
  • Dolphins +7500
  • Redskins +10000
  • Vikings +15000
  • Panthers +25000

These are some very interesting Super Bowl odds, but for the most part they are spot on. At the top, New England and Dallas have the best records in football at 12-2 and are borderline locks for the #1 seed in their conference. Vegas obviously wouldn’t be shocked if we ended up getting just out third meeting between #1 seeds in this year’s Super Bowl.

Seattle isn’t a crazy Super Bowl favorite, either, as they still sport an elite defense and have reached two of the last three title games. Pittsburgh has a rich history with a league-leading six Super Bowl titles, plus they were among the preseason favorites to contend for a title. Ben Roethlisberger and co. have been bad on the road this year, though, and haven’t been a very consistent unit.

A Look at the Numbers

It gets a bit cloudy from there, as the Raiders look to be ascending as they’ve hammered down their first playoff appearance in over a decade, while the Packers look to have serious life after getting off to a disastrous 4-6 start.

If we look back at history, though, we can probably start weeding out the pretenders well before the playoffs arrive. For one, the Panthers, Vikings and Redskins all need a ton to go right for them to even have a chance at making the playoffs. We can probably safely rule them all out and as attractive as their Super Bowl odds look, they’re barely worth a cursory bet.

We can go one step further and take a look at two home/away facts. First, just one team in Super Bowl history has ever won it all after posting a losing record at home. The same can be said for road success, as just one other team has ever won a Super Bowl after posting a losing record on the road. Those interesting pieces of information could potentially eliminate Miami, Baltimore, Houston, Seattle, Detroit, Green Bay and Tampa Bay.

As impressive as all of those teams have been in their own regard, they all have a losing record either at home or on the road. For some, that could change before the final two weeks of the regular season are up, and perhaps that propels them into a new light. And we get it; one stat doesn’t guarantee anything. But if that data holds up and we don’t get a second team to defy history, we might as well write these teams off as bad Super Bowl bets right now.

Another interesting fact is that exactly two teams have won the Super Bowl in NFL history when their star running back paces the league in rushing yardage. That figures to be elite rookie rusher Ezekiel Elliott, who plays for the Cowboys. Of course, it was also a Cowboy (Emmitt Smith) who was one of the only two leading rushers to help their teams win the title the year they owned the league.

But say that data holds true. Then the beloved Cowboys wouldn’t be very “super” this year.

Suddenly the favored Patriots look like a pretty locked and loaded bet, and intermediate bets like the Chiefs, Steelers, Falcons and Giants start garnering Super Bowl betting interest.

Super Bowl 2017 Prediction

Of that group, the Patriots are the safe and easy call. The Chiefs, Steelers and Falcons feel harder to trust. Kansas City has a great defense and a balanced offense, but it’s fair to wonder if Alex Smith can get them deep into the playoffs. We know Big Ben can get the Steelers to the promised land. He’s done it thrice. However, Pittsburgh has been very erratic all year and may not have the defense needed to go win a 7th title.

Defense could be what is holding back the Falcons, too, as Matt Ryan is having an MVP-caliber season, but Atlanta still hasn’t consistently performed at a high level on the defensive side.

The scariest team might not be the Patriots, Cowboys or any of the other would-be top contenders. Instead, it might be the New York Giants. New York has been a very sneaky playoff team in past years and we can’t forget how they ran the table to take down a perfect Patriots team back in 2007. Their improved defense is a huge reason why we need to watch out for them, while the connection between Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. is as good as ever.

New York does have one problem, of course: they can’t run the ball.

That could be an issue if they want to go deep, but that defense and their passing game might just be enough to get the job done. There’s something about a Patriots vs. Giants rematch that just feels like destiny this year, too.

Still, in a year with no clear-cut favorite, everything tends to circle back to Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Super Bowl winners tend to dominate at home, nearly 50% are #1 seeds and they also tend to rank in the top-10 in both defensive and offensive scoring. The Patriots answer the bell across the board. They’re undefeated on the road and of their two home losses, one came when Brady was still suspended. They’re set to be the AFC’s top seed and possibly the #1 seed in the league, and they also rank 6th in offense and 1st in scoring defense.

None of that means the Patriots can’t lose or will for sure get to the Super Bowl, but it’s starting to add up to a pretty clear picture. And that’s that the Patriots sure look and feel like the best team in the NFL right now. Vegas can be wrong when it comes to Super Bowl odds, but in a weird season, it feels like they’re getting it right. That could make now the best possible time to bet on the Pats, as their Super Bowl odds will only get less playable from here on out.

Ultimately, we see the Pats going all the way and there Tom Brady and co. will finally exorcise their demons by taking down the Giants to get the 5th Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era. It’s not necessarily an ending we all want to see in 2017, but it still will be impressive.

Prediction: Patriots 27, Giants 23

What Happens if Julian Edelman Has to Play Quarterback in Week 3?

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The New England Patriots could find themselves in a weird spot when they face off with the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football in week three. With normal starting quarterback Tom Brady still serving a four-game suspension and top backup Jimmy Garoppolo doubtful to suit up due to a sprained AC joint, they may only enter the game with one active quarterback.

Backup Frenzy

One official quarterback, that is.

As it stands, no one knows for sure if Garoppolo’s shoulder will be okay enough for him to give it a go. However, considering he was in remarkable pain and could reportedly barely lift his throwing arm following the game, it’s highly unlikely he sees the field.

That puts raw rookie passer Jacoby Brissett front and center and also has the Pats one injury away from not having a quarterback at all. The team reportedly worked out veteran retreads T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree on Tuesday, but a signing doesn’t appear imminent.

Edelman as Insurance

Instead, New England may throw caution to the wind and start Brissett and use wide receiver Julian Edelman as their sole backup passer.

It’s fair to wonder what they’re thinking there, but this could actually be an amazing use of player versatility. Just like past years when receivers like Edelman and Troy Brown helped fill in for a depleted defensive backfield, here is another situation where a multi-talented player could be called upon to fill a different role.

For most players, stepping in as a quarterback when they play a different position seems crazy. Edelman, however, actually made it into the league in the first place by initially showcasing his immense ability as a dual threat quarterback at Kent State.

Nothing to Fear?

Brissett will probably be fine as the Patriots lean hard on running back LeGarrette Blount and the running game, but it’s fair to wonder what happens in the event he does get hurt. In would come Edelman, who does have experience playing the quarterback position in college and even continues to look back on a nice touchdown pass he had against the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs a few years back.

Edelman certainly hasn’t played quarterback since college and wouldn’t be a traditional option, but one quick glance at his Kent State highlights shows how his talent can translate to the position:

There is no denying that against a very good Houston defense, even Brissitt or Garoppolo could have their hands full. Edelman would be switching back to a position he played for four years in college, however, and New England has undoubtedly put together plays in the past they feel good about running with him under center. In fact, had they not always had Tom Brady at their disposal, it’s fair to assume they would have used him in a dynamic passing role a lot sooner.

Betting Impact

There is upside and downside to Edelman being forced into action. He has the speed, experience and quick short area movement to be a real problem on short notice and he’s always been a true gamer. However, he hasn’t played the position full-time in years, did so at a low level of competition and doesn’t offer much in the way of size or arm strength. Edelman can be used on some gadget plays and if he’s needed for a series or two – fine.

Regardless of what happens, the Patriots might be a bad bet this week. Even at home, they’re likely going to be sporting a fairly one-dimensional and predictable offense against a very good 2-0 Houston squad. Former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is coaching for the Texans, too, and he knows a thing or two about the other side.

Week 1 NFL Betting: Rob Gronkowski Injury Could Hurt Patriots

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The New England Patriots were already facing an uphill battle in week one, as star quarterback Tom Brady begins to serve the first of a four-game suspension. Jimmy Garoppolo at least had ample time to prepare for a daunting road game against the Arizona Cardinals and had a healthy supporting cast aiding him.

Emphasis on had.

Gronkowski Ailing

Per reports, Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski has been dealing with a hamstring injury and may be in doubt for New England’s week one contest on Sunday Night Football.

The Pats were already going to have their work cut out for them on the road against one of the best teams in the league, but now it’s starting to look like Garoppolo may be tasked with moving the ball and scoring without the game’s top tight end.

There had been whispers surrounding Gronkowski’s status over the past week, but the player himself admitted recently that he could be closer to “week to week” than ready for a big game that arrives in less than three full days.

Between the Lines

It’s obvious any extra hits that come this week could shake the Pats ahead of a huge game, but Gronkowski referring to his injury as a weekly issue doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll sit out or even be effected. He also stated in his recent comments that he wants nothing more than to be ready and on the field, so it stands to reason that he and the Pats will do what needs to be done to get him active.

There is also the possibility that while Gronkowski’s issue is nagging, it doesn’t keep him from at least showing up and taking the field. Gronkowski even at 75% or as a decoy could be quite useful to a team down their star quarterback.

Backup Plan

The silver lining here is the Pats did take measurements to ensure they were good to go at tight end, as they traded for former Bears tight end Martellus Bennett this summer to help add depth and versatility at the position. The team would prefer to be utilizing Bennett’s size and red-zone ability in two-tight end sets, but if Gronkowski does sit, they also know they have a competent starter that can step up in his stead.

Bennett was a very productive starter in Chicago and while his role is initially expected to decrease in New England, he could find himself very busy in week one if Gronkowski is out or hindered at all.

Bad Bet

With or without Gronkowski, the Pats could be in trouble this weekend. They don’t have their star quarterback, they traded Chandler Jones away to the very team they’re facing and not having Gronkowski could accompany other injuries and suspensions that may hold the team back early on this year.

New England will ultimately be fine and could still offer a competitive game on Sunday night, but they’re not safe bets in Arizona. If you’re doing any NFL betting this week, we’d advise you just steer clear from this game, altogether.