Rob Gronkowski

**The Excellector** · 01-17-2013, 08:53 AM

Could this be why Ozzie Newsome marked Rob Gronkowski off of his board? Many fans rushed to judgment about Ozzie Newsome missing out on Gronkowski, but it might not have been as bad as initially thought. This is exactly why Ozzie took him off of his board.

**GOTA** · 01-17-2013, 08:57 AM

He had a broken forearm. It's not like he had a history of breaking arms in college.

The issue that kept Ozzie away was his back. Backs are tricky in the NFL. So far that hasn't been an issue with Gronkowski. Ozzie is going to be cautious about drafting any player with a back issue or a history of concussions. I can't blame him for taking that approach. I probably would too if it were my money at risk.

**bt12483** · 01-17-2013, 08:58 AM

I think the initial concerns were his back.

His back has never been an issue.

It's been an ankle and now this freak forearm stuff.

The ankle stuff happens all the time.

But to break the same forearm twice in two different spots could be a long-term issue. They brace their fall so much with their arms, it is going to be in constant line of fire every time he is tackled. Is there even such a thing as a forearm brace?

**iggyman555** · 01-17-2013, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

Could this be why Ozzie Newsome marked Rob Gronkowski off of his board? Many fans rushed to judgment about Ozzie Newsome missing out on Gronkowski, but it might not have been as bad as initially thought. This is exactly why Ozzie took him off of his board.

i thought it was back issues that bothered him before

**Paintballguy** · 01-17-2013, 09:16 AM

It was definitely the back issue which was questionable about Gronk. The forearm injuries have just been freak injuries. Looks like he just fell the wrong way on it.

**Coastergenius** · 01-17-2013, 09:32 AM

It's also not hard to look like a Pro-Bowler when you have Tom Brady throwing to you in Bill Belichick system. Who knows how he would have done in a Cam Cameron system.

**The Excellector** · 01-17-2013, 09:35 AM

Let's keep in mind that back injuries have a way of leading to injuries elsewhere.

**RavenScallywag** · 01-17-2013, 09:50 AM

yeah, i guess in a way, you might give Ozzie props for not drafting a "fragile" guy. He was durable his first year or so, but now seems to be having trouble staying healthy.

But yeah, the back issues were what was red flagging him then.

**RedSkins Fury** · 01-17-2013, 10:08 AM

As for breaking the arm in two different places, this makes since. And it's not some related to some genetic bone weakness or something like that... lol.

He had surgery for the first break, correct? If so, that means the reason for surgery was to place screws and plates on the bone for proper placement and stabilization. Many times those plates and screws are removed after the bones are healed, but that requires a later surgical procedure. After bones have healed 100% they are usually stronger in that area than they were before, so it's rare to break a bone in the same place twice. The fact that he still has screws, etc reinforcing the initial "mostly healed" fracture makes since that it broke somewhere else... In fact, the artificial reinforcement may have caused reduced flexibility and increased stress/load to the other part of the bone and may have cause a fracture that wouldn't have otherwise happened.

Of course this is all speculation.

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 01-17-2013, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

Could this be why Ozzie Newsome marked Rob Gronkowski off of his board? Many fans rushed to judgment about Ozzie Newsome missing out on Gronkowski, but it might not have been as bad as initially thought. This is exactly why Ozzie took him off of his board.

Not hating on the guy, but I'm sure glad he's out for Sunday. He would've been a nightmare for our LBs in coverage.

The Pats sure wanted him in that draft; IIRC they traded up to get in front of us in that round.

**HoustonRaven** · 01-17-2013, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

Let's keep in mind that back injuries have a way of leading to injuries elsewhere.

Leading to a forearm breaking?

**lovefootball** · 01-17-2013, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

Leading to a forearm breaking?

Instead of landing on his bad back, he breaks fall with his forearms? Amazing how some receivers land after being tackled or falling to the ground. To see them pop up and act like it was nothing really is amazing. Is it because they are in great shape or damn lucky?

**HartLee** · 01-17-2013, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

Could this be why Ozzie Newsome marked Rob Gronkowski off of his board? Many fans rushed to judgment about Ozzie Newsome missing out on Gronkowski, but it might not have been as bad as initially thought. This is exactly why Ozzie took him off of his board.

A few points in response:

1. How do we know for sure Ozzie took Gronk off the board? The fact that the Patriots jumped ahead of the Ravens to take Gronk plus the fact that the Ravens drafted Dickson and Pitta soon thereafter suggests that Gronk was likely very much in play for the Ravens in Round 2.

2. As noted in numerous other posts, what does a chronic back injury have to do with current freak forearm injuries?

3. If Gronk never plays another NFL down, his performance to date makes him well worth the second round pick used on him.

4. Using Gronk's current injury as an excuse to pat Newsome on the back makes zero sense given that Newsome immediately followed up the Gronk pick by drafting a narcoleptic with knee problems who is already out of the NFL.

**Paintballguy** · 01-17-2013, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by lovefootball

Instead of landing on his bad back, he breaks fall with his forearms? Amazing how some receivers land after being tackled or falling to the ground. To see them pop up and act like it was nothing really is amazing. Is it because they are in great shape or damn lucky?

It really is crazy. I broke my wrist tackling a guy when I put my hand down to brace my fall. It just popped and I knew immediately it was broken.

**Boulderraven** · 01-17-2013, 01:36 PM

Not sure if we was on the board or not for the RAVENS. But he does have a degenative back problem, Stenosis I beleive made teams wary. But his back has been fine thus far.

**Bigfish** · 01-17-2013, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by HartLee

A few points in response:

1. How do we know for sure Ozzie took Gronk off the board? The fact that the Patriots jumped ahead of the Ravens to take Gronk plus the fact that the Ravens drafted Dickson and Pitta soon thereafter suggests that Gronk was likely very much in play for the Ravens in Round 2.

2. As noted in numerous other posts, what does a chronic back injury have to do with current freak forearm injuries?

3. If Gronk never plays another NFL down, his performance to date makes him well worth the second round pick used on him.

4. Using Gronk's current injury as an excuse to pat Newsome on the back makes zero sense given that Newsome immediately followed up the Gronk pick by drafting a narcoleptic with knee problems who is already out of the NFL.

I agree with this analysis. Gronk is as impossible a match up as there is in the league and the Pats were wise to select him. The back may shorten him career eventually but his production has been impressive. The Ravens caught a break not having to deal with him in this game.

**AirFlacco** · 01-17-2013, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

Could this be why Ozzie Newsome marked Rob Gronkowski off of his board? Many fans rushed to judgment about Ozzie Newsome missing out on Gronkowski, but it might not have been as bad as initially thought. This is exactly why Ozzie took him off of his board.

Exactly.

Gronk had a history of injuries with his back missing much time in college. Bellicheat took a chance on him and it paid off
until he missed the SB last year when Pollard ruined him and now again this year but these aren't back injuries but
he misses the most important games nontheless.

Meanwhile Pitta and Dickson who aren't as flashy but just as deadly seldom miss a beat. Both played in Denver and Pitta impacted the Denver game and will this game.

They were safe steady picks.

**AirFlacco** · 01-17-2013, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Bigfish

I agree with this analysis. Gronk is as impossible a match up as there is in the league and the Pats were wise to select him. The back may shorten him career eventually but his production has been impressive. The Ravens caught a break not having to deal with him in this game.

Hell, Pollard ruined him last year for the SB and it cost them the SB.

**iggyman555** · 01-17-2013, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by AirFlacco

Hell, Pollard ruined him last year for the SB and it cost them the SB.

i thought welker cost them the sb?

**Shas** · 01-17-2013, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by HartLee

A few points in response:

1. How do we know for sure Ozzie took Gronk off the board? .

I don't think we know for sure that they did.

There was a Sun story by Jamison Hensley leading up to the 2010 draft that talked about him being on their radar, but the focus of the piece was his injury questions (along with others who they thought might be there, namely Demarius Thomas

Perhaps the most difficult medical case is Gronkowski, the Arizona tight end who is considered the Ravens' dark horse pick.

Gronkowski missed the 2009 season following back surgery to shave off a disk that was sticking out and onto his spinal cord. Needing six months to recover, he didn't participate at the combine.

NFLDraftScout.com recently reported that an NFL scout had confirmed that Gronkowski has been "red-flagged" by teams due to stenosis, a narrowing of the spine that can cause numbness and leave a person prone to paralysis.

His agent denied the report.

"Every team I have talked to says there are no concerns about his back," agent Drew Rosenhaus said. "He passed his physical at the combine. There are no red flags on him. He is ready to go. The back is not a factor. There's no issue."
...
"Ozzie has made a living drafting players with injuries," one insider told The Sporting News. "If Demaryius Thomas or Rob Gronkowski are sitting there, they may not get past Baltimore."

Jermaine Gresham was the other player with injury concerns they were reportedly interested in and there was more buzz about him. I recall that Thomas was the player I wanted them to take.

I don't know that anyone ever said the Ravens had taken Gronkowski off their board, but stories like this did appear saying teams had done so.

The player I didn't like in that draft that everyone else did was Dez Bryant. A lot of people still think he was Ozzie's big miss and he should have traded up so Dallas could not leapfrog them and take him.

Thomas went 21, Gresham 22, and Bryant 24. The Ravens, sitting at 25, traded out with Denver who took Tebow with the 25th pick.

Bad move in the sense that Kindle was the guy they took at 43, one pick after New England took Gronkowski at 42. Then they missed on Cody with their other second round pick. But they did get Dickson and Pitta with the extra picks from trading with Denver, so missing out on Gronkowski hasn't been all that damaging.

In an ideal world, though, they just take Gronkowsi at 25. And the Kindle drama would not have ever transpired for them.

While Hensley never came out and said he was off their board, other reports very clearly said he was. For instance, a year later on NFL.com Albert Breer wrote a piece where he praised the Pats up and down for the pick, and in which he wrote,

Rob Gronkowski, just tied the NFL single-season record for touchdown catches by a tight end (13) and looks like a 22-year-old Jason Witten who will be a matchup nightmare for defense for the next decade. An examination shows how being all-in on a player can pay off:

» The background: The Patriots had the 44th pick in the 2010 draft, having already taken Devin McCourty at the bottom of the first round, and were targeting Gronkowski. Afraid Baltimore might take him with the 43rd pick, the Patriots called the Raiders, and gave them a sixth-round pick to move up two spots, leapfrog the Ravens, and grab Gronkowski.

» The twist: The Ravens weren't going to take Gronkowski. The Patriots were right that the Ravens were looking for tight ends (they took Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta later in the draft), but because of his back injury, Baltimore had taken Gronkowski off its board, like many other teams did.

» The lesson: The Patriots did the right thing by being aggressive to get Gronkowski, without question. That sixth-round pick sent to Oakland wound up being Arizona State linebacker Travis Goethel, a spot special teamer as a rookie in 2010 who's spent this season on injured reserve.

So the Ravens did or didn't redflag Gronkowski, depending on who you want to believe.