All last season, the hopes and dreams in Foxborough centered on Rob Gronkowski coming out of retirement to fix the stalled New England offense and return the Patriots to Super Bowl contenders.
It never happened.
Now Gronk, 14 months after his last game, a Super Bowl victory over the Los Angeles Rams, is unretiring and, pending a physical, joining his old pal Tom Brady down in Tampa Bay.
New England, who held Gronkowski’s rights even into retirement, will send the future Hall of Fame tight end and a 2020 seventh-round draft pick to the Bucs in exchange for a fourth-round selection in Thursday’s draft.