The Hats off to Tom Brady thread

[HSanders]

maybe the cap was involved.

 

[BostonTim]

Were the Pats that serious about getting Cook?

Maybe not. But had Gronk not held out so long and announced right after LIII, they would surely have gotten real interested, real quick. JMO.
Cheers

 

[Roberto71]

Were the Pats that serious about getting Cook? If they were, I am not sure why Gronk retiring or not retiring would have played into the equation. We needed to replace him as he was a shell of himself in 2018 and also needed another TE on top so I don't see why his decision would have affected the Pats if they really wanted Cook.

It was a serious target and they tried to aggressively go after him.

Similar to how the Patriots made an aggressive pitch to receiver Adam Humphries in free agency and didn’t close the deal, a source close to tight end Jared Cook said the Patriots aggressively courted him before Cook elected to sign with the Saints late last week. Rob Gronkowski’s uncertain status seems to have played a significant part in Cook’s thinking, as there is clearer path to a top role on the tight-end depth chart in New Orleans.

Indeed, Gronkowski has yet to decide whether he will return to the Patriots in 2019. If he doesn’t return, he’d leave New England barren at the tight end position, with Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson and Matt LaCosse as the top options. If he does return, then Cooks’ decision would, in theory, be justified because Gronkowski would return to be one of the team’s top options in the passing game. However, the Patriots have showed the ability to highlight more than one player at the tight end position, as they had success with Gronk and Aaron Hernandez, whose career and life ended surrounded by tragedy which he created. Perhaps Cooks could have helped New England put together a reinvented version of the two-tight end offense. Certainly, the Patriots are lacking reliable talent among their pass-catchers, with Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett and Josh Gordon being their top receiving options.

Report: Patriots aggressively pursued TE Jared Cook

The Patriots could have reinvented the two-tight-end offense.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

 

[SkiptoMyLou]

Were the Pats that serious about getting Cook? If they were, I am not sure why Gronk retiring or not retiring would have played into the equation. We needed to replace him as he was a shell of himself in 2018 and also needed another TE on top so I don't see why his decision would have affected the Pats if they really wanted Cook.

Cook had Saints or Pats, but with Gronk still possibly in the picture. Cook decided for less uncertainty, which were the Saints. So Gronk definitely had to do with Pats not being able to land Cook.

Report: Patriots aggressively pursued TE Jared Cook

The Patriots could have reinvented the two-tight-end offense.

patriotswire.usatoday.com

 

[Roberto71]

Dude.......you're encroaching.....

 

[Roberto71]

That 07 loss was very hard to take. On so many levels. Not just because the team lost, but the chance of something phenomenal, an unbeaten season playing stellar football. You couldn't believe that was the way it ended.

I suppose looking back, after the bye and the thumping we gave the Bills 56-10, the rest of the games started to get a lot closer and there were some squeaky wins. The playoffs then were tight enough culminating in that Giants loss.....

 

[SkiptoMyLou]

Huh? What on earth are you talking about? Mazz said Gronk didn't have anything to do with blocking the Pats from another good caliber TE by delaying his retirement. He did. That's it.

 

[Mazz22]

Huh? What on earth are you talking about? Mazz said Gronk didn't have anything to do with blocking the Pats from another good caliber TE by delaying his retirement. He did. That's it.

I didn't actually say that. I was just wondering how serious the Pats were. If they wanted Cook, they could have signed him and really should have as they needed a TE regardless of whether Gronk came back or not.

 

[foobahl]

They did heavily persue Cook who decided he did not want to be second fiddle to Gronk. Then Gronk retired after Cook had made his decision.

 

[Mazz22]

They did heavily persue Cook who decided he did not want to be second fiddle to Gronk. Then Gronk retired after Cook had made his decision.

Is there a quote from Cook saying this? Playing along side Gronk would have opened more ops for him just like it has for Brate in Tampa.

 

[foobahl]

Not a direct quote, but Reiss reported it in March of that year, going by the report posted by SkiptomyLou

 

[Mazz22]

I think Gronk told them in April. They still had the rest of FA and the draft knowing he was not coming back. If I had to guess why he did delay until April was probably because Tom was begging him to come back. LOL

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

If there is an issue with Gronk it's that by delaying his announcement of retiring, it nixed our chances of getting Jared Cook to replace him at TE. It was a serious loss for us not getting Cook as we saw last season. Gronk could have and should have made that decision earlier.

Cook isn't very good, so, that doesn't matter. BB should have drafted a TE in a TE heavy draft. He never bothered to address the issue.

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

Is there a quote from Cook saying this? Playing along side Gronk would have opened more ops for him just like it has for Brate in Tampa.

He never signed because Gronk was still "here". His agent said it I think.

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

I didn't actually say that. I was just wondering how serious the Pats were. If they wanted Cook, they could have signed him and really should have as they needed a TE regardless of whether Gronk came back or not.

BB offered Cook more $ than he got for the Aints. True story.