Nick Caserio Gives His First Official Patriots Comment On Gronk’s Trade

No one thought that the New England Patriots would trade out of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio discussed the team’s decision and also mentioned another topic. Caserio brought in Gronk’s trade, and this is the team’s first official statement after the big move.

Caserio had a video conference with media members Thursday night. When asked how New England determines the real value for a retired player like Gronk, Caserio provided a precise answer. Gronk came out of his retirement and requested a trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Playing with Brady in Tampa was the only possible scenario for Gronk. New England traded Gronk and a seventh-round draft pick to the Bucs in an exchange for a fourth-round selection.

“I think trades always take on a life of their own,” Caserio said. “So you just try to figure out … either you’re comfortable with the compensation that’s being offered and provided or you’re not, and you make a decision and you move forward. And I think that’s how we’ve always approached trades. Whether it’s veteran players, whether it’s during the draft, there’s no set formula or anything like that. So you take the information you have, you process it, you talk about it and make a decision and move forward.”

This trade put the Patriots move back from pick No. 23 to No. 37. They were also given an early third-round pick (No. 71) in the process. The Patriots own five selections on Day 2 (one second-rounder, four thirds) and another eight on Day 3 (two fourths, one fifth, four sixth, one seventh).

Gronk’s trade may not be that bad

The team will have hard time finding a replacement for Gronk. They had hard time replacing him in 2019. A lot of players stepped in his shoes, but no one was able to do the same magic.

Gronkowski and Brady will play in Tampa in September. They make a really good duo. Let’s not forget that they won three Super Bowls together. There’s a huge chance for them to go after another ring. How will the Patriots make up for the damage? Belichick always has a plan.