Tampa's Party Animal

Tampa Bay might become the new destination for partying. A big boy like Rob Gronkowski will be turning heads. What has happened is that he is unretiring. New England traded him and a draft pick in exchange for a draft pick. Offensively, it should help a bit and the combo of him, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin will make secondaries scramble to figure who will get the ball.

I think this will help him. A few more years under his belt and getting to near 10,000 yards and maybe close to 100 touchdowns will solidify an already big career. The Pats are in clear need of a tight end. No one amounted to anything in that position this past season. No one could make big plays and the run game suffered a bit. Tampa gets a healthy Gronkowski in what is a small trend of players taking time off and coming back into the league. But I'd be more concerned about getting a ground game going and having a running back that will help compliment the passing.

New England might look to deal with defensive guys in the draft. Or maybe a tight end. These two teams face each other next year unless both reach the Super Bowl, which that seems impossible. The way the NFL is right now, anything can happen and anybody could win. A big wind of change. 

Krafty Solicitation

There is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some get away with slaps on the wrist. Others might get some jail sentences. Where this lands for Robert Kraft, I don't know. What we should know is that the New England Patriot owner is being charged in Florida with soliciting prostitution. Whether he was involved or not is a question for another day.

If the charges stick, it makes the Patriots look even worse. When you add in all the controversies and scandals since 2000, having situation like this does not help. I would guess varying by state, it's a misdemeanor. Those can carry a little bit of weight. They may not be as strict as a felony, but where you are, it could lead to some issues. If Kraft were to be charged, it could mean one of two things. Either he serves time in jail, which could be up to a year. The second could be a year of probation. More than likely, I see him getting probation and a small fine.

No doubt the NFL will figure out how to deal with Kraft. The thing I don't get is that he has a partner and I believe a child. It probably still hurts that he lost his wife back in 2011, something most people can relate to. Whether these charges stick or not, the league will more than likely discipline him. They gotta set a standard for this. After all, they dealt with Jim Irsay for his DWI. Whether this will be more serious or not of a punishment is a question for another day.

For now, innocent until proven guilty. Maybe Kraft was in at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe he knew what he was doing. Regardless, it's a black eye in the scandals and controversies of New England.