Tuesday open thread: What would a Rob Gronkowski to Lions trade look like?

Before we get into today’s Question of the Day, let’s be clear: Rob Gronkowski isn’t going to be a Detroit Lion in 2018. The trade rumors are all but dead at this point, and whatever ailed the relationship between Gronk and the Patriots appears to have been solved.

However, Albert Breer’s report that the Detroit Lions were among a few teams the Patriots talked to about trading Gronk is, at the very least, pretty interesting. Lions general manager Bob Quinn has not been shy dealing with his former team, and although we’ll never know how serious talks got, it’s hard not to be insanely curious about what Quinn was thinking when he discussed a possible trade with New England.

Was he serious about getting Gronk? Was this just a call to test the waters and see what the Patriots were seeking? Were there offers and counteroffers?

Today’s Question of the Day is:

How much would you be willing to give up to get Rob Gronkowski?

My answer: There are a lot of factors to consider here, but let’s start with the money. Gronk has two years remaining on his contract with a base salary of $8 million in 2018 and $9 million in 2019. That means the Lions would likely have to do so salary cap magic this year, considering they only have just over $9 million in cap space according to the NFLPA Salary Cap Report.

There are also plenty of risks involved with Gronk. He has dealt with a myriad of injuries recently. One shortened his 2016 season to just eight games, while he only played seven in 2013. He hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2011. That being said, despite the injuries he’s still managed to lead the NFL in receiving yards among tight ends in three of the past four seasons. There have been a lot of injuries, but Gronk has still proven to be the most valuable tight end in the league, healthy or not.

There’s also the attitude. While Gronk certainly brings a lot of fun to the team, there’s little doubt that he can be a bit much for a franchise to handle. It’s clear things nearly came a head with the Patriots, which is why he was almost traded in the first place. If he was theoretically traded, he may be asking for a price hike immediately, which would be something the Lions may not be able to afford right away.

Then there’s the Lions’ trade capital. Detroit already traded their 2019 third-round pick to New England in order to trade back into the fourth round to grab Da’Shawn Hand this year. Parting with another high-round pick could leave them extremely short-handed in next year’s draft, even if they have a few extra late rounders.

All that being said, I don’t think tight end is as drastic of a need to break the bank for Gronk, even if he’s clearly the best in the game right now. Considering all the factors above, I would trade a fourth-round pick plus a late-rounder (sixth or seventh) for Gronkowski. That’s an offer that New England would almost certainly scoff at, so there’s little chance of a deal getting done, even if Gronk was still on the trading block.

Your turn.