As part of our weekly series, Get More Sports recently caught up with former NFL player Glenn Gronkowski. Every week during the 2018 season, we’ll produce an exclusive Q&A with Glenn, whose experience, familiarity and connections within the league, its coaches and its players allow him to provide unparalleled insight and analysis.
The information provided in this series can be incredibly valuable to any sports bettor, which is why this is must-read material every week.
In this week’s edition (NFL Week 3), Glenn discusses Patrick Mahomes, the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick relationship, NFL viewership and more. You can read Glenn Gronkowski’s weekly Q&A here.
All odds are subject to change and courtesy of BetDSI.com, which is open to U.S. players and accepts credit cards.
GMS: What do you make of the recent report that Tom Brady would “divorce” Bill Belichick if he could? Do you think Brady has grown tired of Belichick after all these years?
Gronk: I don’t think that is the case at all. Belichick gave Brady his first opportunity in the NFL and as a player that’s all you can ask for. Although they may disagree on some aspects of football recently, that’s what happens in most relationships after that many years. They are meant to coach and play for each other and Brady “divorcing” Belichick at this point would not make any sense. He’s been in the same offense for 20 years and has a complete understanding of the way everything operates inside and out in the Patriots organization. To play under a different head coach or organization, even with how elite Brady is, I think would set Tom Brady back. Once again they may disagree on some aspects, but being on the same team trying to win games is best for both of them.
GMS: Josh Gordon is an immense talent when his mind is in the right place. Do you think he can make an immediate as well as long-term impact with the Patriots?
Related: Chris Gronkowski Q&A | NFL Betting Guide
Gronk: I don’t think he will make an immediate impact like everyone seems to be thinking. The Patriots playbook, especially for a receiver, is a difficult playbook to understand. The coaches will be doing everything to get him up to speed, but I think it may take three-to-four weeks until he is able to understand exactly what is going on. I remember being there my first week and I didn’t have a clue what was going on and that was after a full week. Especially with all the offensive weapons the Patriots have with Edeleman when he returns, Rob, Michel, Hogan, and White, I think he will definitely make an impact, but Brady loves to spread the ball around and I think it will take some time to get caught up to speed. But long term I definitely think the Patriots organization will make a player out of him as long as he stays injury free.
GMS: Patrick Mahomes is on pace to throw for 80 touchdown passes. We know he can’t continue at that current clip, but how good is this guy and how many touchdowns will he have at season’s end if he stays healthy?
Gronk: Mahomes is a special player. He has been his whole career, even in college he was putting up these numbers. Obviously the NFL is a tougher place to play, but it seems like the year off has helped him develop and transition into the NFL. I think he does end up breaking Manning’s record of 55 touchdowns in one season and ends up with around 60. The Chief’s offense is stacked with elite players that Mahomes can trust and get the ball to. Even simple slant and crossing routes are going for touchdowns just because the elite speed of some of the Chief’s players. Mahomes is a special player, but he’s also surrounded by special talent, which makes for a deadly combination.
GMS: Ryan FitzMagic has turned back the clock and is setting the league ablaze. When Jameis Winston is eligible to return in Week 4, who do you think should be the Bucs’ starting quarterback?
Gronk: Chris and I actually took this as one of our prop picks before the season started. We took Jameis Winston under 3900 yards and one of the main reasons was because of this situation. When a player gets injured or suspended, there is no guarantee that their spot will be there when they return. This is the NFL and the best player at that position is going to play almost every single time. Right now, the best player at the position for the Bucs is Fitzpatrick and he’s dominating defenses right now. I think without a doubt you have to ride it out with Fitzpatrick until at least half way through the season and if he’s struggling at that point then it might be time for a change.
GMS: Can Bills Mafia count to 17? That’s the historic spread they are seeing for Buffalo’s matchup against Minnesota in Week 3. If you had to bet on this game, which side are you taking and why?
Gronk: I’ve never seen a spread like this. And although I think Minnesota covers, I would still take the Bills just because of the points. I know they look horrible right now, but this is the NFL and these players are still competing for a job and giving everything they have. 17 points is a huge spread and just for that reason I would have to take the points especially in Week 3, where historically the most upsets occur in the NFL.
GMS: What’s wrong with the New York Giants? Be honest, is Eli Manning done or do you think he still has what it takes to succeed in the NFL?
Gronk: I think the Giants are fine. Their defense has been able to hold opposing offense to 20 points in both games. Their offense hasn’t look that good, but they have also played against two top defenses. The Jaguars have a talented defensive-line and secondary and the Cowboys defensive-line has the most sacks in the league so far this year. I think the offense will pick it up and start scoring points and with the Giants defense playing good so far, I think they will be just fine this year and they will end up with at least an 8-8 record.
GMS: Toughie for the final question … why are NFL ratings down across the board?
Gronk: To be honest, I didn’t know ratings were down and didn’t expect them to be down. It appears that the protests have stopped and the games have been action-packed with a lot more scoring than usual, which fans love to see. The only reason I can think of is that the protests and concussions were talked about all off season and fans may have just got sick of it and decided not to watch. But now that the season has started and its not in the media anymore that I’ve seen, I think it will start to draw viewership again. Once again, with all the scoring and Browns winning, I think this has been an amazing start to the NFL and am surprised to hear that ratings are down and think they will pick up in the next few weeks.
The Gronkcast Episodes:
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 9: Inside The NFL: Featuring Rob Gronkowski’s bodyguard Bobby Goons
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 8: Inside The NFL: Inside A Players Life in the NFL
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 7: Inside The NFL: An Interview with WWE superstar Mojo Rawley
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 6: Inside The NFL: NFL Week 2, BulletProof Picks, NFL Head Coaches
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 5: Inside The NFL: A Day In The Life of An NFL Player, NFL Week 1
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 4: Inside The NFL: NFL Betting Strategies, The Best NFL Prop Bets
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 3: Inside The NFL: What It’s Like To Be A Rookie In The NFL
