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Gronk spikes trade deal – No Brady, No Dice

TRADE TALK BEFORE THE 2018 DRAFT

Rob Gronkowski was almost traded to the Detroit Lions during the offseason, leading up to the Draft. After Sunday’s loss to Detroit, Rob Gronkowski was asked about all the rumblings of the trade. Gronk casually answered saying, “Yeah it happened, Tom Brady’s my quarterback, that’s all. Wasn’t going anywhere without Brady.”

Staff photo by John Wilcox.

Before the 2018 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick was looking to deal Rob Gronkowski. Rumors of talks with the Lions and Titans were being thrown around. Bill was talking with his ex Patriot friends in an attempt to move the All World tight end. Adam Schefter went on WEEI’s morning show ‘Kirk and Callahan’ Monday for an interview about the situation. According to Schefter “It would’ve been a trade involving draft picks, that was the basic trade.” He continued on about Gronkowski, “He was the only player involved in the trade and it would’ve been a combination of picks.”

HOW GRONKOWSKI NIXED THE TRADE

During the offseason Rob Gronkowski was uncertain about things, he made that clear minutes after the Super Bowl. Since Gronk showed signs of uncertainty, Bill had to keep thinking about the team and its future. Bill has never been one to wait and see about a player, he makes the necessary moves for the team. Apparently, he did and the trade was pretty much done until Gronkowski caught wind of the situation. Schefter again noted, “Basically the deal was all but agreed to, he was going to go to Detroit, and when he found out he called the Patriots.”

Now, this is coming from an NFL insider, not the Patriots or Rob Gronkowski, yet it does seem to line up with the offseasons timeline of events. Gronk and the Patriots did have a meeting before the draft, which was newsworthy because it ended the trade speculation. As Rob Gronkowski said Sunday night, he wasn’t going anywhere without Tom Brady. So what was said during the meeting is unknown to the public, but the end result is clear. New England was the only team Rob Gronkowski would play for, it did not matter if it was the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. If Brady wasn’t throwing him the ball, he was ready to retire.

Via USA Today

NO TRADE WITH A HAPPY ENDING

For Patriot fans, the meeting between the Patriots and Gronkowski’s camp, right before the draft worked out. Rob was adamant about what he wanted, which led to Bill Belichick and the Pats agreeing to keep the tight end. I’m sure Bill had his own demands for Gronkowski as well, in the end, it all worked out.

Rob Gronkowski wasn’t traded, his deal was reworked with incentives again. If he reaches those incentives he will receive $4.3 million this season. New England doesn’t have to worry about the cap hit because of Gronkowski’s new deal, it barely changes. So, in the end, both sides seem to have benefited from that meeting before the draft. For fans of the Patriots, everything turned out great. If it wasn’t for Gronk calling the team to have a meeting, a lot of things in New England could’ve changed not just the TE. Luckily this is in the past, everyone has one goal in 2018 and that’s bringing home the Lombardi.

Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics Series Recap

Porcello vs. Manaea

Sean Manaea pitched a no hitter to the Red Sox last month. J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each hit a solo home run for the Red Sox. Porcello let up five runs and nine hits over six innings, and struck out five. Trailing in the fourth inning, the Athletics grasped the lead with three runs. Lucroy had a two-run double into the left-field corner before Fowler tripled off the Monster. The Red Sox caught up 4-3 in the fifth, when Hanley Ramirez scored a run with a ground ball. J.D. Martinez hit straight out to the Sox bullpen in the eighth to score. Benintendi and Ramirez got back to back RBI singles. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and Oakland won Monday night’s game 6-5.

“We talked about not expanding down in the zone,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Overall, we did a good job of it. His stuff is still good.”

“2B Dustin Pedroia (recovering from offseason left knee surgery) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket. He singled and scored a run in three at-bats while playing five innings at second base.”

Rodriguez vs. Mengden

Due to the weather, the 7:10 start time moved to 8:50 on Tuesday night. As a result, Oakland beat the Sox in nine innings. Rodriguez took his first loss of the season after Oakland had six hits through the first three innings, starting with back-to-back singles by Semien and Pinder to start the game. Piscotty hit a monster home run out of Fenway Park in his first at-bat against Rodriguez. Piscotty’s home run was the first he had hit since his mother’s death on May 6th. Andrew Benintendi hit a homer and Mitch Moreland hit two doubles.

“It was pure joy. It’s been an emotional week,” said Piscotty, whose mother, Gretchen, died May 6 after a one-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She was 55.”

“We haven’t been able to put them away,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “They’re young and it seems like they’re turning a corner. Whatever they’re doing over there is pretty good.”

Sale vs. Cahill – A Sale Day Win to Avoid an Athletics Series Sweep

In Rafael Devers’s 100th major league game, the Sox came out with a win. Xander Bogaerts hit a three run homer, and J.D. Martinez hit a two run homer. Chris Sale gave up two runs and two hits in five innings. Sale also struck out nine and walked four. Trevor Cahill gave up three runs out of the first four batters he faced. After Sale’s career high 15 strikouts in his last outing, he struggled, but hung on long enough to keep the Sox up over the Athletics. Craig Kimbrel grasped his 12th save of the season and avoided the Sox meeting their season high losing streak. The Sox beat the Athletics 6-4 after Xander and J.D. had quite the night.

“It’s pretty impressive what he does when you’re behind looking at him,” Bogaerts said. “Normally I’m a guy who gets to the on-deck circle a little bit later. I’ve got to get there early if he swings at the first pitch and gets a hit. He hits some bombs on the first pitch.”

“Four walks, that’s not my game,” Sale said. “That’s not who I am. Obviously, you want to be better than that. Anytime your bullpen throws almost as many innings as you do, that’s not what you’re looking for.”

Up Next

The Red Sox will be at home again to face the Orioles for a four game series starting Thursday. David Price will be up first for his Fenway return. Dustin Pedroia will play another game in Pawtucket by the end of the week as Tuesday night’s game was postponed due to the weather. Jackie Bradley Jr. is still spending an immense amount of time on the bench as he has constantly had bad games. Cora is hoping that Bradley Jr. will come out of his slump soon, as he has been working on improving both his defense and his offense.

Sources

Statcast

MLB

Red Sox Twitter

NESN

ESPN

Q&A with Patriots Offensive Lineman LaAdrian Waddle

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photo cred- www.zimbio.com

This past week I had the opportunity to connect with New England Patriots offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle via Facebook. LaAdrian is a cool dude and simply posted the question, “what is ok to mix with your eggs?”, in which I put my two cents into his discussion. We had a back and forth that eventually turned into a quick Q&A. Shout out to LaAdrian for taking the time to answer my questions, and to Boston Sports Extra for giving me the opportunity to write for them and reach out to players and be able to speak with them on a level I never thought I could.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with LaAdrian, this dude is a MONSTER. He stands at 6’6 and weighs in at 315 pounds. In other words, the dude is a mack truck. LaAdrian is a Texas native who played his college ball at Texas Tech University, the same college as former Patriot receivers Wes Welker and Danny Amendola. The big man went undrafted out of college and signed on with the Detroit Lions before being cut after an injury ruined his 2014 campaign. He was eventually signed by the Pats and recently re-signed after testing out free agency (Dallas showed interest). We are glad to have him back.

NOW, LETS GET DOWN TO THE Q & A SHALL WE?

Q: What is your all time favorite meal or food?

A (LaAdrian): “Chinese food”

-Not a bad choice at all big fella.

Q: Do you have any superstitions or rituals you carry out before a game?

A: “Nope”

– A man of few words… Nothing wrong with keeping it short and sweet!

Q: Favorite artist out right now if you had to choose one?

A: “Juicy J”

– Okay, can’t lie on this one bud… JUICY J?!? I was hoping for J.Cole, Post Malone, or Kendrick Lamar… But JUICY J? COME ON MANNNNNNN.

Q: Favorite movie of all time, and are you big into the Avengers movies?

A: “Haven’t seen the Avengers yet but I do like all those movies. Don’t really have one favorite movie, just a long list of ones I like.”

– Much respect for being an Avengers/Marvel fan, but everyone has ONE favorite / go to movie, don’t they?!

Q: It seems like Fortnite is the new craze hitting college dorm rooms, living rooms, and even locker rooms. Has it hit your home yet? Are you part of the Fortnite frenzy?

A: “Yeah I be on there getting beat by little kids”

– I feel your pain brother… I’d laugh but honestly the same happens to me, hence why I stopped playing the game…. Damn kids and their video games!

Q: For the most part do you enjoy living in New England?

A: “It’s alright minus the brutal winters. Boston is a cool city but I’m not about that traffic”

– Traffic in Boston… You don’t say?! I hear ya bro, Boston is a great city to be in but I am all set with traffic on a daily basis too big guy!

Q: Who do you got winning the NBA Finals? Give me your “expert” prediction

A: ” Rockets vs Celtics….Rockets win in 7″

– Wow, okay big man. I can’t say I don’t like the picks… Even with Kyrie and Gordon injured I think we still take the East but lose to the West… But my pick is Golden State

Q: Who would you choose as your favorite college teammate at Texas Tech and your favorite teammate on the Patriots?

A: “I’ve had a bunch of great teammates over the years. That’s what makes this game so special.”

– Kept it humble and to a minimum, so no feelings were hurt. I see what you did there!

Q: What is your most memorable moment playing in the NFL?

A: “Playing in Super Bowl LI”

– Cant lie, Super Bowl LI is one of my favorites as a fan too… FALCONS BLEW A 28-3 LEAD… #NeverForget

Q: What ultimately lead to you re-signing with the Patriots? Was it playing for another ring? Playing with Tom and for Bill?

A: “It was the best situation”

– Okay, easy to see Belichick has these guys trained well when it comes to giving answers! NOT EVEN MAD ABOUT IT.#InBillWeTrust

Q: Who are your most competitive teammates on the Patriots on both sides of the ball?

A: “If you’re a Patriot, you’re competitive lol”

– I think he is under the impression I’m trying to set him up. Don’t worry big fella, I see what your doing. I wouldn’t get you in trouble with the locker room!

Q: What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

A: “Have the best season of my career and help this team win a bunch of big games”

– I cant argue with that big man, do your job right?! I like the sound of that!

Q: We all see how crazy Tom Brady is about winning but from your perspective being inside the locker room and being on his side of the ball at practice and during games, just how crazy is he and do you consider him the GOAT like many of us do?

A: ” The reason you play is to win! He is the GREATEST”

-Basically confirmed what we ALL already know… Brady is a MANIAC and he is truly the G.O.A.T.

photo credit- www.nesn.com

This concludes my Q & A with LaAdrian Waddle. Again, I want to give a big shout out to him for taking the time to answer these and give me some insight on him as a person and as a football player. Stay tuned for more to come! Check out Boston Sports Extra on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more articles from our talented and knowledgeable writers!

GO PATS!