Rob Gronkowski’s retirement from the NFL puts further stress on the New England Patriots’ skill position group, especially in one department: the team is lacking an outside target capable of beating one-on-one coverage on a consistent basis. Free agency additions Maurice Harris and Matt LaCosse could help but it is far from a guarantee, which means that adding more talent remains high up on New England’s list of priorities this offseason.
One player the reigning world champions reportedly had on their free agency radar, however, just disappeared off it: former Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jordy Nelson just pulled a Gronkowski and announced his very own retirement (via his former teammate and current NFL Network analyst James Jones).