Tampa Bay receives: New England Patriots 2021 4th and 7th round picks
New England Receives: Cameron Brate
New England could be the most logical place for Brate to land if the Buccaneers decide to move him. The Patriots are hurting for additional pass-catchers to surround Cam Newton with, and Cameron Brate should be an obvious candidate.
The Patriots have been tied to almost every pass-catcher on the trade block in the NFL, and finding an additional piece, especially at one of the weakest positions, should be a priority.
Brate could step in and take the starting job from Ryan Izzo quickly, and many fans have speculated that Brate would flourish in an offensive system as a replacement for Gronkowski.
On the Buccaneer end, this trade would close out the loop on the Gronkowski trade that they made before the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bucs would get a fourth-round pick back, and the addition of the seventh shows that the Bucs are the ones in the driver seat for this deal. Tampa Bay would just have Gronk on their roster instead of Brate and one more seventh-round pick after the two trades.
Brate could spell problems alongside Bill Belichick and the resurgent Cam Newton, but the Bucs would see very little of the potential danger that would follow. Both teams would come out ahead after this trade, and it wouldn’t be surprising if New England starts to inquire about the veteran tight end sooner than later.