Patriots reportedly shopped Gronk to "trusted" teams

Michael Conroy | AP

Earlier this offseason, it was unclear whether or not tight end Rob Gronkowski would even be returning to the league in 2018.

And now it is being reported that as recently as three days before the draft, the New England Patriots were calling teams about a potential trade for the all-star tight end.

Who exactly did the team talk to?

According to MMQB’s Albert Breer, the Patriots spoke with “trusted” teams in which they had a connection: the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers.

Former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is now the head coach of the Lions; former Patriots linebacker, Mike Vrabel, is the head coach of the Titans; and former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien coaches the Texans. The 49ers were in the mix partly because of the Jimmy Garoppolo trade last season.

But now, the Patriots have Gronk’s full commitment for next season. He and the organization are currently working on a contract extension.

Follow Megan on Twitter: @carnahanmegan