Vikings Trading Kyle Rudolph to the Patriots Would Bail Out New England in a Huge Way

Even after refusing to look to the draft to find a successor to Rob Gronkowski at tight end, the New England Patriots might have one fall right into their laps in the form of Minnesota Vikings veteran Kyle Rudolph. The two-time Pro Bowler is no longer in the long-term vision for the team after they used a second round pick on Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr.; Bill Belichick and Co. ought to pick up the phone.

For a team with Super Bowl titles that has contended consistently for the last two decades, the Patriots sure do catch some breaks courtesy of the rest of the league.

In Gronk, the defending champs lost not only an athletic freak with tremendous size, but also a great blocker, leader and gridiron savant with a high football IQ. Rather than be forced to lean too hard on Austin Seferian-Jenkins and the recently un-retired Ben Watson, New England has a chance to luck into a reliable tight end who can bust the seam, block exceptionally, and serve as a veteran leader.

It's literally everything they need.

The rest of this league, with a few exceptions, is capable of being unfathomably stupid. The Patriots are often playing three-dimensional chess, outflanking rivals at every turn, and swooping in for Kyle Rudolph would just be further proof.