Harry Hooper said:
Yeah, I suggested in the pre-game thread lining up Vereen as a TE today. With Blount or Ridley in the backfield with Vereen also on the field, it would have made the Denver D more often guard against both the run and the pass at the same time.
You line up Gronk at TE because on run plays he can move a blocker to open a hole, and on pass plays he can run a route.
Vereen can't match up with a lineman or linebacker, so if you put him inline to block it doesn't help; your run play will get blown up by someone running over Vereen.
As an RB in the backfield, if you call a run play you hand the ball off to Blount or Ridley or Vereen and then every available player without the ball has to match up on a body and move them to open a run lane.
that's why Gronk gives you flexibility.