Gronk ices bro’s stance
Refutes report he’s unhappy with WRs
FOXBORO — Rob Gronkowski is having a hard enough time dealing with double teams because no one else in the Patriots offense can seem to get open.
But now he’s working overtime to kill some outside
PATRIOTS BEAT Karen Guregian
noise that suggests he’s “super frustrated” with the offense, and specifically fellow receivers Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson.
During his media session yesterday, Gronkowski had to put out the brush fire that was set by HIS brother Chris, who went on WEEI’s Kirk and Callahan Tuesday and basically implied all of the above.
Because teams know Patriots receivers can’t beat their coverage, Gronk is stuck dealing with double teams all game. That was the point of Chris Gronkowski’s rant, essentially throwing those receivers under the bus.
Since the Gronkowski brothers are so tight, the assumption is that’s what the Patriots tight end feels as well.
So how did Gronk extinguish the fire? The only way he knows how — with humor. He first claimed he hadn’t spoken to his brother at all, and didn’t know Chris was going on the radio to drop a load of bombshells, which also went into Rob being paid “like a mediocre tight end” wanting to “get respect” along with the near trade to the Lions.
“Tell you the truth, I mean I feel like he probably was going on for a promotion thing for his ice shaker . . . no lie. I mean, because he’s been on Shark Tank with it, he’s teamed up with A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) so it’s actually a pretty big deal, so I guess go buy his ice shaker,” Gronkowski said with a laugh.
“He probably got caught up in all that nonsense. But I mean, he doesn’t speak for myself and he knows he doesn’t. But he probably just got caught up a little bit. Just got to move on, buy his ice shaker I guess and that’s all.”
Buy his ice shaker? Unbelievable. But that’s Gronk. That’s his way of diffusing the situation.
It wasn’t that way following Sunday night’s loss to Detroit, when there wasn’t as much time to gather his thoughts. He let it slip that Adam Schefter’s report of a proposed deal with the Lions back in April was in fact true, that he cut it off at the legs, threatening to retire.
Perhaps it was strongly suggested to him that he nip this other stuff in the bud because the team is 1-2, and it’s make-or-break time. They can’t have this kind of distraction lurking with the 3-0 Dolphins on tap.
Asked about the offense yesterday, and the receivers specifically, Gronk was happy as a lark with the group. He claimed the team has the receivers to get the job done. No surprise.
“I think the personnel we have, the guys we have, definitely can get the job done,” he said. “I feel like overall, as an offense, we just go out and we gotta execute. We’ve gotta put some plays together, we’ve gotta put some drives together, but definitely confident with the guys that are all around that I’m out there with. And with myself, too.”
Gronkowski also claimed his frustration was more about losing.
“I mean, I’m frustrated. Well I mean, the frustration comes from the aspect of the losses,” he said. “(We’ve) just got to get back on track of practicing, focusing on the Dolphins, doing what we’ve got to do out on the practice field and studying film.”
Gronkowski, who was limited in practice with an ankle problem, said he was cool with everything. He reported that newcomer Josh Gordon is in the playbook studying, “trying to get better.”
He told us we’d have to ask Bill Belichick when Gordon would see his first action as a Patriot.
Whenever that day was, did Gronk think the ubertalented Gordon would help free him up?
Gronkowski put it more on himself.
“I have to adjust to coverages, running faster, being open, and just working together as a team and as an offense,” he said. “For myself, my goal, I obviously want to get open all the time. I’m just focused on having chemistry with the offense, and executing plays and getting drives started.”
Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi voiced the opinion on a recent podcast with The Ringer that Gronkowski didn’t have the same quickness that he’s had in the past.
In light of that, Gronkowski, who has been working with Tom Brady’s body coach Alex Guerrero and on the TB12 program the past two years, was asked if he felt as fast or as quick as he’s ever been.
Gronkowski provided an interesting answer. He didn’t exactly shoot down the notion.
“That’s a tough question. It really is,” he said. “It’s football, any given day, you can feel different, to tell you the truth.”
As for the Pats’ 1-2 start, while slow starts aren’t something new, Gronkowski didn’t want to dwell on what’s happened in the past.
“You just have to keep going forward, no matter what it is,” he said. “If you’re winning, or you’re losing, you have to put that week behind you, and focus on the week coming up, and take one day at a time, one game at a time.”
So keep the cliches coming and keep the distractions to a minimum.
That means his brother Chris probably won’t be tossing any more bombs this week.
Cracked Gronk: “He better send me a couple of free (ice shakers) now.”