Appreciating Rob Gronkowski, a Player and Person this Patriots Dynasty Needed

ATLANTA – All hail Gronk. We didn’t know we needed a Gronk, let alone this Gronk, but man, did we ever. He is simple but never boring, the tonic for a nation with Patriots fatigue. If Rob Gronkowski never makes you smile, you have no teeth.

It starts with how he plays. He is the Shaquille O’Neal of football, so big and agile and fast that the only real defense seems to be clawing at his ankles. Cornerbacks bounce off him. Linebackers can’t keep up with him. If you were inventing a player for the fun of it, you might come up with Gronk.

“A lot of tight ends in this league are mainly big receivers,” Patriots reserve tight end Stephen Anderson said. “But he blocks like a lineman and runs like a…