Mike Rodak, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Glenn Gronkowski jokes he's 'more intelligent' than older brother Rob

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Glenn Gronkowski didn't hesitate Friday to take a dig at Rob Gronkowski when the Buffalo Bills' undrafted rookie fullback was asked to compare himself to his older brother, the star New England Patriots tight end.

"I think a lot of people have already realized that I’m not as crazy as him," Glenn Gronkowski said after the Bills' first rookie minicamp practice. "It’s not easy to be that crazy and wild, but I think people are already starting to realize that. I’m a little more tame, a little more intelligent probably, so I would say people are already starting to recognize that."

Glenn, who goes by the nickname "Goose," is almost four years younger than Rob and about four inches shorter. Kansas State used him as a blocking fullback, but the Bills view Goose as a jack-of-all-trades player who can contribute in the passing game and on special teams.

After Goose went undrafted last Saturday, Bills coach Rex Ryan called and spoke to him for six or seven minutes. It was a "recruiting" call, Ryan acknowledged Friday, but because Rob and the rest of the Gronkowski clan was with Goose for draft day, Ryan couldn't help but take a jab at the Patriots' tight end.

"I guess the family was in the background, so, I had a couple of parting shots," Ryan said. "But I always do. Every time I see [Rob], we go after each other and things like that, but, you know, I told him, 'You’re going to be doubled every snap. I don’t know if you should even show up for the game. You know that.' But no, it was good. I think Rob was proud of his brother, obviously, and him getting the opportunity to play here."

How much do the Bills like Glenn Gronkowski? They gave him a $15,000 signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, which is on the higher end of the scale for an undrafted rookie.

"You'll definitely see him on the field in the preseason," general manager Doug Whaley told KISS 98.5 this week. "If he performs the way we think he will perform, we believe he's got a really good shot to make the team."

The Bills used Goose, who grew up as a Bills fan in nearby Williamsville, at tight end in Friday's practice, partly because the team had no other players in their rookie camp at the position.

"[It was] different, obviously," he said. "Never really learned how to run routes in college that much, so definitely something new to me. Mostly just used as a blocker, so, trying to run routes, definitely we have the best coaches here in the NFL, so learning from them will definitely help out."

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