As we’ve seen, read and heard, the Patriots have been enjoying their post-Super Bowl downtime.

Between Tom Brady’s excellent adventures diving off cliffs, playing hoops with basketball legend Michael Jordan and golfing at Augusta with Rory McIlroy, and Rob Gronkowski’s ever-growing extra curriculars — spiking hockey pucks, filming movies, and hanging with model Marisa Hunter — it’s been a fun-fest for many players. https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?fk=YKI2p6nA&cid=4407&sound=off&format=json&offsetx=0&offsety=0&floatwidth=400&floatposition=bottom-right&float=on

So how does Bill Belichick deal with getting the players back into work mode with the offseason program set to begin April 20? Does he have to do anything different after winning a championship, trying to get the players back and properly focused toward a repeat?

Speaking with former Patriots who were part of previous championship teams, it sure doesn’t sound as if there will be any let up.

Patriots Hall of Famer Troy Brown said there was a hard lesson learned after winning that first title in the 2001 season. If you get complacent, get too caught up showing off your championship rings and don’t get better the following year, you run the risk of not making the playoffs, which is what happened when the 2002 team went 9-7.

“I think you kind of learn from the 2001 season,” Brown told the Herald last week, “you can’t remain the same. . . . You might have the same goals and the same attitude, but you have to figure out a way to get better to stay ahead of the pack. The good news is, Belichick has been through this before. He does a great job always having his team adapt to something new and push for a higher level, and that’s what you have to do when you win.”

Of the current players, only Brady has been through the post-championship experience before. So it will be up to Belichick and Brady to show how to best deal with any potential Super Bowl hangover.

When Brown came back for the followup season after the improbable 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, there was a lot of newfound attention on the team. Asked if it was easy or hard to get geared up for defending the title, Brown put it all into context.

“I wouldn’t say it was hard to get geared back up. The excitement was there from a lot of people, with the expectations, especially coming off a Super Bowl win like we did (the first time),” Brown said. “We hadn’t been in that situation before, and I think we felt like we were pretty good. Let’s throw it out here. See if you can beat us. And obviously, that didn’t work out very well for us.

“I think guys were excited getting back. You wanted to show off your rings, show off your championship. But, we really didn’t have any idea how to get ready for a repeat season.”

Brown said players certainly learned how to handle winning the next time. So did Belichick. The Patriots stand as the last team to successfully repeat as champions, as they followed up their 2003 title with another in 2004.

“Bill was very conscious about us not making the playoffs that first time,” Brown said. “Between him, and the captains on the team, they made sure we didn’t go into the (2004) season like, ‘We’re the champions,’ and they made a point for us not to get caught up in that again. You enjoy the moment, but you have to get your mentality right. You have to move on.”

Brown recalled Belichick providing an analogy using Tiger Woods, who was at the height of his dominance back then.

“He told us as great as he is, or how great (Woods) is swinging the club, he’s always trying to find ways to improve his swing,” Brown said. “And that’s the kind of mentality you have to take into the next season. Individually, if you caught 100 balls, how can you catch 104? How can you get open more often? Those are the things you have to look at, not just, how can I keep my (championship) belt? It’s about getting better individually, and collectively.”

Three-time winner Brown is fairly certain the message has already been delivered in some fashion by the man in the hoodie.

Said Brown: “Listening to some of (the players) talk, from a few of the things I’ve read, I’d say they got the message already. It’s time to get moving on to being a very good football team in 2015, and not just being complacent about what they accomplished.”

Former Patriots center Dan Koppen echoed some of Brown’s sentiments, but also believes one factor that will help this team is that it always seems to be a team everyone wants to beat.

“As Bill has said before, there’s no pill you can take. You’ve got to put it in on a daily basis,” said Koppen, who won two rings with the Patriots. “As far as repeating, it’s nothing new for guys up here. People have been gunning for them, for years. It doesn’t matter if you’ve won it your first year, or not. They’ve won a lot of football games. So people give them their best shot.”

Koppen said when the players return for the nine-week offseason program, they’ll quickly focus on the objective of the new season ahead.

While there’s been some turnover in personnel, particularly in the secondary with Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner gone, Koppen believes the continuity with the coaching staff is just as important.

“The consistency you get from the coaching staff, having a lot of the same people from year to year, the consistency they give with their teaching, it’s the same message,” Koppen said, “so the guys coming in this year, they know what it’s going to be like.”

Bottom line?

Winning was great, but moving on and taking it up a notch are the challenges that lie ahead.

“They have to figure out a way to wipe the slate clean, and get ready,” Brown said. “You’re the champs, and people are going to try to beat you, moreso than in the past. You’re going to get everybody’s best shot. Are you going to be able to stand up to it and give them something different? Give them something better? You can’t be the team you were last year, and think you’re going to win it again. You’ve got to improve from that.”

Jonas all geared up

We caught up with Patriots running back Jonas Gray last week, after he paid a visit to Boston Shriners Hospital to donate a $5,000 check.

“I’m excited to get back to work and see my teammates,” said Gray. “I miss a lot of those guys. Everyone was kind of doing their own thing with their families, so it’ll be cool to get back with our extended families, so to speak, and get back to work together, and meet all the new additions.”

Asked if he did anything remotely close to cliff diving, Gray laughed.

“I had my own stuff going on,” Gray said. “Plus, I’m too chicken to dive off a cliff.”

With Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen gone, and LeGarrette Blount serving a one-game suspension to begin the season, Gray could have a more prominent role.

“The (running backs) room is a lot different, but you just kind of roll with the punches,” he said. “I’m looking to maybe take on more of a leadership role, but I’ll do whatever I can to help the team.”

Asked about moving on, and getting past the championship hangover, Gray clearly had heard the message.

“The good thing about the Patriots, we really take it day by day, week by week, game by game,” he said. “That’s the approach, and a lot of guys, like myself, are still hungry to do it again. So we’re gonna prepare the right way.”

Gray was a hit at Shriners, handing out autographed footballs, and signing his Sports Illustrated cover for one special patient he had previously visited.

“My mom instilled this in me at a young age,” he said, “and given the platform I have now, I’m able to do more things now.”