New England may not be ready, but it appears the New England Patriots will have two Gronkowski brothers on one team.

The Patriots have signed tight end Dan Gronkowski, a source confirmed to the Globe’s Shalise Manza Young. The Patriots will have to make a move to create room for Gronkowski on the roster. He is not eligible for the practice squad.

Dan Gronkowski is in his third NFL season. He was cut by the Denver Broncos on Saturday as the team cut players to reach its 53-man roster limit. Gronkowski played with the Broncos last season, registering eight catches for 65 yards in 12 games.


Gronkowski, who is 6-5 and 255 pounds, is considered more of a blocking tight end. The Detroit Lions drafted him in the seventh round out of Maryland in 2009. The Lions then traded Gronkowski to Denver in September 2010.

Yesterday, Rob Gronkowski was asked how Dan was moving forward after being cut by Denver. He said he was in touch with Dan and his brother Chris, who is now with the Indianapolis Colts, all weekend.

“.. I’m always cheering for my brothers, but the other one is still out there. He’s definitely a good tight end, and I believe he’s going to be picked up somewhere,” Rob Gronkowski said yesterday.