PHOENIX -- He was engaging. He was insightful. He peeled back the curtain a bit on Detroit’s strategies in free agency and the draft. Hey, he even cracked a joke or two. Sources confirm he even smiled.

It was like a different Matt Patricia showed up for breakfast Tuesday morning at the Arizona Biltmore, a luxury hotel here in Phoenix. Just consider his stories about Rob Gronkowski.

“Everybody’s asking me about Gronk,” the Lions’ second-year coach quipped. “Did something happen?”

You could say that. Gronkowski, one of the best tight ends to ever strap on shoulder pads, walked away from the game this week at age 29. So of course he’s become a topic of conversation here at the NFL owners meetings, and Patricia had some tall tales to spin.

“We do a goal-line seven-on-seven period every day in Friday practice," Patricia said. "I would usually stand over the cans -- we’d put the trash cans out there as the O-line -- and they’d be running crossing routes. And a lot of times, when you’re doing seven-on-seven passing plays, advantage goes to the offense. So being a defensive coach, I was trying to make it as difficult as possible. So Rob is running a crossing route behind me, and I knew he was. So I took the garbage can, and I just slung it backwards, and I caught him right between the legs. He goes down. Hard. And he’s laying on the ground, and he’s not getting up. I’m like, ‘This is the Friday before a game. That’s it. I’m done. Gronk’s not getting up. This is about it (for me).”

“And he was playing it off. He was fine. I was like, ‘Get up right now before I get fired. What are you doing?' So yeah. Great guy.”

Gronkowki was known for his playfulness as much as he was for being one of the best tight ends in the history of the game. Patricia knows that as well as anyone.

“A lot of times you look out there, and I would chuckle to myself, because this kid is out there playing football like he’s in his backyard. Like he’s 8 years old. And his love of the game is still the same,” Patricia said. “He’s still got that wide-eyed look.”

Patricia went on to tell another tale, this one from training camp.

“I was just telling someone the other day, I used to love after practices in training camp,” Patricia said. "My kids would run on the field, and he had to throw one of my kids on his back to do extra push-ups, to get the extra edge. I guess he needed another 45 or 50 pounds to do some push-ups, and he had that playfulness about him that was sincere.

“Loved working with that guy every day. We got into some situations where we would be going back and forth, and just a lot of fun. Great player, better person. And whatever career he decides to go into, he’s going to be successful. And I still don’t rule out the possibility of having to see him on Sundays either.”

Given all that, maybe it shouldn’t be much of a surprise the Lions tried to trade for Gronkowski weeks after hiring Patricia last season. But Gronkowski threatened to retire rather than play for anyone except New England, and with any quarterback other than Tom Brady. And now it seems that threat was no empty gesture either, because one more Super Bowl ring later, he’s really called it quits.

Bill Belichick is back, though, and offered a small glimpse into the close relationships Patricia still has with folks in Foxborough, bombing Patricia’s interview with reporters about 5 minutes in.

“Hey coach,” Belichick said. “Just wanted to stop by and say hello.”

Patricia responded: “How you doin'? You’re lookin’ good. Sharp as always.”

“Bill and my’s relationship is something that I hold really serious and really near and dear,” Patricia later said. “We’ll always be great friends.”