As the long, hot summer drags on, we here at The Triangle figured we’d provide a steady stream of NFL goodness as a reminder of the light at the end of the baseball-lined tunnel.

There’s no doubt that the best part of this NFL offseason had little to do with football and much more to do with an often shirtless, Drago-esque tight end who spends his autumn months in New England. Whether it was inquiries about a club’s no-shirt-no-shoes policy, tweeted pictures with porn stars, or well-placed smiley faces, the Gronk Show has been 2012’s best NFL attraction. And I don’t know about you guys, but through it all, it’s been easy to forget that last year, this guy had THE BEST SEASON FOR A TIGHT END EVER.

Gronkowski has parlayed being the league’s most entertaining attraction with being a legitimate top-10 fantasy pick and someone who seems to make one or two plays a game that no one else can make. In-his-prime Antonio Gates was special, but the difference with Gronkowski is that he isn’t merely a product of the NFL as a passing league, where faux-tight ends spend all their time split out as misnamed wide receivers. He’s also a more-than-capable inline blocker who can flat-out punish guys while also catching 17 touchdown passes. We’ll miss the antics as the season beings, but the football is a pretty decent consolation.