FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Receiver Wes Welker provided some laughs Friday when asked what it was like to have two Gronkowskis nearby in the locker room.

Second-year tight end Rob Gronkowski is a few lockers to the right of Welker, while third-year tight end Dan Gronkowski – signed on Wednesday – is to his left, on the opposite side of a scale that weighs players.

The Gronkowskis are known as free-spirited and Welker shook his head when asked what it was like to have them flanking him as Patriots.

“I thought it was going to be very interesting, like I was going to have two idiots right next to me on both sides, but [Dan] is actually pretty bright. I was actually surprised,” Welker cracked, before adding “they’re great.”

Dan Gronkowski answered questions from Patriots reporters Friday for the first time since joining the team. He touched on his transition to New England and how playing under former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has helped.

“The playbook is very similar to what I’ve been in. A good portion of it is exactly the same,” he said. “I just have little things I have to learn and pick up on.”

The Gronkowskis have been staying together, but Dan stressed how it’s been all business.

“Just having my brother here, everyone knows his personality, and I kind of fit right in. It kind of feels like I’ve been here for a while now,” he said. “He’s definitely helping me out a lot. If I have any questions, we’re just sitting there and talking basically the whole night. It’s all football. It’s nothing more when we’re home right now.”

Although he just arrived this week, Dan has a chance to suit up Monday because the Patriots only have two other tight ends on the roster – Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Patriots signed him after rookies Will Yeatman and Lee Smith were claimed on waivers at the final roster cutdown.