A couple of nice hometown stories today on the Patriots:

First, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a look at the Memorial Day backyard BBQ put together by Patriots offensive lineman Dan Connolly and his brothers. While the story discusses Connolly — and his place in history after delivering a 71-yard kickoff return against the Packers last season — the focus is more on Connolly’s brother Patrick, an elite chef who has worked at Boston’s Radius Restaurant in the past, and now works at Bobo in Manhattan. A fun read.

Second, the Buffalo News interviews tight end Rob Gronkowski, who was back in his old neighborhood Monday for the 25th annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Tournament. Gronkowski talked about the lockout and its effect on the players, and he also addressed what the team was able to get out of the three players-only workouts held last week at Boston College.

“We got those three days last week and that was huge,” said Gronkowski, who turned 22 in May. “Everyone got their minds refreshed. Everyone was looking sharp out there. No one was really looking out of shape. It’s huge to get together as a team whatever chance you have.”