Getty Images PHOENIX — The news of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement wafted over the annual NFL Meetings at the stately old Arizona Biltmore at mid-afternoon Sunday, and there was universal respect from the NFL community for a tight end who played with joy and a brutal effectiveness. “It was a privilege to compete against him,” Baltimore coach and Patriot rival John Harbaugh said in the Biltmore lobby, “and to say, win or lose, big games, everything in our sport on the line, ‘Thank you, God, for the chance to be able to compete against a player like Rob Gronkowski.’ “ “Best tight end of his era, and he did it his way, in a place [Foxboro] that’s not usually suited to players doing things their way,” Niners GM John Lynch said. “He did it the right way, the way a real football player does it,” NFL VP and former cornerback Troy Vincent said. The Lead: Gronk A few things I know about the retirement after an evening of reporting here: Some connected with the Patriots felt strongly early last week that Gronkowski was likely to retire, and it chagrins the organization that the free-agent receiver/tight end crop is now totally denuded after…