How many Elite players on the roster now?

[Brady6]

Brady, Gronk & Revis.

It's a core you can win a championship with if they stay healthy.

When last fully healthy, Wilfork would be in that group, but we can't say until we see him on the field again. Vollmer & Mankins are two of the better players at their positions, but are not in that same elite crowd as the top three above.

If that top three are healthy though, watch-out. I think people underestimate the effects of having a true All Pro player on your roster. Gronk by himself brought this offense from middle of the pack to literally #1 when he was healthy last year. Revis could make a similar impact on defense.

Not to pick on your post because several people have listed the same players, but is there a better RT in the NFL than Sebastian Vollmer?

 

[Ring 6]

Mayo is arguable. Especially when you consider the difference in schemes. If you are comparing him to all OLB's (including 3-4) then he's not elite. If you compare him with other pure Linebackers, then there are only a handful that are better. Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, Luke Kuechly, then Mayo and a bunch that are interchangeable.... which probably means he isn't really elite.

.

You cannot compare Mayo to 34 OLBs because you are likely ranking 34 OLBs almost exclusively as pass rushers, and Mayo is not asked to rush the passer.

 

[Coach42]

You mean, besides those 4 games he played before going down?
Anyway, i think you severely underestimating what a recovery from an ACL means for a guy his size and age.

And another point: Geno Atkins, Suh, Fairley and McCoy, just on top of my head, are all better than wilfork, since two years ago, but alright, that's my opnion.

I'm hoping for him to be good now, my expectation are very far from Elite

Fairley? No chance.

 

[nabwong]

I will put my nonexistent reputation on the line and say that Allen will be a top 5 punter this year.

 

[ausbacker]

I wouldn't compare the role of a QB's body and recovery from an injury to a NT whose entire body of work consists of exerting extreme effort and pressure on his body every play.

I think the injury is going to hold him back. Who knows how much though.

You mean, besides those 4 games he played before going down?
Anyway, i think you severely underestimating what a recovery from an ACL means for a guy his size and age.

And another point: Geno Atkins, Suh, Fairley and McCoy, just on top of my head, are all better than wilfork, since two years ago, but alright, that's my opnion.

I'm hoping for him to be good now, my expectation are very far from Elite

I don't react to weekly phenomena like most people tend to. Until Wilfork shows me he isn't an elite Nose Tackle, I will consider him as such. That doesn't mean I don't acknowledge he's going to have a difficult time maintaining his status as an elite player.

 

[primetime]

Wilfork didn't look like an elite nose tackle in the 4 games he played last season prior to injury. In fact, Tommy Kelly looked better in the few games he played.

Brady, Gronk, Revis, Slater, Vollmer. Those are your blue chippers.

McCourty, Mayo, Mankins, Browner, and Gostkowski are all the tier below. Solder and Jones certainly have the potential to join the blue chip group this season.

 

[JackBauer]

Wilfork didn't look like an elite nose tackle in the 4 games he played last season prior to injury. In fact, Tommy Kelly looked better in the few games he played.

Brady, Gronk, Revis, Slater, Vollmer. Those are your blue chippers.

McCourty, Mayo, Mankins, Browner, and Gostkowski are all the tier below. Solder and Jones certainly have the potential to join the blue chip group this season.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wilfork wasn't healthy at any point last season. Also unsure why Solder and Jones have the potential to join the blue chip group but McCourty doesn't?

 

[Brady6]

Chandler Jones doesn't impact the ball carrier enough to be considered elite. If you watch someone like Robert Mathis play, you'll see what I mean. Mathis scares the !@#$ out of offenses. He crushes with his hits, forcing ridiculous amounts of fumbles. If Chandler can cause turnovers along with his 10+ sacks.. then he is elite.

Defensive end run stuffs 2013 –

1. J.J. Watt-15
2. Adrian Clayborn-15
3. Robert Quinn-11
4. Corey Wootton-8
5. Calais Campbell-8
6. Jason Hatcher-7
7. Cedric Thornton-7
8. George Selvie-7
9. Chandler Jones-7

That list includes 3-4 Des like Watt, Campbell, etc. needless to say Chandler Jones is very effective against the run; in fact he is one of the better 4-3 DEs against the run in my opinion.

He has 4 forced fumbles in his first two seasons which is very solid, he can make improvements in that area of course and I also think he could make more plays knocking down balls at the line but he is certainly one of the top 5-6 4-3 DEs in the NFL at this very moment.

 

[Brady6]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wilfork wasn't healthy at any point last season. Also unsure why Solder and Jones have the potential to join the blue chip group but McCourty doesn't?

If you ask me, he is already in it. Last season McCourty dropped some interceptions that he would have normally caught, for that reason his interception total was down so fans and media do not recognize how great he played. His 15 interceptions are tied with Earl Thomas for the second most in the NFL since he entered the NFL in 2010 (Sherman is #1), add that to 7 forced fumbles, 52 pass defends, and 13 run stuffs in his first four NFL seasons and he is clearly one of the most elite DBs in the NFL.

 

[Marqui]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wilfork wasn't healthy at any point last season. Also unsure why Solder and Jones have the potential to join the blue chip group but McCourty doesn't?

McCourty is already there.

 

[Brady6]

If the season started today this is what the lineup could look like.

QB-Brady
RB-Ridley
3rd down RB-Vereen
WR-Dobson
WR-Edelman
WR-Amendola/LaFell
TE-Gronkowski
LT-Solder
LG-Mankins
OC-Connolly
RG-Cannon
RT-Vollmer

LDE-Ninkovich
DT-Kelly
NT-Wilfork
RDE-Jones
SLB-Hightower
MLB-Mayo
WLB-Collins
LCB-Revis
RCB-Browner
Slot CB-Dennard
FS-Ryan
SS-McCourty

PK-Gostkowski
P -Allen
Gunner-Slater
LS-Aiken

Green = Elite
Blue = Fringe Elite

 

[JackBauer]

If you ask me, he is already in it. Last season McCourty dropped some interceptions that he would have normally caught, for that reason his interception total was down so fans and media do not recognize how great he played. His 15 interceptions are tied with Earl Thomas for the second most in the NFL since he entered the NFL in 2010 (Sherman is #1), add that to 7 forced fumbles, 52 pass defends, and 13 run stuffs in his first four NFL seasons and he is clearly one of the most elite DBs in the NFL.

McCourty is already there.

I agree with you both; McCourty is an elite player. I was simply questioning the logic in that statement under the parameters of the argument he was making.

 

[TonyTucker]

Brady, Gronkowski, Revis

I've said it before, but I really hope McCourty is as good as everyone says he is.

 

[JackBauer]

Or you could simply watch the games, and come to that very conclusion yourself.

 

[BradyManny]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Wilfork wasn't healthy at any point last season. Also unsure why Solder and Jones have the potential to join the blue chip group but McCourty doesn't?

McCourty has proven himself one of the better safeties in the league. But we're separating elite from everybody else, so we're really splitting hairs - and that means to me that even very good players like McCourty or Solder or Vollmer do not make the list.

McCourty does not affect the game the way Brady, or Gronk, or Revis.

Some is due to the nature of the position, but mostly it's due to the fact that those three show such a huge appreciable difference in quality of play over the norm. That's what elite is, and it's worth a lot more than being very good.

We're talking about players who single-handedly change the game - change the way teams play them. Some teams don't have any. The Patriots have three.

If you call guys like McCourty or Vollmer elite, you have to come up with another superlative to describe the Brady & Gronk & Revis type player. Let's just reserve elite for what it really means.

 

[JackBauer]

McCourty has proven himself one of the better safeties in the league. But we're separating elite from everybody else, so we're really splitting hairs - and that means to me that even very good players like McCourty or Solder or Vollmer do not make the list.

McCourty does not affect the game the way Brady, or Gronk, or Revis.

Some is due to the nature of the position, but mostly it's due to the fact that those three show such a huge appreciable difference in quality of play over the norm. That's what elite is, and it's worth a lot more than being very good.

We're talking about players who single-handedly change the game - change the way teams play them. Some teams don't have any. The Patriots have three.

If you call guys like McCourty or Vollmer elite, you have to come up with another superlative to describe the Brady & Gronk & Revis type player. Let's just reserve elite for what it really means.

Elite doesn't really mean anything in this context, as it's entirely subjective. I consider elite to be top 5 at a given position. Others may disagree.

 

[BradyManny]

Elite doesn't really mean anything in this context, as it's entirely subjective. I consider elite to be top 5 at a given position. Others may disagree.

Fair enough, it purely comes down to how you want to define it.

 

[JackBauer]

Fair enough, it purely comes down to how you want to define it.

Sure, and it also depends on how many tiers you use when you make your evaluations. For example, I consider McCourty elite if the next tier is very good because I think McCourty is better than a very good player.

But in the end I don't think we're disagreeing on much, just details around the margins.

 

[Deus Irae]

Assuming returns to health:

Brady
Gronk
Wilfork
Revis
Mayo
Mankins

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Elite until proven otherwise –

- Logan Mankins – LG
- Sebastian Vollmer – RT

Yes. Such an Elite OLine that Brady gets destroyed against any defense in the playoffs.

Mankins especially.

Oh, but he makes the pro bowl every year right? Who gives a ****. That just means he's overrated.