How many Elite players on the roster now?

[MrNathanDrake]

Top 5 at their Position

Tom Brady (1a or 1b or 1c)
Rob Gronkowski (1a or 1b when healthy)
Darrelle Revis (1a or 1b, probably the former)
Vince Wilfork (see comments below)
Devin McCourty (2nd best FS last year)



Close, but not quite elite

Chandler Jones
Jerod Mayo
Logan Mankins
Sabastian Vollmer
Nate Solder



Wilfork is kind of up in the air, considering his age and the fact that he's coming off a bad injury. We know when he was healthy he was still a top NT/DT.

Mankins is overrated. He's a nasty run blocker but I've seen him get handled far too many times in pass blocking to call him elite.

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.

Stevan Ridley has potential to be a Top 5 RB in the league, but he didn't capitalize on it last year. If he can fix the fumbles and gets more opportunity to play he can easily put up 1,200+ rushing yards.

Chandler Jones is on the brink of being elite, but not there quite yet. He is certainly close to being a top 4-3 DE. Maybe this year he will make the jump and really dominate.

Jamie Collins has the potential to be a dominant OLB if he can continue to play like he did in the playoffs... and I think he will. Once it started to click for him, he looked like the best player on our defense. Mind you, he was running on fresh legs while most other players weren't.

 

[TB=TD]

Top 5 at their Position

Tom Brady (1a or 1b or 1c)
Rob Gronkowski (1a or 1b when healthy)
Darrelle Revis (1a or 1b, probably the former)
Vince Wilfork (see comments below)
Devin McCourty (2nd best FS last year)



Close, but not quite elite

Chandler Jones
Jerod Mayo
Logan Mankins
Sabastian Vollmer
Nate Solder



Wilfork is kind of up in the air, considering his age and the fact that he's coming off a bad injury. We know when he was healthy he was still a top NT/DT.

Mankins is overrated. He's a nasty run blocker but I've seen him get handled far too many times in pass blocking to call him elite.

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.

Stevan Ridley has potential to be a Top 5 RB in the league, but he didn't capitalize on it last year. If he can fix the fumbles and gets more opportunity to play he can easily put up 1,200+ rushing yards.

Chandler Jones is on the brink of being elite, but not there quite yet. He is certainly close to being a top 4-3 DE. Maybe this year he will make the jump and really dominate.

Jamie Collins has the potential to be a dominant OLB if he can continue to play like he did in the playoffs... and I think he will. Once it started to click for him, he looked like the best player on our defense. Mind you, he was running on fresh legs while most other players weren't.

I hope this is the year Chandler Jones becomes elite. He just needs to put on some weight.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

I hope this is the year Chandler Jones becomes elite. He just needs to put on some weight.

I believe he had the most tackles of any 43 DE last year, so he's already an elite run stopper. That should tell you he doesn't have a problem holding his ground and his weight is fine as it is.

But we all know DE's make their money getting to the QB. He just needs to refine his pass rush moves and show that last year wasn't a 1 hit wonder (Jason Pierre-Paul).



Maybe with Revis/Browner behind him now, he'll have an extra second or 2 to get to the QB.

 

[supafly]

I do not believe that Chandler Jones is quite there yet, as you mention. That's not knocking him, just trying to tell it like it is. Of course the fact that he was overworked may have played a part in his sack dropoff during the 2nd half of the year, but even then he seems to lose it at times and shouldn't be in the mix for what we'd consider an "elite" NFL player.

Hopefully he makes that jump this year to elite status.

Other than Brady, Gronkowski, Mankins, Wilfork (when healthy), Revis, and possibly Mayo--I wouldn't consider anyone else "elite" judging by the normal use of the term.

Jamie Collins does not belong in the discussion whatsoever. He flashed his skills that made him a 2nd round pick during the IND playoff game, but other than that, one needs to show elite play on a consistent enough basis for these kinds of conversations.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

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.

 

[ausbacker]

Quarterback      Tom Brady
Running Back
Wide Receiver
Tight End        Rob Gronkowski
Offensive Line   Logan Mankins        Sebastian Vollmer

Defensive Line   Vince Wilfork
Linebacker       Jerod Mayo
Safety           Devin McCourty
Cornerback       Darrelle Revis

Special Teams    Stephen Gostkowski   Matthew Slater

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Jamie Collins does not belong in the discussion whatsoever. He flashed his skills that made him a 2nd round pick during the IND playoff game, but other than that, one needs to show elite play on a consistent enough basis for these kinds of conversations.

He showed potential to be elite. If he could play like that all year, he will be a pro bowler.

 

[Coach42]

Elite to me means top 3 at your position. I think only Revis, Brady, Gronk and McCourty qualify, which actually is pretty awesome. I can't think of too many teams with more.

 

[farn]

Brady, Gronk, Revis. Probably Gost.

The others are very good players, not elite. Wilfork WAS elite. Now, I am hoping he remains "very good".

 

[JayNM]

Wilfork is far from Elite, nowdays

 

[ausbacker]

Wilfork is far from Elite, nowdays

Until Wilfork shows he is not the best NT in the game, his status remains. Not one person here would have removed Brady from elite status after his knee reconstruction.

 

[RIpats88]

whats pretty crazy to think is that at any given time, the pats have the best offensive skill player(Gronk), best QB(or at least interchangeable with brees/manning/rodgers for best) and best Defensive back(revis)

teams should be scared if the patriots stay healthy next year

 

[ZoisKing]

Until Wilfork shows he is not the best NT in the game, his status remains. Not one person here would have removed Brady from elite status after his knee reconstruction.

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.

 

[Brady6]

Wilfork is far from Elite, nowdays

I disagree, the last time he was on the field without an injury was 2012 and he was a first team All-Pro. Until he shows that, he has lost that through on field performance I am giving him the benefit of labeling him elite.

 

[JayNM]

Until Wilfork shows he is not the best NT in the game, his status remains. Not one person here would have removed Brady from elite status after his knee reconstruction.

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

 

[JayNM]

I disagree, the last time he was on the field without an injury was 2012 and he was a first team All-Pro. Until he shows that, he has lost that through on field performance I am giving him the benefit of labeling him elite.

Fair enough, but i stand for my answer to awsbuck

 

[Brady6]

Top 5 at their Position

Tom Brady (1a or 1b or 1c)
Rob Gronkowski (1a or 1b when healthy)
Darrelle Revis (1a or 1b, probably the former)
Vince Wilfork (see comments below)
Devin McCourty (2nd best FS last year)



Close, but not quite elite

Chandler Jones
Jerod Mayo
Logan Mankins
Sabastian Vollmer
Nate Solder



Wilfork is kind of up in the air, considering his age and the fact that he's coming off a bad injury. We know when he was healthy he was still a top NT/DT.

Mankins is overrated. He's a nasty run blocker but I've seen him get handled far too many times in pass blocking to call him elite.

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.

Stevan Ridley has potential to be a Top 5 RB in the league, but he didn't capitalize on it last year. If he can fix the fumbles and gets more opportunity to play he can easily put up 1,200+ rushing yards.

Chandler Jones is on the brink of being elite, but not there quite yet. He is certainly close to being a top 4-3 DE. Maybe this year he will make the jump and really dominate.

Jamie Collins has the potential to be a dominant OLB if he can continue to play like he did in the playoffs... and I think he will. Once it started to click for him, he looked like the best player on our defense. Mind you, he was running on fresh legs while most other players weren't.

Elite until proven otherwise –

- Tom Brady – QB
- Rob Gronkowski – TE
- Logan Mankins – LG
- Sebastian Vollmer – RT
- Vince Wilfork – NT
- Jerod Mayo – OLB
- Darrelle Revis – CB
- Devin McCourty – S
- Matthew Slater – ST

Those players have all made the Pro Bowl and been All Pro players in the past five years.

Players on the fringe of being elite –

- Chandler Jones – DE
- Nate Solder – LT
- Julian Edelman – Slot WR

To explain the Edelman reasoning it is not that Edelman would be an elite WR but he could become an elite slot WR in the same mold as Welker.

Former elite players –

- Tommy Kelly – DT
- Adrian Wilson – S

Players like Collins, Hightower, Vereen, Dennard, Ridley, Dobson, and Amendola certainly have the talent to become elite in their roles but would need to make strides to get there.

 

[BradyManny]

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.

 

[Brady6]

Fair enough, but i stand for my answer to awsbuck

Honestly, I did not see it until after I quoted your previous post. I think the Achilles is an obvious concern but until he proves it will affect him moving forward as I said I would give him the benefit of the doubt, Wilfork is an impressive athlete and a hard worker it is possible for him to return without diminished ability in my opinion.

As far as the players you listed (Atkins, McCoy, Suh, Fairley) I do not consider Wilfork and those players to be comparable, they are 3tech DTs, Wilfork would be in the grouping of Poe, Raji, etc.

 

[Ring 6]

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.

Wow, that is one of the strangest takes I have ever seen. Robert Mathis is a pass rusher. He is invisible in the run game.