2016 offense: WR#1 Edelman, WR#2 Amendola, WR#3 Hogan/Mitchell, Blount, Lewis, White, Gronk, Bennett.
2017 offense: WR#1 Edelman, WR#2 Cooks, WR#3 Hogan and Amendola, James White, Dion Lewis, Burkhead, Gronk
2018 offense: WR#1 Edelman post surgery, WR#2 washed up Hogan, WR#3 JAG Dorsett, WR#4 JAG Paterson, brink of retirement Gronk, James White, Burkhead, Sony Michel. The WR situation got so bad, Josh Gordon, a notoriously unreliable player became the savior.
2019 offense: WR#1 Edelman, WR#2 Gordon who hadn’t played a full season since 2013, suspended several times during those six years including his previous season with the Pats. Cut then suspended as per tradition. WR#3 JAG Dorsett/undrafted rookie Meyers/rookie Harry, no TE worth his salt, White/Burkhead/Michel
2016/2017 were so good that we lost Gronk one year and Edelman the next and we still could and should have won back to back SB’s while the offense was more or less unstoppable. Hell, both Gronk and Edelman were out against the Jaguars and Amendola and Brady got it done.
The bad roster building happened after the SB loss, when Amendola left, we didn’t get a replacement and pretended that Amendola was expendable rather than the clutchest, most dependable receiver in the second part of the dynasty. That hole has been there for two years but Gronk and the running game managed to mask it. Once Gronk left as well, the WR hole became too big to overcome.
Put Amendola in this team instead of literally anyone apart from Edelman and we’re still in the hunt this year.