Do we really have the 4th best roster?

[Brandon_Cox]

More off season silliness to keep us occupied until training camp. The Eagles, Falcons and Saints are 1-3. The Vikings, Chargers, Steelers, Cowboys, Rams and Jags round out the top ten. I thought we'd be ranked much lower, given we supposedly only have 2 of the top 100 players in the NFL

4. New England Patriots
Biggest strength: It's Tom Brady. Do we need to say anything else? Brady led all QBs last season with a 95.5 grade -- his third straight season north of 93.0 -- and his 96.6 passer rating under pressure was higher than the passer rating that 22 quarterbacks earned from a clean pocket.

Biggest weakness: The linebacking corps -- specifically the middle, which is currently occupied by Elandon Roberts. Roberts ranked 69th among interior linebackers last season with a 41.6 grade, which was regression from the 61.1 he posted as a rookie in 2016. He ranked last in the position with just a 6.2 run-stop percentage while also surrendering a 144.3 passer rating in coverage.

By the numbers: Rob Gronkowski converted 84.7 percent of his targets (again, that's targets, not receptions) into either a first down or a touchdown in 2017. The league average among tight ends was just 54.1 percent, and the second-highest rate was O.J. Howard at 76.9 percent.
Grades:
Offense
QB Tom Brady 95.5
HB James White 73.2
TE Rob Gronkowski 93.3
TE Dwayne Allen 56.3
WR Julian Edelman N/A
WR Chris Hogan 50.9
WR Jordan Matthews 41.7
LT Isaiah Wynn N/A
LG Joe Thuney 79
C David Andrews 81.8
RG Shaq Mason 81.1
RT Marcus Cannon78.1
Defense
DE Trey Flowers 87.8
DT Malcom Brown 83.3
DT Danny Shelton 81.5
DE Adrian Clayborn 85.5
OLB Dont'a Hightower 45.9
ILB Elandon Roberts 41.6
OLB Kyle Van Noy 47.6
CB Jason McCourty 83.9
CB Stephon Gilmore 89.4
CB Duke Dawson N/A
FS Devin McCourty 82.6
SS Patrick Chung 79

Ranking NFL rosters from 1 to 32: Super Bowl champs on top

 

[oldrover]

Rob Gronkowski converted 84.7 percent of his targets (again, that's targets, not receptions) into either a first down or a touchdown in 2017.

Gronkowski was targeted 105 times in 2017. And caught... ...ahem... 69 of them.

69/105 = 66%.

So how can 84.7% of his targets be either 1st downs or touchdowns?

https://imgflip.com/gif-maker

 

[jah]

Gronkowski was targeted 105 times in 2017. And caught... ...ahem... 69 of them.

69/105 = 66%.

So how can 84.7% of his targets be either 1st downs or touchdowns?

And people wonder why I complain every time a PFF thread pops up...

 

[Ring 6]

More off season silliness to keep us occupied until training camp. The Eagles, Falcons and Saints are 1-3. The Vikings, Chargers, Steelers, Cowboys, Rams and Jags round out the top ten. I thought we'd be ranked much lower, given we supposedly only have 2 of the top 100 players in the NFL

4. New England Patriots
Biggest strength: It's Tom Brady. Do we need to say anything else? Brady led all QBs last season with a 95.5 grade -- his third straight season north of 93.0 -- and his 96.6 passer rating under pressure was higher than the passer rating that 22 quarterbacks earned from a clean pocket.

Biggest weakness: The linebacking corps -- specifically the middle, which is currently occupied by Elandon Roberts. Roberts ranked 69th among interior linebackers last season with a 41.6 grade, which was regression from the 61.1 he posted as a rookie in 2016. He ranked last in the position with just a 6.2 run-stop percentage while also surrendering a 144.3 passer rating in coverage.

By the numbers: Rob Gronkowski converted 84.7 percent of his targets (again, that's targets, not receptions) into either a first down or a touchdown in 2017. The league average among tight ends was just 54.1 percent, and the second-highest rate was O.J. Howard at 76.9 percent.
Grades:
Offense
QB Tom Brady 95.5
HB James White 73.2
TE Rob Gronkowski 93.3
TE Dwayne Allen 56.3
WR Julian Edelman N/A
WR Chris Hogan 50.9
WR Jordan Matthews 41.7
LT Isaiah Wynn N/A
LG Joe Thuney 79
C David Andrews 81.8
RG Shaq Mason 81.1
RT Marcus Cannon78.1
Defense
DE Trey Flowers 87.8
DT Malcom Brown 83.3
DT Danny Shelton 81.5
DE Adrian Clayborn 85.5
OLB Dont'a Hightower 45.9
ILB Elandon Roberts 41.6
OLB Kyle Van Noy 47.6
CB Jason McCourty 83.9
CB Stephon Gilmore 89.4
CB Duke Dawson N/A
FS Devin McCourty 82.6
SS Patrick Chung 79

Ranking NFL rosters from 1 to 32: Super Bowl champs on top

The grades are pro football focus so don’t put much stock in them.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

4th best roster means we are a prime contender for the super bowl, which is fine, but who’s number 3? I think NE is way better than Atlanta.

 

[RayClay]

.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

The coaching staff and I are working hard to improve on this number.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Gronkowski was targeted 105 times in 2017. And caught... ...ahem... 69 of them.

69/105 = 66%.

So how can 84.7% of his targets be either 1st downs or touchdowns?

Penalties?

 

[WinstonSmith]

Ehh, PFF although not perfect has come a long way since their early days. This feels like a top 5 roster to me. Their Patriots' player scores seem more hit than miss, and I agree that the Pats' LB core is their weakest link.

A few quibbles though: Hightower is ranked too low. Hogan had an injury plagued down year and I would argue that he'll outplay his score. Not sure that our third receiver will be Mathews, but whoever it is should be adequate and play above the poor rating.

 

[mgteich]

We might have the 4th best roster and the 1st or 2nd best team. First, you have to factor how players play together, how familiar they are with the system. More importantly, one has to consider the quality and consistency of coaching.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

We might have the 4th best roster and the 1st or 2nd best team. First, you have to factor how players play together, how familiar they are with the system. More importantly, one has to consider the quality and consistency of coaching.

True. Let's also add the fact that not one minute of football has been played yet.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Where is Trent Brown and why isn't he graded? He will not lose out to Wynn for the LT job. Is this guy f***ing chopped liver or something?

Falcons at #2 and Saints at #3 are a joke. The Saints had one good draft and now they have one of the best rosters in the league? Falcons have a decent roster but not the 2nd best in the league.

Most will agree with the Pats most glaring weakness and that is at LB. It was exposed all season long and almost cost them the AFCCG and eventually cost them the Super Bowl. We should hopefully see improvement this year as long as Hightower and Van Noy don't get injured. Maybe the rookie LB's help out as well.

I think they're fine where they are as they don't have any super star players aside from Brady and Gronk. They just have a lot of solid players.

 

[DarrylS]

I like some of PFF's work, but their attempt to quantify everything and giving Donta Hightower a low grade is idiotic.. as is penciling in Duke Dawson as a CB instead of Eric Rowe..

Some of this crap is just filler to keep up interest in their site during the dull times of the NFL season..

 

[Clonamery]

I’m holding my breath for Captain Stone’s input. #donotresuscitate.

 

[maust]

It's nice having great parts and all but until you assemble them and get them working together all you've really done is spend a shyte ton of money on something you hope can win the race when it comes together provided you can find a driver who won't run it into the wall. For instance all this...

...properly assembled can throw the right car down the road at 200 mph but the end result is still 100% dependent on a single nut behind the wheel...

 

[mgteich]

I think that Dawson is more likely to be on the 53 than Rowe; don't you? Our 3rd CB is a nickel back. I also believe that Dawson should be penciled in as our most likely nickel back, over Rowe (competing with J Jones who is injured).

I like some of PFF's work, but their attempt to quantify everything and giving Donta Hightower a low grade is idiotic.. as is penciling in Duke Dawson as a CB instead of Eric Rowe..

Some of this crap is just filler to keep up interest in their site during the dull times of the NFL season..

 

[mgteich]

dup

 

[TheRainMaker]

I think that Dawson is more likely to be on the 53 than Rowe; don't you? Our 3rd CB is a nickel back. I also believe that Dawson should be penciled in as our most likely nickel back, over Rowe (competing with J Jones who is injured).

Dawson was drafted in the 2nd round for a reason. Rowe is just too stiff to play in the slot.

 

[edkk323]

Dawson was drafted in the 2nd round for a reason. Rowe is just too stiff to play in the slot.

He could not make any stop to save his life in the last SB.

 

[supafly]

He could not make any stop to save his life in the last SB.

Never saw it with Rowe like so many others have.

If McCourty shows anything, that’s 3 locks (Gilmore, Dawson), with J.Jones being in darn good shape to take another spot as a 4th, and a guy like Jackson battling Rowe for the final spot.