Talent level

[Fencer]

Starting any given season, the Patriots one expects to see make the Pro Bowl are:

• Brady
• Gronk
• Wilfork
• Mankins (but there's increasing doubt whether he deserves it)
• Slater (but that's just STs)

Other guys near that level of talent and accomplishment are:

• Mayo (2 of the past 3 years)
• Solder
• Vollmer (but his honors are limited because of playing RT)
• McCourty
• Talib (if he can stay healthy and consistent)
• Chandler Jones

Some would add Amendola to the list ... and Gostowski seems back to that level too, but he's just a kicker.

STers aside:

• Brady -- has looked off this year, but evidently is largely over it.
• Gronk -- has been hurt this year, but evidently is largely over it.
• Wilfork -- is on IR.
• Mankins -- has looked off this year, and doesn't seem over it.
• Slater -- is still an STer.
• Mayo -- is on IR.
• Solder -- has impressed a lot of people this year, general OL concerns notwithstanding.
• Vollmer -- is on IR.
• McCourty -- is having an excellent season despite the lack of stats.
• Talib -- is having an excellent season when healthy, which he often isn't.
• Chandler Jones -- is having an excellent season.

or to summarize:

Elite or near-elite talent, basically clicking: Brady, Gronkowski, Solder, McCourty, Jones
Could easily join that list after the bye: Talib, Mankins, Amendola
Elite or near-elite talent lost to IR: Wilfork, Mayo, Vollmer
Elite or near-elite talent lost to the pokey: Hernandez

The whole story could be a lot worse, especially since there seems to have been only one bad injury in the "middle-class" group, namely Kelly's.

That said, I don't like the state of the defense while Talib is hurt. A lot of the roster's depth has already been thinned out.

Edit: I guess Ridley is a candidate for the list as well, but I'm not quite convinced.