Top 10 Patriots of 2015

[BobDigital]

NOTE: MADE BEFORE THE START OF THE SEASON. Current thoughts are below but i thought it would be interesting to show what my guesses were to what i concluded after the year.


My guess of which Patriots will emerge and have the best year. It will be mostly like my list of the top 10 Patriots last year but with a few new guys. Also I think I will leave off STs just cause.

HMs: Malcom Brown, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard, Brandon Lafell


#10 Malcom Butler - There is little basis for this pick yet except the flashes he showed last year and what he is showing in camp. I think he is going to have a very good year and will take a big step up.

#9 Julien Edelman - Edelman will have a good year that will be comparable to last year but will see less targets. Amendola and Chandler are going to take a little away from him but will still be a key guy particular on 3rd down

#8 Bryan Stork - Health is the issue for him but I am going to assume he stays healthy mostly. He is going to be a borderline probowler this year if that is the case IMO. He improved so much and against what I think is good DL competition he is winning at a high rate and making people sleep on our DTs cause of it)

#7 Devin McCourty - A little step down from last year as I think due losing Revis/Browner he will need to play even more conservative and have less impact that last year. Still will make the probowl though.

#6 Jerod Mayo - He will not be injured 3 years in a row. He will make his presence felt and make it really hard to not pay him next year.

#5 Sebastian Vollmer - Often forgotten by a lot of NFL writers but I still think he is one of the best RTs in the game and is coming off his first healthy year in a while. If that can continue I expect him to anchor that side again

#4 Donte Hightower - A big reason Mayo's story is not as big as it should be. He can do many of the things Mayo does but also offers a unique skill set. Just no coverage on RBs or TEs if possible. He should make the probowl this year if the 2nd half of last year is any indication.

#3 Jamie Collins - Has had a few flash plays in camp but surprisingly quiet considering what I think he will do this year. I think he is simply coasting and learning the plays but come game time he will rev it up. His athleticism is off the charts and near the end of last year you could tell his game knowledge nearly completely caught up to it. He is not going to be a probowler this year. He is going to be an All-pro.

#2 Brady - If going purely by impact of play Brady would be #1 on this list no question. I expect him to have yet another good year and again be one of the top 2 QBs in the NFL and arguably the best..

#1 Gronk - The difference between Gronk and every player on this list is there is debate about if those Patriots are the best player at their position in the league. With Gronk the debate is non-existant. Bar no he is head and shoulders above every TE in the NFL. Along with Watt he is the most dominate player in the league in the context of his position. As long as you have him and Brady you always have a chance to win the Super bowl.

HMs: Malcom Brown, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard, Brandon Lafell, Tre Jackon, Dom Easley

 

[Fencer]

In no particular order, the candidates start:

• Malcolm Butler. As a rookie, he made what may be the top DB play in football history. He also would have been Super Bowl MVP or very close if voting didn't close a few minutes before the end. And he's getting consistently great reports in camp.
• Devin McCourty. By consensus, one of the top safeties in the league. Has gotten Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in the past.
• Mayo, Hightower, and Collins. Duh.
• Chandler Jones. He's not that far away from the level of the others cited so far.
• Rob Ninkovich. Consistently competent, with a number of big plays.
• Sebastian Vollmer. Gets All-Pro consideration numerous years. Health is always a concern.
• Bryan Stork. Coming up fast.
  
• Julian Edelman. As usual, a Patriot is perhaps the best slot-style WR in the league. Also as usual, he's far from a pure slot receiver.
  
• Rob Gronkowski. Duh.
• Tom Brady. Double duh.
• Stephen Gostowski. Elite kicker.
• Matt Slater. Elite STer.

The high-pick guys of Solder, Easley and Brown certainly also have the talent.

I've actually just named almost a third of the team.

I don't think I'm going to try to choose among them right now, except to note Brady and Gronk are the two who I regard as positional GOATs, and one's position is more important than the other's.

 

[BobDigital]

BUMP

So yeah. as is not uncommon I was wrong about a few names on here.

Stork and Easily kept being bit by the injury bug. My absolutely biggest miss was Mayo who didn't come back looking anything like the player he use to be. I guess Modern medicine can only do so much.

Without over analyzing it here is what i think the real top 10 was. (this counts injuries into the equation)

#10 McCourty - He again had a very good year and deserved the probowl he got but at times he it seemed like his was invisible out there. No often making mistakes but I didn't feel him impact as much as i would have liked.

#9 Edelman - This name would be higher if not for the injuries. Hopefully he stays healthy next year.

#8 Sheard - What can you say? He made a huge impact and at times took over games. Sadly missing time knocks him down below a few players he would be above is he played all 16.

#7 Chandler Jones - Always a frustrating player cause he flashes and then disappears. He flashed enough to warrant this spot though and was able to stay on the field which matters and puts him a hair above Sheard for overall impact.

#6 Gostkowski - Though i don't traditionally put kickers this high the kickers are becoming more important and impactful and Gost was the best kicker last year IMO. In fact he would be higher if he did not miss the most important XP kick in the most important game last year

#4/5 - Collins/Hight0wer - I will not separate these though if i had to put a #4 it be Hightower by a hair. Both had almost the exact same kind of season. Played amazingly well but missed timed. if both played 16 games they would jump in front of #3 At the least

#3 Butler - I never would have thought i would end up putting him this high. But this dude played wire to wire and did so at a high level all year. By the end of the year he was clearly playing like a probowler.

#2 Brady - A very good year but a small step back from last year. Part of it was the offensive line and part of it was just getting cold at bad times. Still probably the best QB in the NFL but I think putting him #2 is fair to the #1 player on the team

#1 Gronk - The best player this year on the Pats within the context of position. Even with him being a little banged up he didn't miss many important snaps and got the most yards of any TE this year while showing off his devastating blocking.