Who are your top 5 "most important" players for 2022?

[203Pat]

Basically which 5 players do you think will need to have a good/great season in order for the team to make the playoffs and potentially win a playoff game? I assume Mac will be number one for most but wanted to see everyone else's 2-4.

1. Mac - Like pretty much every team we will live and die with the QB
2. Judon- Can Judon look how he did in the first half of 2021 or will we get the second half Judon? Pass rush with a shaky secondary will be key.
3. Barmore - Can he build on what he did last year? A disrupter in the middle would be huge.
4. Malcolm Butler - Honestly this is more of a "whoever is opposite Mills on the outside" position but we need the second corner spot to at least be serviceable. Honestly I am not even sure if Butler makes the team but this cornerback group has me worried.
5. Jonnu Smith- With a new OC and another year under Mac's belt can we find a way to get Jonnu more involved? I don't think he will be dominant but if we could get him a couple more touches a game I think he can make a few plays.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Basically which 5 players do you think will need to have a good/great season in order for the team to make the playoffs and potentially win a playoff game? I assume Mac will be number one for most but wanted to see everyone else's 2-4.

1. Mac - Like pretty much every team we will live and die with the QB
2. Judon- Can Judon look how he did in the first half of 2021 or will we get the second half Judon? Pass rush with a shaky secondary will be key.
3. Barmore - Can he build on what he did last year? A disrupter in the middle would be huge.
4. Malcolm Butler - Honestly this is more of a "whoever is opposite Mills on the outside" position but we need the second corner spot to at least be serviceable. Honestly I am not even sure if Butler makes the team but this cornerback group has me worried.
5. Jonnu Smith- With a new OC and another year under Mac's belt can we find a way to get Jonnu more involved? I don't think he will be dominant but if we could get him a couple more touches a game I think he can make a few plays.

I know I’m a complete homer, but I think the CB group is going to surprise people. Bill’s superpower is holding together an effective defensive back group with no name CBs and duck tape. I think Malcolm is going to be that vet who still is able to get the job done. I think the rooks are going to come on strong by the end of the season.

I’m more worried about the linebackers, to be honest.

 

[203Pat]

I know I’m a complete homer, but I think the CB group is going to surprise people. Bill’s superpower is holding together an effective defensive back group with no name CBs and duck tape. I think Malcolm is going to be that vet who still is able to get the job done. I think the rooks are going to come on strong by the end of the season.

I’m more worried about the linebackers, to be honest.

That is something that gives me confidence about the secondary that for the most part Bill can piece together a serviceable group. Even if he whiffs in the draft usually a UDFA or someone no one saw coming is able to step up. I agree with you on the LB group. Lots of unknowns and guys who haven't been able to get on the field the last few years. I am hoping one of the young guys out of McGrone, Uche, Perkins, and Jennings step up to give us some sort of return on investment.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Mac

Barmore

Wynn/Strange

Judon

Bourne

 

[Guts]

Mac

Barmore

Wynn/Strange

Judon

Bourne

This list right here

 

[203Pat]

Mac

Barmore

Wynn/Strange

Judon

Bourne

Wynn is a good one. At this point I assume he is gone at the end of the year but do we see a "contract year" type bump from him? He has been okay at times and above average at times. I guess most important is can he stay on the field.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Wynn is a good one. At this point I assume he is gone at the end of the year but do we see a "contract year" type bump from him? He has been okay at times and above average at times. I guess most important is can he stay on the field.

If we're really running more zone he'll be very important on the backside. And we basically look at Strange as a Thuney replacement and we had him pulling a lot for a LG. So individually and collectively, those two will see time together and will play important roles. Not that others aren't but one is rookie and the other is changing spots in a contract year off a down year. I think those two are the most important pieces on the OL.

 

[sb1]

Good list. BB is gonna hear a lot of questions if Strange doesn't look like a first round pick.

Harris and Rham also need to stay healthy.

 

[TheRainMaker]

In order:

1. Mac Jones. For obvious reasons.
2. Trent Brown at LT. If he gets injured, the musical chairs at O-line begins. I do not want to see Wynn or an even worse backup play alongside Strange.
3. Matt Judon. He is their pass rush.
4. Christian Barmore. Need a 2nd year jump and someone to take pressure off of Judon.
5. DeVante Parker. Every offense needs a competent outside WR which this team desperately needs. If he returns anywhere close to 2019, it will trickle down to the rest of the group.

 

[Zuma]

1. Godchaux
2. Flowers
3. Ja. Jones
4. Wilson
5. Butler

 

[crawhammer]

1. Mac Jones - He needs to play elite or at least real pro bowl level for the team to be competitive in the division with Buffalo.

2&3. Cole Strange & Tyquan Thornton - Their top two draft picks need to contribute, especially Strange who has to validate the (overreaching) selection and the (ridiculous) trade that opened up his spot. Thornton can't just be a depth receiver with limited play, that would be a fail.

4. Matthew Judon - The defense appears to have some obvious deficiencies, Judon has to be the opposite of that... an elite disruptive outside pass rusher for 17 weeks (plus).

5-10. The Secondary - A lot riding on the Belichicks to make this unit work. They will be challenged right out of the gate... facing Hill, Waddle, Wilson and Gesicki in sweltering Miami. Good luck once December rolls around... Buffalo x2, Hill & Co. again, Burrow/Chase, Carr/Adams/Waller, and perhaps the "easiest" matchup @Arizona. 2-4 is a highly possible finish to the season.

 

[ashley]

It's good to be discussing football again with training camp right around the corner. I think everyone before me has brought up good names. Here is my list:

1- Mac ( He's been doing everything he's supposed to, hoping to take the next step to become a top 10 qb and build off his very good rookie year)
2- Mills (with our weakest position, we need someone to step up and he played well last year)
3- Josh Uche (need someone to bring the pass rush opposite Judon and he has flashed during prior training camps)
4-Trent Brown( He is a beast when healthy, but he must stay healthy. Our line is a world of difference when he's in there)
5- Jonnu Smith( We need to get him more involved. He can be such a big weapon for us)

 

[RobertWeathers]

Mac- If he stinks, we are picking in the top 10 in 2023
Barmore- If he can collapse the pocket and be stout vs the run it'll help...
Judon- Gotta have those 3rd and 8 sacks because it'll help....
Duggar- He needs to make plays all over the field.
CB- I don't know who this will be but we need someone to step up and offer some respectable resistance to another team's WR1 and WR2.

Bonus: LT. Brown/Wynn. See #1

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

Strange - Offense will be our strength imo, need a good o line for that, also the investment of a first rd pick
Wynn - see above , i want to see a bounce back performance
Parker - need a reliable physical wideout for Mac
Godchaux - we need a reliable run defense since our LB are a question mark
CB (Butler, Mitchell, Jones) - opposing corner of Jalen Mills since our pass rush has question marks opposing judon and barmore

 

[203Pat]

Didn't expect to see Godchaux show up on anyone's list. I am expecting him to get cut as I believe they would save $5 million on the cap.

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

Didn't expect to see Godchaux show up on anyone's list. I am expecting him to get cut as I believe they would save $5 million on the cap.

who is going to play DT next to barmore or davis on early downs? 5 Miollion for a run stopper is cheap considering to other NT contracts. I would replace carl davis with a better NT and move God to 3 T
With lighter and faster LB who are also unproven in our defense except bentley we ask our DT even more to do imo.

 

[203Pat]

who is going to play DT next to barmore or davis on early downs? 5 Miollion for a run stopper is cheap considering to other NT contracts. I would replace carl davis with a better NT and move God to 3 T
With lighter and faster LB who are also unproven in our defense except bentley we ask our DT even more to do imo.

To me he isn't that big of an upgrade over any of the other guys on the roster for what he is making. We weren't great against the run last year and we paid him a whole bunch of money to be a run stuffer.

 

[TheRainMaker]

who is going to play DT next to barmore or davis on early downs? 5 Miollion for a run stopper is cheap considering to other NT contracts. I would replace carl davis with a better NT and move God to 3 T
With lighter and faster LB who are also unproven in our defense except bentley we ask our DT even more to do imo.

Unless he has a bad camp, he stays. Many expect them to go back to 4 man fronts.

I could see a line up of:

Edge: Judon
DT: Barmore or Guy on early downs
DT: Godchaux
DE: Wise, but hopefully Flowers signs and he plays down the road.

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

To me he isn't that big of an upgrade over any of the other guys on the roster for what he is making. We weren't great against the run last year and we paid him a whole bunch of money to be a run stuffer.

i agree he isn't exactly the DT i wanted there but to be fair, the LB and DE did not help much against the run either. Our other DT performed poor against the run as well

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

Unless he has a bad camp, he stays. Many expect them to go back to 4 man fronts.

I could see a line up of:

Edge: Judon
DT: Barmore or Guy on early downs
DT: Godchaux
DE: Wise, but hopefully Flowers signs and he plays down the road.

i could see that line up as well but would like to see a bigger NT next to God in the interior DL esp. against bigger offense lines. Flowers would be a great addition imo, our DE group needs help.