The defending Champions look even better on paper with the additions of Brandin Cooks, Stephon Gilmore and Dwayne Allen making 16-0 seem possible. Tom Brady is the best ever and as long as he is teamed up with Bill Belichick, the Patriots will be contenders. The Patriots will be the favourites entering the season and they are also my pick to win the Super Bowl.
Arrivals/Departures:
Arrivals: Stephon Gilmore, Dwayne Allen, Brandin Cooks, Mike Gillislee, Rex Burkhead, Lawrence Guy, Kony Ealy, James O'Shaughnessy
Departures: Martellus Bennett, Chris Long, Logan Ryan, Jabaal Sheard, Sebastian Vollmer
Offence:
Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T. and as long as he remains the best quarterback in the world, Super Bowl titles will follow him. Brady continues to defy age as he led the greatest comeback in NFL history last February winning his fifth championship. The team has no running back who is guaranteed the starting role as James White, Dion Lewis, Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead will play depending on the situation. The team has two fullbacks in James Develin and Glenn Gronkowsi who will be used in short yardage plays. Julian Edelman made one of the greatest catches in NFL history proving he is still one of the best wide receivers and he will now team up with speedster Brandin Cooks to form a menacing wide receiver dual. Former lacrosse star Chris Hogan will be the other starter as Danny Amendola and Malcolm Mitchell provide excellent depth. Rob Gronkowsi remains the best tight end in the NFL as he produces nightmare mismatches for opposing defences and they won the Super Bowl with Gronk sidelined for the game. Dwayne Allen and James O'Shaughnessy both come over from their respective teams to replace Martellus Bennett. Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon led the offensive line at the tackle spots as they protect Brady from the edges while Joe Thuney and Shaquille Mason start at guard with David Andrews in the middle.
Defence:
The defensive line may be the weakest link of the favourite Patriots with no true star or great player patrolling the trenches. Trey Flowers has shown flashes while Super Bowl 50 standout Kony Ealy comes over from Carolina to play right and left end. The defensive tackle spots belongs to Alan Branch and Malcom Brown who have also both greatness but struggle with consistency. Dont'a Hightower turned the tide in the Super Bowl with his forced fumble sack on Matt Ryan; very underrated and is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. The other starting linebacker spots belong to veterans Rob Ninkovich and David Harris who can both still play providing veteran experience. Malcolm Butler may have the made the most famous play in Super Bowl history as a rookie in Super Bowl 49 picking off Russell Wilson to seal the game on the goal line for the Pats. Butler has since proven it was no fluke and is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL shadowing players like Antonio Brown. Stephon Gilmore comes over from Buffalo to provide help at cornerback and will be one of the best number two options in the NFL as Eric Rowe and Cyrus Jones will appear in nickel packages. Devin McCourty has been a good safety for a while and same goes for Patrick Chung as they cap off a great secondary.
Special Teams:
Stephen Gostkowski remains one of the best kickers even after a weaker season and Ryan Allen will also return as an above-average punter. Julian Edelman will return punts again and Dion Lewis will return kickoffs but if wither struggles Danny Amendola may be asked to do both.
Starters:
Offence
|
Defence
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Chris Hogan
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Kony Ealy
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Julian Edelman
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Alan Branch
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Brandin Cooks
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Malcom Brown
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Nate Solder
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Trey Flowers
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Joe Thuney
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Dont'a Hightower
|
David Andrews
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David Harris
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Shaquille Mason
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Rob Ninkovich
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Marcus Cannon
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Malcolm Butler
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Rob Gronkowski
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Patrick Chung
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Tom Brady
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Devin McCourty
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James White
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Stephon Gilmore
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83. Derek Rivers
85. Antonio Garcia
131. Deatrich Wise
211. Conor McDermott
Top 10 Players:
10. Patrick Chung
9. Nate Solder
8. Stephon Gilmore
7. Brandin Cooks
6. Devin McCourty
5. Dont'a Hightower
4. Malcolm Butler
3. Julian Edelman
2. Rob Gronkowski
1. Tom Brady
Season Prediction: 14-2 (1st in AFC East)
Last Year: 14-2
Photo credit for Brandin Cooks goes to http://bleacherreport.com/. Tom Brady goes to http://www.foxnews.com/. Malcolm Butler goes to http://www.foxsports.com/. Rob Gronkowski goes to http://www.cbssports.com/.
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