2017 Patriots MVP

[BaseballJones]

Not sure where to put this. Mods, if this should have its own thread, fine, whatever is best. But I'm thinking through the top 10 most valuable players on this year's Patriots team. My criteria: Quality of their season and my subjective judgment on who would be hardest to replace if they were gone.

1. Brady - I don't think JG and JB could have taken this team to the promised land.

2. Butler - One of the best corners in the league, played virtually every down of the season.

3. McCourty - Rock solid back there for the defense.

4. Edelman - Without him, the team really struggles offensively.

5. Flowers - Trading Jones. Trading Collins. Flowers stepped up in a HUGE way. Just a dominating Super Bowl as well. Best pass rusher on the team.

6. Blount - Incredible season, but he's down on this list a ways because I think they could have survived without him more easily than the people above him.

7. Cannon - Revelation at RT, neutralized some of the game's best edge defenders all year.

8. Chung - Was a beast supporting the run and covering TEs and RBs.

9. Hightower - Came up huge in the season's biggest moments. Without Collins, his play was indispensable, even though he had a lot fewer tackles than you'd have expected from him.

10. White - Trying to decide between Bennett, White, and Hogan. Each has his merits. Hogan was a terrific player for them this year. Bennett allowed them to survive the loss of Gronk. But White was just outstanding. Improved as a runner. Great as a receiver. Obviously had the game of his life in the Super Bowl. Was the primary pass-catching back when Lewis was out for most of the year. Stayed healthy.

 

[lexrageorge]

I would add Solder somewhere to the list. He's not the best LT in the league, and he struggled at times, but he was a stabilizing force in what is arguably the most important position on the OL. His injury last year was one of the more understated reasons for the line's struggles.

 

[BaseballJones]

I would add Solder somewhere to the list. He's not the best LT in the league, and he struggled at times, but he was a stabilizing force in what is arguably the most important position on the OL. His injury last year was one of the more understated reasons for the line's struggles.

Yeah he was really good, and I think Thuney was a tremendous addition at G too. But I can only have 10 in a top 10 list!

 

[DJnVa]

You could certainly start a new thread "Pats 2017 MVPs"...

 

[BaseballJones]

You could certainly start a new thread "Pats 2017 MVPs"...

I could but I figured I'd leave it up to the mods to find the appropriate place for it, because I just don't know if this is worthy of a new thread.

 

[TFP]

When in doubt - start new threads. It's always easier to merge in than split out, and even easier to not have to do anything at all.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I wouldn't put Blount on this list. He was pretty ineffective in the playoffs and down the stretch. There wasn't a great replacement for him on the roster but I think we could have gotten by with Lewis as the primary ball carrier more easily than we could have gotten by without Bennett (post Gronk injury).

I think Flowers ended having an importance to the team that was on par with or even beyond McCourty. I can sort of imagine a scenario in which we were still pretty successful on defense playing Harmon and Chung at the safety spots and mainly used the three CB nickel package. Without Flowers I think the pass rush would have been completely toothless, not only because we'd be losing by far our best guy but also because the extra snaps given to older players like Long and Nink would likely have made them even less effective.

Hightower is hard to judge. He made some huge plays in the playoffs and its unclear who would have taken on the responsibility for lining up the defense in his absence. On the other hand, I think many people here are looking past the drop off in his playmaking activity that has occurred over the years. He is our principle box linebacker and he made 31 tackles in 13 games and not a lot of splash plays. Compare that to the 61 tackles in 12 games he mad two years ago or tackles levels in the 90s for a lot of big name ILBs. Part of it may be scheme but I think he is a player with real limitations at this point in his career. You better have a safety like Chung that can really tackle if one of your everydown off the LoS backers is only going to average two tackles a game.

 

[InstaFace]

If this is forecasting replaceability into next year, being that it's a 2017 thread, where would Gronk rank on the list? Surely #2-4 I'd imagine. That this year's team was able to not just survive but win the championship without him is incredible, but he's a future HOF talent who's on our salary cap, he ought to at least get some consideration.

 

[SumnerH]

When in doubt - start new threads. It's always easier to merge in than split out, and even easier to not have to do anything at all.

Yes, please. Splitting out threads is a pain, merging them is easy. And new threads are good!

 

[DourDoerr]

I'll add that I just read Hightower is not going to address his knee and shoulder issues surgically this offseason. Those injuries - particularly the knee which seems nagging - might go a long way to explain the drop in production. I'm surprised that they think rest (and rehab?) will be the cure-all, but if so, that's a great sign.

 

[Ed Hillel]

I'll add that I just read Hightower is not going to address his knee and shoulder issues surgically this offseason. Those injuries - particularly the knee which seems nagging - might go a long way to explain the drop in production. I'm surprised that they think rest (and rehab?) will be the cure-all, but if so, that's a great sign.

I'd be a bit concerned that he's avoiding surgery because he's going into free agency and doesn't want to look like damaged goods. The more I think about Hightower, the more I think I'd rather framchise him and then let him walk next season.