With training camp looming, we’ve decided to rate the Patriots’ roster, counting down the most valuable from No. 90 to No. 1. “Valuable” can be defined on multiple levels, but for purposes of this exercise, we’re going to take a few different things into account: talent, dependability, track record of success in the system, and their individual spot on the depth chart. (Basically: How badly would things be if they were removed from the lineup?)
There are some cases — namely, the first-year players — where it’s tough to predict where they should land. But based on their performances in the spring workouts and having talked to teammates and people around the league, we took our best shot.
Today we've got Nos. 36 through 28. Go big or go home. Frankly, there are a bunch of guys in here who could end up playing a sizable role in the success of the 2018 team. There are also a few individuals in this group who are in very real danger of not making the final roster. Remember, we’re talking about overall value here at this point, which means a big summer from someone else could lessen the value of someone on this list between now and cutdown day, which means they might not be around when the season kicks off. But for now, they’re here, so we’ll include them in our countdown.
36. Dwayne Allen: He is not Rob Gronkowski. To be honest, if he catches more than 30 passes this season, something has probably gone wrong with the New England offense. What he is is one of the more accomplished blocking tight ends in the game, and he showed as much at key stretches last season, which makes him a really good complementary piece of the offense. (He’s also a smart veteran and positive locker room presence.) The biggest question: Can they find a way around that unwieldy contract?
35. Mike Gillislee: Gillislee started 2017 strong, and looked to be the closest thing the team had to a “lead back” and red-zone presence over the first month of the season. He ended it on the bench, the odd man out in an impressive rotation of running backs. He handled last year like a professional and continued to say nothing but good things about the team this past spring. All that being said, he could still find himself elsewhere when the 2018 season kicks off. Ultimately, it feels like the last spot in the backfield could come down to Gillislee or…
34. Jeremy Hill: The 25-year-old was acquired as a free agent this past offseason after four seasons in Cincinnati where he averaged 4.1 yards per carry and caught 67 passes. One of the things that stood out about him was after a conversation with the NFC scout, who told us he was really high on Hill because of his experience going up against the Steelers’ and Ravens’ run defenses. “I love him. Tough and gritty,” he told us. “Underappreciated in Cincinnati because he was splitting reps with Gio Bernard. He’s a strong runner — against the Jets and Dolphins, he’ll kill them. The reason he had such a hard time the last couple of years was because he was going against the Steelers and Ravens, and those defenses were stacked. The Jets and Dolphins aren’t. He’ll have a breakout year now that he doesn’t have to run into the Steelers’ defense twice a season.” Regardless, he’s now part of the conversation in New England.
33. James Develin: Develin has been on the roster since 2012. That’s amazing for a few reasons, not the least of which is that in a pass-first NFL, a fullback has had steady work with one of the best offenses in the league for most of the last six seasons. Measured in total years, there are only seven players on the Patriots’ roster who predate Develin’s 2012 arrival. That run is remarkable for anyone, much less a fullback. As we argued here, he’s one of the most secure guys on the roster.
32. Malcolm Mitchell: There’s no one you root harder for than Mitchell. A dynamite story, he overcame so much just to reach the NFL, and then, he became a vital part of a Super Bowl team a couple of years ago as a rookie. But after missing all of last season and only making a cameo in workouts this spring, it’s getting increasingly more difficult to stay optimistic about Mitchell and his health. From this perspective, if he stays healthy, he has a chance to be in the top 15 on this list by the end of the season. At the very least, he should start camp on PUP.
31. LaAdrian Waddle: Based on what happened this offseason — the departures of Nate Solder, Cam Fleming and Tony Garcia and the fact Marcus Cannon continues to work his way back after injury — I’m not sure anyone saw their stock rise more than Waddle. The veteran could be a short-term stopgap if Isaiah Wynn finds his form at the NFL level sooner rather than later and if Cannon is back to full health. But for now, we’ll keep him here as a guy who will spend at least a portion of the 2018 season as someone who will be protecting Tom Brady’s blind side.
30. Jonathan Jones: My guy. He was trending in the right direction before going down in the playoffs with what turned out to be a season-ending injury. One conversation with Malcolm Butler last season that stood out for me was when he called Jonathan Jones “the next me.” (Not to revisit history here, but I wonder if Jones would have gotten those snaps in the Super Bowl in place of Butler.)
29. Phillip Dorsett: Dorsett is one of a handful of guys (including Marquis Flowers) who showed up right before the start of the 2017 season, were thrown into the deep end of the pool and asked to swim. This time around, they will see more responsibility this year because they now have a full offseason in the system under their belt. A burner who has made himself into a good teammate and willing blocker, if it all falls into place for him this summer, he could carve out a niche as the Patriots’ burner. The only drawback here? No special teams value.
28. Matthew Slater: We were a bit surprised he took a free-agent visit with the Steelers, but in the end, he returned to New England to reassume his role as one of the best special teamers in the league. He’s not the guy he used to be — age and injury have slowed him a bit — but there were several occasions last year where the 32-year-old All-Pro showed he was one of the best in the league at what he did.