New England Patriots: 6 most valuable players
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
1. Rob Gronkowski
It is no coincidence that a full season with a healthy Gronk led to a Super Bowl berth and title for the Patriots. All you have to do is look at his absences to see how vital he is to the success of the team.
In 2012, Gronkowski missed five regular season games. Of those contests, the Patriots lost one and won two by only one score. These slim margins indicate that when the Patriots were without Gronkowski from Thanksgiving to Christmas in 2012, they definitely missed him.
The following year, Gronk missed nine games, and the Pats dropped two of those regular season matchups during his time on the injury report. They surely missed Gronk in that painful loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.
And then in 2014, the Patriots were blessed with a healthy hulk of a tight end. Gronk tore it up last season, recording 1,124 yards and 12 Gronk spikes on 82 regular season receptions. He didn’t slow down in January in February, turning 16 receptions into 204 yards and three scores.
Whispers out of Foxboro this summer tell us that Gronkowski is looking bigger, stronger and better than ever. What’s even better news is the guy just turned 26; he has a lot of great football left in him. From here on out, he has to be considered the most valuable component to the Patriots’ winning ways.