New England Patriots: 6 most valuable players

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

To help pass the time until the New England Patriots open 2015, I’ve put together a list of the six most valuable players on the roster.

(In case you didn’t know, the Patriots kick-off in just 25 days. Today on Musket Fire, we are profiling the owner of the No. 25 jersey, cornerback Daxton Swanson.)

In many ways, the preseason is a tease. We get to see the starters play, but briefly. We get to see real football on our televisions, but it’s meaningless in terms of who wins and who loses.

However, there’s one thing we can derive from preseason play: the pecking order. Based on the number of snaps a player gets, we can tell how valuable he is to the team in September and beyond.

For example, take this piece of information:

From this, we can tell that the Patriots view Butler in higher regard than those other corners, all of whom are fighting for roster spots and playing time.

You get the idea. Let’s take a look at the six most valuable players the Patriots have on their roster right now.

Honorable mention: Bryan Stork, Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich

Next: 6. Jamie Collins

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

6. Jamie Collins

I’m not joking when I say that Collins will earn a Defensive Player of the Year trophy at some point in his career. He is extremely talented, athletic and disruptive as a defender.

Last year, Collins was the Patriots’ leading tackler with 115 takedowns. He also recorded two interceptions (tied for the team lead), six passes defended, four fumbles forced, two fumbles received and four sacks. He can do it all.

Although slightly underweight for a linebacker at 250 pounds, Collins makes up for it with his height (6-foot-4), lankiness and power.

Collins played so well in 2014 that Pro Football Focus placed him on their PFF All-Pro Second Team. In other words, one of the best sources of football metrics and statistical analysis considered Collins to be one of the top four linebackers in the entire league. And he was just a sophomore pro; imagine what this next year holds for Collins.

You’re not going to find a writer out there who is more excited about Collins than myself. If I had any money left over after paying for tuition this fall, I would definitely purchase a brand-new No. 91 jersey.

Next: 5. Dont'a Hightower

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5. Dont’a Hightower

Like I said, Collins made the PFF All-Pro Second Team. Well, there was a New England linebacker who forced his way on to the PFF All-Pro First Team. And his name describes a tower that is tall.

In his third NFL season, Hightower corrected mistakes he made as a rookie and sophomore and really took-on the leadership role of the injured Jerod Mayo. Despite missing four games in the regular season, Hightower racked up 61 tackles, six sacks, a pair of passes defended and a forced fumble.

Hightower’s value extends beyond the stat line, however. He is a commanding presence in the middle, looking every bit the part of the former wearer of the Patriots’ No. 54 jersey, Tedy Bruschi.

A testament to Hightower’s commitment to winning and his toughness was the fact that he endured the postseason run with a bum shoulder. There’s no doubt that he was playing through pain in January and February, but if it weren’t for his ten tackles in those three games (including his vital stop of Marshawn Lynch on the goal line), the Patriots probably wouldn’t be entering 2015 as defending champs.

A few days ago, Hightower was seen without the red no-contact jersey that he had been sporting for all of training camp.

That’s some very good news, indeed.

Next: 4. Julian Edelman

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4. Julian Edelman

A fan favorite in New England if there ever was one, Edelman is the little engine that could. The little engine that could transform himself from a Kent State quarterback into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, that is.

Honestly, Edelman should have been the MVP of Super Bowl XLIX. In the big game, Edelman recorded 109 yards and the winning touchdown on nine catches. He is probably the only wide receiver in the league who could survive a stoning from Kam Chancellor, hang on to the ball and live to tell the tale.

Before his huge performance on the biggest stage, Edelman caught nine passes for 98 yards in the AFC Championship Game and eight balls for 74 yards (and a 51-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola as well) in the Divisional Round. All that came after an outstanding regular season in which Edelman was Tom Brady’s most trusted receiver.

Right now, Edelman is a bit dinged-up, which warrants him being considered one of the most valuable players on the Patriots’ roster. He’s slowly but surely making his way back to full participation.

Don’t worry—he’ll be good to go on September 12^th.

Next: 3. D-Mac

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3. Devin McCourty

McCourty became the Patriots’ most valuable player on the defensive side of the ball from the moment that Darrelle Revis departed this offseason. He is the leader of the defense, the longest-tenured Patriot in a secondary that is undergoing substantial change right now.

Losing McCourty to a serious injury would not only be costly, but unusual. The five-year veteran has only missed three starts in his career.

In addition to being durable, McCourty has proven versatility. According to ESPNBoston’s Mike Reiss, McCourty displayed that versatility in practice on Monday:

"Devin McCourty‘s value to the New England Patriots‘ defense has been well documented. As a rangy center-field type safety, he covers from sideline to sideline and also plays a major role in the communication between all defensive backs and front-seven defenders. In certain defensive packages, or in a specific gameplan like last year in Green Bay, he has shown that he is capable of moving back to cornerback, the position in which he began his NFL career. McCourty’s value and versatility represented one of the biggest takeaways from the team’s hot, humid Saturday practice."

You will not find a bigger McCourty fan than myself. In fact, I am a proud owner of McCourty’s No. 32 jersey. You’ll probably see more people sporting them this year now that McCourty is the MVP of the defense.

Next: 2. TB12

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2. Tom Brady

You’re probably surprised to see Tommy boy at No. 2. The explanation for him not taking the cake as the Patriots’ MVP is further detailed in the next slide; for now, I’m going to talk about just how important he is to the Patriots right now.

Look, the guy is 38. It’s easy to take for granted the fact Brady is still so freakishly good, but the truth is that not many quarterbacks on the wrong side of 35 can do what Brady is doing.

The main reason I have Brady at No. 2 here involves Deflategate. I seriously think that the Patriots will go 3-1 in the first month should Brady’s suspension not be lifted, as they will have had plenty of time to prepare Jimmy G for the starting job.

I would put Brady at No. 1 in a heartbeat if I felt that the Patriots weren’t going to fare well without him. But since they will escape out of those first four games with a winning record, I do not view him as the MVP of the team. If a player’s absence translates into losses for his team, then he is the unquestioned MVP; that is the case with the next guy on our list.

Next: 1. Gronk

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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.

Next: Pats-Packers: digging deeper