The New England Patriots most valuable player is obviously quarterback Tom Brady. That has been the case for the past 15 years and will remain the case for the next 15 years until Brady’s child is able to be assume the mantle of Patriots Franchise Quarterback.
But with Brady not an interesting answer, we polled the staff on which Patriots player other than Brady has been the most valuable. Here’s how they voted.
Non-Tom Brady Most Valuable Player: TE Rob Gronkowski
McDermott: Rob Gronkowski
Thomas: Rob Gronkowski
Moore: Rob Gronkowski
Rewinski: Brandin Cooks. Think of the shoes this kid stepped into. New England shipped a first-round pick to New Orleans for a one or MAYBE two-year audition to prove he belongs on a Patriots team that historically balks at paying receivers elite money, oh, and BTW, Julian Edelman is out for the year. No pressure, right? All Cooks has done is land himself 5th overall in the NFL in receiving yards. Here's to shooting many, many more arrows, Cooks.
Keiran: Devin McCourty. Did a lot of babysitting in the secondary while everyone settled down. Gave up some big plays on miscommunications but been the glue back there
Bernd: Kyle Van Noy. Yes, the Patriots defense struggled early on but Van Noy was still one of the team's best and most consistent defenders. And especially with Hightower dealing with injuries, the second-year Patriot was also the most valuable: He called the plays, was used in multiple spots and made big plays. Remove him and New England's defense loses a ton of quality and versatility at one of the most crucial spots.
Rich’s thoughts: There is no LeGarrette Blount carrying the offense like he did during Brady’s suspension in 2016, so the non-Brady MVP is a toss-up. I like all the answers, especially with how McCourty stepped up as a leader in the absence of Dont’a Hightower and really turned the defense around. But Gronkowski remains the best non-Brady player on the team and his versatility really brings the team to new heights. I can’t imagine how much this team would struggle without Gronkowski and I would expect his loss would have the biggest non-Brady impact on the roster- which makes him a good pick.