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The New England Patriots saw some major turnover this offseason but nevertheless are still among the favorites to win the Super Bowl again in 2018. One of the reasons for that is the overall depth of the team's roster top to bottom: New England has few holes on the team at the moment and even though some positions still need to be settled over the next three months, the talent is certainly there to seamlessly replace any personnel losses.
One person who does not feel that optimistic when it comes to the Patriots' talent is NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt. The former Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel recently ranked the top 10 most talented teams in football – and New England does not find itself on the list:
10. New York Giants
There is no denying that the teams above have plenty of talent and blue-chip players under contract, but to leave the Patriots as at best the eleventh most talented squad in the NFL still seems like a head-scratcher. Consider this: The Patriots have at least two players in all three phases of the game that could, from a talent perspective, start for any team in the league.
Quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski are the two premier players at their respective positions, while linebacker Dont'a Hightower, cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Devin McCourty are also among the best at what they do. Add elite special teamers Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner and you've got yourself a team worthy of recognition as one of the NFL's most talented.
Yes, New England still has some unresolved questions along the offensive line and the defensive front seven but there is no denying the team's talent at the top plus its depth across the board. The argument therefore certainly has to be made that this group is among the top 10 in the NFL.