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NFL's top 10 offenses in 2017: Pats, Steelers look scary - NFL.com
It would have been nice if they'd have broken down all ten of their picks for the list like they did the top five, but this is all they've got for the Saints. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say we finish #1 or #2 yet again this year.
1) New England Patriots
Quarterback: A+ | Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
It's not hyperbole to wonder if the Patriots currently boast the best quarterback room the NFL has seen. Brady is the greatest of all time, defying Father Time to author an improbable twilight peak featuring steadily improved pocket movement and downfield efficiency.
Pinch-hitting for Brady last September, Garoppolo went on the road in a nationally televised season opener and mowed down a consensus Super Bowl contender before shredding the Dolphins defense in one of the season's most impressive first-half performances. Convinced of his potential as a franchise quarterback, the organization deemed Garoppolo so valuable as to be untradeable at a time when desperate teams may have been willing to give up the farm for Brady's backup. Unlike San Francisco's Joe Montana-Steve Young-Steve Bono largesse of the late '80s and early '90s, there's no lingering controversy hanging over the QB room.
Backfield: B+ | Mike Gillislee, James White, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead
Stop me if you've heard this before: Bill Belichick is ahead of the curve. At a time when 80.4 percent of passing plays and 63.6 percent of all offensive plays start in shotgun formation, the Pats have assembled a backfield of specialists with skill sets suited to fit specific personnel packages and game situations. What they lack in household-name cachet, they make up for in versatility and efficiency.
Receiving corps: A+ | Rob Gronkowski (TE), Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Dwayne Allen (TE), Malcolm Mitchell, Danny Amendola, James O'Shaughnessy (TE)
Since winning Super Bowl LI via epic comeback fashion, Brady has welcomed back the most unstoppable tight end in history and added his most lethal deep threat since Randy Moss. If Gronkowski returns to pre-injury form, this collection of talent has a chance to rival the record-breaking 2007 unit for depth and quality.
Offensive line: B+ | Nate Solder, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Marcus Cannon, Cameron Fleming, Antonio Garcia
With the exception of Solder's dismal Super Bowl performance, the arrow is pointing up for a young offensive line that brought the athletic Garcia into the fold with the draft's No. 85 overall pick. With Cannon solidifying the right side, this line improved throughout the course of last season.
6) New Orleans Saints
Quarterback: A- | Drew Brees, Chase Daniel, Garrett Grayson
Backfield: A- | Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara, Travaris Cadet
Receiving corps: B | Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, Ted Ginn Jr., Coby Fleener (TE), Brandon Coleman, Josh Hill (TE), Tommylee Lewis, Corey Fuller
Offensive line: B+ | Terron Armstead, Andrus Peat, Max Unger, Larry Warford, Zach Strief, Ryan Ramczyk, Senio Kelemete
It would have been nice if they'd have broken down all ten of their picks for the list like they did the top five, but this is all they've got for the Saints. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say we finish #1 or #2 yet again this year.