The NFL off-season is a long and grueling wind, as CBS Sports is passing the time by ranking the NFL’s top “triplets”. Despite losing superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski to retirement, the Patriots still earned one of the top spots in this exercise. According to Jared Durbin of CBS Sports, the New England Patriots trio of Tom Brady, Sony Michel, and Julian Edelman is the ninth-best grouping of triplets in the league
Tom Brady, Sony Michel, Julian Edelman Ranked NFL’s Ninth-Best Triplets
This doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, and this ranking feels about right. Durbin slotted the Patriots just behind the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks and just ahead of the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons. Durbin justified his ranking by saying that “[t]he teams running back group gets a bit underrated here because Michel is clearly a runner while James White is arguably the top passing-game option now”.
Unsurprisingly, the Patriots had the highest ranking among all AFC East teams. The Jets trio of Sam Darnold, Le’Veon Bell, and Robby Anderson came in 24th while the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins rank 31st and 32nd, respectively. CBS Sports is clearly low on the AFC East, as the Jets and the Bills both have the chance to outplay their rankings. That said, no matter how much they improve, it’s hard to imagine any AFC East team challenging New England’s spot on this list.
Tom Brady is coming off arguably his weakest season in years, but he was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Appearing in all 16 games, Brady completed 65.8% of his passes for 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Julian Edelman might have been the most important player on the 2018 Patriots. After missing the first four games of the season, Edelman returned to record 74 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns. He saved his best work for last, as Edelman recorded 26 receptions for 388 yards en route to winning Super Bowl LIII MVP honors.
Sony Michel battled injury throughout his rookie season but was a great runner when on the field. Appearing in 13 games, Michel finished the year with 209 carries for 931 yards and six touchdowns. Michel added an additional 336 rushing yards and six touchdowns in the postseason, including the game-clinching touchdown in Super Bowl LIII.
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