Quarterback Tom Brady and cornerback Stephon Gilmore are the New England Patriots’ only Pro Bowlers in 2018, which is the team’s lowest total since 2008, the last time the franchise didn’t qualify for the playoffs.cheap nfl jerseys china nike

While the Pro Bowl isn’t always the most accurate barometer of success, the light Patriots class does serve up a reminder of sorts as it pertains to the future health of the club: More blue-chip talent is needed. It would be even better if it is homegrown blue-chip talent.
Such an infusion of youth and talent is needed after drafts in 2016 and 2017 haven’t provided as much in that regard. The 2015 class, with defensive end Trey Flowers and right guard Shaq Mason, was better.

It was Brady’s 14th overall selection, tying him with Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews and Merlin Olsen for most in NFL history, and it’s his 10th straight, which is the longest active streak.nike nfl jerseys cheap china

Gilmore’s selection serves as a reminder that the Patriots made a shrewd move to pounce on him as an unrestricted free agent in the 2017 offseason, opening up their financial vault with a five-year, $65 million deal. They essentially chose Gilmore over Butler, and it was the right call from a long-range team-building standpoint. Gilmore is the more well-rounded player, with the ability to match up against a wider variety of receivers.

To land high-end talent on the free-agent market like Gilmore, it costs a premium, and that’s not a sustainable approach on a yearly basis.

So the most effective way to go is drafting and developing.

The Patriots, with their lightest Pro Bowl class in the last decade, would greatly benefit from a boost in that area.