New England Patriots legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski said recently that he believes his former team is a real Super Bowl contender this season.

While the Patriots enter their Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied for the second-best record in the NFL at 7-2 (the Denver Broncos moved to 8-2 on Thursday night), not everyone is ready to put New England into the elite group of teams.

Chad Graff of The Athletic answered fans’ questions in his “mailbag” on Friday morning, including topics such as the team’s quiet trade deadline and their chances in the playoffs.

Though Graff and colleague Josh Kendall recently gave the Patriots an A+ midseason grade , the former wasn’t ready to say the team is a “legit” championship contender.

“The Patriots are way, way better than

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