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Pro Football Focus: Special Teams Ace Matthew Slater Earns Title

The scouting website Pro Football Focus evaluated special teams players this past season and a Patriots player ranked at the top.

The phrase "special teams ace" gets thrown around a lot to define players who can't see the field on offense or defense. They're generally players used in all facets of special teams- both sides of the punting and kickoff games- and are called "core four" players.

A lot of "core four" players are solid special teamers, but they don't stand out. The Patriots have Brandon Bolden, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner, Chris White, and Jonathan Casillas as their core four players.