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Things to love about the Patriots? Stephon Gilmore's late charge, for one

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Capturing the theme of Valentine’s Day, if you had to pick four things to love about the New England Patriots entering 2018, what would they be?

A few thoughts:

Gilmore might have been best defender by season's end. The Patriots’ aggressive plunge into free agency last offseason -- specifically with a five-year, $65 million deal for cornerback Stephon Gilmore -- wasn’t looking so hot after four games. Gilmore then missed three consecutive games with a concussion. But the more the soft-spoken Gilmore gained comfort in the team’s system, the more the results improved.