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On Wednesday ESPN put together an expert panel to determine which team will is poised to dominate in 2015. That is three years and four seasons from now.

Here is how things shaped up in the AFC East:

No 2: New England Patriots

Thoughts: Earlier Wednesday I wrote a column that New England will struggle when Tom Brady retires. Our panel thinks Brady will still be around in 2015 and gave New England a "nine" rating at quarterback. That's debatable. Brady will be 38 years old in 2015. Is Brady still playing football? And if so, is Brady still elite pushing 40? The article also ignores tight end Aaron Hernandez's contract situation. He's a free agent in two years, along with teammate Rob Gronkowski. Hernandez is probably not on New England's roster in 2015 unless the Patriots find a way to make "Gronk" and Hernandez two of the highest-paid players at the same position. That's not likely.

No. 16: New York Jets

Thoughts: The Jets are an interesting team. Like the Patriots, they are built to win now. It’s hard to say where New York will be in four seasons. ESPN's Trent Dilfer says he still loves the talent and potential of quarterback Mark Sanchez, but I disagree. Entering his fourth season, I think Sanchez pretty much is what he is. Of course, Sanchez can play better over the next few years and reduce turnovers. But he’s not a future perennial Pro Bowler in waiting. Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis will be 30 in 2015. Maybe he’s still the best cornerback in football at that time. Maybe not. New York’s drafts also can be hit or miss.

No. 22: Buffalo Bills

Thoughts: Things are looking up for Buffalo this season, but I think the Bills were a victim of circumstance in this case. The Bills haven’t made the postseason in 13 years. Therefore, I would assume it was very hard for our expert panel to put any stock in Buffalo’s future several years down the line. But there are some good, young players on the roster. Running back C.J. Spiller has potential. So does defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and rookie corner Stephon Gilmore. No. 1 receiver Steve Johnson also is still just 25. I still have questions about the long-term potential of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. But the Bills have potential to build something.

No. 28: Miami Dolphins

Thoughts: ESPN’s panel sees too many questions about the direction of Dolphins. Is rookie Ryan Tannehill the long-term solution quarterback? Is Joe Philbin a viable head coach? Is Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long staying in Miami beyond 2012? There are a lot of questions in Miami. The Dolphins aren’t ready to compete now, and they have to make a lot of the right moves in order to compete in the future. Only the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns had lower rankings than the Dolphins in these future Power Rankings.

The New England Patriots have played in five Super Bowls -- winning three -- since they drafted quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round in 2000. They also have eight division titles in that span, and Brady and coach Bill Belichick recently became the winningest quarterback-coach combo in NFL history.

But all of that comes to an end when Brady retires.

Brady, who turns 35 in August, says he wants to play in New England until he's 40. That is great news for the Patriots, because they will struggle the second the future Hall of Famer hangs it up.

Things that have become foreign to New England the past dozen years will become routine again. New England will have down years and miss the playoffs -- just like everybody else. The Patriots won't survive various injuries -- just like everybody else. The Patriots also will run through a few quarterbacks -- just like everybody else.

On Wednesday, ESPN.com examined potentially dominant teams in 2015 . At that point, I think New England's easy run over the AFC East will be a thing of the past.

Here are four reasons New England will struggle in the post-Brady era:

No. 1: Patriots won't immediately find Brady's replacement.

Brady's story is once in a generation. He's a former sixth-round pick who slipped through the cracks to become one of the top five quarterbacks of all time. Brady had the drive and “it" factor to become the greatest player in franchise history. Brady often is compared to Joe Montana, because they share a similar story about 20 years apart.

The chances of New England finding another Brady anytime soon are slim.

Patriots fans will scream that Ryan Mallett is a future franchise quarterback. But how does anyone really know, considering the 2011 third-round pick hasn't thrown an NFL pass?

What about Brian Hoyer? The undrafted quarterback has shown small flashes but certainly not enough to warrant Pro Bowl status. The drop-off going from Brady to 99 percent of other quarterbacks will be steep.

Even if Mallett or Hoyer turns out to be a viable starting quarterback, neither will be nearly as good as Brady. Is Mallett or Hoyer a future Hall of Famer? Probably not. Will either quarterback perennially make the Pro Bowl? Not likely.

New England has been able to overcome poor defense, injuries and at times average receivers to still be competitive. Brady was great enough to carry the Patriots through various weaknesses. That no longer will be a luxury in New England. It will be much harder to get everything right with other areas of the team, especially if the quarterback position is in flux.

No. 2: The offense is old.

Brady is turning 35 in August. No. 1 receiver Wes Welker is 31. Starting receiver Brandon Lloyd is 30. Longtime left tackle Matt Light just retired this offseason. Guard Brian Waters might follow, if not this year, then soon after.

When Brady is gone, it's likely all these important offensive pieces will be gone as well. A Patriots offense without Brady, Welker, Lloyd, Light, Waters, etc., means New England is virtually starting over in a few years.

The Patriots still have a couple of young stars in tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. But consider this: One tight end probably will bolt in free agency. Both Gronkowski and Hernandez -- two of the top five players at their position -- have rookie contracts set to expire in two years. Both will be looking for huge paydays, and New England can't do that with two players at the same position.

New England most likely will throw the money truck at Gronkowski, perhaps making him the highest-paid tight end, and let Hernandez walk. Brady also will be 37 and possibly retired or on his last legs by the time both tight ends will look for extensions. Returning to New England's offense long term won't be as attractive two years from now for a pending free agent such as Hernandez.

No. 3: Sun is setting on Belichick.

Belichick just turned 60 years old. How much longer will he coach the Patriots?

He has coached in the NFL in some capacity for 37 years. He is approaching his fourth decade in the league.

Even head coaches have a shelf life. Belichick currently is the NFL's fourth-oldest head coach behind Tom Coughlin (65) of the New York Giants, Romeo Crennel (64) of the Kansas City Chiefs and, by a few months, Chan Gailey (60) of the Buffalo Bills. Perhaps we are also witnessing the last few years of Belichick roaming the sidelines.

A good debate topic in New England would be who contributed more to the Patriots' dynasty the past dozen years: Brady or Belichick? Both are Hall of Famers. But in my opinion, Brady's development and dominance at quarterback are stronger factors in New England's success. Belichick would not have won all those games, division titles and championships in New England with shoddy quarterback play. Brady remained dominant and kept the team afloat, even when Belichick struggled coaching the defense, which is Belichick's specialty.

No. 4: The rest of the AFC East will catch up.

I often call the AFC East the "Brady and Belichick division." They're the great equalizers who keep the Patriots on top.

But without Brady in a few years, and perhaps Belichick, all four teams are back to an even playing field. Who will be the top quarterback in the AFC East when Brady retires? Ryan Tannehill? Mark Sanchez? Tim Tebow? Someone else?

Maybe all four teams will have average quarterback play. That means the Patriots, New York Jets, Bills and Miami Dolphins must rely on other areas to be successful and win the division.

Can the Patriots rely on their defense to lead the way? Not right now. Not even close. New England is in no position to overcome poor quarterback play, and that probably won't change overnight.

I expect Brady to play at least two more years (2012 and 2013) at an elite level. He might opt to play beyond that. But after age 37, there's no guarantee Brady can continue to take the physical pounding and play at the high level to which we have become accustomed. We've already seen nagging injuries bother Brady more than ever over the past couple of seasons.

Brady is a special talent the organization probably will never see again. So enjoy the success now, Patriots fans. New England will come back to earth and be an ordinary team again in three to five years.

Retired New England Patriots left tackle Matt Light made a trip to ESPN headquarters this week. He recently played a game of percentages on "NFL Live" and had some interesting things to say.

Percentage chance Tom Brady plays for 10 more years

Matt Light: "One hundred percent. If you said 20 years, I’d probably give you 100 percent. I mean, they’re going to have to cart him off. ...He could be playing to 55, maybe even 60."

Percentage chance Bill Belichick wins another Super Bowl

Light: “We’ll go 50-50. The one thing that you hear from a lot of guys that come in from other organizations is that ‘I just wanted to come here because I just want a shot at winning.’ I think they bank on the fact that because of the system and the dedication of the coaching staff, the owner and everything else, they’re going to have that opportunity. So, each year 50-50.”

Percentage chance of Wes Welker signing a long-term deal before the season starts

Light: “Can we say zero on that? That’s a tough one. Let’s go with five percent.”

Percentage of caveman in tight end Rob Gronkowski

Light: “A solid 87. It’s a good caveman.”

Percentage chance of Light returning to the football field

Light: “Zero percent. Not in a bad way but when you close the door, it’s always good to keep walking.”

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton recently provided his list of the top-10 tight ends heading into the 2012 season. To no surprise, the New England Patriots duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez both made the cut. But the rankings were interesting: Gronkowski was No. 1 and Hernandez was No. 3.

Gronkowski has catapulted to the top of the tight-end rankings after a record-setting season. I doubt many would argue that point. But is Hernandez, Gronkowski's backup, the third-best at his position?

"Hernandez isn't as physical as Gronkowski after the catch, but he's a beast to stop in routes. Hernandez takes double coverage away from Gronkowski and vice-versa, which forces opponents into more man-to-man coverages," Clayton wrote.

There are a lot of good tight ends in the NFL. But the big point is that both Gronkowski and Hernandez are unique talents who may not be together very long in New England. Both will be looking for top dollar when their contracts expire in two years. New England will struggle to pay both at the same position.

Also worth noting is Dustin Keller of the New York Jets also came in at No. 9 on Clayton's list of top tight ends.

It was not a quiet seven days in the AFC East. Here is my take on several recent events that happened while I was away on vacation:

No. 1: Wes Welker finally signs franchise tender

Walker's take: In one of the final columns I wrote before vacation, I said Welker would be silly to fight the New England Patriots. Many have tried and failed. Welker is no exception. Welker briefly tried anyway by making a series of media appearances, including a trip to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, to win over public opinion. But none of that works with New England. The Patriots are emotionless in negotiations. Business is business. Welker did the smart thing by taking the guaranteed $9.5 million New England is offering. The Patriots may decide later to offer Welker an extension before the season starts, but only if they feel it's best for the team.

No. 2: Yeremiah Bell signs with the Jets

Walker's take: The New York Jets bolstered their safety position with the signing of Bell, who is a solid addition this late in free agency. The problem I have is Bell is similar to fellow free-agent signing LaRon Landry. Both are great tacklers, but the pair struggle in coverage. Will Landry or Bell play free safety and attempt to cover tight ends and receivers going across the middle? Neither is a good option. Eric Smith is probably a little better in coverage, but he's not a viable starter. The Jets did not improve their pass coverage this offseason, which is a major issue.

No. 3: Darrelle Revis and others talk up Tim Tebow

Walker's take: Either the Jets are naïve to this Tebow situation or they really don't care. But Revis, linebacker Bart Scott, head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano are among those who are really talking up Tebow this offseason. They are adding to the already immense hype, saying how great Tebow looks in practice and how his natural leadership already is showing through. I said weeks ago the Jets need to be careful about hyping the backup quarterback. It only makes it tougher on starter Mark Sanchez. The Jets obviously want and expect Sanchez to do well. But if he struggles early, this offseason Tebow talk could come back to haunt the Jets.

No. 4: Patriots meet with Dallas Clark

Walker's take: This is a classic case of Patriot bargain hunting. Does New England need another pass-catching tight end? Absolutely not. The Patriots have two of the league's best in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Clark would be the third tight end, at best, if he could beat out free-agent signing Daniel Fells. But Clark, 32, is still on the market. So the Patriots are not afraid to visit and see if they can get the former Pro Bowler dirt cheap. It would be unnecessary for New England to sign Clark. But the team is trying to add as much talent as possible under the cap and figure it can sort things out later.

Earlier this week we took a look at the best running backs in the division. On Wednesday, we will examine another position: tight ends.

Here are the top four tight ends according to the AFC East blog:

No. 1: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Skinny: Say what you want about Gronkowski's personality, but he is a beast on the field. His size, wing span and strong hands have made him an elite tight end in just two seasons. Gronkowski had an NFL record 17 touchdown receptions for a tight end in 2011 and is nearly impossible to stop in the red zone.

No. 2: Aaron Hernandez, Patriots

Skinny: Hernandez is part tight end, part wide receiver. He was probably the Patriots' best deep threat last year, although receiver Brandon Lloyd will take over the role this season. Hernandez is a top-10 tight end but a second option in New England. Hernandez probably will get a shot to be the guy somewhere else when his rookie contract expires in a couple years.

No. 3: Dustin Keller, New York Jets

Skinny: Keller set career highs with receptions (65) and yards (815) last season. He was Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez's most reliable weapon from the start of the season to the end. Keller has a lot of tools. He's able to make the catches in traffic as well as stretch the field. Keller should improve as New York's passing offense becomes more efficient.

No. 4: Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins

Skinny: Fasano is a solid player but not great at any particular thing. He does stretch the field better than he's given credit for. He averaged a career-high 14.1 yards per reception in 2011. I'm curious to see how well Fasano fits in Miami's new West Coast offense. Fasano also won't have the luxury of Brandon Marshall taking away coverage and double teams.

Here are the most interesting stories Thursday morning in the AFC East:

• The Buffalo Bills new-look 4-3 defense will be on the attack.

Morning take: The key to a successful 4-3 is the defensive line, and that's the strength of the Bills. Mario Williams, Mark Anderson, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus are as formidable a group as you will find.

• A closer look at Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake's contract shows it's really a two-year extension that will pay $17 million.

Morning take: Wake is a good player, but this is more in line with Wake's true value. Many Dolphins fans were upset when I said the original report of four years at $49 million was too much. The Dolphins would agree.

• New England Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski will be on a reality television dating show this offseason.

Morning take: I don't think anyone is surprised. It's another example of "Gronk being Gronk."

• New York Jets defensive end Mike Devito says he was fine with a pay cut this season.

Morning take: Devito was hurt last season and the team drafted Quinton Coples in the first round as his replacement. Devito will be the first defensive end off the bench.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spent time with teammate Wes Welker last weekend at the Kentucky Derby. Between the schmoozing and excitement of horse racing, Brady should have given his top receiver a subtle message and said, "Buddy, it's time to get back to work."

There is one thing for certain about the Patriots: You do not fight the machine.

Welker is facing an uphill battle he cannot win. Many have tried before him and failed. Welker is not the exception.

Welker has yet to sign his franchise tender and hasn't decided how long he's going to protest New England's one-year, $9.5 million offer. The potential distraction has been held to a minimum thus far, but it would only grow stronger if Welker continued to skip New England's offseason program.

The Patriots' mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 12. The best advice is for Welker to have his mind made up by that time. Missing New England's current voluntary program is not a big thing. But if Welker also chooses to skip the Patriots' three-day veteran minicamp, that is when he's hurting the team in the eyes of the coaching staff.

At that point the gloves may come off -- and Welker doesn't want that.

New England is emotionless and shrewd in negotiations. Just ask three-time Super Bowl winner Willie McGinest, who apparently still carries some level of bitterness about how he was handled by the Patriots at the end of his career. McGinest recently got into a Twitter spat with Welker about his contract situation and delivered this stern message.

"We're all expendable at Patriot Place," McGinest tweeted to Welker.

McGinest is right. NFL players in general are expendable, but even more so in New England.

Welker needs to be more mindful of how the Patriots often treat players like replaceable and interchangeable parts. It happened to McGinest, who spent the final three years of his career with the struggling Cleveland Browns. It happened to Richard Seymour, who was great for eight seasons with the Patriots and suddenly shipped to the Oakland Raiders for a first-round draft pick. The Patriots also traded future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings when Moss grew unhappy about his contract.

Welker should know better. No one player is above the team in New England. That is the Patriot Way.

This is not to say Welker hasn't worked hard and doesn't have a point about long-term security. This is more about wisely navigating the cruel business side of the NFL. It's all about leverage. Welker has little. New England has plenty. Sometimes it's best to accept your fate and move forward.

Welker remains steadfast in shedding the franchise tag for a long-term contract.

"Through my body of work, through the past five years, I think what I've done I've earned a long-term deal,” Welker recently told ESPN Boston Radio. "It's what I am looking for and what I want. Hopefully that's the case and hopefully we come to something where we can make that happen."

Do not think for one second that New England is not prepared for the worst. All the Patriots have done this offseason is sign wide receivers.

New England signed receivers Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Anthony Gonzalez and Donte’ Stallworth in free agency. All are productive veterans who have a chance to add something to the offense. The Patriots also re-signed veteran Deion Branch, backup Matthew Slater, and drafted rookie receiver Jeremy Ebert. Chad Ochocinco and Julian Edelman also remain on the roster.

New England will have an elite passing game next season with or without Welker.

If Welker decides to stage a lengthy holdout, Lloyd and Gaffney would be the starters, while Branch, Gonzalez, Stallworth and Ochocinco compete in training camp for backup roles. New England also runs a lot of two tight-end sets with Pro Bowler Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. This is still a very deep and talented group of targets for Brady, who also has a knack for making everyone around him a couple of notches better.

Despite 122 receptions and 1,569 yards last year, the Patriots have found a way to make Welker replaceable. But that's only if Welker chooses to be and doesn't sign his franchise tender.

The next move should be the best move by Welker. He should sign the franchise tag, take the $9.5 million and see if anything changes over the next several months at Patriot Place.

Because there's always a chance the Patriots could have a change of heart between now and August. New England has the salary-cap room to extend the 31-year-old Welker and give him the long-term security he's seeking. But it's going to be on the Patriots' terms, not Welker's.

Perhaps no other AFC East pick in the 2012 draft was more controversial than the New England Patriots’ selection of little-known defensive back Tavon Wilson of Illinois. Wilson, New England’s second-round pick, was the 24th rated safety by Scouts Inc. and wasn’t even invited to the NFL combine.

This was viewed as a major reach by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who vehemently defended the pick. But looking deeper, Belichick's track record in the second round has been questionable for the past 10 drafts.

Here’s a look at Belichick’s picks in the second round since 2003:

2011: CB Ras-I Dowling and RB Shane Vereen
2010: LB Jermaine Cunningham, TE Rob Gronkowski, LB Brandon Spikes
2009: CB Darius Butler, S Pat Chung, DT Ron Brace, OT Sebastian Vollmer
2008: CB Terrence Wheatley
2006: WR Chad Jackson
2004: DE Marquise Hill
2003: S Eugene Wilson and WR Bethel Johnson

Of this group, Gronkowski and Vollmer are definite hits. Spikes and Chung have potential but need to prove they can stay healthy for a full season.

For the second round, two stud players in 14 picks (14.3 percent) is a low success rate. If you’re generous and include Chung and Spikes, that’s still only 28.5 percent.

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com wrote a good column this weekend that Belichick should be trusted with the pick of Wilson. But history shows Belichick struggles in the second round, particularly with defensive backs. Butler and Wheatley were recent busts. Dowling didn't play last season and gets a chance to show what he can do this year.

Belichick may fool everyone with the Wilson pick. A player who was on no one’s radar could turn out to be a rookie contributor or starter in New England’s defense, which was ranked No. 31 last season.

But history suggests this could be another second-round whiff by Belichick. The pressure is on Wilson to change that trend.

Did you miss me?

My buddy, "ESPN.com staff," said you all were solid while I was on vacation. So I won't flood the AFC East blog with two Tim Tebow posts per day this week. But that's always subject to change in seven days (wink, wink).

Anyway, a lot happened in the AFC East when I was away. So we are going to skip Monday's "Morning take" in order to catch up on recent issues within the division.

Story No. 1: Dolphins OLB Cameron Wake holds out.

Issue: Wake, who is scheduled to make $615,000 next season, is holding out for more money. He skipped the beginning of the team's offseason workout program last week and reportedly plans to miss more time if a resolution isn't reached.

Walker's take: This is another big blow to a horrific offseason for the Dolphins. I agree that Wake outperformed his contract and is due for a raise. I also doubt the Dolphins disagree with that. The question is, can Miami create enough cap room to fit in another big contract? This will be a tricky situation that probably won't be resolved for a while. This could go well into the spring or summer.

Story No. 2: Should Dolphins trade for the No. 3 pick?

Issue: Former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill's stock continues to rise leading up to the draft. Reports are now surfacing that Miami may have to trade up to the No. 3 overall pick to guarantee a shot at Tannehill. The Cleveland Browns hold the No. 4 pick and also may consider Tannehill.

Walker’s take: Don't do it, Miami. Sure, the Dolphins need a quarterback. But giving away the farm (a first-, second- and third-rounder?) to move up five spots isn't wise. Miami simply has too many holes to fill on its roster. Tannehill is not Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. Tannehill has potential but he is far from a sure thing. Miami should stand pat at No. 8 and see what happens. Even if the Dolphins drafted Tannehill, he would not start in Miami next year anyway. Tannehill would hold a clipboard in 2012 behind Matt Moore and David Garrard.

Story No. 3: Dan Koppen re-signs with the New England Patriots.

Issue: Former longtime starting center Koppen re-signed with the reigning AFC champs. This is somewhat a surprise considering New England chose to first re-sign center Dan Connolly, who replaced Koppen after an injury and performed well.

Walker’s take: This move happened late in free agency. So that tells me Koppen examined his options, didn’t like them and decided it was best to return to New England at a discounted rate. This is good news for the Patriots. They gained depth at center by being patient. But New England also may have a competition brewing in training camp. Koppen is a favorite of Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady, so you can’t rule him out.

Story No. 4: Patriots Rob Gronkowski out of "Madden" tourney.

Issue: Pro Bowl tight end Gronkowski was knocked out of the “Madden NFL 13” tourney by Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. The final four will be Johnson, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.

Walker’s take: This is great news for Gronkowski, even if he doesn’t realize it. He made a strong push for the “Madden” cover with a series of videos, but fortunately for him and fortunately for the Patriots, Johnson prevailed. Regardless of whether you think the curse is legit, players who get on the cover usually have bad seasons. The playoffs proved last season how much the Patriots need a healthy Gronkwoski.

Story No. 5: Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes together in Florida

Issue: Sanchez and Holmes are working out together in Florida. This follows their high-profile falling out at the end of last season.

Walker’s take: This is another good step in the right direction for the duo. The pair need each other for the offense to work. They may never be best friends, but that doesn’t mean they can’t work together on the field. Sanchez and Holmes can repair their relationship, but ultimately it will come down to how they perform next season.

Now that we are all caught up, we have plenty of blogs in store for you this week. Enjoy the ride.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is at it again, posting his second YouTube home video promoting his candidacy for "Madden NFL 13" cover boy. This time, he's calling out Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (aka Megatron), whom he is matched up against in the quarterfinals of the Madden 13 cover vote.

ESPNBoston.com has the rest of the story here.

New England Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski is one step closer to his wish to be on the cover to "Madden NFL 13." Gronkowski advanced to the Elite Eight with a landslide victory over Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.

"Gronk" will face Detroit Lions receiver Calvin "Megatron" Johnson in a battle of two of the best nicknames in the NFL. The winner will advance to the "Madden" Final Four to face the winner of Baltimore Ravens tailback Ray Rice and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Gronkowski recently made an entertaining video with his brothers petitioning fans to vote for him to be on the "Madden" cover. It has worked so far for Gronkowski.

The winner of this year's tournament will attempt to avoid the dreaded "Madden Curse." Gronkowski recently suffered an ankle injury in the playoffs that hurt his performance in the Super Bowl and required offseason surgery.

Two AFC East players advanced in the "Madden NFL 13" cover tournament.

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, a No. 2 seed, and No. 7 seed Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets both advanced to the round of 16. Gronkowski defeated teammate and receiver Brandon Lloyd, while Revis beat Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson.

Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush and Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow also were eliminated. The Sweet 16 starts next week, which includes Gronkowski against Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (No. 7), and Revis against New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz (No. 2).

You can vote on the next round on our "Madden" page here.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski says his injured ankle is improving.

It may be time to cringe, New England Patriots fans. The "Madden NFL 13" cover tournament is underway and Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski is one of the favorites.

"Gronk" enters the tournament this week as a No. 2 seed. He beat out teammate and receiver Wes Welker to enter the main bracket and face No. 15 seed and receiver Brandon Lloyd in the first round. Strangely, Lloyd was the Rams' representative but signed as a free agent with the Patriots.

Gronkowski made this recent video petitioning fans to vote for him on the cover of "Madden." The video is pretty funny, but New England fans may not laugh if Gronkowski gets his wish.

The video game curse is well known for players who get on the cover. Last year, former Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis was on the "Madden" cover and had an injury-plagued and controversial 2011.

Here are the AFC East brackets:

• Gronkowski (No. 2 seed) vs. Lloyd (No. 15)
• Eagles RB LeSean McCoy (No. 5 seed) vs. Dolphins RB Reggie Bush (No. 12 seed)
• Jets CB Darrelle Revis (No. 7 seed) vs. Bills WR Steve Johnson (No. 10 seed)
• Texans RB Arian Foster (No. 3 seed) vs. Jets QB Tim Tebow (No. 14 seed)