The Associated Press looks at the player deemed most indispensable by the AP sports writer covering each NFL team – quarterbacks need not apply – and what makes him so necessary (broken down by conference and division): — AFC EAST Rob Gronkowski http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , New England: Gronk has been a force this season after missing the second half of 2016 following back surgery. He adopted Tom Brady’s strict diet habits and slimmed down. Gronkowski now has 55 catches for 849 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo: With the Bills’ offense based on the run, McCoy edges defensive tackle Kyle Williams as Buffalo’s most consistent threat. McCoy has 1,155 yards from scrimmage – 32 percent of the Bills’ total offense. He also touches the ball on nearly half the plays. Demario Davis, New York Jets: The veteran linebacker is among the NFL’s top tacklers. Davis is the quarterback of Todd Bowles’ defense as New York’s middle linebacker and is having perhaps his best season after being reacquired by New York this offseason after a year in Cleveland. Ndamukong Suh, Miami: The defensive tackle draws two blockers on almost every play and still makes an impact. — SOUTH Delanie Walker, Tennessee: Third in the NFL in catches among tight ends, the veteran is Marcus Mariota’s favorite target despite being double- and triple-teamed by defenses. Walker pulled in a 37-yard catch in Indianapolis with offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie counting eight defenders around the tight end on film. Calais Campbell, Jacksonville: Possibly the best free-agent acquisition of 2017, the defensive end leads the AFC in sacks and is a big reason the Jaguars are in the playoff mix. Jadeveon Clowney, Houston: Well, J.J. Watt has hardly played in almost two seasons, and the top overall pick in the 2014 draft is having perhaps the best season of his career after being slowed by injuries early in Houston. Clowney has fought through near-constant double teams with Watt and Whitney Mercilus out for the season, yet he leads the team with career highs in sacks (nine) and tackles for losses (18) to keep the defense afloat. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis: The receiver’s value can be measured in pure numbers. In three wins this season, he has 19 catches for 505 yards and three TDs. In nine losses, Hilton has 22 receptions for 286 yards and one TD. Coincidence? Doubt it. — NORTH Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh: The perennial All-Pro has the most catches over any five-year span in NFL history. He is Ben Roethlisberger’s security blanket, and the trust between the two is so great it isn’t unusual for Roethlisberger to throw it into double or triple coverage to him. Brandon Williams, Baltimore: The nose tackle clogs the middle and ties up a couple linemen, freeing linebacker C.J. Mosley to lead the team in tackles. The Ravens went 1-3 when he missed four games with an injured foot, and his value is why they gave him a five-year, $52.5 million contract in March rather than let him become a free agent. A.J. Green, Cincinnati: Last season showed how much the wide receiver means to the Bengals. After five straight playoff appearances, with Green going to the Pro Bowl with more than 1 http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey ,000 yards receiving each year, a hamstring injury cost Green at least six games. The Bengals won only six games without his production. Joe Thomas, Cleveland: The 10-time Pro Bowler at left tackle played 10,363 consecutive snaps before tearing a triceps muscle and undergoing season-ending surgery. — WEST Tyreek Hill, Kansas City: The wide receiver is the Chiefs’ only big-play threat, and his versatility allowing him to line up at running back and as a threat on punt returns makes him even more crucial than tight end Travis Kelce. Casey Hayward, L.A. Chargers: The cornerback has emerged as one of NFL’s best defensive players in absence of fellow starting cornerback Jason Verrett. Hayward was just the AFC’s defensive player of the month. He has four interceptions and constantly draws the toughest assignments. Khalil Mack, Oakland: The Raiders have one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Now just think of how bad it would be without last year’s Defensive Player of the Year as a force against the run and an elite pass rusher despite being the focus of every opposing offense. Chris Harris Jr., Denver: He is the heart of a Broncos’ defense that is not what it was two seasons ago in winning Super Bowl 50. — NFC EAST Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia: The defensive tackle missed the fourth quarter of a game and the next game this season. In those five quarters, the Eagles allowed 48 points for an average of 9.6 points per 15 minutes. In all other games with him, they’ve allowed 3.7 points per quarter. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas: Enough said, though the Cowboys’ 1-3 record as he sits out his suspension has made Dallas’ playoff road very difficult, if not impossible. Elliott is due to return Christmas Eve against Seattle, and even he may not be able to save the Cowboys’ postseason hopes. Trent Williams, Washington: The tough left tackle has missed three of the past six games with a severe knee injury, and Washington has struggled to give Kirk Cousins adequate time to throw or establish much of a running game without Williams. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants: The wide receiver had the best three-season start in team history with 288 catches, 4,122 yards and 35 TDs – most in the NFL since the start of the 2014 season. Ankle injuries limited him to four games this season and one big play on a 48-yard TD, and the Giants have only seven big pass plays, two for TDs, this season. — SOUTH Cam Jordan, New Orleans: The defensive end is an absolute physical specimen http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , strong enough to play the run effectively and fast enough in his seventh season at age 28 to be a menace with 10 sacks, 17 quarterback hits and six passes defended. The first-round pick in 2011 is the Saints’ defensive leader on and off the field. Luke Kuechly, Carolina: The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is arguably the best middle linebacker in the game and a vital part of what the Panthers do on defense. When Kuechly isn’t playing – and he’s missed time with three concussions over the past three seasons – the Panthers aren’t the same team. He has great size, rarely misses a tackle, and outstanding speed to get from one side of the field to the other. He reads plays extremely well. Alex Mack, Atlanta: When the Falcons made the three-time Pro Bowl center the NFL’s highest-paid center with an average salary of $9.5 million, Mack was the final piece to solidifying their offensive line. With Mack, the Falcons led the league in scoring and reached the Super Bowl. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay: The Bucs are driven by the offense, and nobody has meant more than the big, strong receiver who commands double-teams and is the biggest red-zone threat, as well as most reliable and productive option on third down. Jameis Winston’s favorite target earned his first Pro Bowl slot last season. — NORTH Harrison Smith, Minnesota: The sixth-year safety is the backbone of coach Mike Zimmer’s aggressive defense and one of the NFL’s most dominant units. Smith stands out with his versatility, able to roam in deep coverage, deliver hard hits over the middle, or blitz. Matt Prater, Detroit: Yes, the kicker. The Lions have been an average team the past couple years, but Prater’s clutch kicking lifted them to a playoff berth last season and has them in the mix again this year. He had four game-winning kicks last season, a 58-yarder to force overtime in 2016 against Minnesota, and his 52-yarder beat Chicago this season in difficult conditions. David Bakhtiari, Green Bay: The left tackle went to the Pro Bowl last year, and Bakhtiari is the man who protects Aaron Rodgers’ back, which is even more important if the quarterback returns this month. Jordan Howard, Chicago: The running back has ranked among the NFL’s most productive since being drafted in the fifth round last year http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , and he’ll be the Bears’ biggest ally in developing quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. — WEST Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams: The defensive end is putting together another All-Pro caliber season despite sitting out training camp and preseason in a contract dispute. Donald constantly clears space for teammates by drawing double-teams, but still gets loose for his own pressures, sacks and tackles for loss as the Rams’ most disruptive player on team. Earl Thomas, Seattle: A lot of what the Seahawks do defensively rests on Thomas at safety patrolling all the space he covers. His uncommon sideline-to-sideline speed has allowed Seattle’s cornerbacks to be aggressive, knowing that Thomas usually covers any mistakes. His value became most notable last year when he missed the final month of the regular season and the playoffs due to a broken leg. Seattle was not the same team defensively and suffered. David Johnson, Arizona: The running back broke his wrist in the opener and look what happened to the Cardinals. Their offense was built around the back who led the NFL in touchdowns (20) and yards from scrimmage (2,118) to start the season. DeForest Buckner, San Francisco: The defensive lineman almost never comes off the field, stout in the middle against the run and pressuring the quarterback even if his sack numbers aren’t there. For a rebuilding team, Buckner provides a valuable building block. — While other players were prepping for this season at spring training, Jose Bautista was on his own.

A six-time All-Star without a big league job, Bautista remained eager to catch on somewhere and knew he needed to be resourceful. So to stay in game shape, the 37-year-old slugger spent his days back home in Florida hopping from gym workouts to local ballfields.

Sometimes he ended up at the University of Tampa, or Tampa Catholic High School. Wherever he could find an empty diamond to hit and do defensive drills.

”I was trying to mimic somewhat the same program,” said Bautista, who has quickly become a rare bright spot for the New York Mets this year. ”I mean, it wasn’t the easiest thing.”

His agent helped him scrounge up batting-practice pitchers to simulate game situations as best they could. High school kids, college players, other free agents looking for work.

Bautista figures he got about 30 ”at-bats” or so in April, when the regular season was already underway for everyone else. All the while, the former Toronto Blue Jays star waited for a new opportunity.

”Yeah, different fields. Whatever was available and whatever people could get to,” he said.

Not exactly an ideal way to sharpen up for Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw. But after struggling through a 12-game stint with the Atlanta Braves in May, mostly at third base http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey , Joey Bats has hardly missed a beat since arriving in New York. He had a .944 OPS over 35 games going into Sunday and had already batted in every spot for the Mets besides ninth.

”He never backed off,” teammate and close friend Jose Reyes said last week. ”He always was working.”

Next up, a nice reward.

On deck this week is the first trip for Bautista back to Toronto, where he blossomed into one of baseball’s best power hitters with the Blue Jays from 2008-17. The struggling Mets play interleague games at Rogers Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Needless to say, he’s excited.

”I’m trying not to think about it,” Bautista said last week. ”I’m trying not to dwell on it too much.”

”Obviously, I played there for 10 years. I consider it one of my homes away from home,” he added. ”I’m just going to let it come and enjoy it when it gets here.”

Reyes, also Bautista’s teammate in Toronto from 2013-15, said last week the outfielder had been staying at his house in New York for the past few days and the two talked about the upcoming games in Toronto.

Reyes figures the Blue Jays might have a video tribute planned, but he’s sure Bautista will receive a standing ovation after helping the team end a 22-year playoff drought and reach consecutive AL Championship Series in 2015 and 2016.

Bautista, still sporting a neatly trimmed beard, acknowledged he anticipates a warm reception.

”I don’t expect anything else from Canadian fans. They’re top-notch, a class act,” he said. ”We had a pretty good run there and I had a successful career in my years there. … I did enjoy my time in Toronto greatly and it’s going to be great to be back.”

Bautista hit 54 home runs for the Blue Jays in 2010 and led the majors again with 43 the following season. He finished in the top four in AL MVP voting both years.

And of course, who could ever forget his gigantic bat flip after connecting for a decisive homer in the 2015 playoffs against Texas?

As he approached free agency, Bautista’s numbers dropped off in 2016. Toronto brought him back on a one-year contract for $18 million last season, but he slumped to a .203 batting average with 23 homers, 65 RBIs and 170 strikeouts, and the Blue Jays moved on.

”As a player, we understand that this is a business,” Reyes said. ”He wanted to stay there, but I don’t know. When you build that fan base and the people love you and stuff and you (are) successful in one place, you don’t want to go someplace else. But it comes a time in baseball. It just happens. Yeah, he understands that.”

Two days after he was released by Atlanta http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/josh-jacobs-jersey , the Mets signed Bautista on May 22 for the $545,000 major league minimum to provide a right-handed bat in the outfield following injuries to Yoenis Cespedes and Juan Lagares.

Bautista stepped off a plane and right into the starting lineup, hitting a double in his first at-bat, just as he did with the Braves. This time, though, he hasn’t stopped producing even though everything around him keeps falling apart.

With the help of 24 walks in 105 plate appearances, Bautista began Sunday with a .438 on-base percentage for the last-place Mets. He’d reached base safely in 15 straight games and even played some solid defense.

”It’s definitely impressive and we are in awe of him,” 25-year-old outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. ”He’s a great veteran presence. He’s got a lot of wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the game. … I think just that preparation, that work ethic and that eagle eye he’s got, it’s been a great combination.”

Now playing every day in a familiar corner outfield spot after right fielder Jay Bruce went on the disabled list, too, Bautista began Sunday hitting .266 for the Mets with three homers, 10 doubles and 13 RBIs.

”A dangerous wild card,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said before a game against New York last week. ”A man that wanted to play, felt he could play and was going to do what it took necessary to put himself in a position to play. He stayed active, he stayed ready, his agent reached out to every club. I mean, we got a call. That hey,