Here's my opinion regarding a stretch in the ratings with a handful of guidelines:
Elite Players-96-94 (Manning, Brady, Revis, Asomugha, Willis)
Super Star Players-93-90 (Rivers, Palomalu, Reed)
Star Players-89-86 (Steve Smith

, Matt Ryan, Ray Lewis)
Starters-85-80 (Hines Ward, Antonio Cromartie)
Solid Contributors-79-77 (Guys who start, but aren't household names)
2nd String-76-70 (Guys who spell, or are package specific)
Special Teams/Bench-69-60 (Exactly what it says)
1st Round-82-74 (80's reserved on the can't miss prospects: Suh, Jake Long, PP7, etc.)
2nd Round-73-70
3rd Round-69-64
4th-7th Round-63-60
Now let me explain, this list may not tickle the fancy of those who want to IMO over dramatize ratings desparity from top to bottom. But there is a huge difference from 96 down to 60's. Bench players/special teamers are competent NFL players but they are not in the upper echelon of the league or good enough to start but they serve their role/purpose well.
There's absolutely no place in the game for ratings below 60, I mean whats the point of having a 40-50 something overall player, I mean would they even make an NFL roster...? Players in that 60's range can step in during an injury, but there would obviously be a stark contrast between them and the starter/solid contributor/2nd stringer.
One thing I think would go a long way, and many others share this opinion is that each position should only have specific ratings. I do not need to know my DB's throw power etc. Also I'd like to see a cap on the AWR rating, preferably no lower than 60-65.