New England Patriots Dream Team

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of the game

evolving, conventional wisdom suggests that players from different eras

cannot be compared. However, I have decided to defy that notion. 

I have taken on the daunting task of compiling an All-Time New England

Patriots team. The franchise is tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most

Super Bowl wins in NFL history. The Patriots have a star-crossed legacy.

From 1960-2000, there were peaks and valleys. New England reached

Super Bowl XX in 1985 only to get demolished by the Chicago Bears

46-10. They reached the Super Bowl again in 1996, losing to the Green

Bay Packers 35-21. Before Bill Parcels arrived in 1993, the Patriots were

an afterthought even in their own market. Parcels made them relevant.

From 1997-1999, the Patriots were decent under Pete Carroll. Under Bill

Belichick (2000-present), New England has become NFL royalty. 

There are some rigid criteria in making this team. The player needed to have

played at least four seasons as a Patriot. Since the free agency era began 30

years ago, that standard needs to be in place. No 1-3 year rentals on this

team. Being in the Hall of Fame is the first consideration coupled with

impact on the franchise. The number of All-Pro seasons is another

consideration with longevity also helping immensely. While I understand

it is hard to compare eras, I’m not going to convolute this discussion. 

Generational reminders

The NFL was not invented in 2001 just because the Patriots started winning

Super Bowls. Therefore, simply playing for four years in that era is not

enough to make this team. Conversely, players that performed before the

turn of the century will also get consideration including those in the AFL era. 

To further the challenge, we are constructing the roster in two-deep format,

which means some worthy players get left off the list. So, before you make

a case to put someone on the list, ask yourself, “Who do I take off the list?”  

OFFENSE

QB -- First team: Tom Brady. Honorable mention: Drew Bledsoe.

With Brady, you get the NFL’s best quarterback of all time, having led the

franchise to six Super Bowl championships. He is a three-time NFL MVP,

14-time Pro Bowler and five-time All Pro. Best Patriot of all time regardless

of position. His Hall of Fame induction is a mere formality. Bledsoe has a

star-crossed legacy because his injury led to the rise of Brady. Bledsoe,

however, helped lift a once irrelevant franchise into relevance. The four-

time Pro Bowler led New England to Super Bowl XXXI, losing to the

Green Bay Packers. 

RB -- First team: Kevin Faulk, Don Calhoun. Honorable mention:  

Tony Collins, James White.

This is not a spectacular bunch statistically but incredibly versatile. Curtis

Martin and Corey Dillon miss the cut because they were only Patriots for

three years. Sorry, rules are rules. Collins and Calhoun every down backs

while Faulk and White were Awiss Army knives. 

In 12 seasons, Faulk rushed for 3,607 yards and caught 431 passes for

3,701 yards. He had eight seasons with at least 30 receptions and was part

of three Super Bowl champions. Calhoun played six years with the Patriots

and is the No. 4 career rushing leader in franchise history. Collins is No. 3

in franchise history in rushing yardage with 1983, which was a Pro Bowl

season being his best (1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns). White’s

touchdown to cap the Patriots’ Super Bowl win in overtime over Atlanta

will live in Patriots’ lore forever. White, who is still active, White has 320

catches in six seasons. He has a record for most receptions in a Super Bowl

(14). 

FB -- First team: Jim Nance. Honorable mention: Sam Cunningham

Cunningham and Nance are the franchise’s career rushing leaders. From

1965-1971, Nance played for the Boston/New England Patriots. Nance

was the 1966 AFL MVP and two-time AFL All-Star. Cunningham remains

the franchise's all-time leading rusher (5,453 yards) despite making just one

Pro Bowl (1978). 

WR -- First team: Stanley Morgan, Julian Edelman. Honorable mention:

Wes Welker, Randy Moss.

Morgan put up big receiving numbers before it was fashionable to do so.

Morgan, who has 557 career receptions, was a four-time Pro Bowler and

topped 1,000 yards receiving three times (at the time a franchise record).

Edelman gets the nod over Moss based on Patriot longevity. In 12 years as

a Patriot, Edelman has no Pro Bowl or All Pro honors but 599 career

receptions, 6.507 yards and 36 touchdowns, all in the “and counting”

category. He played for three Super Bowl champs. Though Moss was only

a Patriot for four seasons, he’s one of the best to ever play. Moss, who is in

the Hall of Fame, helped New England obliterate passing records in 2007.

That season, Moss reeled in 98 catches for 1,493 yards for an NFL record

23 touchdowns. Welker played six years as a Patriot during the dynasty era

with no ring and some untimely dropped passes in big spots. Welker was a

five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro as a Patriot. In 2011-2012,

Welker had 240 catches for 2,923 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

TE -- First team: Rob Gronkowski. Honorable mention: Ben Coates.

Gronkowski might be the best tight end in NFL history as his Hall of

Fame induction is just a matter of time. He retired with 521 career receptions

and is tied with Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten for most 1,000 yard

receiving seasons by a tight end in NFL history (four). Coates was the less

famous Patriot tight end that wore No. 87 but had an outstanding career that

included franchise peaks and valleys. Coates was a five-time Pro Bowler

with 1994 being his finest hour (96 catches, 1,174 yards, 15 touchdowns). 

OT -- First team: Bruce Armstrong, Matt Light. Honorable mention: 

Leon Gray, Brian Holloway.

Armstrong’s career ended before the Patriots dynasty era but he was the

best offensive tackle in franchise history. Armstrong started 212 career

games and was a six-time Pro Bowler. Light was vastly underrated in his

11 seasons, one-time All Pro and two-time Pro Bowler who protected

Brady in phenomenal fashion. He was on three Super Bowl champions.

Gray was a Patriot for his first five seasons in the NFL before joining the

Houston Oilers and later the New Orleans Saints. In five years as a Patriot,

he was a two-time Pro Bowler and All Pro once. With Holloway at tackle

and John Hannah at guard, you had a pretty good ensemble for six years

(1981-1986). Holloway was a Pro Bowler three times in six seasons. 

OG -- First team: John Hannah, Logan Mankins. Honorable mention: 

Stephen Neal, Len St. Jean.

Hannah, who is in the Hall of Fame, is one of the best offensive linemen

regardless of position in NFL history. Though considered short (6-2) by

NFL standards when he entered the league, he had speed, quickness and

powerful legs, equally adept at run and pass-blocking. Mankins defined

the word reliable in his 11 NFL seasons (nine as a Patriot), missing just 14

games. Though he occasionally played tackle, he was most impactful as an

interior lineman as he made seven Pro Bowls. Neal went from world

champion in freestyle wrestling, national champion amateur and college

wrestler at Cal State Bakersfield to solid interior lineman during the early

2000s Patriots dynasty despite never gaining any Pro Bowl accolades.

With St. Jean, there’s something to be said for playing both ways as a

Boston Patriot, defensive end, lineback, offensive tackle and guard. He

belongs somewhere so we’ll put him at guard. 

C -- First team: Jon Morris. Honorable mention: Dan Koppen.

Morris was one of the franchise’s best players from the Boston Patriots era.

He was a six-time AFL All-Star, member of the all-time AFL team and one-

time All Pro. Koppen lacks the Pro Bowl accolades, just one in nine seasons

but was an incredible anchor to the Patriots, two of which were Super Bowl

winning seasons. 

DEFENSE

DE -- First team: Richard Seymour, Bob Dee. Honorable mention: 

Larry Eisenhaur, Julius Adams.

Dee was an impactful player in the Boston Patriots era, once starting 112

consecutive games. Dee recorded 33 quarterback sacks and was a four-time

AFL All-Star. Seymour did not finish his career in New England but there

is no denying that he was incredibly impactful in his eight seasons. Three

Super Bowl wins, seven Pro bowls and 57.5 sacks is quite impressive.

Eisenhaur spent nine years with the Boston Patriots, four of which were

AFL All-Star seasons. Though Adams made just one Pro Bowl in 16

seasons, he gets high marks for longevity. 

DT -- First team: Jim Lee Hunt, Vince Wilfork. Honorable mention: 

Ray Hamilton, Houston Antwine. 

In 11 seasons as a Boston Patriot, Hunt was an AFL All-Star four times and

had 29 career sacks on 19 different quarterbacks. Hunt holds the record for

most fumble recoveries as an AFL player. Wilfork was a behemoth in the

middle and typified the 3-4 nose tackle. He engulfed double-teams, was a

long-standing captain in 11 seasons, five Pro Bowls and two Super

Bowls. Hamilton, who was nicknamed “Sugar Bear,” is best known for

an untimely roughing the passer against Ken Stabler in a 1976 playoff

game but enjoyed a consistent nine-year career as a Patriot from 1973-

1981. Hamilton started 117 games and recovered 14 fumbles. Antwine was

a six-time AFL All-Star in 11 seasons. He had four games with at least two

sacks, which was very impressive in his era (1964-1973). 

OLB -- First team: Andre Tippett, Willie McGinist. Honorable mention:

Tedy Bruschi, Donta Hightower.

Tippett is in the Hall of Fame and one of the most underrated players in NFL

history, overshadowed by other defensive greats of his era. Tippett is a five-

time Pro Bowler, four-time All Pro and has 100 career sacks. He was

Defensive Player of the Year in 1985. McGinist became a Patriot before the

Dynasty era and was a huge reason the franchise’s culture changed.

Though McGinist was a Pro Bowler just twice in 12 seasons, he recorded

86 career sacks and 16 in the postseason, most in NFL history. McGinist

played on three Super Bowl winners. Bruschi also played on three Super

Bowl champs. Though he made just one Pro Bowl in 13 years, he was a

tackling machine. Hightower’s strip sack of Atlanta Falcons quarterback

Matt Ryan flipped Super Bowl LI. That play aside, Hightower remains

active after eight years. He has just two Pro Bowl appearances but has come

up large in big games.  

ILB -- First team: Nick Buoniconti, Junior Seau. Honorable mention:

Steve Nelson, Mike Vrbal.

Buoniconti and Seau are best known for their seasons as Miami Dolphins

and San Diego Chargers respectively but made significant contributions as

Patriots. Buoniconti played seven years as a Boston Patriot, six as an AFL

All-Star. Though the late Seau played for the Patriots in their dynasty when

they did not win the Super Bowl, he was very impactful. Seau is in the Hall

of Fame. Nelson predated the greatness era of the Patriots but was the nucleus

of their defense for 14 seasons (1974-1987). He tallied at least 100 tackles

in nine of those seasons. Vrbal was incredibly versatile as he could play both

inside and outside linebacker spots. Though he made just one Pro Bowl in

his career, he was versatile and reliable. 

CB -- First team: Ty Law, Mike Haynes. Honorable mention: Raymond

Clayborn, Malcom Butler.

Law and Haynes are both Hall of Famers and among the best corners in

NFL history. Law, who has 53 career interceptions, rarely lost a one-on-

one matchups. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, twice an All Pro and member

of three Super Bowl winners. Haynes had great quickness and range. He was

a nine-time Pro Bowler and has 46 career interceptions. Clayborn was a

combative one but in 13 seasons, intercepted 36 passes. He was All Pro on

four occasions and made the Pro Bowl three times. Butler’s time as a Patriot,

four years meets the minimum to make this team but his game-clinching

interception of Russell Wilson kick-started the second part of New England

winning three Super Bowls in four years. 

S -- First team: Rodney Harrison, Devin McCourtey. Honorable mention: 

Lawyer Milloy, Roland James.

Harrison spent nine seasons as a San Diego Charger and his last six in New

England, becoming the best safety in franchise history. Harrison was a ball-

hawk against the pass and relentless against the run. He was part of two Super

Bowl winners. How McCourty, who recently completed his tenth season, has

made only two Pro Bowls is an injustice. McCourty has been a superb field

general for a decade that includes three Super Bowl champions. Milloy was

a Patriot from 1996-2002 and was the first example of Belichick getting

rid of a player a year early rather than late. Milloy was a member of the first

Patriot Super Bowl team and had an impressive tenure with four Pro Bowls.

What James lacked in Pro Bowl accolades he made up for in longevity, 11

years and 29 interceptions. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- First team: Adam Vinatieri. Honorable mention:  Gino Cappelletti,

Stephen Gostkowski.

We’ll make an exception for three since all have over 1,000 career points.

Vinatieri finished off many Brady game-winning drives. Vinatieri, who is

still active, is on a Hall of Fame track despite only making All Pro three

times. No kicker in NFL history has connected on more field goals. Vinatieri

is a four-time Super Bowl champ, three as a Patriot. You could put Cappelletti

at wide receiver and give the Patriots an embarrassment of riches but he was

an accomplished kicker as well. He was a five-time AFL All-Star and scoring

leader. Gostkowski is a two-time All Pro and the franchise’s all-time scoring

leader. 

P -- First team: Ryan Allen. Honorable mention: Rich Camarillo.

The NFL draft had two punters selected but Allen was not one of them.

Allen has spent his last two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after five in

New England. He owns a 45.1 yard gross punting average for his career.

Camarillo spent seven of his 16 NFL seasons with the Patriots, including a

Pro Bowl season in 1983. Camarillo has a 42.3 gross yards per punt average. 

Returner -- First team: Troy Brown. Honorable mention: Faulk.

You could put Brown as a receiver because he was Brady’s security blanket.

Brown is the Patriots' all-time leading punt returner with 252 returns for

2,625 yards and three touchdowns. He is second all-time in Patriots history

in receptions (557) and third all-time in receiving yards (6,366). Faulk starred

mostly as a kickoff returner with 181 attempts for a 22.6 yard average and

two touchdowns. 

Head coach -- First team: Bill Belichick. Honorable mention: Bill Parcels. 

The Patriots have been blessed with NFL royalty. Belichick, who remains the

longest active tenured head coach, has more playoff wins (31) than any coach

in NFL history. Belichick is third in coaching victories (273) behind Don

Shula and George Halas. He led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles and did so

while doubling as general manager. Though Parcels is best known for winning

two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, he took over at a time when the

Patriots were a laughingstock. Though they went 5-11 in his first season

(1993), he led them to two playoff appearances including a Super Bowl

appearance in 1996. 

Team: 2004. Some would say 2007 because of the 16-0 regular season but

losing the Super Bowl curtails that argument. The Patriots went 14-2 in 2003,

2004 and 2016, all resulting in Super Bowl titles. The 2004 version had seven

Pro Bowlers, four All Pros, a balanced offense and stifling defense. They

dismantled the Indianapolis Colts (20-3) and Pittsburgh Steelers (41-27) on

the way to defeating Philadelphia (24-21) in the Super Bowl. The Patriots

held the Colts top-ranked offense to three points and beat a 15-1 Steeler team

on their homefield.