15. Ted Johnson: I'm not sure any Patriot sacrificed his body more than inside linebacker Ted Johnson did for the team this decade. The guy's a football player. Ohio State. No neck. He's the Jason Bourne of LBs. You can knock him unconscious and he will still get up, find you, and make the tackle. A draft pick of Bill Parcells, Johnson was one of the guys who helped build the dynasty in the mid-90s and then got the satisfaction of still being there when all the work paid off.14. Deion Branch: The MVP of Super Bowl XXXVIII. Branch became the deep weapon that Brady had been missing and was the piece that turned the Pats offense from solid to dangerous. His long TD catch early in the '04 AFC title game in Pittsburgh set the tone for the romp. His catch to set up the winning kick in the Carolina Super Bowl was one of the toughest -- and most underrated -- catches I've ever seen.
13. Antowain Smith: The man was a bull with a hell of a kick. I loved Smith when he played with the Bills but injuries made him a big question mark when the Pats picked him up for the 2001 season. He answered all the questions. He ran for almost 1,200 yards and scored 12 TDs in his first season, leading the Pats on their improbable run to the playoffs. He was even bigger in those playoffs, returning to his hometown of New Orleans and playing a key role in the Pats erasing the nightmares of their previous two bayou Super Bowl trips.12. Ted Washington: As important as Smith was in the Pats building a running game, the acquisition of the house that is Ted Washington was even more important when it came to stopping the run. The Pats had a huge hole in the middle of the D just a week before the season started in '01 and the late August trade for Washington filled that hole and then some. The Pats ranked 4th in the league against the run. Big Ted was the foundation -- literally -- of that defense.
11. Wes Welker: The only guy on this list without a Super Bowl ring. Hopefully he gets one soon but he doesn't need one. He's already one of the toughest, grittiest, smartest Patriots I've ever seen. He's averaging 100 catches a season. Simply put: How can you not love watching him play? How many clutch third-down catches has he made? Too many to count.
10. Adam Vinatieri: Is there another dynasty that has its kicker in the top 10? The greatest clutch kicker in the history of the game. Which kick do you want? The first Super Bowl winner ("It's gooooood! It's gooooooood!). The Snow Bowl kick. The Snow Bowl winner. The winner against the Titans in 6 degree temps. And those are just in the playoffs. I've seen so many great seasons by teams end on a "wide right." Not with Vinatieri. We didn't call him "Money" for nothing.9. Kevin Faulk: Yes, Kevin Faulk. Most underrated player in the entire league these last ten years. Need a big catch? Go to Faulk. Need a big block? Line him up just in front of Brady. Need a big kick return? Put #33 back there. He's one of those guys that every dynasty has. The role player who plays every role to near perfection.
8. Corey Dillon: I can still remember the summer day over my parent's house when my brother Richie called from North Carolina. "ESPN's reporting that we traded a second-round pick for Corey Dillon.. Corey Dillon! We're going back to the Super Bowl!" And he was right. The Bengals sent away their disgruntled star and he had one more Hall of Fame season left in him to lead the '04 Pats to the title. He capped it with a monster game in the Pats most solid playoff victory of the decade -- the 20-3 punishing of Indy.7. Ty Law: Kurt Warner drops back to pass. He throws it right just as he gets hit. The ball ... is intercepted! Ty Law! He takes it all the way for a touchdown! Patriots lead! That pick-six in the first Super Bowl made the team believe they really could pull off the upset. Law, who early in his career spent most of his time drawing yellow flags, evolved into an All-Pro shutdown corner. His three-pick game against Manning in the '03 AFC title game is one of the greatest performances by a cornerback ever.
6. Mike Vrabel: The cast-off from Pittsburgh who fit the Bill Belichick/Romeo Crennel defense perfectly. Vrabel, another OSU linebacker, is the man who hit Warner in the face (was that a penalty?) that forced the errant pass that was picked off by Law. He also forced the fumble in the Carolina Super Bowl that set off the scoring binge. Vrabel was always there to make a play. On both sides of the ball. He caught five passes while a Patriot. All for touchdowns.5. Rodney Harrison: I can still hear the sound of Rodney coming on a blitz and smashing the quarterback to the ground with one of the hardest hits I've seen. And that was in a preseason game before the '07 season. You hear a lot these days about how all players take plays off. Not Rodney. He played every play as if the Super Bowl was on the line. Voted the dirtiest player by his peers year after year, that's what happens when you take pleasure in hitting as hard as you can. A Hall of Fame safety for sure.
4. Tedy Bruschi: Was there ever a better match of player and coach than Bruschi and Belichick? Watching them on the sideline it was like having two defensive coaches. During the years Romeo was there ... well, the three of them were pretty tough to outsmart. Belichick called him "the perfect player" at Bruschi's retirement press conference. That says it all.
3. Troy Brown: Who has the most catches in Patriots history? Troy Brown. Bingo! Who returned a punt and set up a blocked field goal return to beat the Steelers in their first AFC title clash? Troy Brown. Bingo! Who made the biggest catch in the drive to set up the winning kick in New Orleans? Troy Brown. Bingo! So many clutch catches. So many game-changing special teams plays. He even played nickel back when the Pats were decimated on defense. Whatever Belichick asked him to do he did. Troy Brown is the Patriots. Bingo!2. Willie McGinnest: OK. I'm biased. Willie was my favorite player before he even played a down for the Patriots. I loved to watch the Pac 10 back in the '80s and early '90s and McGinnest was one of the best linebackers USC ever had. And that's saying something. When the Pats took him with the fourth pick in the '94 draft I was thrilled. Unfortunately Willie was plagued by a groin injury that slowed him for several years. But that all changed when this decade started. Willie's big plays stack up with anyone's on this list but it was the way he made his big plays that made him the leader of the dynasty. He didn't just sack you. He took you down with a fist in your face or a knee in your back. He was an intimidating playmaker. He was the man.
1. Tom Brady: One of the greatest stories in sports of the past 100 years. That's right. 100. A skinny sixth-round pick walked onto the field with his hands in his pockets on that September afternoon in 2001 and proceeded to lead the team to three Super Bowls in four years. I know he's got Gisele now, and Bridget's baby, and his commercials aren't funny like Manning's. And he wears those stupid TB hats. But he still has a burning desire to win after all he has accomplished. If he should be able to win another title before he hangs it up sometime in the next decade he goes down as arguably the best to ever play in the league. He's already the best to ever play in a Patriots uniform.
Almost made the cut: 16. Randy Moss. 17. Lawyer Milloy. 18. Vince Wilfork. 19. Richard Seymour. 20. Matt Light. 21. Daniel Graham. 22. Dan Koppen. 23. Ty Warren. 24. Asante Samuel. 25. David Patten. Did I miss anyone?
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