Patriots Best 6 Since 2000: NFL Insider Ranks Non-QBs - Gronk & Company
NBC analyst Chris Simms recently ranked the best non-quarterback players that each NFL franchise has employed this century. Given that the New England Patriots have six Super Bowl titles since 2000, they were a particularly difficult team to nail down, so Simms and co-host Ahmed Fareed decided to go with six players from the team, while most franchises were limited to five.
Simms -- who spent just over a year as a coaching assistant for the Patriots after his playing career concluded -- ultimately tabbed these six players as the best of the best:
- Cornerback Ty Law: Half of Law's decade with the Patriots came in the 1990s, but he still recorded 16 interceptions in New England in the 2000s. Law was a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2003, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
- Defensive End Richard Seymour: A First-Team All-Pro every season from 2003-2005, Seymour racked up 39 sacks and 64 tackles for a loss in eight years with the Patriots. He finished as the runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year voting to Baltimore Ravens' middle linebacker Ray Lewis in 2003. Like Lewis, Seymour is now in the Hall of Fame.
- Defensive Tackle Vince Wilfork: The 325-pound linemen was a force on New England's defense for 11 years. During that time, Wilfork made five Pro Bowl appearances, and peaked with a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2012. Wilfork had 517 combined tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 12 fumble recoveries as a Patriot.
- Offensive Guard Logan Mankins: While Mankins was a First-Team All-Pro in 2010, he was a Second-Team selection on five other occasions during his nine years with the Patriots. Mankins was also voted to the Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team.
- Tight End Rob Gronkowski: Considered by many to be the most complete tight end in NFL history, "Gronk" was named a First-Team All-Pro on four occasions during nine seasons with the Patriots. In addition to incredible run-blocking ability, Gronkowski was also one of the biggest mismatches NFL defenses have ever had to gameplan for in the passing game, as evidenced by the 79 touchdowns and 7,861 receiving yards he had in less than a decade with the Patriots. Gronkowski was on the Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team, and will one day have a gold jacket as a Hall of Famer.
- Safety Devin McCourty: A first-round pick in 2010, McCourty spent all 13 seasons of his career in New England. He finished runner-up to Detroit Lions' defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in Defensive Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2010, and was a Second-Team All-Pro selection on three occasions.
Other names that Simms considered for this list were wide receivers Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, along with special teams ace Matthew Slater, linebacker Teddy Bruschi, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, safety Rodney Harrison and kickers Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski. For our money, Welker -- who had 672 catches for 7,459 yards in six years with the Patriots -- should have been a finalist over McCourty.
Gronkowski would seem like the favorite to win, but you can vote for which of the six finalists should come out on top here.
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