AFC East: Best Five Players Per Team

[Amnorix]

OTAs and stuff are very exciting to be sure, but we're definitely in the midst of the boringest time of the offseason, so I figured I'd shamelessly rip off this concept from another football board and bring it over here.

In no particular order

Patriots

Tom Brady
John Hannah
Andre Tippett
Mike Haynes
Stanley Morgan

**note, I could have, but didn't, include someone like a Curtis Martin or Randy Moss, but my feeling is that they aren't primarily identified with the Patriots, given that they spent the majority of their careers elsewhere.


Dolphins

Dan Marino
Jason Taylor
Larry Csonka
Dwight Stephenson
Larry Little


Bills

Bruce Smith
Jim Kelly
Thurman Thomas
OJ Simpson (may he rot in hell)
James Lofton


Jets


Joe Namath
Don Maynard
Mark Gastineau
Curtis Martin
Kevin Mawae

 

[mgteich]

Haynes played on half of his career for the patriots. I agree with the first four, but Stanlry was no one of the best patriots of all time. He isn't even the best receiver. I'd have Moss, Coates and Fryar over him.

OTAs and stuff are very exciting to be sure, but we're definitely in the midst of the boringest time of the offseason, so I figured I'd shamelessly rip off this concept from another football board and bring it over here.

In no particular order

Patriots

Tom Brady
John Hannah
Andre Tippett
Mike Haynes
Stanley Morgan

**note, I could have, but didn't, include someone like a Curtis Martin or Randy Moss, but my feeling is that they aren't primarily identified with the Patriots, given that they spent the majority of their careers elsewhere.


Dolphins

Dan Marino
Jason Taylor
Larry Csonka
Dwight Stephenson
Larry Little


Bills

Bruce Smith
Jim Kelly
Thurman Thomas
OJ Simpson (may he rot in hell)
James Lofton


Jets


Joe Namath
Don Maynard
Mark Gastineau
Curtis Martin
Kevin Mawae

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Past players are kind of irrelevant right now. It would be better to talk about the best players currently on the team.

 

[Amnorix]

Haynes played on half of his career for the patriots. I agree with the first four, but Stanlry was no one of the best patriots of all time. He isn't even the best receiver. I'd have Moss, Coates and Fryar over him.

I know Haynes only played half his career here, but to me, that's enough if he otherwise makes the grade. Moss and Martin aren't even close to 1/2 their career.

But still, there's no rules to this, so whatever works for you.

IMHO Fryer enjoyed his best years elsewhere. He had 9 years -- a little over half his career -- in New England -- with ONE 1,000 yard season. And that was JUST barely at 1,014 yards. Other than that, he had ONE 800+ yard season, and two 700+ yard seasons. After he left us, he had four thousand yard seasons elsewhere.

Morgan had 3 1,000 yard seasons, a just miss 991 yard season, two 800 yard and two 700 yard seasons.

In terms of TDs, Fryar had 7, 6, 5 and 5 as his best seasons as a Patriot.

Morgan had 12, 10, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, though obviously over more years.

Who was the better Patriot? I don't really think it's that close.

Moss -- that's a separate argument. Obviously, no Patriot comes close to matching his production over the short time he's been here.

 

[Amnorix]

Past players are kind of irrelevant right now. It would be better to talk about the best players currently on the team.

Sure, because talking sports history is boring....

A "top 5" players isn't really "relevant" to anything even if it's current players, since teams have 53 and need to work as a team, but obviously that's a separate and interesting discussion as well.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Past players are kind of irrelevant right now. It would be better to talk about the best players currently on the team.

Let me guess .... You were not even born when those guys were playing right? (excluding TB)

Some of us older guys who were Pats fans even way back then like to read a little of the old days during these times .. Young man

 

[Amnorix]

Let me guess .... You were not even born when those guys were playing right? (excluding TB)

Some of us older guys who were Pats fans even way back then like to read a little of the old days during these times .. Young man

That too.

I still remember our offensive left tackle -- Holloway -- goign to a couple pro bowls and then being "stolen" in free agency by the Raiders. And then it became sort of apparent that a big part of his success was playing next to some guy named John Hannah.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Let me guess .... You were not even born when those guys were playing right? (excluding TB)

Some of us older guys who were Pats fans even way back then like to read a little of the old days during these times .. Young man

Patriots

Tom Brady
John Hannah
Andre Tippett
Mike Haynes
Stanley Morgan


Dolphins

Dan Marino
Jason Taylor
Larry Csonka
Dwight Stephenson
Larry Little


Bills

Bruce Smith
Jim Kelly
Thurman Thomas
OJ Simpson (may he rot in hell)
James Lofton


Jets


Joe Namath
Don Maynard
Mark Gastineau
Curtis Martin
Kevin Mawae[/QUOTE]

The players highlighted in bold are the ones I grew up watching. I just don't see the point of talking about players of the past.

 

[patchick]

Past players are kind of irrelevant right now. It would be better to talk about the best players currently on the team.

Guess we should delete all the threads on Rodney's retirement then, eh?

 

[tombonneau]

Past players are kind of irrelevant right now. It would be better to talk about the best players currently on the team.

I kind of agree. I'm old enough to remember all these guys, but it's just difficult to compare players across generations because players so much bigger & faster now. I mean, the Pats best OL of all time (and of of the best ever) John Hannah would probably play TE today.

 

[patchick]

I mean, the Pats best OL of all time (and of of the best ever) John Hannah would probably play TE today.

I'd think it far more likely that a 2009 Hannah would carry 30-40 lbs more on his his 6'3" frame thanks to modern training techniques, and continue to dominate.

 

[farn]

Well, let's change it up then :

Brady - Moss - Welker - Mayo - and who ?

Evans - Owens - Whittner...

Add away !

 

[scout]

I would have to put Fryer down as one of the biggest disappointments in Patriot history, considering he was drafted #1. How anyone could include him in the same sentence as Morgan is shocking.
Speaking of disappointments, I might switch Miami's Taylor with former Patriot LB Nick Buoniconti.

 

[Ring 6]

Haynes played on half of his career for the patriots. I agree with the first four, but Stanlry was no one of the best patriots of all time. He isn't even the best receiver. I'd have Moss, Coates and Fryar over him.

I couldnt possibly disagree more. Do you remember Stanley Morgan? If you are comparing stats for a WR in the 70s to today, you might as well say Morgan didnt get enough sacks, because it is an entirely different game.
Morgan was outstanding, and was here a very long time. Fryar didn't do half of what Morgan did, and Coates compiled a lot of catches as a safety value, hardly close to the production of Morgan. Moss has been a Patriot 2 years.

 

[West Philly Patriot]

Brady, moss, welker, mayo and mankins/Seymour

Bills- Owens, lynch, maybin, whit-whatever the suffix is and josh reed

Jets- jones, revis, that tackle they got from the steelers, and who cares the jets suck ass

Dolphins- long, pennington, porter, Taylor and ronnie brown

 

[jmt57]

Alright, I'll give it a shot.

Pats: Tom Brady, John Hannah, Andre Tippett, Stanley Morgan, Jim Nance
Jets: Joe Namath, Don Maynard, Winston Hill, Larry Grantham, Marvin Powell
Bills: Jim Kelley, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, George Saimes, Butch Byrd
Dolphins: Dan Marino, Larry Csonka, Jason Taylor, Dwight Stephenson, Larry Little

 

[Patriot Missile]

I couldnt possibly disagree more. Do you remember Stanley Morgan? If you are comparing stats for a WR in the 70s to today, you might as well say Morgan didnt get enough sacks, because it is an entirely different game.
Morgan was outstanding, and was here a very long time. Fryar didn't do half of what Morgan did, and Coates compiled a lot of catches as a safety value, hardly close to the production of Morgan. Moss has been a Patriot 2 years.[/QUOT

I couldn't even begin to imagine the ways that Belichick would of used him had Stanley played in this decade. Dude was great and made due with what he had. He was to Pats fans what Brown and Bruschi were to the fans this decade. Blue collared hard working guys that just succeed.

 

[ausbacker]

Bit surprised Gino Cappelletti hasn't received a mention.

 

[farn]

Brady, moss, welker, mayo and mankins/Seymour

Bills- Owens, lynch, maybin, whit-whatever the suffix is and josh reed

Jets- jones, revis, that tackle they got from the steelers, and who cares the jets suck ass

Dolphins- long, pennington, porter, Taylor and ronnie brown

Good calls here... I'd prob give Mankins the nod over Seymour. For the Bills, I think you got the main players. I think the Jets would include 2 or 3 guys from their O-line along with Jones and Revis. The Dolphins... I'm not convinced Porter & Taylor would be ahead of a few others... but even though they had a solid season, they're certainly more of a "team" than a group of "names" or "superstars". I'd agree with Pennington, Long, Brown though...

 

[Mack Herron]

I like Klecko over Gastineau.