What players could have been great somewhere else?

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Two shows I watched on ESPN today made me think of this question. One was 5 reasons you couldn't blame Atlanta for trading Brett Favre to to Green Bay. I agreed with the show, I think it's stupid to blame a team for accepting a 1st round pick for a player that was out of shape, played awful and was much more interested in partying then fighting for the backup job, let alone the starting spot. He went to the right situation and is now going to be in the Hall of Fame.

The other show was Sports Century on Tom Brady. Peter King said he once asked Tom if he ever thought about what if he wasn't drafted at 199 by the Patriots but 203 by Arizona. (that's not who had the pick, he was just speaking hypothetically) Tom said he had thought about it, saying he might not even be in the NFL right now.

So that made me think. What other players could have been great if they had been in a better situation.

I wonder about Damon Huard. He played average in Miami, then signed with New England knowing he'd be the backup to Bledsoe, then finally got his chance to play again last season in KC and was fantastic. We all know he has the smarts considering he got the gameball for the AFC Championship against the Colts for studying Manning so well that the defense was prepared for everything. I wonder if he will go on to have a Rich Gannon-type ending to his career.

 

[maverick4]

Matt Cassel.

 

[QuickOutGo]

David Patten

In all seriousness, I wonder how different Terry Glenn's career might have been if he had gone to a different team. Somebody who would have ridden him like Parcells, but would have stuck around for more than one season.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Hmmm - makes you wonder about whether or not things could have been different had the Patriots used their draft pick to select Jerry Rice instead of trading it to the 49ers!

 

[TomBradyWoot]

Hmmm - makes you wonder about whether or not things could have been different had the Patriots used their draft pick to select Jerry Rice instead of trading it to the 49ers!

He might not have developed into the star he was with Montana and Young throwing him the ball. Now I'm not saying he would have been Bethel Johnson, I'm just saying maybe he doesn't develope as quick and become the Jerry Rice that was.

 

[Rob0729]

I think David Carr might have had a much better career if he wasn't stuck playing behind some really crappy lines in Houston. He, at times, played like a Hall of Fame QB, but those times were just too few and far between. But I think that showed he does have the capabilities to be a Pro Bowl QB. I think he may be too shell shocked at this point to pull it back together.

I think Lee Evans would be an All Pro if he had a better QB and a better o-line to protect the QB.

 

[3 to be 4]

Jim Plunkett!

oh wait..........

 

[chowder]

Stallworth... watch for him to have a big year for us! Go Pats!!

 

[TeamPats]

Well, I don't know if this counts as we all appreciate his work, but I think Jarvis Green is the king of "could have been great somewhere else". Not that he isn't important to us but let's face it, he is underutilized behind prob the best 3 deep DL in the league. Could you imagine him on Indi where his only job would be Freeney-like to rush the QB, it would be scary.

 

[rookBoston]

I've thought about this too. I actually turned the question around, and wondered what players have struggled in the NFL, but would have been great if they had started with the Pats.

One example is Jonathan Sullivan who went to the Saints as a youngster, and grew up into a bum. I wonder if he would have grown different with Seymour as a role model, and Pepper as a coach. By the time he came to us, he was damaged goods.

Tim Rattay is a guy who's struggled to find a home and establishing a career. He's the guy that BB had targeted, along with Brady, for the Pats in 2000. Rattay has shown a lot of sparks, but has never really clicked with a team that was willing to commit to him, the way the Pats committed to Brady in 2001.

Mark Clayton, maybe?