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Just pulling names off of the Patriots official site:
2000:
Otis Smith
Bobby Hamilton
Joe Andruzzi
2001:
Antowain Smith
Mike Vrabel
Anthony Pleasant
Roman Pfifer
David Patten
Larry Izzo
Marc Edwards
Mike Compton
Official New England Patriots - History - Free Agents
Is it your position that these players weren't major parts of that 2001 Super Bowl winning team, and that none of them were involved in 2003 or 2004?
2002:
Christian Fauria and a bunch of stiffs, including the unlamented Steve Martin. What happened in 2002? Oh, yes.... the team missed the playoffs.
2003:
Rodney Harrison
Larry Centers
Rosevelt Colvin
Russ Hochstein
Tyrone Poole
2004:
Keith Traylor
Josh Miller
Care to opine as to whether such players were a big part of the 2003-2004 Super Bowl seasons?
Andy, I know you're a homer. I actually appreciate that, because all sides are needed to make the board work. However, you've really lost your mind over the past couple of seasons, and the post of yours to which I'm responding here pretty much confirms it.
So I guess
McGinest
Brown
Bruschi
Johnson
Milloy
Law
Woody
Tebucky
Faulk
BRADY
Pass
Redmond
Light
Seymour
Givens
Branch
Green
Graham
BantaCain
Koppen
Samuel
Wilson
and a handful of other drafted roll players...
players acquired via draft and on the roster from 2001 thru some or all of the championships were just complimentary pieces to all the impact FA signings who won us 3 rings...
Honestly, there were some great veteran role players picked up over the years to fill voids and to help install the system initially. Beyond that, the long term impact FA signings were Vrabel, Rodney, Colvin (although his impact was severely limited out of the gate when he broke his hip...). Short term Patten, OTIS, Poole, Pfifer, Fauria, and Traylor paid some nice dividends. Izzo was a great ST'er.
But the talent and core of the team was always primarily drafted players. The two core exceptions being Vrabel and Harrison. Neither of whom btw was a big splash, first day of FA signing. More like an under the radar or headscratcher signing (as I recall there was much debate about how Rodney and Lawyer would divy a backfield since both were SS...). Little did we know, because we almost never can, that BB was sadly anticipating parting ways with Milloy because he no longer represented value and wasn't making plays or buying all in.