Are there any players who have left who....

[midwestpatsfan]

Have really had more success than they did when they were with the Patriots? Watching the Curran piece got me to thinking about this topic.
Some might say that Samuel would be one of those, but after a successful 1st season with the Eagles, his play really did drop and according to JK to a point where the Eagles were trying to shop him.

 

[patchick]

Have really had more success than they did when they were with the Patriots? Watching the Curran piece got me to thinking about this topic.
Some might say that Samuel would be one of those, but after a successful 1st season with the Eagles, his play really did drop and according to JK to a point where the Eagles were trying to shop him.

It's uncommon, but David Thomas is one big whoppin' example.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

It's uncommon, but David Thomas is one big whoppin' example.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Although, to be fair, it was as much a case of bad logic as anything else. [As I've stated before, (A) how was a third-round pick supposed to magically beat out two first-round picks from 2003 and 2004 in his rookie season, and (B) why, exactly, did the Patriots feel it was so important to get Thomas on the field that they activated him off the PUP in 2007, leading to his going on IR after his first game?]

 

[Sicilian]

It's uncommon, but David Thomas is one big whoppin' example.

That's definitely an example, but I think the spirit of the question was more about players who had some success with the Patriots, left because they valued themselves more than the Patriots did, and ended up playing equally good for someone else.

Under that definition, I would say Samuel did (though still overpaid IMO). If you want to count Seymour in this scenario, I would say he played just as well in Oakland as he did here.

 

[cloud34]

maybe coaching has something to do with this???

 

[RobertWeathers]

Hmmm.

Greg Spires and Dave Thomas are the only ones that really stand out.

Maybe 2005 Ty Law?

Maybe Asante in 2008?

Did 2009 Sey have a better year than 2008 Sey? Seemed pretty even.

 

[bucky]

That's definitely an example, but I think the spirit of the question was more about players who had some success with the Patriots, left because they valued themselves more than the Patriots did, and ended up playing equally good for someone else.

Under that definition, I would say Samuel did (though still overpaid IMO). If you want to count Seymour in this scenario, I would say he played just as well in Oakland as he did here.

I'm not so sure Seymour fits that category. Thomas definitely. Samuel too. Randall Gay is another one. Gaffney too. Damian Woody was a failure in Detroit, but seems to have resurrected himself in NY.

 

[patchick]

I'm not so sure Seymour fits that category. Thomas definitely. Samuel too. Randall Gay is another one. Gaffney too. Damian Woody was a failure in Detroit, but seems to have resurrected himself in NY.

Hmm...the question asked about players who had MORE success when they left the Patriots, not just players who didn't fall apart after they left. I really don't think you could include Seymour & Samuel, who were already pro-bowlers here. Woody was a top starter with NE, then declined, and is simply back to the level he showed as a Patriot.

Gaffney's a possibility, but he's actually been a pretty steady performer throughout his career. I wouldn't say that he's looked like a better player with Denver -- just that the Patriots (and us fans) tended to undervalue the player he was.

Gay's a pretty good example, though he played well with the Patriots when he wasn't hampered by injuries.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I'm not so sure Seymour fits that category. Thomas definitely. Samuel too. Randall Gay is another one. Gaffney too. Damian Woody was a failure in Detroit, but seems to have resurrected himself in NY.

Was Gaffney better? Was Gay? Neither were starters here and wern't with their new clubs.

 

[Sicilian]

Gay's a pretty good example, though he played well with the Patriots when he wasn't hampered by injuries.

Good point. Gay did with the Saints exactly what he did with us: Won a Super Bowl game as a replacement CB.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm not so sure Seymour fits that category. Thomas definitely. Samuel too. Randall Gay is another one. Gaffney too. Damian Woody was a failure in Detroit, but seems to have resurrected himself in NY.

The question was never really did they suck elsewhere, it's did they turn out to be worth more than we were willing to pay. The only real impact player who was worth more was Adam, and that worth was pretty short lived. We were willing to pay him that year, just not commit to a long term deal that he painfully for Polian hasn't lived up to...Forget needing backups to cover his injuries, they had to carry a KO specialist... Gay's been gone a long time and finally found himself the nickleback on the winning side of a juggernaut...again. Asante was signed to be a game/season changer. Hasn't happened, just ask McNabb... Asamougha hasn't had significant impact in Oakland, let alone Seymour. Gaffney?? Damien is an overpaid guard. He left here to be an overpaid center. He had little to do with the JETS overblown success last season, and the guy who tapped him as an overpaid guard got fired after the previous season... What happened to Branch and Givens underscores what a crap shoot investing in any player is. They were both exceptional 2nd and 3rd receiver options, kinda like the nickel back who can start under the right circumstances. Paying either of them to project as more than that was the miscalculation. Contributed to guys like Holomgren and Floyd losing their jobs. And of course there was Ty and his love affair with coach Herm...which led them both on an oddessey to KC and in Herms case ESPN... That first season Herm was hypercritical of Ty through Thanksgiving when his costly PI penalties outweighed his paltry picks before he went on a gifted tear that landed him in the pro bowl and Herm in KC because they were meaningless. Willie...was like the handwriting on the wall for the RAC HC experiment.

 

[shmessy]

Greg Spires.

No one even comes close in this category. Not even David Thomas (yet).

 

[Deus Irae]

Just quickly off the top of my head....

Gay
Spires
Evans
Gaffney
Samuel
Law
Thomas

Hobbs and Seymour might, or might not, make this list. This season will be telling for them.

Others have had injury/illness reasons for their struggles. Branch, Givens and Andruzzi come quickly to mind.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Just quickly off the top of my head....

Gay
Spires
Evans
Gaffney
Samuel
Law
Thomas

Hobbs and Seymour might, or might not, make this list. This season will be telling for them.

Others have had injury/illness reasons for their struggles. Branch, Givens and Andruzzi come quickly to mind.

I had to re read the premise of the OP's question after that. You might want to consider that, too. Thomas managed to contribute on a superbowl team, something he didn't do here. The rest...

 

[patchick]

Just quickly off the top of my head....

Gay
Spires
Evans
Gaffney
Samuel
Law
Thomas

Hobbs and Seymour might, or might not, make this list. This season will be telling for them.

Others have had injury/illness reasons for their struggles. Branch, Givens and Andruzzi come quickly to mind.

I think you're answering a different question -- something like "what players continued to have success after they left the Patriots" or "what ex-Patriots were worth the big $$ they got from their next team." E.g. Law proved he still had plenty left in him, but he wasn't BETTER after leaving the Patriots. And Evans started well with the Saints but went on IR after a handful of games.

 

[Kontradiction]

Spires, Evans, Thomas, and Gay would be the only ones that count. I'm not sure why people are counting Gaffney (8-8 with the Broncos) or Ty Law (1 playoff appearance since 2004).

If the argument was the player's personal production since leaving the Pats, that might be another story. Then I could see counting Gaffney. If not, then I'm not sure how a guy like Gaffney has seen more success since leaving the Patriots.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Adam V got a ring post NE. But showed some decline after that.

 

[Kontradiction]

Adam V got a ring post NE. But showed some decline after that.

Good call. I had completely forgotten about him.

 

[shmessy]

Adam V got a ring post NE. But showed some decline after that.

He had 3 with NE.

Plus he made the two kicks with the Patriots that will be the only two kicks NFL fans will remember when he retires.

 

[Deus Irae]

I had to re read the premise of the OP's question after that. You might want to consider that, too. Thomas managed to contribute on a superbowl team, something he didn't do here. The rest...

I think you're answering a different question -- something like "what players continued to have success after they left the Patriots" or "what ex-Patriots were worth the big $$ they got from their next team." E.g. Law proved he still had plenty left in him, but he wasn't BETTER after leaving the Patriots. And Evans started well with the Saints but went on IR after a handful of games.

The O.P. is seemingly talking about play level/individual success, especially when you note his Samuel comment. Thomas, Spires and Gaffney are no-doubters. Law went to a Pro Bowl with the Jets after not making it the year before with the Patriots. Asante has 2 Pro Bowls with the Eagles compared to just one with the Patriots. Evans did more in his 6 games in New Orleans than he had in the last two full seasons with the Patriots. Gay was a tough call, and one could call him about even, but I gave his post-Patriots days the nod because of the "we want him" factor.

With that said, let me explain Seymour/Hobbs:

Hobbs is healthy now, and looks to be the favorite to win a starting job alongside Samuel. He'll be playing in a man system, so we'll get to see him under different circumstances.

Seymour is in year 2 of his conversion to a 4-3 system.