What are your Top 5 Patriots of all time?

[patsfan13]

My 4 locks:

Brady
Hannah
Haynes
Tippett

After that a lot of nominees for #5. These 4 were head and shoulders above the rest.


Not HOF guys but personal faves:

Mosi
Cunningham
T Brown
Tedy
M Herron

 

[Patspsycho]

People forget how Raiders-esque the Pats were from 1989-1992.

1989-5-11
1990-1-15
1991-6-10
1992-2-14

Their ownership was aloof and poor. You had the Lisa Olsen thing. You had terrible players and a terrible FO. The stadium sucked and the team was not even close to being competitive. It was THE worst franchise in the NFL hands down. If I remember, section 200 seats were I think $18. You even had a few local broadcast blackouts......It was pathetic and sad.

Another guy who does deserve some credit is James Orthwein (Busch Family). He started the revitalization project known as the Patriots. He bought it from Kiam & Fran Murray for about $61m. He assumes $45m in debt. He hires Parcells. Orthwein was a PR guy so he knew how to market products. The get an exciting, young Qb in Bledsoe ansd stabilizes the franchise and makes it attractive enough for a local owner to see value and future upside- Kraft.

Knowing a move to St. Louis would push his profitibility expectations out a couple of years, he flips the team a year later to Kraft for $161m. Not bad for one years worth of paint and new shrubs............$55m profit. Brilliant.

Don't forget to credit the late Michael Jackson!

 

[eagle eye]

Belichick
Brady
Grogan
Tippett
McGinest
Troy Brown
Brushci
I have a lot of favourites on the present team too Moss, Welker, Mayo and Wilfork. Thats my top 7 and I can't pick only five, might change in a year or two though.

 

[Patspsycho]

Orthwein was a PR guy so he knew how to market products. The get an exciting, young Qb in Bledsoe ansd stabilizes the franchise and makes it attractive enough for a local owner to see value and future upside- Kraft.

Not to be too picky, but Kraft has always had the dream of buying the team for a very long time- since the Schaefer days.

Kraft used the stadium's lease which he bought out of bankruptcy from Sullivan, as leverage to prevent Orthwein from uprooting the team and moving it to St. Louis.

Orthwein wanted to buy out the rest of the lease, but Kraft counteroffered with an at-the-time record offer of 175m to buy the Patriots and the rest is history.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

1. Willie
2. Brady
3. Tippett
4. Moss
5. Tedy
6. Grogan
7. Rodney
8. Law
9. Rod Shoate
10. Leonard Russell.

Others: Troy Brown, Roman Phifer, Ray Hamilton, Terry Ray, Ted Johnson, Seymour, Jon Vaughn, John Stephens, John Hannah, Bledsoe, Coates.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Not to be too picky, but Kraft has always had the dream of buying the team for a very long time- since the Schaefer days.

Kraft used the stadium's lease which he bought out of bankruptcy from Sullivan, as leverage to prevent Orthwein from uprooting the team and moving it to St. Louis.

Orthwein wanted to buy out the rest of the lease, but Kraft counteroffered with an at-the-time record offer of 175m to buy the Patriots and the rest is history.

Thanks for the correction. Accuracy is the most important thing!

I do remember Kraft buying the stadium and surrounding land prior to buying the Pats, but how did Kraft's purchase of the stadium create leverage w/ Orthwein? Did it trigger some kind of clause which extended the terms of the lease or invoke a early-termination penalty and ultimately force Orthwein's hand?

 

[AVrabel50Fan]

For me, it would be:

Brady
Brown
Bruschi
Hannah
Tippett

 

[RoughingthePasser]

I tend to think of teams rather than players-and I've only been a fan since the early 80's.
Top 5 is tough...but guys that dominated their position and made a diff...

Here are some chunks...


Tom Brady
Andre Tippett
Ty Law
John Hannah
Raymond Clayborn
Stanley Morgan
Bruschi
Faulk
Ben Coates

Troy Brown
Richard Seymour
Lawyer Milloy
Drew Bledsoe
Rodney Harrison
Ted Washington/Keith Traylor (shorts)
Grogan
McGinest
Curtis Martin

I loved and met the '85 team that played the Bears
Tony Collins, Irving Fryar etc.

 

[bigfandan]

My Top 5 are: (Besides Coach BB! and Mr. Kraft)

1) Rodney Harrison - I've seen the tapes and he's left his soul out there for this team.
2) Ty Law - Incredible key player.
3) Tom Brady - Monday Night bumped him up some spots.
4) Corey Dillon - I miss that 2004 season, was fun, especially how we handled Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
5) Tedy Brushi - Like Rodney, he left his mark and heart out on the field every game.

What? You ranked Brady between Ty Law and Cory Dillon? Put Rodney at #1? It is wrong at so many levels, I don't even know where to start. But its a free country.