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A lot of great choices here...although I'm sure we are all happy for younger players who played a big role in the outcome like Malcolm Mitchell and Trey Flowers (and did they ever!), I'm talking more about veterans who have been in the league awhile to get their first ring.
Dion Lewis - Hard to imagine a player who has overcome more to get here. Originally a fifth-round pick in 2011, Lewis has suffered multiple injuries and bounced around from Philadelphia to Cleveland to Indianapolis. Somehow, he was cut from Indy (Grigson, lol) and sat out the entire 2014 season. He wound up in New England in 2015 and appeared to be the most elusive third down back in football before a devastating ACL injury. Although most would agree he is not the same player as before the injury, he played a key role throughout the season and playoffs after coming off of the PUP. In the process, he set a postseason record for scoring on a run, catch, and return in the same game. Many thought his career was over many times before. Unbelievable story of perseverance.
Chris Long - The number 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft, Long was considered a washed-up former playmaker. Even still, with a huge market for pass rushers, he took a deal way under market value to come to New England for a chance at a title. Long joins a long list of veterans who took less to play for a winner, and his contributions should not go unnoticed. He caused a lot of key pressures in big moments, including the holding penalty in SB51 that knocked Atlanta out of field goal range late in the 4th quarter. Even before coming to NE, Long was a fan favorite for defending TB12 in Deflategate and just seeming like a really cool, laid back guy. Many would argue he played better than Chandler Jones during key moments late in the season. It was clear that Long was willing to take a lesser role in the scheme that didn't result in great personal statistics, and in many ways he was the ultimate team player of 2016.
Martellus Bennett - Most people know Bennett's story, a longtime veteran with a zany personality. Although Bennett came here via trade and did not necessarily choose the Patriots, he has had a long career filled with ups and downs, chemistry issues, and seemingly never living up to his immense talent. Bennett's role became immensely bigger when Gronkowski went on the IR, and he played most of the season with a broken bone in his ankle. Bennett certainly appeared to do everything possible to buy into the "Patriot Way", whether the game plan called for him to block and disappear from the stat sheet or tough it through pain. I'm of the belief the Patriots do not win the Super Bowl without Bennett, probably more than any other player on this list, and it would have been great to end the SB on a TD catch, though the PI call essentially was the game winning play of the game.
Chris Hogan - Hogan was undrafted in 2011. He kicked around from San Francisco, to NYG, to Miami, to Buffalo, where even after gaining the nickname "7-11" for being open all the time, he was still underutilized in the offense. I have made another thread suggesting that Hogan the potential to be an elite NFL WR with more targets, yet his talents were largely unrecognized until this season, and he was considered a low level free agent. Hogan came up huge during both the regular season and postseason and was a major contributor to the championship.
Shea McClellin - McLellin was largely considered a bust, being a first round pick with Chicago in 2012. The Bears had drafted him as an edge rusher, while Belichick converted him into more of a hybrid linebacker who took on a variety of roles, including special teams. It's unknown if McClellin took less money to play for the Patriots, but it's clear that he is yet another career resurrection story who found his value within this system after flailing elsewhere.
Jabaal Sheard - This is an interesting pick, as Sheard, along with Jamie Collins, appeared to be one of the defensive problems during the first half of the season. However, Sheard seemed to really turn it around in the second half of the year and again became a feared pass rusher and overall solid contributor. For his career, he languished in Cleveland and was held back by injuries and coaching changes. He probably won't get many votes in this poll, but I think he deserves recognition for being one of the few who got out of Bill Belichick's dog house.
Dion Lewis - Hard to imagine a player who has overcome more to get here. Originally a fifth-round pick in 2011, Lewis has suffered multiple injuries and bounced around from Philadelphia to Cleveland to Indianapolis. Somehow, he was cut from Indy (Grigson, lol) and sat out the entire 2014 season. He wound up in New England in 2015 and appeared to be the most elusive third down back in football before a devastating ACL injury. Although most would agree he is not the same player as before the injury, he played a key role throughout the season and playoffs after coming off of the PUP. In the process, he set a postseason record for scoring on a run, catch, and return in the same game. Many thought his career was over many times before. Unbelievable story of perseverance.
Chris Long - The number 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft, Long was considered a washed-up former playmaker. Even still, with a huge market for pass rushers, he took a deal way under market value to come to New England for a chance at a title. Long joins a long list of veterans who took less to play for a winner, and his contributions should not go unnoticed. He caused a lot of key pressures in big moments, including the holding penalty in SB51 that knocked Atlanta out of field goal range late in the 4th quarter. Even before coming to NE, Long was a fan favorite for defending TB12 in Deflategate and just seeming like a really cool, laid back guy. Many would argue he played better than Chandler Jones during key moments late in the season. It was clear that Long was willing to take a lesser role in the scheme that didn't result in great personal statistics, and in many ways he was the ultimate team player of 2016.
Martellus Bennett - Most people know Bennett's story, a longtime veteran with a zany personality. Although Bennett came here via trade and did not necessarily choose the Patriots, he has had a long career filled with ups and downs, chemistry issues, and seemingly never living up to his immense talent. Bennett's role became immensely bigger when Gronkowski went on the IR, and he played most of the season with a broken bone in his ankle. Bennett certainly appeared to do everything possible to buy into the "Patriot Way", whether the game plan called for him to block and disappear from the stat sheet or tough it through pain. I'm of the belief the Patriots do not win the Super Bowl without Bennett, probably more than any other player on this list, and it would have been great to end the SB on a TD catch, though the PI call essentially was the game winning play of the game.
Chris Hogan - Hogan was undrafted in 2011. He kicked around from San Francisco, to NYG, to Miami, to Buffalo, where even after gaining the nickname "7-11" for being open all the time, he was still underutilized in the offense. I have made another thread suggesting that Hogan the potential to be an elite NFL WR with more targets, yet his talents were largely unrecognized until this season, and he was considered a low level free agent. Hogan came up huge during both the regular season and postseason and was a major contributor to the championship.
Shea McClellin - McLellin was largely considered a bust, being a first round pick with Chicago in 2012. The Bears had drafted him as an edge rusher, while Belichick converted him into more of a hybrid linebacker who took on a variety of roles, including special teams. It's unknown if McClellin took less money to play for the Patriots, but it's clear that he is yet another career resurrection story who found his value within this system after flailing elsewhere.
Jabaal Sheard - This is an interesting pick, as Sheard, along with Jamie Collins, appeared to be one of the defensive problems during the first half of the season. However, Sheard seemed to really turn it around in the second half of the year and again became a feared pass rusher and overall solid contributor. For his career, he languished in Cleveland and was held back by injuries and coaching changes. He probably won't get many votes in this poll, but I think he deserves recognition for being one of the few who got out of Bill Belichick's dog house.
