New England Patriots: 10 Best players of the Tom Brady era
By J.P. Scott
Special Teams
Stephen Gostkowski, Kicker
With all due respect to the moments brought to us by Adam Vinatieri early in Brady’s career, Stephen Gostkowski in the greatest kicker in Patriots history. He’s been there with critical kicks in New England’s last three Super Bowl wins. He’s played in five Super Bowls total. Gostkowski is a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First Team All-Pro. Additionally, he holds the NFL record for most consecutive extra points made with 479.
Honorable Mentions
Dan Koppen, Steve Neal, Julian Edelman, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Dont’a Hightower, Jerod Mayo, Adam Vinatieri, Kevin Faulk, Asante Samuel, Corey Dillon, Matthew Slater.
As evident in the list of honorable mentions, there were plenty of deserving players to choose from. Tom Brady gets a lot of credit — as he should — for the New England dynasty. But never at any point during his illustrious career have the New England Patriots been short on talent.
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Dynasties like the one Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick built in Foxboro over the last two decades don’t happen on the shoulders of one player — even if that one player is the greatest of all time.
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