The New England Patriots have been fortunate in recent memory to have had great players at their disposal, but there are a few that they let go sooner than they should have.
You hate to see a team let go of a player, and said player’s release turns out to be a massive blunder. The New England Patriots are no exception.
The Foxborough Faithful are largely used to the modern day, where the franchise captured six Super Bowl titles and made nine appearances in the big game. There are also the days when the franchise was largely a disaster, even with two Super Bowl appearances.
Still, looking back on history, while painful in many ways, is a source of gaining knowledge and understanding that while there has been more good than bad, nothing is perfect.
Let’s look at some decisions that really messed things up in Foxborough.
The New England Patriots made several bad decisions by letting certain players go and looking back on them regretfully.
No. 5: Letting Tom Brady walk away after the 2019 season
Yeah, this makes it on the list. Whatever the circumstances were, the fact that they let the greatest player in franchise history go is a decision that is still painful for the folks in New England. It doesn’t matter how long he stayed; a legitimate argument can be made that Tom Brady should have never left the Patriots, to begin with, and should have retired in the blue.
Whatever the case is, the story is over, and he will be honored by the team this season in Week One. To make matters worse, at least on the football side of things, in the only meeting Brady ever had against his former team, the Buccaneers won 19-17, this after a season where Brady won Super Bowl MVP, beating Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes in the process. Ouch.
No. 4: Letting Ty Law walk after the 2005 season
The man who scored a pick-six as part of the first Super Bowl title, Law was the first Michigan man to gain notoriety during the Patriots dynasty. Not only that, his play against Peyton Manning, making the future Hall of Famer look like his draft mate Ryan Leaf, was spectacular. The worst part is that Law ended up playing for the New York Jets.
Ten picks with the Jets in 2005 and a Pro Bowl berth. It wasn’t until Darelle Revis came and joined the bunch that New England had a reputable cornerback to help them get over the hump. Then came Stephon Gilmore, and the rest is history. Still, losing Law hurt big time. He could have helped them win three in a row instead of New England losing to Denver and Jake Plummer.
No. 3: Letting Asante Samuel walk after Super Bowl XLII
Ugh, had he just caught the ball or had the G-men not held Jarvis Green on the miracle “Helmet Catch,” those wouldn’t be a topic of discussion. Also, it’s probably likely that Asante Samuel would not have such cold and bitter feelings toward Bill Belichick. The reality is that the Patriots’ decision to let Samuel go when he was as good a cornerback as anyone in the league, was a mistake.
Samuel went on to have productive years with the Eagles and the Falcons, showcasing a glaring hole in the cornerback room for the Patriots, which probably explains the decade-long drought they faced from Super Bowl 39 to Super Bowl 49. If only we could replay history and change that one moment in time. Just that one, and let everything else fall in place, maybe things would have gone for the better.
No. 2: Letting Wes Welker leave after the 2012 season
Contrary to what many believe, Wes Welker wasn’t exactly a hot-shot receiver before he arrived in New England. When he left, a big hole was created that ultimately was filled by Julian Edelman. Welker arrived before the 2007 season for a pair of second-round picks, and the Patriots’ offense exploded, going on a historic tear and creating a bond between QB and WR.
Though Super Bowl XLVI will engulf the mind, Welker made several big catches throughout his tenure. He even helped the Broncos make Super Bowl XLVIII in his first season in town, but the Seahawks historically demolished Denver. It worked out but imagine Wes and Julian playing at their peaks together with Brady. Oh, what could have been?
No. 1: Letting Curtis Martin go after the 1997 season
Woof. This is by far the biggest mistake. Martin, a Hall of Famer, joining Bill Parcells with the Jets? Yeah, that’s by far worse than Law or anyone else on this list. Martin was part of the Super Bowl XXXI team that ultimately fell against Brett Favre, Desmond Howard, Reggie White, and the Green Bay Packers.
Martin ran for over 1,200 in six seasons with the Jets and got three Pro Bowls. A total of over 10,000 yards and 58 touchdowns while wearing green. The Patriots haven’t had a Hall of Fame running back like that in forever, and they let him go to the enemy. It’s probably the one move outside the Brady leaving saga that still sticks in Robert Kraft’s mind.