A popular narrative after Aaron Hernandez was connected to the murder of Odin Lloyd was that the Patriots have lost their oft-mentioned “Patriot Way.” That may not be true.
The Patriots rank 24th in arrests among NFL teams since 2000, when Bill Belichick took over the team, according to a study done by U-T San Diego. The Patriots have 14 arrests during that time span. The Vikings have the most with 40, and the Rams have the fewest with eight.
Hernandez was arrested in 2013, Julian Edelman in 2011, Bret Lockett in 2010, Nick Kaczur, Kevin Faulk and Willie Andrews (twice) in 2008, Johnathan Sullivan in 2006, Marquise Walker and Ty Law in 2004, Kenyatta Jones in 2003 and Bobby Hamilton, Terry Glenn and Adrian Klemm in 2001. The Patriots released Hernandez, Andrews, Walker and Jones within days of their arrests. Sullivan and Glenn were released within months. Charges were dropped against Edelman, Sullivan, Law, Hamilton and Glenn.
The Bills are tied with the Patriots with 14 arrests, while the Jets rank 29th with 11 and the Dolphins rank fifth with 28. The average number of arrests per team is 20 1/2.
