The New England Patriots surrounded Tom Brady with some incredible talent throughout his 20-year stint with the franchise.
Throughout that stint, Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles while playing with the likes of Ty Law, Adam Vinatieri, Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Darrelle Revis (remember that?), Julian Edelman, Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater. In that group alone there are multiple Pro Football Hall of Famers, with the other being locks for or already in the Patriots Hall of Fame. Every player on every roster can't be an all-time great, however.
Brady played with more than 750 players throughout his tenure. Here is the most underrated player from each team he played on.
2000 - DT Chad Eaton
We're starting with a doozy, as Chad Eaton played his last season with the Patriots as Brady was still a wide-eyed rookie back-up.
Eaton was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1995 NFL Draft, before arriving to New England a few months later. The Patriots slowly gave him more responsibility throughout his five-season tenure, before the New Hampshire native parlayed that built momentum into 13 starts in 14 games in his final season. Eaton finished that year 78 tackles, 2.0 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles. He was also second on the team in tackles for loss with eight, parlaying that into a hefty four-year contract worth more than $10 million.
2001 - WR David Patten
The Patriots signed David Patten to a league-minimum contract prior to the 2001 season, hoping for some depth out of a player who hadn't done very much in his career to that point. What they got was a key-contributor to their very first Super Bowl win.
Patten, in his first of four seasons with the Patriots, finished second on the team in receptions (51), receiving yards (749) and touchdown catches (4) while also throwing for a memorable touchdown and finishing the season with a higher quarterback rating (95.8) than Brady (86.5). The three-time Super Bowl champion would go on to surpass each of those numbers in his subsequent years in New England, but his biggest impact came in 2001 -- so while the majority of players credited with impacting that team are on defense with Brady, Troy Brown and Antowain Smith representing the offense, Patten cannot be overlooked.
2002 - S Victor Green
Remember Victor Green?
No? We didn't either.
This is perhaps the most forgettable player on this list, which is appropriate because it comes in Brady's most forgettable season. The Patriots went 9-7 and missed the postseason in 2002, but got some great contributions from Green after swiping him away from the New York Jets. The Akron alum finished fourth on that team with 91 tackles, adding 2.0 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries to his football card. The coolest thing he did, however, was intercept ex-teammate Vinny Testaverde and return in 90 yards for a touchdown.
2003 - QB Damon Huard
Brady was in need of a bounce-back season in 2003, and got one by leading the Patriots to their second Super Bowl in three seasons. The man most often credited with aiding Brady and New England in their preparation that season is Damon Huard.
Huard was Brady's backup, which obviously means he was a vital piece to the QB's success during the week, but 2003 is well known as the year Huard perfected his Peyton Manning impression and got the Patriots defense ready to absolutely shellac the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game.
2004 - S Eugene Wilson
Does Eugene Wilson get enough credit for being as solid as he was on a championship defense? No, that's why he's on this list.
Coming off a 2003 season where he nearly one the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Wilson stepped his game up in 2004 and led the Patriots in interceptions with four. He also had 69 tackles, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries while starting 14-of-15 games. In the postseason, Wilson added two more interceptions to his total. On a defense with multiple Patriots legends, he might have been their best playmaker.
2005 - WR Tim Dwight
Here's another oft-forgotten player in an oft-forgotten season, as the Patriots picked up Tim Dwight in hopes of giving Brady a vertical threat and got exactly what they expected.
Dwight arrived in New England coming off successful stints in San Diego and Atlanta, filing in nicely behind Deion Branch, David Givens and Brown in the wide receiver room. The Iowa product caught just 19 balls, but parlayed those receptions into 332 yards and three touchdowns. He was the vertical option in that offense.
2006 - LB Tully Banta-Cain
Tully Banta-Cain put together six tremendous seasons for the Patriots across two stints, with this one coming in among the best.
Banta-Cain finished top-four on that Patriots defense in sacks (5.5), tackles for loss (5.0) and QB hits (10), despite starting in just five games. He was as consistent a sub-rusher New England would allow back then, with his production making up for deficiencies against the run.
2007 - WR Jabar Gaffney
It would be hard to find a Patriots fan who doesn't remember that Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens.
In what might have been the biggest threat to ruin their perfect season, the Patriots were down four with under a minute left at M&T Bank Stadium. Cue Gaffney's music, as he caught a toe-tapping touchdown to extend the Patriots' record to 12-0. The Florida alum finished with 36 catches for 449 yards and five touchdowns on the season, despite being the sixth option on that prolific offense.
2008 - RB Sammy Morris
Brady played about one quarter with Sammy Morris before going down with a torn ACL in the season opener, but it's fitting to see the running back in this spot as he provided much of the offense with the QB shelved for a full season.
Morris played four seasons in New England, but never had a better one than in 2008 as led the team with 727 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Matt Cassel needed all the help he could get, and Morris was a huge one. He was also born in England, which is a fun fact.
2009 - DT Mike Wright
Mike Wright was like the Patriots' version of J.J. Watt, but only if you take looks into account and completely ignore production and playing style.
Wright quietly had a very solid seven-year run as one of the Patriots' top rotational defensive tackles in the late-2000's, peaking with a tremendous 2009 season. That '09 team was quietly one of the most disappointing of the Brady era, as it signaled a transition phase on defense following the retirements of Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison, and the departures of Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel. Wright stepped up admirably for that squad, finishing his age-27 season with 5.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss and eight QB hits in nine starts.
2010 - RB Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead was always going to find a spot on this list, it was just a matter of what season.
We chose 2010 because it was the start of Woodhead's breakout. The Patriots shipped off Laurence Maroney early in the season, and picked up Woodhead as a warm body to fill in as they found a real contributor in the backfield. What they didn't know was that it would be Woodhead who stepped into that role, finishing his first full season with 547 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with a very respectable 379 yards and one touchdown on 34 receptions out of the backfield. He was much better in 2012, but this was the start of Woodhead-mania.
2011 - DL Mark Anderson
You remember Mark Anderson, but did you remember that he posted a double-digit sack season as a seldom-used pass rusher on a team that made a Super Bowl appearance?
Sure, that defense was absolutely horrendous and the lone reason New England didn't win Super Bowl XLVI. Anderson was one of its better players, however, posting 10.0 sacks, 16 QB hits, 9.0 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in his lone season as a Patriots. He also had 1.5 sacks in that Super Bowl. Not bad for a guy who made $1.375 million that season. You also might not be shocked to learn that his 2010 season led to a four-year, $27.5 million contract from the Buffalo Bills that would be terminated after one year.
2012 - DL Trevor Scott
No, not the guy from Grand Theft Auto V.
Trevor Scott was a journeyman edge rusher who found a home in New England in 2012, recording 3.0 sacks and five QB hits in 14 games. Was this entry boring? Good, so were the 2012 Patriots.
2013 - WR Kenbrell Thompkins
Unicorns! Show ponies! Where's the beef?!
If you're a Patriots fan over the age of 15 you know about Scott Zolak's famous call from a random Week 6 matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Why is that? Kenbrell Thompkins was on the receiving end of the touchdown pass that capped off Brady's greatest regular-season comeback drive ever, that's why. Thompkins posted 32 catches for 466 yards and four touchdowns on a receiving corps that included the likes of Austin Collie, Josh Boyce and Aaron Dobson, but also Rob Gronkowski for a half season, Julian Edelman in his breakout campaign and a newly-signed Danny Amendola. He'll never get enough credit.
2014 - LB Akeem Ayers
The Patriots have made plenty of mid-season pick ups to bolster championship rosters, but Akeem Ayers might be the most fun.
Ayers walked onto a 2014 defense that was full of Pro Bowl caliber players (Vince Wilfork, Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower, Jamie Collins, Darrelle Revis, Devin McCourty, etc.) and immediately made and impact, recording a sack in each of his first two games. Ayers recorded 4.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss, six QB hits and an interception in 12 games with the Patriots, including the postseason.
2015 - DT Akiem Hicks
Akiem Hicks is the one that got away.
In what was perhaps the best one-season stint in Patriots history (remind us to write that list), Hicks arrived three weeks into the year via a trade with the New Orleans Saints. He immediately became a top-shelf rotational piece, recording 3.0 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss and seven QB hits in 13 games. He got a nice little contract from the Chicago Bears in the offseason, becoming a Pro Bowler just two years later.
2016 - WR Chris Hogan
Did you know Chris Hogan played college lacrosse?
Of course you did, as that's what every single broadcast pointed out after his first catch of each game he played in a Patriots uniform. He played a lot of them too, suiting up for New England on 49 separate occasions over the course of three seasons. It all started in 2016, after Hogan signed a three-year deal with the Patriots and immediately led the NFL in yards per catch with 17.9. The ex-lax player caught 38 balls for 680 yards and four touchdowns on that Super Bowl winning team, serving as one of Brady's final true deep threats.
2017 - LB Marquis Flowers
You know what they say about Bill Belichick and versatile linebackers. He likes them.
Flowers played just one season in New England, lining up on the ball, off the ball and on multiple special teams units. He finished that season with 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and four QB hits. That 2017 team had a lot of misfits, but Flowers stuck around all season so he makes the list.
2018 - WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson
It isn't a stretch to say Cordarrelle Patterson was beloved by Patriots fans during his lone season.
It's easy to see why, as he did a little bit of everything. Patterson had 21 catches for 247 yards and three touchdowns, 42 rushes for 228 yards and one touchdown and averaged 28.8 yards per kick return -- housing one against Chicago. He was a tremendous player and a big part in helping the Patriots secure their sixth Super Bowl title. The fact that it was only one year, though, is what lands him here. It probably should have been a longer run.
2019 - LB Elandon Roberts
Brady's final season was kind of a disaster. The Patriots got bounced in the wild card round, and though they weren't expected to win a title that year, it was definitely not a fun season.
Elandon Roberts was super fun, though. After spending his first three seasons of his career as a special teamer and a spot starter at linebacker, Roberts was used to do just about everything in 2019. He made 29 tackles and pitched in 1.0 sack with three QB hits on defense, but also was shuffled in as an emergency fullback on offense, catching the funniest touchdown in recent Patriots memory.
In a season that stunk, Roberts brought the juice and ended Brady's (underrated teammates) career with a bang.
