The American Flag Football League (AFFL) announced plans to launch a professional division Friday, with Boston being awarded one of the first teams.
That got us thinking which former members of the New England Patriots would have crushed it if they played in the league. It didn't take long to come up with a list, either, with nine names immediately coming to mind -- including some throwbacks.
Let's quit wasting time and dive right in!
Randy Moss
There might not be a single aspect of flag football that Randy Moss wouldn't dominate in.
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He's a big-bodied receiver who just so happens to have had blazing speed and the softest hands in the history of the sport. He'd be a nightmare red-zone target and could even provide value on the back end of the defense. Moss' name is one of the first that would come up when asked what player in the history of the NFL would thrive playing flag.
Dion Lewis
This one is pretty simple, just give Dion Lewis the ball and let him cook.
Lewis was electric in the first half of 2015, serving as one of the hardest players in the league to bring to the ground. We'd imagine he would have been equally as annoying for defenders with flags attached to his hips.
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Ty Law
He's the best cornerback in franchise history, and this imaginary team that we're concocting needs one. We chose Ty Law because he was so good at making plays on the ball without needing to be too physical.
Chad Ochocinco
There's only one man on this list who literally played in the AFFL, and it's Chad Ochocinco.
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Danny Woodhead
If you remember what we said about Lewis, the same thing applies to Danny Woodhead. He was one of the most electrifying players the Patriots had in the early 2010s.
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Michael Bishop
We need a quarterback, and no one feels more right than Michael Bishop.
Tom Brady would have been the easy answer, but if we want a guy who is going to provide value as a creator in space, it's Bishop. The former Kansas State star was an insane athlete with a rocket arm. What else could you ask for?
Tiquan Underwood
Do you remember Tiquan Underwood? Yeah, of course you do!
Underwood caught just three passes in his Patriots career, but if there was ever a man who deserved to play football without a helmet, it's him.
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Jonathan Jones
We wanted to include a current member of the Patriots, and no one feels as right as Jonathan Jones.
Jones is sneaky one of the fastest players in recent history, running the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds. He's carved out quite the career as one of New England's most dependable defensive backs. We had to show love to another defender.
Julian Edelman
The responsibilities of a flag player extend beyond just one side of the ball. You have to play both ways a lot of the time, with the majority of offenses utilizing players in a ton of different ways.
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That's why everyone needs a Julian Edelman on their team. He played offense, defense and special teams in the NFL, so he would probably be alright in the AFFL.
Featured image via Paul Rutherford/USA TODAY Sports Images
