Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots made another move Saturday, whether it turns out to be brilliant or a bust only time will tell. The Oakland Raiders dispatched Antonio Brown earlier in the day and the Patriots signed the disgruntled wideout. Will Brown and Josh Gordon make an incredible combo for Tom Brady or will the troubled twosome not last the season? This isn’t the first time the six-time Super Bowl winning head coach has come up with a gem.
Acquired Corey Dillon from the Bengals
Corey Dillon played his first seven seasons as a Cincinnati Bengal. He had six straight 1,000-yard seasons before sinking to 541 in 2003. Dillon was no longer happy as a Bengal and wanted out. Belichick reached out and acquired the RB for a second-round pick.”I think everybody pretty much broke even,” Dillon said after being dealt. “We’re talking about the New England Patriots. They’re the defending Super Bowl champs. They got exactly what they wanted. I guess Cincinnati got exactly what they wanted. Corey Dillon got exactly what he wanted. I’m happy. It’s a good deal all around, I think.” The Patriots got an RB who rushed for 1,635 yards in his first season and 3,180 yards in three years with New England.
Wes Welker from the Dolphins
Miami found itself in a jam having to deal a player to Belichick. Miami sent WR Wes Welker to NE. In exchange for Welker, the Patriots sent their 2007 second- and seventh-round draft picks to Miami. The Dolphins were a bit tied by Welker, who was planning to sign a restricted offer sheet with the Patriots. Welker went on to play six seasons for Belichick. He had 672 catches, leading the league in that category 3 times. He caught 37 TD passes. Welker also averaged more than 10 yards per punt return.
Signed Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison had played nine seasons for San Diego. The Chargers released him and Belichick swooped in and signed the DB two weeks later. The move proved genius as the Pats parted ways with Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy and Harrison became the one of the team’s defensive leaders and a two-time Super Bowl champ.
Acquired Aqib Talib
Another defensive back who turned out to be a secondary star. The Pats grabbed Aqib Talib from Tampa Bay in midseason of 2012. The cost was a fourth-round pick in 2013. The Pats also got a seventh-round pick. The Buccaneers went on to draft defensive end William Gholston with their fourth-round pick and the Patriots selected defensive end Michael Buchanan with their seventh-round pick. Talib spent the rest of 2012 and all of 2013 with New England.
Signed Mike Vrabel
The current Tennessee Titans coach played four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He signed with New England as a free agent. The linebacker played 8 seasons and 125 games in NE. He is a three-time Super Bowl champ. In addition to being a mainstay of the defense, Vrabel was a threat when inserted on offense. He caught 8 passes as a Patriot and every one of them went for six points.
Signed Darrelle Revis
On March 12, 2014, within hours of being released by the Buccaneers, Revis signed a 1-year contract worth $12 million with the Patriots. In Revis’ first and only season in New England, he had 47 tackles, 2 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, and 1 forced fumble. He was part of the team that stunned Seattle when Malcolm Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX.
Signed Dion Lewis
Dion Lewis missed the 2013 with injury and the ’14 season after being cut by the Colts. The RB signed with New England for 2015. He was part of the Super Bowl LI championship. Lewis played 3 seasons in NE and had more than 2,000 yards of total offense before leaving for Tennessee.
Trading for Randy Moss
The Patriots traded for WR Randy Moss during the 2007 NFL Draft. He came to NE from Oakland … sort of like … Antonio Brown. Moss was with the Patriots for three-plus seasons. In his first season, 2007, he had 98 catches of which 23 went for TDs. Overall, Moss had 259 catches in 52 games with New England. An astounding 50 went for scores.
Signing Danny Amendola
The same day they lost Wes Welker to the Denver Broncos, the Patriots signed Danny Amendola. He became a two-time Super Bowl champ and spent five years in New England. Amendola caught 230 passes and was a return specialist.
Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon spent much of his time with Cleveland suspended. He has admitted to having all sorts of issues and challenges. Gordon wound up in New England last season via trade and caught 40 passes in 11 games.
Antonio Brown
The malcontent WR misplayed, or so we thought, his way into being cut by the Oakland Raiders after being dealt from Pittsburgh and signing a mega-deal. Hours after the Raiders released Brown he signed with the Patriots. It will be fascinating to see how he behaves under Belichick and works with Tom Brady.
