We spend a lot of time talking about talent, and how this Pats team "has no talent" (what some NFL people have said about NE). What's the most talented team the Pats have ever had?
I look at the 2004 team and this is what I see for talent:
Brady - GOAT QB, 15x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro, 3x MVP, 5x SB MVP
Dillon - 4x Pro Bowler
Branch - SB MVP
Light - 3x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Koppen - 1x Pro Bowl
Seymour - HOF, 7x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro
McGinest - 2x Pro Bowl
Wilfork - 5x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Bruschi - 1x Pro Bowl
Vrabel - 1x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Law - HOF, 5x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro
Harrison - 2x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro, only player ever with 30 INT and 30 sacks
Samuel - 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Izzo - 3x Pro Bowl
Vinatieri - 3x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro
In the HOF: Brady, Law, Seymour
Should/Will be in the HOF: Wilfork, Harrison, Vinatieri
So that's 15 guys on the roster that made it to a Pro Bowl, and 9 guys that were on at least one All Pro team.
2007 Team
Brady - GOAT QB, 15x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro, 3x MVP, 5x SB MVP
Moss - HOF, 6x Pro Bowl, 4x All Pro
Welker - 5x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro
Light - 3x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Mankins - 7x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Wilfork - 5x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Vrabel - 1x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Harrison - 2x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro, only player ever with 30 INT and 30 sacks
Samuel - 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Thomas - 2x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Gostkowski - 4x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro
Seau - HOF, 12x Pro Bowl, 6x All Pro
In the HOF: Brady, Moss, Seau
Should/Will be in the HOF: Wilfork, Gostkowski (?), Welker
That's 12 guys that made it to a Pro Bowl, and all 12 of them made at least one All Pro team.
Hard to say what's been the most talented Pats team ever. These are two of them, I'd think. Of course Junior Seau ON THE PATRIOTS wasn't nearly the same HOF caliber player that he was when he was with the Chargers in his prime. That kind of thing needs to be taken into consideration as well.
And of course, Pro Bowls and All Pro teams aren't the only way to measure talent. It's just a quick and dirty thing to look up.
The 2023 Patriots....are not the most talented Pats team ever, unfortunately.
I look at the 2004 team and this is what I see for talent:
Brady - GOAT QB, 15x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro, 3x MVP, 5x SB MVP
Dillon - 4x Pro Bowler
Branch - SB MVP
Light - 3x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Koppen - 1x Pro Bowl
Seymour - HOF, 7x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro
McGinest - 2x Pro Bowl
Wilfork - 5x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Bruschi - 1x Pro Bowl
Vrabel - 1x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Law - HOF, 5x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro
Harrison - 2x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro, only player ever with 30 INT and 30 sacks
Samuel - 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Izzo - 3x Pro Bowl
Vinatieri - 3x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro
In the HOF: Brady, Law, Seymour
Should/Will be in the HOF: Wilfork, Harrison, Vinatieri
So that's 15 guys on the roster that made it to a Pro Bowl, and 9 guys that were on at least one All Pro team.
2007 Team
Brady - GOAT QB, 15x Pro Bowl, 3x All Pro, 3x MVP, 5x SB MVP
Moss - HOF, 6x Pro Bowl, 4x All Pro
Welker - 5x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro
Light - 3x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Mankins - 7x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Wilfork - 5x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Vrabel - 1x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Harrison - 2x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro, only player ever with 30 INT and 30 sacks
Samuel - 4x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Thomas - 2x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro
Gostkowski - 4x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro
Seau - HOF, 12x Pro Bowl, 6x All Pro
In the HOF: Brady, Moss, Seau
Should/Will be in the HOF: Wilfork, Gostkowski (?), Welker
That's 12 guys that made it to a Pro Bowl, and all 12 of them made at least one All Pro team.
Hard to say what's been the most talented Pats team ever. These are two of them, I'd think. Of course Junior Seau ON THE PATRIOTS wasn't nearly the same HOF caliber player that he was when he was with the Chargers in his prime. That kind of thing needs to be taken into consideration as well.
And of course, Pro Bowls and All Pro teams aren't the only way to measure talent. It's just a quick and dirty thing to look up.
The 2023 Patriots....are not the most talented Pats team ever, unfortunately.