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New England Patriots 4 Downs: 4 Hall of Fame-worthy players

By Michael Perry

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 18: Safety Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots intercepts the ball in front of tight end Marcus Pollard #81 of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2004 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 18: Safety Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots intercepts the ball in front of tight end Marcus Pollard #81 of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2004 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: Troy Brown #80 of the New England Patriots in action against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome on February 3, 2002 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Patriots won the game 20-17. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 03: Troy Brown #80 of the New England Patriots in action against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome on February 3, 2002 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Patriots won the game 20-17. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

3rd Down: Troy Brown

I believe that if Troy Brown was not a member of the Patriots offense early in Tom Brady’s career, Brady would’ve been as successful — at least not that fast. He was the security blanket for Brady and the offense. He was Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and Julian Edelman before they were Brady’s go-to receivers.

Brown was Mr. Reliable for the Patriots during their early Super Bowl run of three championships. He was so reliable that he even took some reps on defense at cornerback in 2004. He was always there to answer the call whenever the Patriots needed him.

Brown is another player that was not recognized for his hard work and contributions but did earn a Pro Bowl selection … but that is all. Just like Bruschi, there were a handful of receivers that were more successful than Brown around the league, so he didn’t get a lot of recognition from the league.

Seeing how Brady was so successful early on in his career, Brown was a primary reason for that and should be recognized for his contributions to the offense.

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