Top 10: Patriots best free agent signings of last 10 years
Stephon Gilmore – 2017
stats while on the Patriots
- Super Bowl Champion (LIII)
- Three-time Pro Bowl selection (2018, 2019, 2020)
- Two-time First-Team All-Pro (2018, 2019)
- Defensive Player of the Year (2019)
- New England Patriots All-2010s Team
- New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team
- 56 regular season games – 161 combined tackles, 11 INT returned for 200 yards, 2 TD, 52 PD, 3 FF, 2 FR
- 7 postseason games – 19 combined tackles, 2 INT, 11 PD, FF
As if snagging Darrelle Revis from the Jets wasn’t sweet enough, the Patriots struck gold again when they signed Stephon Gilmore in 2017 after he spent five years in Buffalo.
Bill Belichick shocked fans and the media when he reportedly offered Gilmore a five-year, $65-million contract, as most believe that was an overpay in general but especially for what many deemed to be an overrated player. Unfortunately, that initial reaction came back to haunt the doubters over the next four seasons, with Gilmore becoming the shutdown corner the Patriots had been missing since Revis left a few years prior.
His first season in New England was not the most extraordinary, but he became an essential piece of the team’s dominant defense the following two seasons, earning back-to-back First-Team All-Pro nods and Pro Bowl selections. On top of that, he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 for a season where he led the league in interceptions and passes defended.
Throughout all of the incredible performances, two of his most memorable moments will forever be embedded in Patriots fans’ minds; the final pass breakup in the AFC Championship against the Jaguars in January 2018 and his timely interception of Jared Goff of the Rams during Super Bowl LIII.
Unfortunately, Gilmore’s time in Foxboro didn’t end the way most would’ve liked, but his unforgettable performances over the years forever cement him in Patriots history.
Rex Burkhead – 2017
stats while on the Patriots
- Super Bowl Champion (LIII)
- 41 regular season games – 253 carries for 1,026 yards, 11 TD | 96 rec, 856 yards, 7 TD
- 6 postseason games – 30 carries for 123 yards, 3 TD | 11 rec, 123 yards
New England has had their fair share of hard-playing running backs over the years, and signing Rex Burkhead in 2017 after spending a quiet four years with the Bengals seemed like an experiment to most. However, he immediately made an impact when given a chance, on both the ground and in the passing game, which wound up earning him a three-year extension.
Through the next three seasons, Belichick cultivated all of the running backs’ skills and quickly put to shame his time in Cincinnati. He was exactly the dual threat that the Patriots were hoping for, especially to pair with their other versatile back James White, making it difficult for defenses to predict how they would use him on the field.
His production continued until suffering a season-ending injury in week 11 against the Texans in 2020, which eventually ended up being his last game with the Patriots.