New England Patriots: Tom Brady’s top 5 receivers of all time…so far
No.5 – Troy Brown
In many ways, Troy Brown put the New England Patriots usage of the slot receiver on the map. He also paved the way for players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman.
One also has to wonder, if there was no Troy Brown, would Tom Brady have been as successful in 2000 as he was?
Brown was at the tail end of his career when Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe, but he did catch the ball from No. 12 for five seasons.
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In fact, No. 80 was one of Brady’s top targets during his early stages and rightfully so. Brown’s reliability and ability to make big plays at crucial times extended well into the Brady era in New England.
Mr. Production
His 557 regular season receptions, 6,366 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns well established Troy Brown as one of the most productive receivers in New England Patriots history.
Taking into account that 15 of those touchdowns came from Brady, and one could only wonder what type of numbers the two would’ve put up if Brown was at a younger stage of his career when Brady became quarterback. This is the sole reason he wasn’t ranked higher on this list.
As Tom Brady’s original go-to guy, Brown has named the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback as his greatest Patriots teammates.
"“[Tom Bray’s] just a warrior, man,” Brown said in a 2015 interview with WBUR’s Bob Oakes. “He refuses to fail. He’s a guy that’s so competitive, that he’s not going to lose. Even in defeat, he’s not going to lose.”"
Overall, Troy Brown has helped Brady win some very important games. One of his biggest receptions came in the final drive of that thrilling Super Bowl XXVI victory over the then St. Louis Rams.