Who are the top 5 NFL players who have resurrected their careers under Bill Belichick during his tenure as head coach with the New England Patriots?
During his two decades as head coach there has been a few. With recent hope that Cam Newton would join that list, I decided to take a look back as players who had prior success, even those who were elite at their position elsewhere, who came to New England and found a new level of success.
By way of surprising trades or free agency, these five players found a new level of success with the Patriots under the guidance of Bill Belichick and let’s start with a player who didn’t win a Super Bowl with the Patriots but went on to win one elsewhere.
No. 5 Aqib Talib
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Prior to the 2012 NFL trade deadline, the Patriots were starving for a cornerback and took a shot at a talented player who had numerous arrests and off-the-field problems.
In acquiring Aqib Talib for a 2013 fourth-round pick, Belichick was taking a chance that his no non-sense approach would work on a player with tremendous talent. It was a low-risk, high-reward gamble that paid off nicely as Talib morphed into one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
New England Patriots and Bill Belichick gambled on Aqib Talib and it paid off
Though injuries seemed to come at the wrong time for Talib during his time with the Patriots, his length, skillset and attitude on the field helped stabilize the Patriots secondary. He not only took some of the top wide receivers out of games, but he was also able to cover explosive tight ends like Jimmy Graham.
Now, Talib had just 5 interceptions in his season and a half with the New England Patriots, but playing under Bill Belichick helped resurrect his career as he went on to play for the Denver Broncos where he won a Super Bowl championship.
It should also be noted that Belichick attempted to bring Talib back prior to the 2020 NFL season before he retired. Talib turned down his “homie” but will always be grateful to the man who gave him a chance and turned his NFL career around.
No. 4 Mike Vrabel
Current Tennessee Titans head coach and former New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel didn’t come with any baggage, but his NFL career wasn’t defined until he was signed as a free agent in 2001 by Bill Belichick.
Paired with Tedy Bruschi, Vrabel was the ultimate defensive player for Belichick. In his eight seasons, he recorded 48 sacks and 411 total tackles. He also played a little offense, catching a touchdown pass as a tight end in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Mike Vrabel established his NFL career with the New England Patriots
While his career started with the Pittsburgh Steelers and ended as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Vrabel will always be remembered as a Patriot.
Now, there was some drama on the way out, but being a part of the dynasty and playing under Belichick has made Vrabel the man and coach he is today.
"“I enjoyed every minute that I spent in New England,” Vrabel said back in January of 2019, via NBC Sports Boston. “Those players, those coaches, those fans. Bill [Belichick] was obviously a big influence on my playing career just to help me improve.”"
Ironically, one of the players who played a big role in the beginning of the New England Patriots dynasty helped end it as the head coach of the Titans, leading his team to victory at Gillette Stadium in the Wild Card round of the 2019 NFL playoffs.
No. 3 Corey Dillon
Former New England Patriots running back Corey Dillon wasn’t really a resurrection project as he was still at the top of his game when Bill Belichick traded for him back in 2004 but move definitely helped salvage his reputation.
As a star running back in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dillon was breaking records with his running style, one of which was Walter Payton’s single-game rushing record with a 278-yard performance in a game back in 2000.
Corey Dillon was perfect for the New England Patriots
That record was since broken in 2003, but adding a stud running back like Dillon still in his prime was a major reason why the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl in 2004, cementing the first half of their dynasty.
During that season, Dillon rushed for 1,635 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns following a down season in Cincinnati which ushered his way out of a situation that was becoming toxic. He certainly rejuvenated himself under Belichick by giving the Patriots a stout rushing attack to go along with a championship level defense.
It ended up being a match made in heaven and what that certainly salvaged the tail end of Dillon’s career as he went on to play two more seasons under Belichick before ultimately retiring following the 2006 NFL season in which he still rushed for 812 yards while sharing the load with first-round draft pick Lawrence Maroney.
No. 2 Rodney Harrison
A major part of the New England Patriots back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 2003 and 2004 was a player Bill Belichick signed in free agency by the name of Rodney Harrison.
Known for his punishing hits, the veteran safety injected some attitude and toughness in a veteran defense that was already very good.
After playing nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers, Harrison was signed in hopes of forming a great safety duo with Lawyer Milloy. As it turned out, Harrison was really his replacement as Belichick waved Milloy just days prior to the 2003 NFL season.
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Rodney Harrison gave the New England Patriots physicality and leadership
A move many felt would divide the locker room actually turned out to be a good move by Belichick as Harrison not only helped the defense get better on the field but became a vocal leader in the locker room.
Inducted in the Patriots Hall of Fame, Harrison thanked fans for voting him in and for being a part of his comeback story that almost saw him win a third Super Bowl in 2007 as part of that 16-0 regular season team.
"“I’m very grateful for the fans,” Harrison said. “The fact that the fans voted me in, it means more to me than say the Pro Football Hall of Fame because the fans got a chance to see me play every week. They got a chance to see the story and see the injuries and the adversity and the comeback and the plays that were made and the passion that was shown. They’re not going by reputation or rumors or anything like that, so it really meant a lot to me.”"
Labeling Rodney Harrison “one of the best players” he has ever coached says a lot about the player and his professionalism. With a total of 15 interceptions during his six seasons with the Patriots, the bruising safety also proved to be the right move at the right time both for himself and the team.
In hindsight, Harrison joining the Patriots helped resurrect his reputation as the NFL’s “dirtiest player.” Well, perhaps he still was viewed that way by the rest of the league.
No. 1 Randy Moss
Will anyone remember that time Randy Moss played for the Oakland Raiders?
The freak athlete who dominated on the field during his time with the Minnesota Vikings all but checked out when he put on the black and silver. But it wasn’t due to a lack of talent and Bill Belichick saw and he knew he could bring the dominance out of the 6-foot-4 wide receiver.
Oh boy, did he ever.
Acquiring Moss in a trade with the Raiders in exchange for a fourth-round pick is one of the best moves Belichick has ever made. Not only did he gift Tom Brady with a shiny new toy to play with, he got a motivated player who shined during that 2007 NFL season.
Randy Moss helped the New England Patriots almost capture perfection
With 98 catches for 1,493 yards and a record-breaking 23 receiving touchdowns, Moss helped the Patriots ride to a 16-0 season. He fell short of a Super Bowl victory as the team was upset by the New York Giants, but he did score the go-ahead touchdown in the team’s strive for perfection.
Unfortunately, it took a miraculous helmet catch to yield Moss of a Super Bowl ring, but if it wasn’t for Belichick taking a shot at him and convincing him to buy into the team concept of football, there is no telling how Moss’s NFL career would’ve ended.
He did go on to appear in another Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, but no Patriots fan or NFL fan for that matter will forget what Hall-of-Fame receiver Randy Moss did during that 2007 season.
That is why he is the No. 1 on the list of the best NFL careers Bill Belichick resurrected.