Of the Patriots 3x Super Bowl Champions, who makes it into the HOF?

Giant Octopodes

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We have multiple players who earned 3 rings with the Patriots in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 seasons. Some of them may still be active, and still have a chance to increase their ring count and / or overall candidacy, but nonetheless it seemed like a fine time to review and speculate. I'll break it down by position group (kinda), and will also include honorable mentions if anyone earned 2 with the Patriots and earned a 3rd elsewhere. I have not looked at the 2001-2004 Patriots to review who has and hasn't made it in, and argue over who still deserves a spot but doesn't have one yet. That may be the next thing I tackle, but certainly if anyone wants to draw comparisons to the results of that group to argue over how likely it is that player X from the latest run, obviously that's perfectly valid and any insights on that end would be appreciated. Without further ado!

QB
Not going to mention he who must not be named, for a ton of reasons. Most importantly, because he adds absolutely nothing to the conversation. We all know he's going in first ballot, so let's leave him out of this one. Fair?

RB/FB
James White
James Develin
Honorable Mention: LeGarrette Blount (won 2 with us, 1 with the Eagles)

WR/TE
Julian Edelman
Matthew Slater (in theory)
Rob Gronkowski (I honestly don't really want discussion on him either, we know he's getting in)

OL
Marcus Cannon

LBs / DBs
Dont'a Hightower
Patrick Chung
Nate Ebner
Devin McCourty

ST
Stephen Gostkowski
Ryan Allen
Matthew Slater (in reality)

If I missed anyone else who was a 3x SB Champion with us, or a 2x Champion with us and is 3x overall, let me know, and my apologies for having missed them. If there is anyone who is a 2x Champion or less with us but whom you expect to get in and feel is worth mentioning, that would be great too. Very curious as to what folks thoughts are.
 
i think slater and jules will have the debate for them. jules would belong on the lynn swann + plan(playoff contributions, the + =probably better regular season production). slater for being an all timer st player.
though...i can easily see it that no one other than the 2 that aren't debated will go in.
 
One thing that always came to mind for me first when thinking about the HOF was the way the teams were built. There was never a ton of All Pro's just really good B players that fit in and could do more than 1 job. Those types never seem to get into the voters minds as even more valuable than an A player great at only one thing. Players came here for rings, certainly not for the dough or league recognition. Think Welker, Troy Brown, Vrable or pick a lineman. So there will be a couple of obvious ones that will make it, TB and Gronk but a lot of quality role players instrumental to those wins have a fart in a hurricanes chance.
 
One thing that always came to mind for me first when thinking about the HOF was the way the teams were built. There was never a ton of All Pro's just really good B players that fit in and could do more than 1 job. Those types never seem to get into the voters minds as even more valuable than an A player great at only one thing. Players came here for rings, certainly not for the dough or league recognition. Think Welker, Troy Brown, Vrable or pick a lineman. So there will be a couple of obvious ones that will make it, TB and Gronk but a lot of quality role players instrumental to those wins have a fart in a hurricanes chance.
I have always assumed that one small fart could go a long way in a hurricane.
 
Slater would seem like an obvious choice but I am not sure what history there is of special teams players getting in that did not line up as a positional player on either offense or defense. I believe there are more than a few great NFL special teams players who are not in the hall of fame. A guy that comes to mind is Steve Tasker from the Bills. Devin Hester is another although I believe he is only recently eligible and it will be interesting to see if he gets in considering he could be the greatest returner of all time.

Even kickers/punters have a hard time getting in. I believe the only HOF punter to this day is Ray Guy, who IMO was absolutely deserving but it took for what seemed like forever before he was voted in.

Outside of the two unmentionables, I see a number of guys on the above list like McCourty who have been very good players on great teams but no one who has likely earned NFL HOF accolades. Edelman may have had a shot if he could have stayed healthy and had a few more really productive years.

While its a completely different discussion, I could see Edelman, McCourty in the Pats HOF one day and possibly Gost and Hightower will be in that conversation as well.
 
dev's a "hall of very good" player. rodney harrison not being in is a travishamockery. he's the best safety bb's had. the secondary fell to shit without him even though they had top level 1st round players like law, and good players like wilson, a$$ante,poole. he was the absolute brains, heart, and fight of that group.
 
You got Law, you got Moss, and you will have Brady and VInatieri. And eventually Belichick and Kraft.

Other than that, I don't see anyone else getting in. And considering half of the 90s Bills are in, and they never won a goddamned thing, that's pretty gross. Rodney Harrison isn't in the Hall of Fame. Neither is Willie McGinest. If those guys aren't Hall of Famers, I don't know who is.

Edit: Oh, Grronkowski will probably get in.
 
Without thinking too much about it, just looking at Inspector's list above, I say no for all the reasons he laid out, but I say no to Cannon and McCourty as well. McCourty is really good, but not close to HOF. He wasn't feared, and didn't change the game. Cannon...I don't think he was ever the best OLman, or even the best OT, on his own team. No way.
 
Haven't seen Wilfork's name mentioned. He's a two-ring guy, and got his rings at the end of the first batch and the beginning of the second batch.

But he was a dominant player at an unheralded position, and nose tackles are underrepresented in the HOF. I hope he gets some interest from the voters when he's eligible.
 
Wilfork certainly deserves it, but unfortunately with Dlineman the guys who get the sacks get the attention.
I’d love to see Eddleman and Dmac get in, but I’m not sure either will.
 
You got Law, you got Moss, and you will have Brady and VInatieri. And eventually Belichick and Kraft.

Other than that, I don't see anyone else getting in. And considering half of the 90s Bills are in, and they never won a goddamned thing, that's pretty gross. Rodney Harrison isn't in the Hall of Fame. Neither is Willie McGinest. If those guys aren't Hall of Famers, I don't know who is.

Edit: Oh, Grronkowski will probably get in.
Seymour is going to get in too I believe. I also think Gilmore has a pretty good chance as well.
 
Outside of Tommy and Gronky, I can only see Slater at a push.

The others just aren't at the level of a John Hannah or Andre Tippett or Mike Haynes.

I'd love to see Jules, HT, Wilfork go in but don't see it. And as Tommy says, WIllie and Rodney should be in there.
 
Haven't seen Wilfork's name mentioned. He's a two-ring guy, and got his rings at the end of the first batch and the beginning of the second batch.

But he was a dominant player at an unheralded position, and nose tackles are underrepresented in the HOF. I hope he gets some interest from the voters when he's eligible.
I've talked about him elsewhere a good time ago. and I believe I pointed out that those in ahead of him were all laden down with career sacks. I imagine that's his weak spot, and likely fatal.

Too bad. sad.
 
Maybe DMC. Slater maybe. If the Pats win more down the road, then we can extend this.
Has Special team only guy ever gotton in or if so anyone not a KO or Punt returner?

Cheers
 
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