Tom Brady and Bill Belichick obviously led the 29-member All-Decade Team for the 2010s announced by the Patriots on Wednesday.
The team was formed earlier this month by the Patriots Hall of Fame selection committee.
The squad of elite contributors to New England's massive success over the last 10 years includes 12 offensive players, 12 defensive players, a kicker, a punter, a returner, a special teams player and the coach.
Brady leads the offense side of the team behind a line with Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer at tackle, Logan Mankins and Joe Thuney at guard and David Andrews at center. The offensive weapons include tight end Rob Gronkowski, wide receivers Julian Edelman and Wes Welker, running back James White, fullback James Develin and a flex player in wide receiver Danny Amendola.
The defensive side of the ball is anchored by current NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore at cornerback alongside Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, with Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung at safety. The linebacker group includes Rob Ninkovich and Kyle Van Noy on the outside, with Jerod Mayo and Dont'a Hightower on the inside. The defensive line consists of Chandler Jones and Trey Flowers at defensive end, with Vince Wilfork and Lawrence Guy at defensive tackle.
The kicking game honorees are kicker Stephen Gostkowski, punter Ryan Allen, Edelman a returner and Matthew Slater as the special teamer.
Belichick is the head coach.
#Patriots announce 2010s All-Decade Team: https://t.co/tY8qP1EPxM
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 29, 2020Twelve of the 29 spots on the team go to current members of the Patriots roster – Edelman (WR/returner), Thuney, Andrews, White, Guy, Hightower, Gilmore, McCourty, Chung, Slater and Belichick.
Showing the Patriots dominance in the last decade – when the team went to five Super Bowls and won three Lombardi Trophies – six members of the Patriots All-Decade Team for the 2010s were also members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team that was announced earlier this month. That list includes Belichick, Brady, Gronkowski, Mankins, Jones and Gostkowski.
The Patriots official All-Decade team is also very similar to the WEEI/Off Day Podcast Patriots All-Decade Team put together last December.
