Friend of the program Bryan Frye is back for another guest series. As regular readers know, Bryan operates his own fantastic site, http://www.thegridfe.com. You can view all of Bryan’s guest posts here, and follow him on twitter @LaverneusDingle.

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With the NFL’s centennial celebration coming soon, I have been thinking much about “all-time,” “best of,” and “greatest” lists. This time, that list involves an eight part series on each division’s all-time teams. As I stated before, I will be treating all teams as if they are in their current divisions (so Kenny Easley would be eligible for the NFC West squad, not the AFC West to which the Seahawks belonged when he played). Today, we’ll be looking at Tom Brady’s division.

A quick reminder of the series rules before jumping into the content:

1. I write everything before my painkiller prescription runs out (although Chase will publish this later),
2. I write it completely off the top of my head and don’t do any research,
3. I don’t have to proofread this when I finish it, and
4. Chase doesn’t edit my nonsense out of the article (so parts may read like a Raider Joe rant).

Roster construction is as follows: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 2 TE, 2 T, 2 G, 1 C, 2 DE, 2 DT, 2 OLB, 2 MLB/ILB, 3 CB, 2 S, 1 K, 1 P, 1 HC.

Without further ado, here’s the AFC East

Offense

Quarterback – Tom Brady

Dan Marino may have been the most natural thrower I have ever seen, but this spot was never in doubt. If you like rings, Brady has more than any QB. If you like stats, he has some of the best ever. If you just likes guys with handsome faces, well by golly he has that too.

Running Backs – O.J. Simpson and Curtis Martin

When Simpson became the first back to break the 2,000 yard mark, he set a record for rushing yards per game that still stands. And that probably wasn’t even his best season! Martin didn’t have the highs of some of the inner circle guys, but he was a consistent producer and a respected teammate.

Wide Receivers – Don Maynard, Paul Warfield, and Andre Reed

Maynard is the second best AFL wideout and did amazing things with DESERVING HALL OF FAMER Joe Namath throwing him the ball. Warfield was tough to place because he split his time between Miami and Cleveland, spending much more time in the Midwest. I opted to put him here because his time with the Dolphins was good enough to merit the spot. He’s the greatest deep threat in history and an underrated blocker. Reed put up solid numbers in suboptimal weather, and his work after the catch is the stuff of legend.

Tight Ends – Rob Gronkowski and Russ Francis

Gronk is the greatest tight end of all time, in my opinion. Every other great at the position had at least one glaring weakness. Gronk’s only weakness was his health. Francis is like a proto version of Gronk. He didn’t put up gaudy receiving numbers, but he was nonetheless an incredible receiver and arguably an even better athletic specimen. Like Gronk, he was also excelled as a blocker.

Tackles – Leon Gray and Marvin Powell

Gray was a hulking player who could manhandle defenders, and the brevity of his peak may be the only thing keeping him from having a bronze bust in an Ohio museum. Powell was an intelligent player who succeeded despite lacking the aggression of someone like Boomer Brown.

Guards – John Hannah and Joe DeLamielleure

Hannah may be the greatest guard of all time, and he is almost certainly the best run blocker. DeLamielleure possessed sound technique and rarely got himself out of position. I’ve heard some posit that he only made Pro Bowl because he got to block for O.J., but I don’t believe those people actually watched him play.

Center – Dwight Stephenson

Quite simply, Stephenson is the best I have even seen at the center position. He was far more athletic than anyone else, and despite his size was incredibly powerful. Opponents likened taking a hand shot from Stephenson to getting electrocuted.

Defense

Defensive End – Bruce Smith and Jason Taylor

Smith holds the NFL’s career sack record and racked up outlandish numbers without sacrificing run support. Taylor was a gifted athlete who made good use of his long arms to keep free from blockers.

Defensive Tackle – Tom Sestak and Joe Klecko

Sestak could play just about any technique across the line (aside, perhaps, from wide 9) with equal success getting after passers. Klecko is similar, having earned honors as an end and a nose tackle. Honorable mentions to Fred Smerlas and Vince Wilfork, who are two of the best nose tackles I’ve seen.

Outside Linebacker – Andre Tippett and Cornelius Bennett

Lawrence Taylor may be the only reason Tippett isn’t a household name. Known as a rushbacker, he could also force the edge against the run and even cover tight ends with success. Bennett was the epitome of versatility, able to make plays at all levels of the field.

Middle/Inside Linebacker – Nick Buoniconti and Zach Thomas

Buoniconti and Thomas were both undersized backers who tackled well and excelled in coverage. Thomas was a bit better at disengaging from blockers.

Cornerback – Darrelle Revis, Ty Law, and Asante Samuel

Revis and Law were classic, shutdown cornerbacks who you could put on a number one receiver and not worry about for the rest of the game. Samuel was a gambler who is unfortunately remembered just as much for his misses as he is for his numerous big plays.

Safety – Rodney Harrison and Dick Anderson

Most of Harrison’s prime came with the Chargers, but he remained an effective and important member of several successful Patriots squads. The infamous David Tyree play notwithstanding, he was typically consistent in coverage and as an enforcer. Choosing between Anderson and Jake Scott was no mean feat, but I opted for Anderson because I liked his penchant for turning defense into offense.

Special Teams and Head Coach

Kicker – Adam Vinatieri

If we want to get all analytical and look at metrics like points produced over expectation, Garo Yepremian would probably take this spot. But let’s take a moment to pretend we’re humans and not androids and consider that narrative actually does matter. I don’t care if he is statistically the best. No kicker has built a stronger legacy than Vinatieri.

Punter – Reggie Roby

Roby combined the big leg fans love to see with the precision kicking purists look for. Also, I like alliteration.

Head Coach – Bill Belichick

With respect to Don Shula’s 347 victories and absurd 172 games over .500, Belichick is my guy. To succeed consistently in the salary cap era while only holding on to one star player for a significant period of time is incredible. Despite the NFL’s best efforts at increasing parity, Belichick (with Brady) has presided over the greatest dynasty in NFL history.

Parting Shot

We’re done with part two. Brace yourselves for the AFC West article, in which I cry deeply over the sheer number of legendary tight ends I have to leave off my list.