B's 3: Patriots Bill Belichick Names Greatest Greatest All-Time Players

Who are the arguable GOAT's GOATs? New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered three, one each from offense, defense, and special teams.

Only Don Shula has won more games in NFL history as a head coach than Bill Belichick. But the New England Patriots' head coach has certainly had some help along the way.

Belichick indirectly admitted as much in an interview with The 33rd Team, declaring that he feels like his lengthy coaching career has allowed him to work with the greatest players in each unit of football. Two came from his time with the Patriots while the other stems from his oversight of the New York Giants' defense.

“I feel like I’ve coached the best offensive player, the best player in football in Tom (Brady); the best defensive player in football in L.T. (Lawrence Taylor), and the best special-teams player in football in Matt Slater,” Belichick told former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum. “If you’re a coach and you coach Taylor, Brady, and Slater, that’s three pretty good players.”

Little more needs to be said about Brady and Taylor's impacts on their respective realms: Brady, who spent nearly two decades as Belichick's primary thrower, holds nearly every major passing record and wears seven Super Bowl rings (all but one earned with New England) while Taylor's prowess for invading backfields and laying down hards hits remains renowned to this day. 

Slater, on the other hand, is perhaps an understated choice. Primarily listed as a receiver, Slater made a name for himself as one of the greatest special teams defenders of all time. It was a unique skill that afforded him three Vince Lombardi Trophy hoists, 10 Pro Bowl invites, and an NFL career set to reach its 16th season after he signed a one-year extension with the Patriots in February.

"As a core special-teams player, Slater really ...  has been the best of all time,” Belichick affirmed. “I hope he gets recognized for that.”

While some have questioned his place in the New England franchise moving forward, Belichick is closing in on a record many saw as unbreakable: at 329 win between the regular season and playoffs, Belichick is just 19 wins away from passing Shula for the most in NFL history. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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