It seems like there are eight million stories of the “Patriot Way” and like Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Dion Lewis, Alan Branch, LeGarrette Blount, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola and dozens of others – players of questionable traits and abilities who the Patriots made great, or great players who appeared to be at the end of their careers – Kyle Van Noy is now one of them.
A few years ago, the Patriots had easily the best linebacker room in the NFL with Jerrod Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins. But unable to keep Mayo healthy, unwilling to deal with Spikes' attitude and knowing he’d be unable to meet Collins salary demands when free agency came, Belichick moved on from all but Hightower.