New England Patriots: 6 Underpaid Players on the Roster for the 2011 NFL Season

If you ask Randy Moss, he would tell you that Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots don't really pay their star players. If you ask Tom Brady, he might have a different story to tell you.

The Patriots may have built a reputation for heartlessly letting their star players walk or trading them away once they've squeezed all the proverbial juice out of them. They've also built a reputation for finding the best bang for the buck to fill their roster with talent while remaining frugal.

So frugal, in fact, that many of their players aren't a deal as much as a steal.

Here are some of the top underpaid players on the Patriots roster.

Author's note: These figures come from an unofficial source, located at www.patscap.com.

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter @erikfrenz.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: BenJarvus Green-Ellis #42 of the New England Patriots runs for a 1-yard touchdown in thefirst quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Total 2011 cap figure: $1,843,120

Fred Taylor gave BenJarvus Green-Ellis his stamp of approval before the 2010 season began. It's only fitting, then, that Green-Ellis replaced Taylor when the veteran back went down with an injury in Week 1.

"The Law Firm" saw his role change a bit last year. He went from a little-known back-up to a big-time contributor in New England's backfield. One thing that didn't change was his ball security. He has yet to fumble once in his NFL career.  

On top of ranking second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 13, Green-Ellis also became New England's first 1,000-yard back since Corey Dillon crossed the plateau back in 2004.

Green-Ellis' role in New England is pretty straightforward. He's not going to suddenly become a pass-catching dynamo out of the backfield. For how important he was to New England's backfield last year, he could possibly be asking for a bit more money. That argument may be hard to make now, however, after the Patriots drafted two running backs in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL draft.

Running backs take a beating, and thus, they shouldn't be paid too much. However, who knows just how valuable BenJarvus could become if one of the other backs goes down with an injury. Valuable enough to warrant a nice pay day, no doubt.

Sebastian Vollmer

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Sebastian Vollmer #76 of the New England Patriots celebrates as he runs off the field after defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-27 at Gillette Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Total 2011 cap figure: $823,120

Besides first-round pick Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer may be the most promising young offensive linemen on the Patriots roster. He started his career on a strong note, filling in a few games at left tackle and at right guard when Matt Light and Steve Neal went down with injuries.

He carried that momentum over into the next season, starting every game at right tackle in 2010 when Nick Kaczur went down with an injury before the season began.

In his 30 career games (24 starts), he has only been called for nine penalties and has given up just 2.5 sacks on Tom Brady. If you ask me, that's deserving of a little more than Vollmer's current salary.

But don't tell the Patriots front office I said that.

Dan Connolly

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TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 17: Guard Dan Connolly #63 of the New England Patriots sets to block against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on August 17, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Total 2011 cap figure: $1,191,453

There's no replacing the temperament a guy like Logan Mankins brings to the offensive line.

Dan Connolly did a fine job filling in for Mankins during the Pro Bowl guard's seven-game holdout, though. While that may not earn him a tremendous pay day anytime soon, it's easy to see that a talented back-up on the offensive line can be of high value for so many reasons.

$1.2 million is a pretty high figure for a back-up, but when it comes to the offensive line, there's just no telling how important a back-up can be. He will be expected to step in and take the reigns of the position rather seamlessly.

Additionally, who knows how much longer Connolly will be a back-up. Now that Steve Neal has retired, Connolly could be asked to step in as a starter. To be quite honest, that wouldn't be too much to ask of him. As I said, he proved he can do it last year, and should at least be afforded the opportunity to earn the starting job in 2011.

If that happens, and he performs well, the asking price could go up fairly quickly. Let's not forget, though, he plays guard. Those guys in the middle aren't of as much value to most teams as the guys on the outside, protecting the edges from those fierce pass rushers.

Now that the Patriots have a pressing need on the interior of their offensive line, though, the value of a proven player like Connolly has gotten a bit higher.

Rob Ninkovich

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FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 21: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts is hit by Rob Ninkovich #50 of the New England Patriots on November 21, 2010 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots defeated the Colts 31-28. (Photo by Elsa/Gett

Total 2011 cap figure: $774,786

Much like Green-Ellis, Ninkovich was never more than a back-up up until last year. While there is no measure of certainty around his future role with the team, he has come a long way since being a little-known pick-up for the Patriots back in the offseason of 2009.

Mike Dussault of Pats Propaganda outlines it perfectly for us, showing that it's not just about what he does well, but how much he has improved and how much the Patriots have come to rely on him.

Although Dussault is quick to point out that Ninkovich is used primarily as a 3-4 base defense run stopper, a stat that doesn't show up in the stat sheet is Nink's consistent pressure on Mark Sanchez in the Jets game, and the complete deterioration of the defense when he was lost with an injury.

Sure, he may not have played a lot against the Chargers and Colts—the two pass-happiest teams the Patriots played last year—but the picture above indicates that Ninkovich was able to make an impact at least in some capacity in the Colts game.

One part of the above article I really like is the comparison to Mike Vrabel. The two have similar playing styles, and though Ninkovich may not be the final answer to the pass rush woes, after three season in the Pats system, he could make huge strides just as Mike Vrabel did.

Perhaps it's early yet to call Ninkovich underpaid, but with a strong third season, there is an opportunity for Ninkovich to earn that name.

Deion Branch

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Wide receiver Deion Branch #84 of the New England Patriots tries to hold onto the ball during the fourth quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Ph

Total 2011 cap figure: 2,208,120

Deion Branch can only be considered underpaid when he's wearing a Patriots uniform. In Seattle, his history of injuries actually made him one of the most overpaid on their roster.

Then, he took a pay cut as part of his trade to the Patriots, and suddenly, Deion Branch was Deion Branch again. And not the injury-prone guy that wasted a roster spot for the Seahawks for several years; I'm talking about the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP.

Branch is hardly a dominant NFL wide receiver, but he fits so seamlessly in the Patriots offense that his talents could arguably be worth more. His built-in rapport with Tom Brady allowed him to burst onto the scene with nine catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in his very first game, against the vaunted Ravens defense.

Put it this way: Had he played all 16 games for the Patriots in 2010, he would have finished with 70 receptions for 1,026 yards and seven touchdowns. Again, those numbers aren't elite, but his importance to the Patriots offense as an outlet receiver is arguably worth more than his cap figure would suggest.

Danny Woodhead

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 26: Danny Woodhead #39 of the New England Patriots runs against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. New England won 34-3. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Total 2011 cap figure: $699,786

Personally, I would like to see Woodhead's production over a longer period of time before anointing him one of the more underpaid players on the Patriots roster.

Another year like the one he had in 2010 would have me more than convinced. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, the fact that the Patriots drafted two running backs in the first three rounds could bode poorly for his playing time.

Woodhead burst onto the scene, and had a 22-yard carry for a touchdown the very first time he touched the ball in a Patriots uniform in 2010 against the Bills. That explosive nature continued to rear its head and made life a nightmare for opposing defenses. Linebackers had a hard enough time finding the little guy, much less tackling him. He's what we like to call "slippery."

The dynamic he adds to the Patriots offense is comparable to that of Reggie Bush for the New Orleans Saints. Woodhead is a similar threat in open space (although maybe not as explosive) but is more effective than Bush in terms of carrying the ball, especially between the tackles.

It's a good thing the Patriots already gave Woodhead an extension, because they may have been forced to overpay him had they waited until the end of the 2011 season.