New England Patriots: All-Time Starting 11 on Offense

The New England Patriots have set all kinds of offensive records in their short history as a franchise. There's the obvious offensive explosion that was the 2007 season, but their history of dominance offensively stretches all the way back to the '70s. In 1978, the Patriots offense set a single-season record for rushing yards as a team with 3,145.

Needless to say, offensive dominance like that is worthy of an all-time starting offense.

There were a lot of tough choices to be made here, and some opinions will certainly vary from mine. Here's my thoughts, and I welcome yours in the comments section below.

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

LT: Matt Light

Matt Light has been the left tackle to protect Tom Brady's blind side throughout his career. His protection has allowed Brady to be one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL today and possibly ever.

Recently, Light has caught some flack for being beat too often by edge rushers, but the focus falls on his errors because he's so good at what he does. It should be noted that the left tackle position hasn't been a question at any point since Light stepped onto the field.

It was his protection that allowed Brady to set the record for touchdown passes in a single season, giving him the time he needed to find Randy Moss deep for big plays.

The Patriots have been very lucky over the past two and a half decades to have never once worried about their starter at left tackle. It's been Bruce Armstrong and Matt Light the whole way. Now, with Light's contract up, it will be interesting to see what direction the Patriots head.

LG: John Hannah

This was a hard decision between John Hannah and Logan Mankins, but in the end, the all-time great had to be the pick. 

Hannah made his name by being one of the nastiest offensive linemen to ever play the game. He played angry every down, and if you were in his way, your body was on the line. His ability to block in the trenches and in the open field helped New England's 1978 offense set a single season rushing record with 3,165 yards.

His ability to pull and block out in the open field was what really set him apart and gave him his name. When he got out there, he didn't just want to block you, he wanted to plant you in the ground.

Quite simply, he was one of the best offensive linemen of all time. Ultimately, the fact that he was the first player for the Patriots to be inducted into the Hall of Fame should tell you all you need to know about his status in Patriots history.

C: Dan Koppen

Much like Matt Light, Dan Koppen isn't without his faults. The fact that his roster spot has never once been up for grabs since he stepped onto the field as a starter should be a big testament to his solid play.

The Patriots have had one of the better interior offensive lines in football for years, and Dan Koppen has been a big part of that. Even more than his abilities as a blocker, he deserves the nod here for his reads. Rarely do the Patriots miss an assignment, and although that falls on the individual players, Koppen deserves some of the credit for making those calls.

RG: Logan Mankins

Swerve! Why choose between John Hannah and Logan Mankins when you can put one at left guard and the other on the right side?

If there's any offensive lineman that rivals the temperament and attitude that John Hannah brought to the game, it's Logan Mankins. Mankins is also comparable to the Hall-of-Famer in terms of his ability to pull to the outside and block in the open field, paving the way on the short passes that have become synonymous with the Patriots offense as of late.

Moreover, Mankins has never missed a game due to injury. That kind of reliability is hard to come by, especially for offensive linemen who so frequently suffer concussions or twisted knees and ankles as a result of all the chaos that goes on in the trenches.

Who knows how much longer Logan will be in a Patriots uniform, but perhaps the Patriots could continue to franchise tag him to not only keep him around, but keep him angry as well.

RT: Bruce Armstrong

There's no way I was going to leave Armstrong off this list. He just had far too big of an impact on the team to be ignored. Unlike my selections at guard, at least Armstrong played right tackle at some point in his career, albeit early on.

For 14 years, Armstrong was a fixture at left tackle, and only missed eight games due to injury. All eight of those games came in one season after tearing his ACL and MCL. The injury was thought to be career-ending, but as a great show of his toughness, resilience and determination, he valiantly came back and played eight more seasons.

He helped the franchise to their second Super Bowl berth, and for all that he gave to the organization, it's a shame he wasn't there for their first Super Bowl win.

TE: Russ Francis

If there was ever a more versatile tight end to put on a Patriots uniform, he never made as big of an impact as Russ Francis.

As both an in-line blocker and a pass-catching tight end, Francis made his presence felt every time he was on the field. As mentioned earlier, he was part of the big blocking left side of the offensive line that helped the Patriots set a record for most rushing yards as a team in a single season in 1978.

Beyond that, he caught 196 passes for 2,996 yards and 28 touchdowns, averaging 15.3 yards per reception in just his first stint with the New England Patriots. Those were unprecedented numbers for a tight end in that era, and his three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1976-1978 are proof of that.

FB: Jim Nance

A long time back, Jim Nance was my pick for the best Patriots running back of all time, but that's sort of a misnomer. Nance played fullback, back in the day when the fullback actually had more touches than the "halfback".

And boy, did Nance make the most of his touches. He led the league in carries, yards and yards per game in both 1966 and 1967, earning All-Pro honors both years. He also finished in the top five in yards per attempt both years, with 4.9 and 4.5 respectively.

He even won AFL MVP honors in 1966 for his incredible season in which he boasted an unrivaled 104.1 yards per game, and led the league with 11 touchdowns.

His dominance in that era was unprecedented, as he was the only back in AFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, and the only AFL back to ever rush for over 1,400 yards in a season.

In the famous words of Bill Belichick: Any questions?

RB: Kevin Faulk

Running backs have come and gone in New England, but perhaps none of them has meant as much to the organization as Kevin Faulk. His uncanny speed was held in high regard coming out of LSU in the 1999 NFL draft, and having set nearly every SEC rushing record there is, he was a highly-coveted prospect and was selected in the second round.

He started off slowly, and took some time to adjust to the NFL game. Once he got there, he hit the open field and never looked back. Now, he's one of the most valuable players in New England's offense simply for the versatility he adds the offense.

He doesn't make the cut for his great between-the-tackles running ability, because that's not what he does best. What he does best is a mix of everything, from running to pass-catching to blitz pickup and everything in between. If the goal is to create a versatile New England offense, Faulk needs to be the pick.

WR1: Stanley Morgan

Not only is Stanley Morgan the only player in Patriots history to cross the 10,000-yard plateau, but he is also second all-time in Patriots history in yards per catch with 19.4. That right there should tell you he wasn't just a volume receiver that caught a lot of passes, but he was an explosive play-making threat for the offense.

In fact, he led the league in yards per catch three years in a row from 1979-1981. His best years came in an era where run-heavy offensive attacks were still favored, and especially so in New England. Had he played in this era, his numbers could have made him an all-time great. As it is for now, he remains a Hall of Fame snub in the minds of many.

Just once, I'd love to see Tom Brady throw a deep pass to Stanley Morgan. That duo would rival the explosiveness of Brady and Moss of 2007.

WR2: Irving Fryar

After Fryar left the Patriots, he was a thorn in New England's side as a member of the Miami Dolphins, helping them establish a culture of winning. He's arguably one of New England's best receivers in the short history of the franchise, with 363 receptions for 5,726 yards and 38 touchdowns in nine seasons with the team.

As a five-time Pro Bowl selection, his skills and talents were well-documented among fans and players alike. He averaged 15.8 yards per reception, even with some less-than-stellar play at the quarterback position.

It should be noted, also, that Fryar was responsible for the only New England touchdown in their 46-10 drubbing at the hands of the 1985 Chicago Bears.

QB: Tom Brady

Perhaps no player in the history of the team has meant more to the Patriots franchise than Tom Brady. From three Super Bowl wins and two Super Bowl MVPs, to game-winning drives and fourth quarter comebacks, to reaching 100 victories faster than any quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady has done almost everything there is to do.

He threw 50 touchdowns in 2007. He threw 338 consecutive passes without an interception in 2010. He has won 28 consecutive regular season games at home dating back to 2006. He has won two regular season MVP awards.

And when it's all said and done, he'll cap it off by becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.