The New England Patriots are mourning the loss of longtime coach and executive Bobby Grier, who died over the weekend at the age of 82. Grier's career in football spanned seven decades, including a near 20-year run with the Patriots.

While he made a number of important draft picks for the Patriots, Grier's biggest contribution came in the final days of his New England career when he did extensive scouting work on a quarterback out of Michigan ahead of the 2000 NFL Draft. It was Grier and then-Patriots quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein who pushed for the team to draft Tom Brady in the sixth round with the 199th overall pick.

That selection worked out pretty well for the Patriots, as Brady led the franchise to six Super Bowl titles over his 20-year run with the team. Grier wasn't with the or

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