The New England Patriots dominated the past two decades in large part due to their success in the NFL Draft. In addition to savvy free agent signings, prudent trades paved the way for 19 consecutive winning seasons.

Head coach Bill Belichick has spearheaded the Patriots’ personnel moves since joining the organization in 2000, serving as the de facto general manager. He worked in tandem with Scott Pioli for nine years. Pioli left New England in 2009 to take the reigns as the GM of the Kansas City Chiefs. While Belichick always had the final say in roster moves, he had even more control constructing the team after Pioli’s departure.

Let’s look at the five best trades in Patriots history, four of which Belichick engineered as the de facto GM.

5. Patriots acquire Aqib Talib

Details: Patriots receive Talib, seventh-round pick from Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fourth-round pick

Date: Nov. 1, 2012

Belichick took a gamble on cornerback Aqib Talib, who was in the midst of a four-game suspension upon his arrival in New England. Talib tested positive for Adderall, violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Talib dazzled in his Patriots debut, intercepting a pass thrown by then-rookie QB Andrew Luck and returning it 59 yards for a touchdown. He collected seven combined tackles and a defended pass in a 59-24 shellacking of the visitors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUZUE8Myo34

The following year, Talib made his first career Pro Bowl and earned All-Pro second-team honors. In 23 games played with the Patriots from 2012-13, Talib had five interceptions and 17 passes defended.

Talib’s dominance with the Patriots helped him land a six-year, $57 million contract with the Denver Broncos in 2014.

4. Patriots trade for Corey Dillon

Details: Patriots receive Dillon, fork over second-round pick to Cincinnati Bengals

Date: April 19, 2004

Corey Dillon appeared to be on the downhill of his career in 2003. He rushed for just 541 yards—failing to crack the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in seven pro seasons—as a groin injury limited him to 13 games (11 starts). To compound matters, Dillon did not have the best relationship with the Bengals. He once claimed he’d “rather flip burgers” than playing for the struggling franchise.

Instead of flipping patties, Dillon got traded to the defending champion Patriots. Turning his career around, Dillon shined in his debut season (2004) in New England. He set career highs and Patriots franchise records for rushing yards (1,635) and touchdowns (12) in a single season. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2001 and helped the Patriots capture their third Lombardi Trophy.

Dillon played a major role in each of the Patriots’ three playoff games. During the divisional round win over the Colts, Dillon ran for 144 yards and added five receptions for 17 yards. In the AFC championship win over the Steelers, he gained 73 yards on the ground with a TD. He was the leading rusher (75 yards) of Super Bowl XXXIX, scoring the go-ahead touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

In three seasons with the Patriots, Dillon accumulated 3,180 yards on the ground and 37 rushing touchdowns.

3. Patriots acquire Wes Welker

Details: Patriots acquire restricted free agent Wes Welker from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for second and seventh-round draft picks

Date: March 5, 2007

Wes Welker gave the Patriots fits in his playing days with the Dolphins. Even so, he was third on the receiver depth chart for Miami, so it seemed like a no-brainer to part ways with him to grab a second-rounder plus a seventh-round pick from New England. As it turned out, Belichick came out on top by snatching Welker from the division rivals.

Welker emerged as one of the league’s top slot receivers—and Tom Brady's ultra-reliable security blanket—with the Patriots. He led the NFL in receptions in 2007, 2009 and 2011. He helped the ’07 Patriots to a perfect regular season, hauling in 112 catches and eight touchdowns, en route to being selected as an All-Pro second-teamer. In the subsequent postseason, Welker caught 27 passes across three games, including 11 receptions in the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.

Welker tied an NFL record with a 99-yard TD in the opening game of the 2011 season. He attained NFL first-team All-Pro honors—his second with the club—and helped the Patriots capture another AFC championship, before falling to the Giants again in the Super Bowl.

Making five Pro Bowls (2008-12) with the Patriots, Welker developed into one of the best receivers in team history. In fact, Welker was selected to the Pro Bowl, the All-Pro Team, or both, in every season of his six-year career with the Patriots. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions with 672 and receiving yards per contest (80.2). In addition, he ranks third in total receiving yards (7,459) and eighth in touchdowns (37).

2. Patriots land all-time great Randy Moss

Details: Patriots acquire Moss, send fourth-round pick to Oakland Raiders

Date: April 29, 2007

The Patriots traded for Randy Moss during the 2007 NFL Draft. Moss had quit on the Raiders the prior season as speculation grew that the All-Pro wideout had lost his passion for the game.

Upon arriving in New England, Moss returned to his superstar form and shredded opposing defenses. He set the single-season NFL record with 23 touchdowns. The best receiver in football, Moss seized the 2007 Comeback Player of the Year after reviving his career with the undefeated Patriots.

Moss led the NFL in touchdown receptions again in 2009, the fifth time he accomplished this feat in his illustrious career.

Moss ran his mouth and talked his way out of New England, something he regretted. Before the 2010 season-opener, Moss claimed he did not “feel wanted” in the midst of contract negotiations. Four games into the season, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, his original NFL team.

Appearing in 52 games with the Patriots across three-plus seasons, Moss remarkably ranks third in franchise history with 50 touchdown grabs. He averaged nearly a TD per game. To put his level of excellence into perspective, Moss is tied in TDs with Ben Coates, who needed 142 games to reach the same amount of scores. Moss is second in Patriots history in receiving yards per contest with 75.1.

1. Patriots steal Bill Belichick from New York Jets in greatest trade in NFL history

Details: Patriots get head coach Bill Belichick, a fifth-round pick in 2001 and a 2002 seventh-round selection in exchange for the 16th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, plus a fourth and seventh-rounder in 2001

Date: January 27, 2000

In a move that shaped the landscape of the NFL for two decades, Patriots owner Robert Kraft managed to grab the greatest coach in league history away from the division rival New York Jets. Belichick was the coach of the Jets for a mere two days before resigning. His frustration with Bill Parcells and the team's ownership ultimately led to him quitting. In his infamous resignation speech, he wrote on a napkin that “I resign as HC of the NYJ.” Kraft traded for Belichick and the rest is history.

Belichick struggled out of the gate, posting a 5-11 record in his inaugural Patriots season. After one lone unsuccessful year, Belichick and the Patriots went on a 19-year run of unmatched dominance, winning six titles and appearing in nine Super Bowls. The Patriots have reached the AFC championship 13 times during this stretch and won a whopping 17 AFC East division titles.

As for the Jets, they used the first-round pick they netted from the Patriots to move up and draft Shaun Ellis. The defensive end carved out a solid career, producing 72.5 sacks and making two Pro Bowls. The other picks the Jets acquired from the Patriots resulted in cornerback Jamie Henderson and defensive tackle James Reed. Neither player ever transformed into stars.

While the Patriots set the league on fire during the 21st century, the Jets struggled mightily. They haven't reached the playoffs since 2010. The Jets have the same number of playoff wins (six) since the Belichick deal as the Patriots do Super Bowl titles.