These Patriots believe in fiscal discipline with the salary cap, which often means tough decisions with beloved fan favorites (e.g. Wes Welker). They attempt to build a strong middle class on the roster, which is easier to do when players such as Blount ($680,000) and Collins ($683,000) are in starring roles but accounting for so little cap space. It also helps when your star player, quarterback Tom Brady, is on board with the plan.