The old adage isn't always true, but for the New England Patriots, defense certainly has won championships. After years of patchwork secondaries and anemic pass rushes, everything came together for the Pats defense in 2014. And while the unit didn't produce the same league-leading numbers as the defenses from the early 2000s, premier talent like Darrelle Revis, Devin McCourty and Jamie Collins gave the Patriots the ability to combat virtually any offensive style.
Unfortunately, the reality of the salary cap made that defense a one-year wonder. Revis was never a realistic option to stay after the New York Jets sold the farm for their old friend, and though the Pats could have stomached the contracts of Vince Wilfork, Kyle Arrington and Brandon Browner, their long-term cap health is probably better off without those vets, whose combined cap figure would have been just over $19 million for 2015.