Justis Mosqueda of Optimum Scouting looked at New England's roster and finds they have invested heavily in what he calls mid-level veterans -- players with at least five years of experience with cap hits ranging from $1 million to $6 million per season. The Patriots have 19 such players, most of any playoff team, nearly double the average of the 12 teams in the postseason, and nearly four times as many as their opponents in the Super Bowl, the L.A. Rams.
"While most of the NFL has opted to lock in money into big veteran contracts, which often include a large signing bonus and two to three years of guaranteed salary, or rookie contracts, which also are also primarily based on guaranteed money at the top of the draft, the Patriots have chosen to sacrifice signing several star players for low-guarantee pay-as-you-go veteran contracts," Mosqueda explains.