How the Patriots were built

This is the second of a weekly series that examines how Miami’s 2019 opponents built their rosters, and what lessons the Dolphins can glean as they build theirs.

Team: New England Patriots

Coach: Bill Belichick (20th season)

Director of player personnel: Nick Caserio (12th season)

Owner: Robert Kraft

Franchise value: $4.1 billion

2018 record: 11-5 (first in the AFC East)

Last playoff appearance: 2018 (won the Super Bowl)

Total 2019 payroll: $179.7 million (24th)

Total 2019 AAV: $212 million (fifth)

Salary cap space: $4.9 million (25th)

Dead money: $9.5 million (20th most)

Percentage of homegrown players: Roughly two-thirds

Overview: The Patriots

● start with Tom Brady and Belichick — the most successful quarterbackcoach combination in NFL history — but they’re so much more than that.

They are a team built on value and opportunity, with a philosophical flexibility that matches their on-field versatility. They value draft picks, but not necessary drafted players. They rarely spend at the top of the market, but also pay for veterans in a way many teams won’t.

They’re the oldest team in football with one of the league’s biggest payrolls, and yet carry hardly any dead money. They are strict — some might even say rigid — with their assistants and players, but four of their top on-field contributors agreed to return for a second goround in New England after leaving. In short, they zig when everyone else zags. As longtime Belichick observer and Boston Sports Journal founder Greg Bedard points out, their roster has 23 veterans with cap hits from just more than $1 million to $5 million. That’s nearly unheard of in a league that values the top 1 percent and rookie contracts. They hoard draft picks — with at least nine in three of the last four years — but don’t hesitate to move on, and quickly, when it’s clear those picks are duds. Just 14 of their 32 picks in the past four years are on their roster presently. Their M.O.: Take low-risk players in the first rounds, character or injury concerns in the second and fill out their roster in rounds 3-5. But that’s just a small part of their plan. They swing hard for free agents when they like the pitch, regardless of red flags. They assume they can absorb Antonio Brown because they already did so, successfully, with Randy Moss. Nearly 20 percent of their roster was acquired via trade. And the biggest asset on their roster? Brady and his contract, which, at $23 million this year, ranks just 13th in the NFL.

The lesson: Beyond

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finding a Hall of Fame quarterback and pay him 60 cents on the dollar? Roster flexibility is key. Don’t get locked into topheavy contracts, and if you do, make them short-term. Also, draft picks are great currency, but don’t wed yourselves to players just because they’re taken early. And as always, look for inefficiencies in the market.

He said it: “I don’t

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really have a lot of comment on what everybody else is doing in the league. I can’t speak for the other 31 teams other than I’m sure each of them is doing what they think is best for their football team. That’s what we try to do. We try to put our best, most-competitive team on the field every week and every year. Whatever that is, in my mind, it doesn’t really matter how much experience he has or doesn’t have, whether we drafted him or didn’t draft him, or what team he came from or didn’t come from. We’re just trying to put the best team out there we can every season, but every week within that season, based on the resources we have to work with at that particular time. That’s what we’ll continue to do. Whoever that is, it is.” — Patriots coach Bill Belichick rick would ask for a trade and said: “He’s done a really good job all week. This is a tough kid, a hardworking kid. I expect him to play well Sunday. He’s going to be a big part of the game plan. I’ve had this kind of similar situation and others in the past, so I think we’ll be able to move past it.”

Fitzpatrick — who has been upset about his role, which has required him to learn six positions — said his job Sunday will include significant responsibilities.

“Every single week it’s multiple things — whether covering tight ends, covering running backs, covering receivers,” he said. “It’s always something different.”

Fitzpatrick, selected 11th overall in the 2018 draft, figures to be used extensively at safety on Sunday, with Reshad Jones ruled out with an ankle injury.

A source close to Fitzpatrick said he has been dissatisfied in Miami since the new coaching staff took over. The new staff has also struggled to have a clear vision for Fitzpatrick. From the Dolphins’ perspective, coaches see Fitzpatrick as something of a jack of all trades, but they are still searching for the position where he can be dominant.

So the team has continued to move Fitzpatrick around and last week against Baltimore he played safety, linebacker and nickel corner. He played only 12 snaps at nickel corner, where he led the league last season in passer rating against.

Fitzpatrick, the source close to him said, emerged from Sunday’s game convinced coaches didn’t have a clear plan for him. He doesn’t believe they put him in the best position to succeed.

Flores and Fitzpatrick spent time together this week, per club sources, discussing — among other things — how to make the relationship work for both sides, but those discussions didn’t satisfy all parties.

When the team put him at strong safety one week during August dual practices in Tampa, Fitzpatrick’s mother, Melissa, said on Twitter that he was being asked to play out of position.

Fitzpatrick told reporters at the time that he agreed with his mother: “She’s not wrong. I’m not 215 pounds, 220 pounds. So playing in the box isn’t best suited for me, but that’s what coach is asking me to do.”

One player said Flores did not discuss Fitzpatrick’s trade request with the team. And teammates appear supportive of Fitzpatrick.

The team’s two defensive captains — safety Bobby McCain and linebacker Jerome Baker — said they had discussions with Fitzpatrick after learning of his trade request.

“All I said to Minkah is I’m there for him as a friend,” Baker said. “I’m there for you whatever you decide to do.”

Baker said he did not ask Fitzpatrick why he wants to be traded or try to talk him out of it. “I wouldn’t even ask that; it’s his decision,” Baker said.

Baker indicated he knows Fitzpatrick’s decision wasn’t capricious.

“Knowing the type of guy, he prays, he meditates,” Baker said. “Anything he does, he really thought it over. If he goes to another team, I would root for him until he plays us. I know on Sunday he’s going to do whatever he can to help us win.”

McCain said he spoke to Fitzpatrick but said he would keep that confidential, while adding that teammates aren’t angry with Fitzpatrick.

“He’s going to be really good for this league,” McCain said. “He knows he’s a big part of this defense.”

Center Daniel Kilgore, asked Monday about reports of players asking for trades, said: “If you don’t want to be here, I don’t want you here.”

Kilgore was asked Friday if he feels that way about Fitzpatrick.

“That’s Minkah’s business and at this point, I’ve moved on to Sunday,” Kilgore said. “I won’t talk about another man’s business. I’m sure he will handle it; the team will handle it.”