I understand your points about Cleveland and Denver wanting to generate some excitement. I can understand that kind of thinking applying to some extent in places like Detroit, Tampa Bay and Buffalo. But there are lots of teams that simply choose to operate differently. The Lions and Bengals continue to invest in players with questionable motivation and character issues. The Jets, Cowboys, Redskins and even Eagles are all teams that have deep pockets and rabid fan bases, and who run their business in a way extremely different from the Pats, signing high priced outside free agents and handing out huge long term deals, and creating a culture of entitlement. They may be financially successful, but it's very questionable from a team productivity perspective.
For example, this offseason Dallas has invested heavily in their secondary, signing FA Brandon Carr and trading up for Morris Claiborne. And they currently are having issues with both Scandrick (who has publicly said he does not want to consider playing a hybrid CB/FS role) and Jenkins, who has pushed for a trade because he is upset at losing his starting position. Do you think that Dallas would have the balls to do what BB did last year, cutting Leigh Bodden, James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather in training camp and bringing in some hungry young players to fight it out? I can't imagine another team just cutting a former 1st round draft pick and 2 time Pro Bowler simply because they've decided that he's more of a negative than an asset to the team. That kind of move sends a message. Players know they have to put out, and work harder. It separates the wheat from the chaff. Guys like Rob Ninkovich and Kyle Love thrive in that Pats' system whereas guys like Albert Haynesworth and Shawn Springs sink, and are quickly discarded. The selection process is never going to be perfect, but most of the time the errors are sorted out fairly quickly, and dealt with without remorse.
I think - and it's purely speculation on my part - that BB got really pissed off by the 2009 debacle and with underproducing players. The MNF loss in New Orleans and the playoff loss to the Ravens were embarrassing, as were the 2nd half meltdowns, inconsistent effort, and lack of improvement as the season progressed. Adalius Thomas was let go as soon as was fiscally prudent. Shawn Springs and Chris Baker weren't re-signed. Derrick Burgess was unceremoniously cut during training camp in 2010. Ben Watson was let walk to Cleveland. Randy Moss and Laurence Maroney were traded early in the 2010 season. I think BB's been extremely careful about how he's built the team since then, and about getting the "right" kind of players and not getting too committed to those who are potential "risks". He's rolled the dice a few times, but they've always been calculated risks with limited investments on which he could cut his losses if necessary, as he did in the case of Albert Haynesworth. No big money long term contracts with big signing bonuses thrown at outside players, especially those with red flags or a history of inconsistent effort. No high draft picks with character issues. Guys with non-stop motors who love football and who are going to play their hearts out. Other than Haynesworth, was there a malingerer on the roster last year? With that one exception - who was dumped as soon as he came an obvious problem - I can't think of a single player that didn't embrace their role, buy into the program, and work their butt off. I'm not sure there's another team in the NFL who can make that claim. There was no entitlement, and no disharmony. And while some of the individual and unit performances weren't up to expectations, the overall team effort was outstanding, and led to a super bowl appearance.
BB has the luxury of being able to do things his way and not having to give a sh*t about what the media, fan base, or anyone else thinks. He focuses on building a team rather than on collecting talent, and that philosophy pervades his approach to the draft, free agency, roster building, and contract management. It's definitely not the norm in the NFL, but given the results, maybe it should be.