What’s given the Patriots a chance to chase free agents like Revis, though, is a defensive foundation of homegrown players similar to the groups that led New England to multiple Super Bowls. Hitting on recent draft picks has given them relatively cheap production from a young core. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the linebacking corps that includes Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower, and Jamie Collins. All drafted in the last three years, they form a trio of 25-and-under linebackers whose skill sets fit together seamlessly. And by finding players who can do a little bit of everything, New England has been able to play a more versatile brand of defense than it has in some time.