The best formula for building a sustained winner in the NFL is still to get as many good, cheap rookie contracts as possible while also adding some slightly more expensive veterans without destroying the salary cap. The 2013 Seahawks perfected this blend, as have the Patriots throughout their 15-year run. The successful track record of the cheap-contract-collection philosophy made big second contracts as unfashionable in the NFL as zubaz pants and, when paired with the 2011 CBA, fostered the current climate, in which every stubborn decision-maker in every front office has been conditioned to overthink every deal — even when spending whatever’s necessary to lock up a superstar should be the obvious move.