The Eagle Way to the Patriot Way

For the past 17 years, the New England Patriots stand alone as the NFL's gold standard. They've had 16 straight winning seasons and 14 division championships, including the last eight in a row. They've been to 11 AFC Championship Games over that time period, including the last six, with seven Super Bowl appearances.

Oh, there's also the five Super Bowl championships, including the most recent and two of the last three.

Part of the reason the Patriots are so successful is their ability to draft and develop their own roster. Their 2016 roster featured 27 players they drafted, including 12 starters. That doesn't include players like Malcolm Butler, who was an undrafted free agent, or Patrick…