Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The way Kraft runs the New England Patriots should serve as a model for NFL owners who enter the league (but often doesn’t because of the egos of billionaires). Kraft is around the team on an almost daily basis – which keeps employees on their toes -- yet doesn’t meddle with the person he placed in charge of running it (Bill Belichick) after learning his lesson with Bill Parcells in the 1990s. Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady deserve much of the credit for New England winning four Super Bowls and becoming the league’s gold standard, but Kraft laid the groundwork for the Patriots hitting those heights with his approach.